Course descriptions - The University of Auckland

ACCTG 151G Financial Literacy

Provides a grounding in the concepts and basic tools that form a foundation for financial competence.

ANCIENT 110G Classical Mythology

A study of ancient Greek and Roman mythology through the works of major writers and artists from the Greco-Roman world.

ARCHHTC 102G Modern Architecture and Urbanism

Examines the cultural contexts that shaped the development of twentieth century architecture, urban design and landscape.

ARTHIST 114G Understanding Art: Leonardo to Warhol

This course decodes artworks, photographs, advertising, digital images, and architecture, providing tools to analyse artists from Leonardo to Warhol: experts at moving the eye around the image for meaning to emerge.

ARTHIST 115G Global Art Histories

This course will provide a broad survey of art and visual culture spanning the early modern world leading up to an examination of the contemporary world we live in today.

ARTSGEN 103G Ko Wai Tātou? Who Are We?

Ko wai tātou? Who are we? Who are our people and communities? What do our ideas about who we are mean for relations of in/equality or how we experience belonging individually and collectively? In addressing these questions, this course considers how knowledge of place enhances your learning, the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and how knowledge systems frame understanding.

ASIAN 140G New Zealand and Asia

The course looks at Asia and its relationship with New Zealand and our evolving political, social, economic, cultural and strategic relations.

ASTRO 100G Planets, Stars and Galaxies

Combines interdisciplinary research to consider the origins of life on earth and the possibility of life on other planets.

ASTRO 200G Astrobiology

Examines the potential of the universe to harbour life using perspectives from Geology, Biology, Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics, Philosophy, and Ethics.

BIOSCI 100G Antarctica: The Frozen Continent

A general introduction to Antarctica and its environs including the Southern Ocean and the sub-Antarctic islands.

BUSINESS 151G Communication in a Multicultural Society

Communication knowledge and skills are essential for your career and relationships. Develop your skills in this theory-based and practical study of communication.

BUSAN 100G Digital Information Literacy

Introduces students to skills, technologies and techniques for the effective management of digital information.

CAREER 100G Crafting Your Career

Increase your employability and ready yourself for life after university by honing skills that employers say are essential to career success.

CHEM 100G Molecules that Changed the World

The impact of chemistry on the modern world will be explored by focusing on the stories of specific molecules.

CHEMMAT 100G Materials of the Modern World

This course explores the basic principles governing the properties and behaviour of materials from microscopic structures, to processing routes, and more.

CHINESE 100G Beginning Modern Chinese 1

Learn with basic Chinese grammar patterns, vocabulary and conversational skills.

COMPSCI 111G An Introduction to Practical Computing

A practical introduction to computing that will build your confidence and familiarity with computers.

DANCE 101G Introduction to Dance and Creative Processes

Develop an understanding of our moving bodies through movement awareness, dance improvisation, choreography, and interdisciplinary arts processes.

DANCE 200G Dance and Culture

Through practical dance classes and theoretical investigations into diverse cultural environments around the world, this course critically examines the interrelationship between dance and wider political and cultural movements.

DESIGN 102G Design for Sustainable Futures

Learn how design approaches complement current practices across a variety of fields.

DISABLTY 113G Making Disabilities: The Construction of Ideas

This course looks at how social and cultural ideas of disability are expressed in popular culture through film, television and print media.

DRAMA 100G Presentation and Performance: Taking the Stage

Acting enhances your oral communication and performance skills. This course helps you develop transferable skills in public speaking, improvisation and group-devised performance.

EARTHSCI 105G Natural Hazards: A Global Perspective

This course examines how normal processes of the earth-atmosphere-hydrosphere-space systems result in events that are capable of dealing disastrous blows to humans on the scale of individual lives to civilizations.

EARTHSCI 205G New Zealand – Half a Billion Years on the Edge

This course takes you on a 500 million year journey through New Zealand’s geologic past, from its birth on the margins of the supercontinent of Gondwana to its present position on an active plate margin and the consequences of this.

ECON 151G Understanding the Global Economy

This course engages with how economics affects our daily lives and the global environment in many ways.

EDUC 100G The Creative Process

Examines theories and practices of creativity through a variety of disciplines. What is creativity? Can creativity be learnt?

EDUC 105G Teaching: Tales and Traditions

How should we teach? What counts as knowledge? What contradictions do teachers encounter? This course explores teaching traditions and stories.

