Victoria University of Wellington

This course compares and contrasts pre-colonial, colonial and 'post-colonial' experiences of eastern and western Polynesian societies. Students are introduced to a range of sources for historical research, including indigenous sources.

This course aims to develop oral skills and confidence in pronunciation of Samoan vocabulary, speaking and understanding conversational Samoan.

This course examines the core hydrological and climatic processes that cause change within the environment, particularly the role of water. It covers why climate varies spatially, and why vegetation has such an important influence on the availability and timing of moisture and stream flow. It will also examine how hydrological and climatic systems respond to human interaction and environmental change. The emphasis will be on providing the skills necessary to interpret the processes controlling the spatial and temporal variability in climate and water availability.

This course examines a number of critical issues in the contemporary Pacific through a detailed consideration of the work, ideas, and writings of Pacific writers, artists, film makers, activists and scholars. It also encourages critiques of established historical and narrative accounts.

This course examines the major influences on and developments in feminist theory and gender and sexuality studies up to the present day. Among the topics considered are: gender and sexual difference and diversity, sexual politics and sexuality, the relationships between gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity and class, and postmodernism and post-feminism. These topics are explored in a global and cross-cultural context, through close engagement with the writings of key thinkers in the field.

This course takes a loosely chronological approach to global moments of encounter, challenge, resistance, and transformation over the past 500 years. It looks closely at political events, and views them through images and objects, manifestos and interventions. The course pays attention to issues of propaganda, resistance, civil rights, protest, and crisis. We take care to address contemporary transformations happening in museum and gallery spaces due to issues of equity, race, gender, culture and class. 

This course examines the history of the peoples of the Pacific Islands from their initial settlement of Oceania to the present day. It covers Pacific Islanders’ colonization of the region, and Pacific Islanders’ progressive involvement in the emerging global economy following sustained contact with Europe and Asia.

This course examines a range of machine learning tools and techniques for analyzing data and automatically generating applications. The course will address tools for classification, regression, clustering and text mining, and techniques for preprocessing data and analyzing the results of machine learning tools. 

Students work in a multidisciplinary team to develop a game or graphics system up to release quality. The course brings together practical development and theoretical analysis to ensure students know both how to make games and how to assess them.