Faculty of Arts Elective Guide

Discover course offerings from the Faculty of Arts, available to any student on the Waterloo campus!

Find your fit, whether you're looking for fall 2026 , winter 2027 or virtual asynchronous courses. Note: VA (or "online") course delivery may vary depending on the term – check LORIS for the most up-to-date details.

The Curious Explorer

You crave new cultures, languages and worldviews.

AN100 Cultures Today /
GS101 One Planet, Many Worlds /
GS102 Culture, Conflict, Development
HI127 Pirates! A World History /
FS110 Film and the City
RE101 Asian Middle Eastern Religious Encounters
RE100 Race, Power, Religion
KS100 Studying Popular Culture
KS101 Exploring Cultural Studies /
NO105 Billionaires, Beavers and Bandits /

The Creative Storyteller

You love narratives, symbolism, and making meaning throught stories.

FS100 Introduction to Film Art
FS105 Intro to Film & Society
RE103 Love & Its Myths /
RE104 Evil & Its Symbols /
EN112 Literature & Love /
EN119 Reading Fiction
EN107 Literature & Catastrophe
AF105W Writing for University /
ML100 Discovering the Middle Ages
RE105 Religion & Cinematic Culture

The History Detective

You love connecting dots from the past and uncovering hidden truths.

AR101 Invitation to Archaeology /
AR102 Doing Archaeology
AR104 Greece: Minotaur to Alexander /
AR105 Ancient Rome: Not Just Caesar /
HI112 Untold Histories in Modern Canada
HI121 Mysteries of the Ancient World
HI109 Age of Extreme: Europe’s 20th Century
HI123 Great Battles in History
HI110 The History of Alcohol
HI125 Business History
NO105 Billionaires, Beavers & Bandits /
ML100 Discovering the Middle Ages

The Advocate

You're passionate about justice, equality and creating a better world.

PO101 Politics Within Borders
PO102 Politics Beyond Borders
PP110 Values & Society /
WS100 Intro: Women & Gender Studies /
EN111 Literature & Crime
EN113 Literature For Our Time
RE104 Evil & Its Symbols /
HI114 Problems in US History
WS101 Gender, Power, Everyday Life

The Deep Thinker

You ponder existence, challenge beliefs, and seek truth and meaningful connections.

PP111 Knowledge & Reality /
PP110 Values & Society /
PP103 Philosophy of Happiness
HI112 Untold Histories in Modern Canada
HI121 Mysteries of the Ancient World
HI199 Modern World History
EN112 Literature & Love /
SY103 Intro to Sociology: Social Life /

The Tech-Savvy Modernist

You love media, digital culture, and how technology shapes the world.

CS100 Media History /
CS101 Canadian Communication in Context /
FS100 Introduction to Film Art
FS110 Film & the City
HI132 Computers to AI: A History
HI199 Modern World History
ML103 Digital Valhallas
EN113 Literature For Our Time
DH100 Digital Creativity /

The Social Butterfly

You love meeting people and forming new relationships wherever you go.

SY101 Intro to Sociology: Foundations /
SY103 Intro to Sociology: Social Life /
PP103 Philosophy of Happiness
EN112 Literature & Love /
RE103 Love & its Myth /
PO101 Politics Within Borders
PO102 Politics Beyond Borders
NO105 Billionaire, Beavers & Bandits /

The Academic Weapon

You want to build a strong academic foundation to thrive in university life.

AF105S Skills for University Success /
AF105W Writing for University /
EN113 Literature For Our Time
EN119 Reading Fiction
PP110 Values & Society /
PP103 Philosophy of Happiness
SY101 Introduction to Sociology: Foundations /

The Linguist

You love learning new languages to interact with people all over the world.

AB101 Modern Standard Arabic I
FR101 Introductory French I
GM110 Introductory to German I
IT101 Introduction to Italian I
SP101 Intro to Spanish I /
CS101 Canadian Communication in Context /
AR104 Greece: Minotaur to Alexander Archaeology /
AR105 Ancient Rome: Not Just Caesar /

Further Information

Check our step two of the Course Registration Guide for more elective options and course registrations need-to-knows. Note: Some restrictions may apply for registering for courses.

You can find more details about your program requirements on the Academic Calendar and course descriptions on LORIS.