EDUC 121G How People Learn

This course focuses on learning in formal and informal settings, examining the nature of intelligence and how to help personal learning and the learning of others.

EDUC 122G Learning Sexualities

How and what do we learn about sexualities in New Zealand? This course examines formal and informal learning about sexuality through a variety of means (such as sexuality education and the media) and in diverse social settings.

ENGGEN 101G Software, Data and Intelligent Automation

The course introduces concepts of intelligent automation, robotic process automation, analytics and artificial intelligence/machine learning.

ENGLISH 102G Great Books: Seduction & Betrayal

This course explores attitudes to love and sex by examining a selection of works by major authors from different periods in the history of English literature.

ENGLISH 121G Reading/Writing/Text

A course developing university-wide skills of reading, writing and analysis.

ENVSCI 101G Environment, Science and Management

Provides an introduction to a wide range of environmental problems and possible solutions, and facilitates critical thinking and evaluation of environmental issues. How can we create a sustainable future?

EUROPEAN 100G Europe and the World

Explore Europe's culture and civilisation; learn about its linguistic and ethnic groupings, history, literary and cultural movements, religious and philosophical traditions and political and cultural leaders.

EXERSCI 100G Exercise and Fitness: Myths and Reality

How does the body move and respond to exercise, how can its performance be measured, and how is fitness developed and maintained to optimise health? What are the common myths about exercise and how are they debunked?

FINEARTS 109G Introduction to Photographic Practice

The course introduces the methods, concepts and contemporary contexts of photographic practice alongside the development of a photographic portfolio.

FINEARTS 210G Understanding Contemporary Visual Arts Practice

Presents first-hand, locally engaged practitioners' perspectives on creative practice. Course work involves active exploration of the local art world.

FRENCH 101G Introductory French 1

This course introduces students to spoken and written French.

GENDER 101G Global and Local

The course examines the meaning of gender across a range of subjects and issues on the global stage and in our everyday lives.

GEOG 103G Mapping Our World

An introduction to contemporary geospatial technologies such as web-mapping, GPS and tracking devices (such as your phone) and GIS.

GEOG 104G Cities and Urbanism

This course introduces geographic approaches to urban environments and issues.

GERMAN 101G German Language Introductory 1

Aims to provide German learners with basic vocabulary and conversational skills.

GLOBAL 101G Global Issues, Sustainable Futures

Introduces students to the theory, science and practice of sustainability including population issues, consumption, resource issues and environmental degradation.

HISTORY 103G Global History

Encourages students to think historically about concepts such as globalisation and global connectedness by examining key themes and developments that have affected the world’s peoples over the last six centuries.

INNOVATE 100G Innovation Through Design

Offers students the opportunity to learn about design using a range of tools ranging from virtual reality headsets, 3D printing, LEGO serious play and storytelling.

INNOVENT 203G The Entrepreneurial Mindset

This course stimulates new ways of thinking about enterprising behaviour in a multi-disciplinary manner relevant to understanding and addressing real world challenges of today.

INTBUS 151G Business Across Borders

Explores the influence of international trade and multinational corporations on the contemporary global economy.

ITALIAN 100G Introductory Italian Language

Learn basic Italian communication skills through a combination of in-class instruction and interactive online activities.

JAPANESE 130G Introduction to Japanese Language 1A

Aims to develop basic proficiency in modern Japanese necessary to communicate in particular situations.

KOREAN 110G Korean for Beginners 1

Aims to introduce beginners to basic spoken and written skills in modern Korean.

LATIN 100G Introduction to Latin Language 1

Teachs the fundamentals of Latin grammar and vocabulary.

LAW 121G Law and Society

What are the characteristics of the New Zealand legal system? How do law and society relate?

LINGUIST 101G Language, Mind and Society

This course looks at how different groups in society use language to keep our communities functioning and to manage our identities.

MĀORI 101G Introduction to Written Māori

An introduction to listening, reading, writing and translation techniques used in the composition, reading and understanding of basic Māori.

MĀORI 103G Introduction to Spoken Māori

An introduction to spoken Māori for those with no previous knowledge of the language.

MĀORI 130G Te Ao Māori / The Māori World

Māori 130G is an introduction to the Māori world, culture and experiences.

