General Arts & History   

A survey of primarily Western artistic traditions beginning with Ancient Greece and Rome provides an understanding of continuity and change in art making through the ages. The exploration of art movements is framed thematically in relation to societal issues. This course will also introduce students to Asian, Islamic, First Nations and African art. The fundamentals of theoretical issues will be incorporated. Textbook required. Software Required: Word 2000 or higher. *NOTE: Students wanting to register for a General Education course as part of their certificate or diploma program should make sure to receive formal approval from their Program Coordinator. It should be noted that some general education courses are too close to the vocational specializations of specific programs and are therefore excluded as an option for students. It’s therefore important to receive formal approval before registration.

Have you ever needed to design your own business card or a flyer for an event? If so, this is the course for you. Design Basics will give you the building blocks of design. You will learn about fonts, different layout techniques, and simple layout concepts essential to effective graphic design. Prerequisite: Knowledge of InDesign, Illustrator or Photoshop would benefit the student as assessments may need to completed using these packages. Students cannot get by with only access and knowledge of MS Word.

Textbook required. Software Required: As well as a word processing software program, students will require a design/page layout program (such as Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXpress or Corel Draw) capable of creating and saving small graphic design compositions in jpeg or PDF formats.

Participants will learn of the history of print and the evolution towards modern-day printing technologies. Commercial printing techniques will be discussed along with the pre-press production knowledge that is necessary to ensure the proper results. File formats, colour modes, process colour, inks, paper, finishing and many other aspects of print production will be covered. Students will also learn how to work with a client and printer, how to submit a quote and prepare an estimate. Textbook required. Software required: In-Design.

The history of furniture includes an understanding of antiques, of the major periods of style and of trends and influences incorporating antiques. Contemporary and 20th-century furniture will also be discussed, allowing students to recognize particular designs, to accurately assess a piece of furniture’s worth and to recognize the good-better-best categories of goods. Students will discuss all types of case goods, both wood and upholstered and the purchasing of these goods.

This course will analyze the sociological aspects of popular music from the 20th century to the mainstream music of today. It will emphasize important trends, genres, labels and individuals in music history. Special attention will be given to Canadian experiences in popular music. Textbook Required. 

News stories confront us with people, places, issues, and crises from around the world. An understanding of background issues helps us make informed judgements. This subject focuses on the main news stories of the day and looks for your critical interpretations. Textbook required. *NOTE: Students wanting to register for a General Education course as part of their certificate or diploma program should make sure to receive formal approval from their Program Coordinator. It should be noted that some general education courses are too close to the vocational specializations of specific programs and are therefore excluded as an option for students. It’s therefore important to receive formal approval before registration.