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SCA Courses for Non-Majors

Interested in the arts? The SCA offers many courses – both studio-based and academic – from across the school to non-majors. At every course level, the SCA's interdisciplinary approach to the arts makes it easy to access and engage with course content, and also to draw from coursework and experience from elsewhere at SFU. Courses in the SCA are also much more than a way to fulfill mandatory Writing, Quantitative and Breadth Requirements; they are an opportunity to add meaningfully to your primary area of study at SFU as well as to expand your personal interests and commitments.

If your find that your interest in the arts grows because of our courses, then please consider a Minor in the SCA in Art, Performance and Cinema Studies, Contemporary Arts, or Film and Video Studies. 

Come learn with us.

CA 104 – Music Fundamentals (3)

This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of the elements of music and teaches the skill of reading music notation. An introduction to music theory and exposure to the application of music materials in a wide spectrum of music literature will be accompanied by practical exercises. The course is designed for students with no formal music training. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Students with credit for FPA 104 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 120 – Introduction to Dance Forms: Contemporary and Popular (3)

A studio course devoted to the development of movement skills through specific styles of dance. The content of the course changes every semester including techniques in Bhangra, Afro-Caribbian, Hip Hop and Contemporary. May repeat for credit. May be of particular interest to students in other departments.

Spring 2019 special topics: Jamaican Dancehall and Afro-Brazilian Dance

CA 135 – Introduction to Cinema (3)

An introductory course designed to facilitate a fundamental understanding of film technique, style and form in order to develop the skills with which to analyze films of all genres. Through lectures and screenings it will provide an overview of the social, aesthetic and technical development of motion pictures, introducing tools for the formal analysis of the elements of cinema: cinematography and lighting, art direction, performance, editing, sound and the screenplay. The formal and historical elements of documentary, avant-garde and dramatic films will be addressed. The course will involve the screening and discussion of several complete feature films and shorts, as well as excerpts from others. Students with credit for FPA 135 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 136 – The History and Aesthetics of Cinema I (3)

This course will examine the early development of cinema from 1890 until about 1945, with particular emphasis on the fundamental principles of film as an art form. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Students with credit for FPA 136 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 137 – The History and Aesthetics of Cinema II (3)

This course will examine selected developments in cinema from 1945 to the present, with attention to various styles of artistic expression in film. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Students with credit for FPA 137 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 140 – Music after 1900 (3)

An introductory survey of major historical trends and practices of music in the 20th and 21st centuries as revealed by the study of selected music examples. Critical issues fundamental to an understanding of contemporary composition will be examined (e.g. impressionism, twelve-tone music, indeterminacy, the role of technology, improvisation). May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Students with credit for FPA 140 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 142 – 21st Century Music Appreciation (3)

21st Century Music Appreciation aims to develop a critical ear and advanced listening skills. The course will take a post-modern approach to appreciation in that it will present a diversity of music from many cultures, styles, and periods in an effort to discover similarities, differences, and defining characteristics. Students with credit for FPA 142 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 149 – Sound (3) (September version in Burnaby, January downtown is for majors)

Introduction to acoustics, psychoacoustics, sound synthesis, audio sampling and signal processing, and sound production in general as relating to music, film sound, radio, new media, art installations and live performance. Students who have taken CA (or FPA) 184 cannot take CA (or FPA) 149 for further credit. Students with credit for FPA 149 may not take this course for further credit. Quantitative.

CA 150 – Introduction to Acting (3)

An approach to the elements of acting for non-theatre performance majors. Work will include development of individual powers of expression - vocal, physical, intellectual, imaginative, and emotional. Students with credit for FPA 150 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 160 – Introductory Studio in Visual Art I (3)

A hands-on studio course modeled on the progressive development of artistic practice from simple mark-making to full scale installation. Through a process of continuous transformation, an original idea is developed in a sequence of methods, materials and scales. Some research is required. A course materials fee is required. Students with credit for FPA 160 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 167 – Visual Art and Culture I (3)

An introduction to the visual arts of the nineteenth century. Formal and thematic approaches to the arts will be introduced, with attention to the social, institutional, national, and international contexts of art. Students with credit for FPA 167 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 168 – Visual Art and Culture II (3)