MARINE 100G The Ocean Around Us

An interdisciplinary approach to oceans which considers them as drivers of climate, sources of sustenance, and the focus of domestic and international political, economic and legal negotiations.

MATHS 190G Great Ideas Shaping our World

This course explores some of the grand successes of mathematical thinking.

MEDSCI 100G Human Mind and Body Relationships

How does the structure of your body affect your thoughts and feelings, and how do your thoughts and feelings affect your body?

MEDSCI 101G Environmental Threats to Human Health

Considers the potential health impacts of climate change, pollution, lifestyle choices, workplace hazards, infectious diseases and cancer.

MKTG 151G Essential Marketing

This course is designed for non-business students and provides an inside view of the world of marketing.

MUS 144G Turning-Points in Western Music

A study of the history and literature of Western music from medieval times to the late 20th-century.

MUS 149G From Rock to Reggae: Tracking Popular Music in New Zealand

An introduction to New Zealand’s home-grown popular music, from roughly the 1950s to the present day.

OPTOM 101G How We See

Presents a broad overview of the study of human vision, including its biological organisation, the subjective nature of perception, vision health and disease, machine vision, and what historical paintings tell us about artists; visual experiences.

PACIFIC 100G Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa/Pacific Worlds

An introduction to the discipline of Pacific Studies, using the twin perspectives of language and indigenous knowledges as a framework for the expression and understanding of Pacific cultures.

PHARMACY 111G Drugs and Society

Enhance your understanding and appreciation of the multifaceted and diverse roles that drugs play in human societies particularly in contemporary New Zealand.

PHIL 105G Critical Thinking

In this course, you will learn how to systematically evaluate your beliefs and develop techniques to form good beliefs and avoid bad ones.

POLITICS 107G New Zealand Politics

An introduction to understanding who governs New Zealand and in whose interests.

POPLHLTH 103G Epidemics: Black Death to Bioterrorism

Epidemics have devastated human populations. Learn about past and present epidemics and how we might control them.

PSYCH 109G Mind, Brain and Behaviour

Designed to introduce students to the experimental study of, and research in, psychology.

SAMOAN 101G Samoan Language 1

In this course you will gain knowledge of basic Samoan by developing skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

SCIGEN 101G Communicating in a Knowledge Society

In this course students gain an understanding of the important role communication plays in a knowledge society.

SCIGEN 102G Contemporary Science in Aotearoa New Zealand

This course considers how knowledge of place enhances your learning, the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and how knowledge systems frame understanding. Students will think critically about the relationships between science and our environment, along with the ethics of science in practice.

SCIGEN 201G Innovating in a Knowledge Society

A case study analysis of the ways innovation is enabled (or constrained) in science-based organisations and social environments.

SCIGEN 301G Engaging in a Knowledge Society

How do scientists best engage with people outside their specialties? Explore meaningful ways to communicate knowledge and forge trans-disciplinary partnerships.

SOCIOL 101G Understanding Aotearoa New Zealand

Provides an introduction to the sociological analysis of New Zealand society.

SPANISH 104G Beginners Spanish 1

This course introduces the language, cultures and traditions of Spain and Latin America.

STATS 101G Introduction to Statistics

This course offers an introduction to quantitative research, statistical investigation and data analysis.

STATS 150G Communicating Statistics

This course examines the uses, limitations, and abuses of statistical information in a variety of activities such as polling, public health, sport, law, marketing, and the environment.

SUSTAIN 100G Sustainability and Us

What is 'sustainability'? What values underpin it and what role can individuals and organisations play in creating sustainable practices?

TDDEM 100 Democracy in the 21st Century

TDENVF 100 Our Environmental Futures: Te Taiao Tāngata

THEOREL 101G The Bible in Popular Culture

This course introduces students to the various ways that biblical themes, images and characters have an enduring presence and influence within contemporary popular culture.

THEOREL 106G Islam in the Contemporary World

Introduces key aspects of Islam and analyses its contribution to society and culture in New Zealand and internationally.

TONGAN 101G Tongan Language 1

Attain an initial degree of spoken and written competence in the Tongan language, study its structure, and appreciate some forms of Tongan literature such as songs and speeches.

URBPLAN 101G Introduction to Urban Planning

An introduction to the evolution of urban planning ideas and practices

YOUTHWRK 152G Understanding New Zealand Youth

This course examines the concept of ‘youth’ and the social, economic and political contexts in which young people live in New Zealand society.