Humanities and the arts

This division comprises research and experimental development in humanities and the arts. Humanities and the arts refer to disciplines concerned with the study of human actions and conditions and the social, economic and institutional mechanisms affecting humans, in the fields of humanities and the arts, which include history, archaelogy and related studies; languages and literature; philosophy (including ethics and religion); arts (including arts and history of arts, performing arts and music), architecture and design; and other humanities. Research consists of systematic investigation carried by means of experiment or analysis to achieve a scientific or technological advance such as acquiring new knowledge of the underlying foundation of phenomena and observable facts. Experimental development consists of new or substantially improved goods, services, systems, methods or processes.

Sub-Categories

History, archaeology and related studies

Languages and literature

Philosophy

Arts (arts, history of arts, performing arts, music), architecture and design

Other humanities

Graduate Degree Programs

Master of Arts in Asian Studies (MA)

UBC's Asian Studies Department is the flagship Asian Studies department in Canada and is widely acknowledged as one of the finest in North America. The Department awards a thesis-based MA in Asian Studies to students working in a variety of regions and disciplines. The department boasts over…

Master of Arts in Children's Literature (MA)

The University of British Columbia offers a Master of Arts in Children’s Literature (MACL), jointly offered by the Department of English Language and Literatures, the Creative Writing Program, the Department of Language and Literacy Education, and the School of Library, Archival &…

Master of Arts in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology (MA)

Classical and Near Eastern archaeologists study the material culture of ancient Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Roman Empire both through fieldwork and the study of the history, culture, and literature of the period. The Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies offers a…

Master of Arts in Classics (MA)

Classicists study the languages, literature, material culture, and history of Ancient Greece and Rome. The Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies offers a unique interdisciplinary Master's program that allows students to specialize in Ancient Greek and Latin language and…

Master of Arts in English (MA)

The UBC English Graduate Program, one of the most vibrant and wide-ranging in Canada, has been awarding the M.A. degree since 1919. Students may earn the degree in each of two areas: English Literature and English Language. Indeed, the UBC English Department is one of the few departments in North…

Master of Arts in French (MA)

The Graduate Program in French Studies offers a dynamic curriculum that focuses on a contextualized understanding of the languages, literatures, and cultures of France, Québec, and the Francophone world. Students may specialize in literature or linguistics, or propose a research program combining…

Master of Arts in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice (MA)

The MA program at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice is a vibrant, interdisciplinary graduate program, that attracts excellent scholars from around the world. Our MA program incorporates research and theory from the social sciences, humanities, science, education, and law…

Master of Arts in Germanic Studies (MA)

The Graduate Program in Germanic Studies at UBC integrates a large scope of thematic and theoretical research areas. Students are guided by faculty whose teaching and research cover a wide range of German literature, film, culture, and media. Course offerings feature approaches grounded in varied…

Master of Arts in Hispanic Studies (MA)

The Graduate Program in Hispanic Studies offers a dynamic curriculum focusing on a contextualized knowledge of the languages, literatures, and cultures of Latin America, Spain, and other Spanish-speaking communities within the US and Canada.

Master of Arts in History (MA)

Historians study the past to better understand the present. They analyze the forces and influences that have affected human experiences and shaped different societies over time. For more than 80 years, our graduate program has promoted this analysis from social, cultural, political, and…

Master of Arts in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (MA)

The Human Development, Learning, and Culture (HDLC) program at UBC advances research and practice in education through the application of theoretical models and concepts to real world educational issues. Investigations of learning and developing, including the unique contributions of culture to…

Master of Arts in Linguistics (MA)

Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguists are interested in questions such as the following: What are the structural properties of languages, at the level of sounds, words, sentences, and meaning? To what extent are the languages of the world similar or different? How is…

Master of Arts in Literacy Education (MA)

Our programs in Literacy Education engage teachers and other professional educators in the study of rich language and literacy practices from early childhood through adolescence and adulthood. Literacy studies have expanded dramatically in recent years and our internationally known Faculty draw on…

Master of Arts in Modern Languages Education (MA)