A study of the visual arts from the twentieth century to the present, with attention to the artists, artworks, movements, and discourses that re-defined the functions and meanings of art. The debates of modernism, postmodernity, postcolonialism, feminism, and the avant-garde will be systematically explored. Students with credit for FPA 168 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 170 – Introduction to Production Technology (3)

An introduction to the processes, tools and technology used in the production and presentation of the fine and performing arts. Course requirements will include hands-on assignments in the production of theatre, dance, and music events. Students will work directly with equipment and materials, and are expected to be involved in work on productions and exhibitions outside of lecture and lab hours. Laboratory fee required. May be of particular interest to students in other areas and departments. Students with credit for FPA 170 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 171 – Introduction to Stage and Production Management (3)

An introduction to the management, and organization of the performing arts. This course will provide a grounding for students who wish to become further involved in the administration of the performing arts and may include practical experience outside of regular seminar hours. May be of particular interest to students in other areas and departments. Students with credit for FPA 171 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 227 – History of Dance: From the 20th Century to the Present (3)

Study of the development of modern dance and the reformation of the ballet from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Emphasis will be placed on seminal dance artists and the impact their work has had upon the art form in western theatre dance. This course may be of particular interest to a range of students in departments across the University. Prerequisite: 12 credits. Students with credit for FPA 227 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.

CA 235 – Experimental Film and Video (3)

A survey of the key works and ideas that have informed contemporary moving image art practice nationally and internationally. Beginning with antecedents in painting and photography, the course will move forward from the early European avant-garde to the lyrical and structural works of the seventies, the issue-based work of the eighties, and finally the gallery-based practices of the present day. Intended for all students with an interest in the moving image as an art form. Prerequisite: One of CA (or FPA) 135, 136, 137, 167 or 168 or 30 units. Students with credit for FPA 235 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 236 – Cinema in Canada (3)

Examines the achievements of dramatic, documentary and experimental filmmaking in Canada from the earliest days until the present. Special attention will be paid to the cinemas of Quebec and western Canada, and to the cultural, political and theoretical traditions that have shaped contemporary cinema in Canada. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: 3 units in film studies (CA (or FPA) 135, 136, 186, 235, 237, 335, 337, 436) or 30 units. Students with credit for FPA 236 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

CA 243 – Gamelan I (3)

Practical and theoretical study of music for gamelan ensemble, based on, but not limited to, traditional Javanese music. This course is designed as an introduction to the study of the music of non-Western cultures and as a method of developing ensemble musicianship. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: Prior approval. Students with credit for FPA 243 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 308 – Contemporary Arts Field School I (Theory/History) (4)

A scholarly exploration of artistic traditions and practices in the country being visited, with special attention to cultural, theoretical, historical and political contexts. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: A minimum of 30 units and approval of Field School Director.

CA 309 – Contemporary Arts Field School II (Studio) (4)

Students receive training in selected forms of dance, film, video, theatre, music, visual art and other forms of art production in the country being visited, with the opportunity of interacting with local people, artists and academics. This course can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: A minimum of 30 units and permission of Field School Director.

CA 341 – World Music (3)

The relationship of music and culture, with emphasis on traditional and contemporary music in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and indigenous cultures of North America. Specific cultural areas may be selected for intensive study in any particular term. May be of particular interest to students in other departments. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for FPA 341 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 386 – Film Music: An Overview of the Relationship between Music and Moving Pictures (3)

This course examines the role of music in the viewer's experience of moving pictures. Beginning with the early 1900s, the lectures will introduce important composers, directors, films, genres and historical periods. Specific films and other works will be analyzed. Prerequisite: 60 credit hours. Students who have taken this course previously as special topics may not take it again for further credit. Students with credit for FPA 386 may not take this course for further credit.

CA 408 – Contemporary Arts Field School III (Theory/History) (4)

A scholarly exploration of artistic traditions and practices in the country being visited, with special attention to cultural, theoretical, historical and political contexts. Prerequisite: A minimum of 30 units and approval of Field School Director. Students with credit for FPA 408 may not take this course for further credit.

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