Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Environmental Science

at Algoma University - Sault Ste. Marie Campus Canada

Our three-year Bachelor of Arts in Community Development provides students with both the practical and analytical skills needed to effectively work with a variety of communities to bring about societal change.

With required courses in Community, Economic, and Social Development (CESD) and Social Work, this unique program offers an interdisciplinary learning opportunity. Students will work alongside people in their region to effect change by helping to identify common concerns and solutions, and build relationships with organizations and those in positions of power. Students will learn how to create opportunities for communities to learn new skills and foster social inclusion and equality by enabling people to act together.

Choosing to earn a degree in community development has many benefits. The hands-on experience students will earn while fulfilling their degree requirements are both worthwhile and highly rewarding. In students’ third-year of study, they will complete a 150-hour work placement. Students have been placed in organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the Children’s Aid Society, Batchewana First Nation, Garden River First Nation, NORDIK Institute, United Way, Ontario Trillium Foundation, and more.

These placements allow students to apply concepts, theories, and methods from their coursework in the community, advocate for change, and implement new analytical strategies, making the degree action-packed and very hands-on. The skill set students acquire are very versatile and can be applied to various career paths which are sought after by a wide range of employers.

Our program also has a specific focus on northern, rural, remote communities, and Indigenous populations. Community development practitioners often work within a defined geographical area (urban or rural), and with specific groups of people (persons with disabilities, youth, children, families, newcomers, the unemployed, and the homeless). Thus, our program adequately prepares students to be Community development practitioners in Northern Ontario, and to work with a diverse and cross-cultural group of peoples.

Popular media suggests computer science graduates will be in high demand in the coming years. IT World Canada claims Canada will need an additional 182,000 people to fill positions such as information system analysts, web technicians, software engineers, database developers, database administrators, and computer network operators by 2019. Would you like to enter into Canada’s emerging tech industry. 

Our one-year Graduate Certificate in Computing has been developed to combine theoretical and practical aspects of computing, to enable you to become an effective professional in the computing industry. During this certificate program, students will acquire essential computer programming skills by taking Introduction to Computer Science I & II (COSC1046/1047) and Data Structures I & II (2006/2007). Students will also gain a thorough understanding of the theories and technologies of computer operating systems, computer networks, system analysis and design, web development, mobile application development as well as database management.

The Graduate Certificate in Mobile Software Development enables learners to apply the foundational skills of computer science to the development of applications and systems that implement the use of mobile devices in modern computer systems. Students will study the range of applications of mobile devices and will learn to develop applications on a variety of mobile platforms. Graduates will be able to apply the use of mobile devices in business, industry, social media, and gaming.

Algoma University’s four-year Bachelor of Arts in Community, Economic, and Social Development (CESD) is the only undergraduate program of its kind in Canada!

Community, economic, and social development provides students with the tools and knowledge to make meaningful change within their community and the world around them. This distinctive interdisciplinary program integrates several disciplines including CESD, social work, sociology, political science, geography, economics, and business administration. Due to the broad-based structure of the program, students will develop a holistic perspective of the world around them and develop the knowledge and understanding to work to advocate for positive change, fight for economic and social equality, and defend human rights, with a specific focus on smaller urban, rural, northern, and Indigenous communities. Students can also minor in environmental sustainability and social justice and globalization.

In students’ third-year of study, they will complete a 150-hour work placement, while in their fourth-year, they will be required to complete a 300-hour placement and a major paper or project. Students have been placed in organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the Children’s Aid Society, Batchewana First Nation, Garden River First Nation, NORDIK Institute, United Way, Ontario Trillium Foundation, and more. These placements allow students to apply concepts, theories, and methods from their coursework in the community, advocate for change, and implement new analytical strategies, making the degree action-packed and very hands-on.

Graduates will be eligible for certification by the Economic Developers’ Association of Canada (EDAC) and the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Offices (CANDO). Graduates from the CESD program have gone on to work in the local, provincial, and federal government, not-for-profit and cooperative agencies, youth development agencies, rural and urban economic development associations, have worked as researchers, advocates, and more graduates have also been accepted into prestigious graduate programs in geography, education, sociology, sustainable development, and community economic development.