The Masters programs develop an awareness of current thought and practice in MLED education. The MA program has a research emphasis and includes a thesis. MLED graduate students gain experience and understanding in current issues in second language theory and practice, second language acquisition,…

Master of Arts in Music, Emphasis Ethnomusicology (MA)

The program can accommodate interests in ethnomusicology’s wide range of geographic areas and intellectual issues. We strongly encourage performance, close interaction with related disciplines (anthropology, area studies, sociology, linguistics, etc.), as well as border crossing within music (…

UBC Researchers

F

Frackman, Kyle

Department of Central, Eastern & Northern European Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

queer studies; German studies; media studies; history of sexuality; sexuality; sexuality studies; East Germany; film; Gender Studies; history of science; literature; Media; Media Types (Radio, Television, Written Press, etc.); Scandinavia; Queer studies, German studies, Media Studies, History of sexuality, Sexuality, Sexuality studies, East Germany, Film, Gender studies, History of science, Literature, Media, Media Types (Radio, Television, Written Press, etc.), Scandinavia

Frank, Adam

Department of English Language and Literatures, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

American literature and media, affect theory, modernism, science and technology studies; American literature and media, affect theory, modernism, science and technology studies

Frelick, Nancy

Department of English Language and Literatures, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

16th century literature, theory &criticism, genre studies, women's writing &gender studies, early modern medicine

Frelick, Nancy

Department of French, Hispanic & Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

16th century literature, theory &criticism, genre studies, women's writing &gender studies, early modern medicine

Fung, David

School of Music, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

performing arts, music, piano, piano performance, intersections between music and visual arts; historically informed performance,; performing arts, music, piano, piano performance, intersections between music and visual arts , historically informed performance,

G

Gaertner, David

Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Indigenous Literature ; Digital storytelling ; Digital Humanities; Speculative fiction ; Reconciliation ; New Media; Indigenous Cyberspace ; Indigenous Literature , Digital storytelling , Digital Humanities, Speculative fiction , Reconciliation , New Media, Indigenous Cyberspace

Gelinas-Lemaire, Vincent

Department of French, Hispanic & Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Arts, Literature and Subjectivity; Comparative Literature; Creative Writing; French Literature (1945 to the present); Québec and French-Canadian Literature and Culture; Spatial Poetics; Visual Culture; Arts, Literature and Subjectivity, Comparative Literature, Creative Writing, French Literature (1945 to the present), Québec and French-Canadian Literature and Culture, Spatial Poetics, Visual Culture

Georgopulos, Nicole

Department of Art History, Visual Art & Theory, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

French art; nineteenth-century art and visual culture; art and science; gender and early feminism; French art, nineteenth-century art and visual culture, art and science, gender and early feminism

Gladwin, Derek

Department of Language & Literacy Education, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

environmental and ecological literacy; energy literacy and transition; systems literacy and complexity education; transdisciplinary and collaborative education; philosophy and theory of education (ontology, environmental, Asian, phenomenology); textual literacies (through media, literary, and visual culture); narrative inquiry and storytelling; Arts-based research; environmental and ecological literacy, energy literacy and transition, systems literacy and complexity education, transdisciplinary and collaborative education, philosophy and theory of education (ontology, environmental, Asian, phenomenology) , textual literacies (through media, literary, and visual culture), narrative inquiry and storytelling, arts-based research

Glassheim, Eagle

Department of History, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

History of Central and Eastern Europe; Environmental History; History of Central and Eastern Europe, Environmental History

Gleason, Mona

Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

history of childhood; history of education, history of children’s medical treatment in Canada; history of women in Canada, history of gender and sexuality, History of children and youth and the history of education, critical approaches to children and youth, gender and sexuality, the body, race and nation, research methods in education, and schooling and the familyautobiographical approaches to the history of family, and schooling, mothering and language learning, Indigenous priorities in schooling, gender culture in kindergarten, sexuality and HIV prevention education in the context of South Africa, and educational leadership as a key concept in Early Childhood Education

