Courses

Do you live in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Downtown South or somewhere nearby?

Would you like to learn more about Writing, First Nations Studies, Philosophy, Music, Art, Sociology, Popular Culture, Literature, History, Politics, Women and Gender Studies, Law, Architecture and more?

The Humanities 101 Community Programme (fondly known as “Hum”) offers four non-credit, university-level courses at UBC for people living in the Downtown Eastside, Downtown South (DTES/South) and surrounding areas who have a lust for learning—especially those whose economic situation, academic experience, financial and social well-being are compromised. Courses are tuition free, and all participants receive course materials, bus tickets, meal vouchers and childcare (if required), as well as student cards which give access to UBC facilities and services.

In Hum courses we study a different area each week, taught by excellent teachers in a respectful environment. They are grounded in relevant, interdisciplinary critical and creative thinking in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences:

  • Hum101: an eight month course in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
  • Hum201: an eight month course for grads of Humanities 101.
  • Writing101: a three month Creative Writing course.
  • Writing201: a three month writing course for grads of Writing 101.

Courses run from September through to April, and Public Programmes are ongoing. To apply for a course, you must attend an information/application session; held twice a year. For all four courses that start in September, applications are taken in August every year. In November, applications are taken for the Writing courses that start in the following January. For details of where and when to apply, check the how to apply page closer to the time.

Along with these courses, Hum also runs alumni-initiated Public Programmes in the DTES/South: study groups, workshops, and a documentary film series now in its tenth year. All past and current participants are invited to be involved in these ongoing Public Programmes as well as Hum’s Steering Committee which meets regularly and guides all aspects of the Programme.