As part of the School of Computer Science & Technology, our Computer Science program delivers an innovative and cutting-edge education

Students studying Computer Science will gain a strong theoretical and practical foundation in the study of algorithms, programming languages, hardware architecture, systems software, application software, and tools. They will also develop a solid foundation in data structure, programming, assembly language programming, computer organization, operating systems, theory, software engineering, and computer networking. Students also have the opportunity to explore their individual interests and take courses in artificial intelligence, human-computer interactions, and web data management, among others!

Above all, our computer science program values and encourages creativity and innovation. Students are given the opportunity to create new designs and explore their creative and unique ideas with faculty who are excited and equipped to guide students in the process of exploration.

Our students explore how Computer Science reaches far beyond theory and practice, driving innovation in the sciences, with examples such as the Human Genome Project and AIDs vaccine research, and leading developments in engineering, business, entertainment, and education. Wherever your passions and creativity lead, studies in Computer Science will take you there!

What is particularly unique about studies in Computer Science is that experiments can be carried out in a simulated virtual laboratory. Your creativity needs no limits because even ideas that, for now, exist outside of the realm of physical possibility, can be carried out in a computer lab. Computer scientists can simulate outcomes before they happen, including mapping out natural disasters and population growth under a variety of different circumstances.

COMPUTER GAME TECHNOLOGY AND CREATIVE ARTS - SPECIALIZATION
The computer game technology and creative arts specialization enables students who are interested in the artistic aspects of computer games, such as the writing of plots, the development of game flow, and the development of graphics and music, to extend their analysis and design skills to these areas. Courses include those in the games marketplace, software engineering, gameplay design, and artificial intelligence. In addition to the courses taken within the standard computer games technology stream, in the creative arts specialization, students will also explore courses in music, English and/or fine arts to develop a game design complement to their programming skills. Students must complete at least 18 credits in English, fine arts, and/or music.

Currently, Anishinaabemowin faces many of the dangers other languages around the world face – extinction. The language was originally passed on by elders to younger generations through oral storytelling; however, this tradition has changed in recent years. The language relies upon a newer and younger generation to become versed in the language and to pass their teachings on to future generations. Thus, by studying Anishinaabemowin, you have the power to revive and maintain the language of one of the earliest peoples in Canada.

Our program offers basic- to advanced-level instruction in the Ojibwe language and culture. Within the program, students gain a functional level of fluency in the language and thoroughly investigate the challenges posed by the written word. They will individually and collectively examine social structures and values within Anishinaabe society, and will also study the Anishinaabe worldview and philosophy. By examining the Anishinaabe’s oral and written history, students will come to understand the grammar and sound of Anishinaabemowin through various written exercises. Our students will also be exposed to Anishinaabe music and social activism, as well as the regional differences that exist in the Anishinaabe culture across Canada.

What makes our program even more unique is the rich cultural history in which Algoma U is founded on. Over 12 per cent of our student body is Anishinaabe (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit), and that number continues to grow. With a special mission and commitment to cross-cultural learning, our Anishinaabemowin program looks to bring Chief Shingwauk’s vision of “sharing, healing, and learning” to fruition. Our campus is located on the site of the former Shingwauk Indian Residential School, and is committed to researching, collecting, preserving, and displaying the history of the residential schools system; developing and delivering projects in relation to Chief Shingwauk’s mission; and bringing about individual and community cultural restoration under the name of The Shingwauk Project. Thus, the educational experience students receive here is unlike any other and is deeply rooted in Anishinaabe culture and history.

The Project Management: Resilience and Innovation program is a four-semester (20-month) Graduate Certificate program. Within this certificate, students must choose one of the following streams to specialize in:

• Anishinaabe Worldview
• Business and Economics
• English/French Bilingual Development (available in September intakes only)
• Human Services
• Information Technology
• Social and Cultural Innovation

Algoma University’s three-year Bachelor of Arts in Economics is a unique program, different from other university programs found across the province.