Gramling, David

Department of Central, Eastern & Northern European Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

multilingualism / monolingualism; Literary Theory; lgbtq queer studies; labour migration; applied linguistics; health communication; translation; Turkish literature; German studies; multilingualism / monolingualism, literary theory, lgbtq queer studies, labour migration, applied linguistics, health communication, translation, Turkish literature, German studies

Gunderson, Lee Paul

Department of Language & Literacy Education, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

reading-research; immigrant-achievement; home literacy environment; reading-research , immigrant-achievement, home literacy environment

H

Hall, Kathleen

Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Phonology; Phonetics; Laboratory Phonology; Sign Languages; Phonology, Phonetics, Laboratory Phonology, Sign Languages

Hallensleben, Markus

Department of Central, Eastern & Northern European Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

German Language Cultures and Literatures; Transnational Literatures; Visual Arts and Literature; European Studies; Literature and Sciences; Literature and Migration; Narratives of Belonging; Decolonization and Indigenization; German Language Cultures and Literatures, Transnational Literatures, Visual Arts and Literature, European Studies, Literature and Sciences, Literature and Migration, Narratives of Belonging, Decolonization and Indigenization

Hansson, Gunnar

Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

theoretical phonology; morphology-phonology interface; phonological typology; historical linguistics (language change); locality relations; Icelandic; theoretical phonology, morphology-phonology interface, phonological typology, historical linguistics (language change), locality relations, Icelandic

Harris, Douglas

Peter A. Allard School of Law

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

property law; condominium law; legal history; Law & Cities; property law , condominium law, legal history, law & cities

Harris, Leila

Institute for Gender, Race, Sex and Social Justice, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Africa; Development Policies; Drinking Water; Environmental justice; equity and social justice; Ethics and Fundamental Issues of Law and Justice; Fresh Water; Gender Relationship; gender and social difference; Ghana; International development; participatory resource management; Resources Management; Social Contract and Social Justice; Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection; South Africa; Turkey and Middle East; Water; water governance; water politics; Africa, Development Policies, Drinking Water, Environmental justice, Equity and social justice, Ethics and Fundamental Issues of Law and Justice, Fresh Water, Gender Relationship, Gender and social difference, Ghana, International Development, Participatory resource management, Resources Management, Social Contract and Social Justice, Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection, South Africa, Turkey and Middle East, Water, Water governance, Water politics

Harris, Leila

Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Heatherington, Tracey

Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Environmental anthropology; Critique of neoliberalism; Critical approaches to energy transition; Sustainable food systems; Human and cultural perspectives on the climate and nature emergency; Political ecology of nature conservation; Multispecies ethnography; Anthropocene studies; Ethnographic writing and reflexivity; Environmental anthropology, Critique of neoliberalism, Critical approaches to energy transition, Sustainable food systems, Human and cultural perspectives on the climate and nature emergency, Political ecology of nature conservation, Multispecies ethnography, Anthropocene studies, Ethnographic writing and reflexivity

Hermiston, Nancy Jane

School of Music, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

opera, voice, theatre, interdisciplinary work with a diversity of fields and opera; Opera training and its effect on sculpting the brain - Wall Opera Project, Hermiston/L/Boyd/J Werker; opera, voice, theatre, interdisciplinary work with a diversity of fields and opera, Opera training and its effect on sculpting the brain - Wall Opera Project, Hermiston/L/Boyd/J Werker

Hesselink, Nathan

School of Music, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

ethnomusicology; music analysis; entrainment; rhythmic play and social meaning; Anglo-American rock music; African American popular music; Afrofuturism; ethnomusicology, music analysis, entrainment, rhythmic play and social meaning, Anglo-American rock music, African American popular music, Afrofuturism

Ho, Janice

Department of English Language and Literatures, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

twentieth- and twenty-first century British literature and culture; British and transnational modernisms; postcolonial and world Anglophone literatures; contemporary fiction; histories and theories of the novel; human rights studies; infrastructure studies; twentieth- and twenty-first century British literature and culture, British and transnational modernisms, postcolonial and world Anglophone literatures, contemporary fiction, histories and theories of the novel, human rights studies, infrastructure studies

