Walk into a classroom at the University of Alberta this fall and you might find yourself taking a deep dive into the unexpected. It might be exploring how pop culture holds a mirror to society, delving into hidden histories or taking a revealing look at lesser-known facets of some of the toughest challenges the world faces today, from cancer to climate change.
But beyond the fascinating mix of culture, history and social issues, you'll also find yourself challenged to think critically, solve problems and consider things from diverse perspectives.
Here are six unconventional courses that show a deeper understanding of our world can be found in some surprising places.
K-Pop & Korean Culture
With Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters taking the world by storm, spawning the chart-topping song "Golden" and destined to become the streaming service's biggest movie ever, this may seem like the right course at the right time for fans of the immensely popular South Korean musical export. But the course's creator wants students to take a deeper cultural dive.
"I designed this course to help students move beyond fandom and ask important questions about authenticity, cultural appropriation and the politics of representation," says Hyuk-chan Kwon, professor in the Department of East Asian Studies.
"By analyzing the global success of K-Pop, students gain insights into how Korean identity is constructed, packaged and consumed — both locally and internationally."
Kwon says the cultural phenomenon of K-Pop offers an entry point to exploring sociocultural issues like gender norms, sexuality, body politics and digital culture. He aims to use students' familiarity with K-Pop as "a bridge to deeper critical engagement with Korean society, history and broader East Asian cultural dynamics."
"Through this course, I want students to critically explore what constitutes the 'Korean-ness' represented by the K in K-Pop — how it's been constructed, contested and commercialized — and what that reveals about contemporary Korean culture."
Women and Comedy
A few years ago, when Willow White saw a course syllabus on comedy at her alma mater that didn't include any works by women, she was not amused — but she was inspired to create a course of her own.
"Despite women and queer people being relegated to the edge of the comedy industry — historically and today — they have been making comedy professionally for centuries," notes White, a theatre historian and professor at Augustana Campus who wrote a book on the subject in 2024.
Looking at a variety of comedic performances from stand-up to plays and podcasts, White illuminates the often hidden history of funny females and queer people dating back to the 17th century. The course also highlights the ways marginalized comics have used mirth as a subversive form of activism.
"There is a lot of power in comedy. Women and gender-diverse folks have always known that," says White, adding that the need for those voices is as relevant today as it ever was, with women still being sidelined in the funny business.
"If you Google "famous comedians," almost all of the top search results are guys. But comedy isn't just a genre for men; it has always been for everyone. I want students to know there are long traditions of comedy they can build on and experiment with."
Climate Change Economics and Policy
"Climate change isn't just an environmental issue — it's an economic one," says professor Madeline Turland about what she wants students to take away from this course in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences.
Turland notes that increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters are taking a wide-ranging economic toll, "not just in terms of rebuilding, but through lost livelihoods, disrupted supply chains and long-term community impacts." Compounding the problem, disrupted insurance markets are making coverage less accessible or more expensive in areas prone to fire or floods.
The good news is that there are things we can do to address these problems — and economics plays a powerful role in shaping climate solutions, Turland says. "Students will see how abstract economic models translate into practical tools that can help communities adapt to climate change.
"Understanding economic incentives is critical for designing climate policies that are both effective and politically viable," she says. "Economic tools help us understand who wins, who loses and how to design fairer solutions."
Mamma Mia! 'Queer' I Go Again!
South Korea isn't the only country that has swept the globe with a pop-music deluge. Sweden has produced such memorable acts as Roxette, Ace of Base, the Cardigans, and one band whose cultural imprint is still being felt after more than 50 years.
"Mamma Mia! 'Queer' I Go Again explores ABBA's unparalleled status as international gay icons and their deep, lasting connection with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities," says instructor John Eason III, a lecturer in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies.
According to Eason, students who take a chance on the course will discover a "cultural phenomenon that was largely invisible to mainstream society before the 1990s," and learn how queer audiences have interpreted ABBA's music, visuals and performances differently from mainstream fans.
The course also shines a Super Trouper light on ABBA's connections with both queer cultural traditions and broader societal contexts from the '60s onward, and examines how more recent queer-led revivals and the success of the Mamma Mia musicals on stage and screen have cemented the band's legacy, says Eason.
"ABBA's music is more than catchy pop — it's a mirror of queer joy, resilience and identity across decades," he says. "(This course) invites students to see ABBA not just as chart-toppers, but as cultural icons whose legacy was shaped in vibrant dialogue with queer communities."
Nutrition Related to Cancer
Did you know malnutrition is a common and serious issue for people with cancer? You will after taking this interdisciplinary course that combines nutritional science with oncology.
Professor Vera Mazurak says both the disease and its treatments can disrupt the body's ability to use nutrients and impair a person's ability to eat. That leads to low energy and nutrient deficiencies that cause fat and muscle wasting — which in turn can make treatment less effective with more side-effects, and increase the risk of hospitalization and death.
"There are currently no treatments for this type of malnutrition, and it is not well understood," says Mazurak.
That knowledge gap is something she aims to address through the course, which focuses on the complex causes, effects and management of cancer-related malnutrition, and the ethical considerations of supporting patients and loved ones with cancer.
Beyond that, Mazurak says the course also offers a chance to learn broader skills that will serve them well at university and beyond.
"While the course is focused on cancer, students gain critical evaluation skills, an appreciation for interdisciplinary approaches to patient care, and problem-solving skills — all of which they can use in their academic journeys, careers and daily lives."
Television From Broadcasting to Screen Cultures
These days, television is likely something you watch if you can't find anything to stream online. But between the Hollywood heyday of the late '40s and the rise of the internet in the early '90s, it was inescapable, says lecturer Neale Barnholden.
"What I'd like to do with this course is fill in the blank of popular culture that gets us from cinema to the internet, and that path runs right through TV," he says. "In terms of an art form, what gets you from a 1940s radio show like Suspense or Inner Sanctum to an online project like The Amazing Digital Circus, which has been picked up by Netflix?"
Along that pop-culture path, students delve into the nature of TV as a commercial medium. "You can imagine somebody making an independent film, and there were always ways to get on TV without much funding, but for the most part it's controlled by the need for profit," Barnholden says.
Barnholden also draws parallels between the seemingly antiquated TV shows from earlier decades and standard features of newer media, like video clips and program hosts.
"There used to be a kids' show called Lunch with Soupy Sales where the comedian would 'host' the viewer for lunch, with puppets and comedy and whatnot. When I see content creators like Ms. Rachel I'm struck by how much we still draw on these forgotten conventions and genres."
And like TV itself, the course features some Canadian content — including a U of A connection.
"One of the greatest Canadian TV shows ever made, SCTV, was not just filmed in Edmonton, but on this campus," Barnholden notes. "The show was deeply invested in spoofing and satirizing televisual culture. They shot a parody of the famous 1970s Dr Pepper commercials right in front of the building that's now the new University Commons!"