Our program concentrates on theory, applications, and explorations in current and policy-related issues at the regional, national, and international level. Students will study the roles of governmental, business, and financial institutions, as well as individuals as they interact to determine the distribution of a country’s total range of goods and services. Courses cover a wide array of topic areas, including environmental economic policies, microeconomics, urban economics, economic development, economics of finance, elementary statistical methods for economists, among others.

Our faculty is committed to a hands-on learning experience where students are able to establish a personal relationship with their professors. This fosters a very intimate and interactive learning environment.

Upon graduation, students will have a solid foundational working knowledge of various economic and financial terms, concepts, and principles. Students will know how to solve complex problems and distinguish between correct and incorrect applications of economic concepts. They will be able to review, present, and interpret quantitative and qualitative information and will thoroughly understand the limits that exist within the realm of finance and economics. By graduation, they will also have perfected their communication skills and be able to conduct themselves in a professional manner in the work world.

Taking the step to studying biology at Algoma U will grant you a pathway into one of the most mysterious disciplines left on the planet. Scientists estimate that there are between five and 40 million species on the earth, yet, scientists have only identified between one and two million species, meaning that there are still as many as 38 million species to be identified! If you have a questing mind, who seeks to invent, or are in search for answers to complicated questions about the human body, biology could be the perfect fit you.

Our campus location is surrounded by a diverse collection of natural systems. Within the city limits, there are large tracts of forests and fields, fast moving rivers, swamps, bogs, and even the shoreline of one of the world’s largest lakes: Lake Superior. Plus, our city is home to various wildlife including bears, cougars, lynx, moose, deer, fox, weasels, and various bird species. Not many cities can boast that kind of habitat diversity, or the biological diversity associated with it.  Though this breadth of biology can be intimidating, the family-feel of the program has helped motivate students tremendously.

Our program is designed to teach students how to be scientists. The skills required in science, the careful use of research, experimentation, logic, with an understanding of statistics and parsimony, are those that our students can apply to many aspect of their lives. Our past graduates have pursued a career path

in research, healthcare, education, environmental management and conservation, museums, aquariums, zoos, parks, nature centres, biotechnology, forensic science, politics and policy, economics, business and industry, science writing, communication, and many more. The rest is your to discover!  

Student in the biology program have the option to specialize in Health Sciences. The specialization consists of 30 credits from a list that includes courses in Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Humanities and Social Sciences. The specialization provides all of the courses students need to get into medical school, pharmacy, dentistry, epidemiology, optometry, nursing, physiotherapy, veterinary medicine, graduate school, and more.

The study of history builds a foundation for active, informed citizenship. By exploring the past, students can make decisions in the present-day world, based on an understanding of the institutions, ideas, and relationships that have developed over the past decades and centuries.

As students learn about the lived experience of the past, they discover that it is full of fascinating stories and compelling personalities. They learn that sometimes, truth really is stranger than fiction. And as many of our senior-level students have testified, the research process can be exhilarating. They discover the excitement of sifting through the archives, making original discoveries, and then sharing their findings with others. History can be a source of immense delight – both the stuff of history and the process of discovering it.

Our faculty bring their wide-ranging interests and specializations into the classroom, and provide a great selection of courses that meet our students interests. From the ancient history of the Americas and Europe, through to the history of Canada in the late twentieth century, and all areas and time in between, the program tries to match its offerings to popular areas of interest and to the latest developments in historical study. Some courses include the history of the Anishinaabe people, ancient Greece and Rome, medieval Europe, women’s and gender history in Canada, the witch-hunts in Europe, as well as survey courses on American, Canadian, and western civilization history.

Our history students equip themselves for potential future careers in a variety of fields, including, but not limited to, the following: law, education, civil service (including the foreign service), journalism, museum studies, public history, publishing, information technology, and research consulting.