Hoffmann, Alexandra

Department of Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Classical Persian Literature; Classical Persian Literature

Hopkinson, Nalo

School of Creative Writing, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Creative Writing: Speculative Ficton, Fantasy, Science Fiction, especially Other Voices; Creative Writing: Speculative Ficton, Fantasy, Science Fiction, especially Other Voices

Hopson, Jim

Faculty of Arts

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

Music Performance; Jazz Improvisation; Brass Pedagogy; Music Composition; Art education; Swiss Alphorn; :label

Huberman, Isabella

Department of French, Hispanic & Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Indigenous Literature; Cinema of Quebec; Francophone Indigenous narrative arts; Environmental Humanities; Archives and cinema studies; Quebec-Indigenous studies; Decolonial and anticolonial theory; Research creation; Indigenous literature, Cinema of Quebec, Francophone Indigenous narrative arts, Environmental Humanities, Archives and cinema studies, Quebec-Indigenous studies, Decolonial and anticolonial theory, Research creation

Hudson, Peter

Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Pan-Africanism and the Black radicalism; Political Economy, capitalism, imperialism; Historical Studies; Social and Economic Geography; Pan-Africanism and the Black radicalism, Political Economy, capitalism, imperialism, Historical Studies, Social and Economic Geography

Huemoeller, Katharine

Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Ancient law (in theory and in practice); Documentary texts; gender and sexuality; Non-urban life in antiquity; Roman social history; Slavery (ancient and comparative); Ancient law (in theory and in practice), Documentary texts, Gender and sexuality, Non-urban life in antiquity, Roman social history, Slavery (ancient and comparative)

I

Ichikawa, Jonathan

Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

epistemology; ethics; Philosophy of Language; feminist philosophy; ethics of belief; knowledge; skepticism; context-sensitivity; consent; ethics of sex; rape culture; epistemology, ethics, philosophy of language, feminist philosophy, ethics of belief, knowledge, skepticism, context-sensitivity, consent, ethics of sex, rape culture

Iurascu, Ilinca

Department of Central, Eastern & Northern European Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

German literature; Comparative Literature; Cultural Studies; media theory; Media history; critical theory; film studies; German literature, Comparative literature, Cultural studies, Media theory, Media history, Critical theory, Film studies

J

Jenkins, Carrie

Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Philosophy, History and Comparative Studies; Creative scholarship; Creative Writing; epistemology; Language and meaning; Metaphysics; Philosophy; Philosophy of love; Romantic love; Fiction; Poetry; Philosophy, History and Comparative Studies, Creative scholarship, Creative writing, Epistemology, Language and meaning, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Philosophy of love, Romantic love, Fiction, Poetry

Jenson, Jennifer

Department of Language & Literacy Education, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Digital Cultures and Education; Digital Games; Game-based Learning; Gender; Online Learning; technology; Technology Implementation and integration; Digital Cultures and Education, Digital Games, Game-based Learning, Gender, Online Learning, Technology, Technology Implementation and integration

Jing, Zhichun

Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Archaeology; Anthropology; Early China; Shang Civilization; Archaeological Science; Early Urbanism; Geoarchaeology; Data Science in Archaeology; Ceramic Petrography; Jade; AI and Archaeology; social sustainability; Archaeology, Anthropology, Early China, Shang Civilization, Archaeological Science, Early Urbanism, Geoarchaeology, Data Science in Archaeology, Ceramic Petrography, Jade, AI and Archaeology, Social Sustainability

Jun, Hyejung

School of Music, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

choral; choral

K

Kamizaki, Kuni

School of Community and Regional Planning, Faculty of Applied Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Community development / social planning; Displacement; EDI perspectives and practice; housing; Planning theory; Community development / social planning, Displacement, EDI perspectives and practice, Housing, Planning theory

Kim, Christine

Department of English Language and Literatures, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Asian North American literature and theory; Canadian Literature; Cultural Studies; Diaspora Studies; Asian North American literature and theory, Canadian literature, Cultural studies, Diaspora studies

