External Courses

MLIS Students have the option of taking up to three (3) graduate-level courses of ★3 each (★9 total) from outside of the School

Students interested in taking external courses at the U of A must do the following:

  1. Receive approval from their advisor.
  2. Contact the host department for registration.

Courses Taken Outside of the University of Alberta

Students must complete the Requests for Course Approval form before they may take a course from another postsecondary institution for credit towards their U of A MLIS program. 


External U of A Courses Previously Taken by MLIS Students

Please Note: Some courses on this list may have changed names since they were last taken by a SLIS student. Students should refer to Bear Tracks for current course schedules. 

EDCT 500 – Robotics: Constructionism in Practice

Technology is rapidly changing the way we function as teachers and students. Over the last 25 years, microcomputer technology has continued to evolve and its role in the education process is constantly being redefined. As teachers or pre-service teachers, you will continue to be faced with the constant challenge of "keeping-up" with the goal of integrating technology across the curriculum. In June 2000, Alberta Education released the technology outcomes that students in grades K-12 are expected to obtain. The objective of this course is to support the curriculum technology integration process by linking the use of robotics in the classroom with Career & Technology Studies (CTS). The designing and building of various types of programmable Robots (LEGO Mindstorms® and NXT™) is one way to achieve these cross curriculum links.

EDEL 540 – Introduction to Teacher-Librarianship (Available Online)

Explores and critically evaluates the management of school library programs and services. Note: Not open to students with credit in EDES 540 and LIS 540.

EDEL 541 – School Library Collection Development (Available Online)

This course presents the principles upon which school library collections are developed. Course elements include identification and use of selection aids and sources; evaluation of curriculum-related resources; design of policies and procedures for building and maintaining school library collections; and issues such as intellectual freedom and copyright.

EDEL 542 – Resource-Based Instruction (Available Online)

This course provides an in-depth examination of resource-based instruction including media and information literacy and the process approach to student research. Strategies are developed for planning, implementing, and evaluating resource-based instructional programs including the instructional component of the school library program. Collaborative planning and the development of school-wide instructional plans are also addressed. This course is designed for teachers and teacher-librarians.

EDEL 544 – Introduction to Emerging Technologies (Available Online)

Explores and critically evaluates the use of emerging technologies in schools and school libraries with an emphasis on how they might be used in personal, professional and teaching and learning situations.

EDEL 545 – Information Technologies for Learning (Available Online)

This course will focus on effective teaching strategies for helping students develop information literacy and critical thinking skills using technology and for integrating technology, especially the Internet, into the K-12 curriculum. Managing information technologies in schools and implementing staff development programs about integrating technologies will be addressed in order to help teachers and teacher-librarians develop and enhance technology-rich learning environments for their students.

EDEL 546 – School Library Information Materials (Available Online)

This course provides in-depth, hands-on exploration of the reference books and other informational materials housed in the school library. Consideration of information ethics and policy, information-seeking behaviour, resources sharing, and impact of automation of information services. 

EDEL 595 – Seminar in Elementary Education: Selected Topics

Effective Literacy Assessment & Instructional Practices for Classroom Teachers, K-9. Students will be introduced to and practice a range of purposeful assessment techniques and corresponding strategic classroom teaching practices to optimize reading and writing achievement for the range of students, from advanced to at-risk, in their classes.

EDIT 571 – Instructional Technology and Communication

Instructional technology extends the ability of the instructor and students to communicate. Multimedia elements of computer-based instruction possess strengths and limitations and communication tools. This course examines various theories of communication and their application to the multimedia world of instructional technology to traditional and non-traditional learning settings. Research in the field as it applies to various learning outcomes is emphasized.

EDPS 511 – Evolving Concepts in Educational Administration and Leadership

This course provides an introduction to educational administration as a field of specialized study in the discipline of administrative (or organizational) behaviour. The general objective is to give an overview of the primary concerns of scholars in the discipline - to develop introductory understandings of the key perspectives, concepts and theories that have been developed. This should be taken early in the graduate program.

EDPS 561 – Program Planning in Adult and Higher Education

This course is for practitioners with considerable experience in planning programs in higher education, private or public institutions, and community organizations. The purpose of the course is to deepen the understanding of planning programs from various theoretical and ethical perspectives.

ENGL 413 – Literary Theory:Humanities Computing

How accessible are the Humanities to computation? Does artificial intelligence count as a facet of "Humanities Computing?" Learn about the current "state of the art" in humanities computing as well as possible future avenues of development. Build a critical vocabulary and an analytical toolbox to contextualize HC and its diverse projects. Discover a selection of texts -- everything from HC journals to websites to non-fiction to fiction to sci-fi. MLIS students may take this course at the 500-level. Contact the department for details.

EXTENSION 550 – Introduction to Electronic Commerce

An introduction to the concepts, technologies and functions of electronic commerce. Considers the organizational implications of electronic commerce as a broad shift in how transactions are completed in the marketplace. Offered by asynchronous Internet communication.

EXTENSION 551 – Understanding Computer Projects: Application, Design, and Project Management Issues for Communications Professionals

An introduction to the fundamental concepts of computing projects and project design assumptions. Intended to assist communications professionals in making decisions in managing computing software, database and Internet-related projects.

EXTENSION 597 – Intellectual Property: The Copyright Component

This course provides an introduction to the various areas of IP. It will help students recognize what sort of protection, for example, trade mark, patent or copyright protection, applies to a digital photograph or a logo or an invention.

EXTENSION 597 – Consulting Practices for Communication and Technology Professionals

This course introduces students to a set of essential skills for conducting effective external construction with organizations, with an emphasis on issues related to communication and information technologies.

HIST 602 – Research Methods and Resources in History

This course will support graduate research and introduce graduate students to the practical skills necessary to succeed in academia.

DH 500 – Survey of Humanities Computing

This course will provide students with an overview of the discipline of Humanities Computing/Digital Humanities and its varied applications across the program's participating Departments.

DH 520 – Technical Concepts & Approaches in Humanities

This course will provide students with an understanding of the technical aspects of Humanities Computing/Digital Humanities and an introduction to underlying computer methods - it is the companion course of the more theoretical HUCO/DH-500 course. Students will gain technical skills that allow them to assess the nature of research problems in the Humanities and earn either to address these problems themselves or to discuss design issues with computer specialists.

DH 612 – Electronic Texts

This half-year course critically surveys the use, creation, and publication of electronic texts in the humanities. Students will interact directly with a variety of published electronic texts in addition to gaining the foundational scholarly and technical skills to create their own.

DH 616 – Multimedia in the Humanities

This course will explore the cultural, social and technical significance of multimedia as an expressive medium. The course will explore the range of media types: text, images, animation, sound, and video; digital imaging and design, encoding, compression, etc.; politics and economics of access to multimedia; computer gaming and on-line gaming communities; and multimedia research and teaching.

MEDU 541 – (Faculty St. Jean)

Consists of teaching the various approaches and foundations to computer assisted language instruction. This course helps students acquire the necessary tools to plan, create, and evaluate teaching software.

MUSIC 505 – Bibliography and Methods of Research

Music 505 comprises an introduction to the principles, and materials of music research. The course focuses on three areas: bibliography, research methods, and writing. The course objective is to develop and practice skills in defining problems in music research and to consider ways of addressing those problems through appropriate methodology and effective use of reference tools and materials.