Open Studies

This comprehensive course explores the structure of the human body and examines how body systems function and work together to maintain homeostasis. Emphasis is placed on the organization of the human body from the chemical and cellular levels to tissues, organs, and organ systems. The course also supports the application and accurate use of anatomical terminology.

In this introductory course on bioenergetics, learners explore the use and transfer of energy in the plant and animal kingdoms from molecules to ecosystems and investigate how molecular structure determines biological function. They explore how energy is generated from metabolic reaction pathways as well as organisms’ interactions with the physical and biotic components of earth.

An introduction to university chemistry from theoretical and practical perspectives, that focuses on an exploration of the fundamental links between electronic structure, chemical bonding, molecular structure and the interactions of molecules using inorganic and organic examples.

This course provides an interdisciplinary overview of Canada’s past, present, and future. Emphasizing critical thinking skills, it introduces students to concepts and tools for understanding this country’s multifaceted regional and national identities from diverse social, cultural, political, economic, and ethnic perspectives.

This first-year composition course introduces learners to academic writing and critical thinking. They read and analyze sociopolitical, cultural, and gender issues in texts with an emphasis on experiences of people whose voices were historically silenced, particularly those of Indigenous communities in Canada. Learners develop strategies to communicate their own ideas and integrate them with those of others by quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing source material. Learners present their written assignments professionally according to APA formatting guidelines.

This second-year course explores crime in various storytelling forms, such as literature, film, and television. Analyzing detective fiction, true crime, film noir, and more, learners consider how stories about crime reflect and challenge societal views on law, morality, and justice. Learners examine elements of crime narrative, such as plot, character, and theme, while enriching their understanding of the historical contexts and ethical dimensions of crime narratives. Learners critique and research crime narratives, developing evidence-based arguments in written assignments and class discussions.

Students learn the basic principles of statistics, acquire the skills to solve elementary statistical and probability problems, and gain hands-on experience with well-known statistical software and basic methods for collecting data. Students also learn the main tools of descriptive statistics to visualize collected data, analyze data distributions, and establish correlations and regressions between random variables. The course covers the main tools of inferential statistics for estimating mean values and proportions by confidence intervals, hypotheses testing, and one-way ANOVA. Applications are taken from a wide range of subject areas such as biology and environmental science, business and economics, health sciences, education, crime and law, politics, social studies, and sports and entertainment.

This course is an introduction to classical mechanics. Topics include motion in one and two dimensions, Newtons laws of motion, torque, rotations, conservation of energy, and conservation of momentum. Concepts are further explored during hands-on labs.

This introductory course provides learners with a basic understanding and an overview of the field of psychology. Attention is given to major psychological perspectives and the fundamentals of scientific thinking, biological factors, sensation and perception, cognitive processes, personality, social influences and human motivation. Learners will be encouraged to apply what they learn to their own lives and the world around them.

Personality

In this course, learners explore how families are integrated within larger social systems how patterns of social power and inequality shape Canadian families as well as how and why the family is critical to the socialization process. The course culminates in the critical assessment of issues affecting families in Canada.

The experience of death and dying is one that is personal and deeply meaningful but also constructed and shaped by social environment, varying across socio-cultural and socio-historical contexts. This course explores death, dying, and bereavement through a sociological lens. Sociological theory and methodology are applied to understandings of death and processes of dying. Learners examine narratives of dying to uncover differences in symbolic meaning, expression, and practice across time and across cultures. They delve into the ways we socially organize dying in legal, medical, familial, religious and spiritual institutions. Further topics include bereavement and grief as they apply to individuals and caregivers. In addition to reading scholarly works, learners explore death, dying, and grief through literature, art, music, film, and storytelling. This course challenges learners to explore their own personal understandings of death and journeys of dying toward seeing the social forces that shape us.

In the business environment, accounting and financial information are essential for internal and external decision-making. Therefore, understanding the basics of accounting and financial statements are important for every business graduate. This course provides an introduction to the fundamental principles and concepts of accounting with an emphasis on decision-makers’ objectives and use of financial information. Key concepts explored include accounting principles and standards, the complete accounting cycle, recording and reporting business transactions, and preparing and analyzing financial statements.Learners are recommended to complete the Business Math Skills Self-Assessment https://bowvalleycollege.ca/schools/chiu-school-of-business/MSA prior to taking this course.Note: Learners with prior credit in ACCT1101 and ACCT1102 cannot take ACCT1103.

Effective keyboarding is an integral part of being successful in an office environment. Focus is placed on ergonomic touch-typing technique to master the alphabetic and numeric keyboard. Students with keyboarding experience have the opportunity to improve their technique to achieve higher level of speed and accuracy.

This course will assess the methods which an organization can obtain funds to pay for accidental losses. Emphasis is placed on the selection, implementation and monitoring of various risk financing techniques. Specific subjects discussed are: a framework for risk financing criteria for risk financing selection techniques insurance as a mechanism for financing property, net income, personnel, and liability losses accounting and income tax aspects of accidental losses insurance pricing selection of insurers and their representatives implementing risk retention available options, including the use of affiliated insurers and cost of risk allocation techniques.

Learners apply their knowledge of human resource functions through multiple stakeholder lenses while aligning functions to an organization’s vision and strategy. Utilizing business scenarios, learners transition through the employment cycle adhering to legal requirements, ensuring health and safety in the workplace, and building positive work culture initiatives.

Students examine interdisciplinary roles and responsibilities needed to be successful in an administrative support role within healthcare. Through an exploration of health values and beliefs, ethics, wellness, resilience, communication, diversity and collaborative teamwork, students apply strategies to enhance their self-awareness and workplace relationships.