King, Ross

Department of Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Korean philology; history of Korean literary culture; Korean historical linguistics; Korean dialectology; history of the Sinographic Cosmopolis; Korean philology, history of Korean literary culture, Korean historical linguistics, Korean dialectology, history of the Sinographic Cosmopolis

Komparic, Ana

School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Public Health Ethics; Applied Ethics; Professional Ethics; Ethics and Policy; Empirical Approaches to Bioethics; Philosophy of Medicine and Public Health; Pharmacare; Health Insurance; Health Policy; Health Technology Assessment (HTA); Codes of Ethics; Solidarity; Public Health Ethics, Applied Ethics, Professional Ethics , Ethics and Policy , Empirical Approaches to Bioethics, Philosophy of Medicine and Public Health, Pharmacare, Health Insurance, Health Policy , Health Technology Assessment (HTA), Codes of Ethics , Solidarity

Koncan, Frances

School of Creative Writing, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Theatre; Playwriting; Screenwriting; film; Television; Directing (Theatre, Film); Producing (Theatre, Film); Artistic Direction; Dramaturgy; Cultural Consulting; Consulting; Theatre, Playwriting, Screenwriting, Film, Television, Directing (Theatre, Film), Producing (Theatre, Film), Artistic Direction, Dramaturgy, Cultural Consulting, Consulting

Kroft, Edwin

Peter A. Allard School of Law

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

Other humanities; Tax law

Kumpulainen, Kristiina

Department of Language & Literacy Education, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Critical literacies/pedagogies; Digital Literacies; Arts-based research; Multiliteracy and multimodality; Place-based literacies; Storytelling/narrative inquiry; Imagination; Critical literacies/pedagogies, Digital literacies, Arts-based research, Multiliteracy and multimodality, Place-based literacies, Storytelling/narrative inquiry, Imagination

L

Laffin, Christina

Department of Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

premodern Japanese literature; medieval Japanese history; women's writing; Japanese women's history; travel writing; autobiography; Japanese poetry; Literacy; socialization; wet nursing; narratology; premodern Japanese literature, medieval Japanese history, women's writing, Japanese women's history, travel writing, autobiography, Japanese poetry, literacy, socialization, wet nursing, narratology

Lagresa-González, Elizabeth

Department of French, Hispanic & Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Early modern Literature and Culture; Early Modern Drama; Early modern Visual and Material culture; Queer, Gender and Sexuality studies; Cross-cultural and Comparative studies; Early modern Literature and Culture, Early modern Drama, Early modern Visual and Material culture, Queer, Gender and Sexuality studies, Cross-cultural and Comparative studies

Laird, Colleen

Department of Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Japanese cinema; Gendered image production, gendered reception, and women in film industries; Videographic criticism; Japanese cinema, Gendered image production, gendered reception, and women in film industries, Videographic criticism

Laroussi, Farid

Department of French, Hispanic & Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Literatures and Cultures in French; Literatures and Cultures in French

Law, Hedy

School of Music, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

eighteenth-century French music; the French Enlightenment; music and signs; ; global music history; gender and sexuality; music and race; music with Cantonese lyrics; global Cantonese music; eighteenth-century French music; the French Enlightenment; music and signs; , global music history, gender and sexuality; music and race, music with Cantonese lyrics; global Cantonese music

Leddy, Shannon

Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Art education; Indigenous Education; Indigenous ways of knowing; curriculum; Pedagogy; art as public pedagogy; bio-cultural diversity and sustainability education; art education, Indigenous education, Indigenous ways of knowing, curriculum, pedagogy, art as public pedagogy, bio-cultural diversity and sustainability education

Lemieux, Victoria

School of Information, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Blockchain technology and Ecosystems; Trust and Records; Privacy; security; Risk management; Transparency and the public interest (in public sector and financial contexts); Blockchain technology and Ecosystems, Trust and Records, Privacy, Security, Risk management, Transparency and the public interest (in public sector and financial contexts)

Lynn, Hyung Gu

Department of Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

popular culture, migration, colonialism, globalization, development; popular culture, migration, colonialism, globalization, development

Student & Alumni Stories