Bachelor of Arts in International Political Economy

at Brock University Canada

This program gives you an opportunity to upgrade your academic record and gain knowledge of North American business principles. It is a carefully designed transition year that can help you bridge the gap between undergraduate studies and your MBA or MBA (ISP) experience.

The Certificate in Administrative Studies (CAS) is right for you if you:

• Would like to go on to an MBA or MBA (ISP) program but your grades do not meet the minimum admission requirements. The CAS will provide students with an opportunity to create a recent academic record.
• Have an international background and want a comprehensive introduction to the foundations of a North American business education.
• Have a non-business background and would like to gain exposure to the foundations of management for the purposes of career advancement.

This program is for those who have already completed a university degree. The program is four semesters, taken over two academic years, allowing students time to learn, reflect and grow as beginning teachers.
Completion of the program leads to a BEd degree and an Ontario Certificate of Qualification and Registration. Programs are at campuses in both St. Catharines and Hamilton.
Teacher Education programs at Brock embrace the integration of theory and practice.
Students are placed in partner schools very early in their program. They move through a planned course of study, including in excess of 80 days in Ontario classrooms. With a focus on pedagogy reflective of 21st century learners, Brock teacher candidates have opportunities to personalize their learning through optional professional development courses, and may qualify for an alternative placement experience in their final year.
Instruction in professional practice takes place under the supervision of practicum advisers, practicum instructors and associate teachers, working with teacher candidates
in schools throughout the Niagara and the greater Hamilton regions and beyond.

Primary/Junior program: Certifies to teach Kindergarten through Grade 6.
Junior/Intermediate program: Certifies to teach Grades 4 through 10, emphasizing elementary school.
Intermediate/Senior program: Certifies to teach Grades 7 through 12, emphasizing secondary school.

Are you interested in how children acquire language, how the skills of second-language speakers develop, how various language disorders can be diagnosed and treated, or how social or cultural environments interact with language?

In our program, you’ll gain a strong foundation in linguistics, hands-on fieldwork, clinical observation, teaching practice and practical workshops to supplement your academic courses. We offer a choice of two majors:

Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL): With this certificate or major, learn how second language learning is different from first language learning, and prepare to teach ESL in different contexts. Learn about advanced theory and practice of second language learning and teaching, and complete a major research paper in our MA Applied Linguistics/TESL program.

Speech-Language & Hearing Sciences: Learn about basic science and communication processes, including the anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing, acoustics, linguistics, child language development and selected disorders of human communication. Concentrate in Hearing Sciences and learn about sound, hearing, and hearing disorders, and prepare for admission to graduate audiology programs. Concentrate in Speech-Language Sciences and learn about speech, language, and speech and language disorders, and prepare for admission to speech-language pathology graduate programs.

The Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film offers four separate programs of study in Business Communication, Media and Communication Studies, Film Studies, and Popular Culture. A four-year program leading to the Bachelor of Arts (BA) Honours degree, a 4 Year BA with Major, and a three-year program leading to the BA Pass degree is offered in all four programs. Majors in the Department may complete a Concentration in Digital Culture. Minor programs are available in Digital Culture, Film Studies, Media Studies and Popular Culture for majors in other Departments/Centres as well as a Certificate in Film Studies. In addition, the Department is involved in programs with community colleges which offer students the opportunity to earn a BA Honours Communication Studies, BA Honours Popular Culture or a BA with Major Film Studies degree and a college diploma or certificate.

Communication Studies
Business Communication
Students in Business Communication must attain a minimum 65 percent major average to continue in the program. Business Communication is an interdisciplinary program combining the study of communication with a study of some aspects of business. The program aims to equip the student with a sound theoretical basis for analysing and practicing communication within the business environment.

Media and Communication Studies
Media and Communication Studies is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the impact of media and communication in the creation of meaning, identity and social change, emphasizing the study of media content, audiences and institutions in their political, economic, and social contexts in Canada and elsewhere.

Film Studies
Film Studies is a sequence of critical and historical courses that examine a variety of approaches to film. The courses explore the nature of film language and develop an analytical perspective on film as both an art and a medium. Other courses explore issues and theories in popular culture. Students may have opportunities to engage in media production in selected upper year courses.

Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour, and the program at Brock offers a diverse approach to this exciting field of study.

We offer courses that cover a variety of topics in Psychology, including: Social Processes (e.g., Development of Deception, Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination, Human Sexuality), Brain and Cognition (e.g., Cognitive Neuroscience, Human Neuropsychology, Neuropsychopharmacology), and Applied Psychology (e.g., Counselling and Psychotherapy, Forensic Psychology, Health Psychology).