Medical Terminology introduces students to industry accepted language and standard conventions in health care. This course provides students an opportunity to interpret and apply commonly used medical terms, symbols, and abbreviations.

Litigation is the process by which private disputes are resolved within the Alberta court system. This course examines the court structure and how to reference the Alberta Rules of Court. Students explore how plaintiffs bring claims to court and how defendants can defend against those claims. Introductory steps in a civil litigation dispute are covered up to a process called Questioning. Knowledge is applied by preparing key documents used in the civil litigation process.

Introduction to organizations and sustainability articulates a management approach to integrating economic, ethical, and environmental responsibilities into all aspects of organizations working to benefit society. Learners examine ethics of business and constructs of morally appropriate behavior concerning decision-making and businesses relationship with the community. Concepts and practical approaches are used to discuss and integrate sustainability criteria with business requirements, including performance management and evolving strategies as business needs change.

This course is aimed at providing a hands-on learning experience with a Windows operating system and computer applications Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint used in a business environment. Students will develop skills and gain experience to create business documents, navigate, consolidate, and analyze data across multiple worksheets, manage professional communications, and create electronic presentations.

A basic understanding of key elements of the law is an essential factor in successful business management. Students apply legal fundamentals useful in today’s fast-paced, rapidly changing business environment.

Learners critically evaluate day-to-day economic subjects in a personal and business context. Throughout the course the economy is examined at the aggregate level with an emphasis on the determination and measurement of national income in the short and long run. The role of households, businesses, government, financial intermediaries and the international sector in influencing national income is examined. Learners analyze business cycles, money and banking, inflation, unemployment, exchange rates, and fiscal and monetary policies.

Supply chain management SCM is the movement of material and information through integrated processes in a supply chain to provide the highest degree of customer satisfaction at the lowest possible cost to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. The key building blocks of a supply chain, logistics, procurement, and operations execution, will be covered. Learners will explore the scope of SCM and its impact on organizations.

Negotiation skills are an essential competency for any manager, especially for those in supply chain management. This course provides learners with a roadmap for leading or participating in successful negotiations. Students will focus on the negotiation process, and learn the activities and techniques to be used from the preparation stage to the actual face-to-face negotiations. The course covers understanding the other negotiator, responding to power imbalances, as well as looking beyond the deal to build longer-term relationships. Interactive activities, including negotiation simulations and role-playing exercises, feature prominently and allow for opportunities to fine-tune the students negotiation skills.

This introductory course offers a broad perspective of substance use and substance use disorders SUDs from multiple perspectives. It supports the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions Calls to Action by promoting reconciliation through inclusive and respectful educational practices and supporting culturally sensitive treatment approaches. Ideal for those preparing to work in the helping fields, the course covers biological, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of substance use and recovery. It draws insights from psychology, sociology, healthcare, justice, social policy, and Indigenous knowledge. Students engage with research-based content emphasizing recovery management principles and practices, promoting person-centered, strength-based, long-term support. By integrating diverse perspectives and evidence-based practices, students develop a holistic understanding of substance use disorders to apply compassionate, recovery-oriented care across community-based services and supports.

Planning involves being able to envision a positive and valued future for and with the person and their network of allies. This course evaluates current planning strategies with emphasis on the philosophical principles and values inherent in those strategies. Learners practice writing clear implementation plans incorporating elements of inclusion, empowerment, and individualization.

This course develops knowledge of the history, philosophy, legislation, values, trends and issues related to exceptional learners. It explores student inclusion and provides a wide overview of exceptionalities ranging from mild to severe and child to adulthood. Access and retrieval of information on exceptionalities is emphasized.

Through multiple worldviews, including Indigenous perspectives, explore the concepts of how play shapes the developing child, including how both indoor and outdoor environments, as well as urban and rural settings, serve as catalysts for sparking creativity, instilling a sense of wonder, and cultivating joy in childhood experiences. Use evidence-based techniques to build and expand on play by nurturing inquisitiveness, encouraging risk-taking, and fostering problem-solving. Become a partner in play through planning play spaces that incorporate a variety of materials, including natural materials and loose parts, to stimulate children’s curiosity and growth.

This course offers an interdisciplinary exploration of Canada’s health care system, with a focus on health and wellness across diverse populations. Learners will examine the roles of helping professionalsespecially those in community and human servicesin promoting well-being, navigating health systems, and advocating for equitable access to care. Students will analyze current health issues, explore the social determinants of health, and consider their own role in health and wellness promotion. A core emphasis will be placed on understanding health misinformation, wellness strategies, and the intersection of physical, emotional, and social health.

Explore how individuals, businesses, and governments make choices when resources are scarce, and how markets and other institutions determine what gets produced, how it is produced, and who gets it. Develop core economic tools like opportunity cost, supply and demand, and market equilibrium to make sense of real-world issues such as prices, wages, housing, and market power. Examine consumer behaviour and how firms organize production under different market structures, and how to apply microeconomic thinking to topics like international trade, marginal decision-making, and the trade-off between efficiency and equity. The goal of this course is to become better equipped to analyze everyday economic questions and make more informed personal, business, and policy decisions.

Computer programming is central to software development. Learners analyze basic software and technology problems and develop a good programming style and logical thinking to write structured instruction that addresses those problems. Learners demonstrate their structured coding skills by writing correct code with clarity and quality. They use extensively the structured control flow, repetition, block structure, and subroutines in this course.