Our Department has an expertise in examining psychological processes and behaviour across the lifespan, from infancy to old age. Studying Psychology is applicable to a wide variety of career paths such as those in research and industry, counselling and clinical psychology, business, government, and education.

Through lectures, seminars, labs, and one-on-one mentoring, students gain expertise in human behaviour and job-related skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, communication, problem solving, project management, research design, and data management and analysis. Our department also requires that students complete specific courses that will help with career preparation (e.g., skill development and identification, exploring career opportunities, job searches and interviewing skills, statistics and data management), as well as a wealth of opportunities to learn outside of the classroom.

Co-op is available with any of our 4-year degree options, where students will complete 3 separate work terms over the 4 years. Students can also gain applied experiences by participating in the Psych Society, working as a teaching assistant or becoming a research assistant in one of our internationally renowned laboratories. These experiences will enrich your studies and help you to launch your career.

This theoretical and practical training offers an approach to understanding children, childhood and youth that includes: diversity, inequality, exceptionalities, families, cultures, social worlds, schools, peers, communities, popular and media culture, and international issues that span the globe. This wide-ranging knowledge base opens up doors to working with young people in a variety of capacities.
The department has been offering undergraduate degrees since 1993, an MA program since 2000 and a PhD program since 2016.
Our faculty includes many nationally and internationally recognized scholars who work to high standards for teaching and research. Our staff work closely with them to guide our students through their programs. We are all approachable and dedicated to maintaining the highest quality of education.
Experiential learning opportunities are offered in Years 2, 3, and 4 of the program with a required experiential course in Year 2.

Study options:
Undergraduate programs

• Three-year Bachelor of Arts (BA)
• Four-year BA with major
• Four-year BA (Honours)
• Five-year collaborative program – CHYS BA Honours and CYW Diploma (Durham College)
• Six-year concurrent CHYS BA (Honours)/Bachelor of Education (BEd)

Combined Programs
You can combine your degree in subjects like psychology, sociology, geography and linguistics.
Minor programs
If you are not a CHYS major, you can apply to minor in CHYS after your first year. CHYS students can also minor in unrelated disciplines to further expand their studies.
A collaborative program is also available to complete both a degree and diploma.

The Professional Masters Preparation Certificate (PMPC) is an eight-month preparation program that guides you through the challenges that you will encounter as an international student in a North American professional graduate school. We’ll help you improve your English language skills, gain confidence in academic situations and create a North American academic record. The PMPC is dedicated to helping you overcome foreseeable academic and cultural difficulties and acquire the understanding and skills to make the transition to graduate work smoother and ultimately more successful.

The PMPC is a formal certificate program. Students who successfully complete this program will receive a Brock University certificate. You will also be considered for conditional admission to either the MBA (ISP) or MPAcc (ISP) for the next intake when you apply.

Study tourism in Niagara — one of the world’s premier travel destinations and home to a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Our program is designed to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving industry, incorporating principles of sustainability (economic, environmental, social and political) in tourism management and planning. Within the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies, our program examines such questions as: Can we balance the economic benefits of tourism with the negative consequences of pollution, loss of biodiversity, economic inequality and unsuitable cultural change?

Allied with the Goodman School of Business, the Tourism Management stream offers a range of business-related courses.

You may take advantage of our international field courses, exchange programs, co-op options and internship opportunities with industry leaders such as Disney, to explore tourism issues in diverse destinations worldwide.

Co-op Education
The path to a successful career starts in one of Canada’s most diverse co-op programs. Co-op at Brock gives you the opportunity to apply what you learn in the classroom to real-world situations. Our students test their skills daily, gaining experience and an edge in a global economy.

The program spans for four semesters and is for the students who have already completed their university degree, and the completion of the program provides the students with a BEd degree and an Ontario Certificate of Qualification and Registration. 

The courses are taught under the supervision of associate teachers, practicum advisors and practicum instructors who work with the teacher candidates in schools and provide them with multiple opportunities to personalize their learning experience via professional development courses. During the course, the students are placed in partner schools so as to gain the necessary practical experience and knowledge required in their line of profession. 

The university offers the following programs to its students:

• Primary/Junior program: Certifies to teach Kindergarten through Grade 6.
• Junior/Intermediate program: Certifies to teach Grades 4 through 10, emphasizing elementary school.
• Intermediate/Senior program: Certifies to teach Grades 7 through 12, emphasizing secondary school. 

The course is apt for students who wish to be a part of intensive clinical practice and train themselves as nurses. Brock University has been recognized by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) with a seven-year accreditation term for their commitment to providing excellence in nursing education. One can either complete all the four years at Brock or complete the first two at Loyalist College in Belleville, ON and then transfer to Brock for their third and fourth year.