Bachelor of Arts Community Studies - Applied Theatre (Co-op Optional)

at Cape Breton University Canada

Special collaborations happen here at Cape Breton University between students and faculty from completely different backgrounds, cultures and societies through courses that are reflective of the diverse world in which we live. Students who graduate from CBU do so with the confidence and flexibility they need to have an edge in the job market or find success in continued graduate studies.

At CBU, you will build the skills you actually need within the field of sociology. Sociology considers the factors driving relationships that exist in society by looking at the social and historical contexts that frame those experiences. Sociologists study the interactions of our social lives by examining their formations in socialization activities.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Ability to conduct thorough research
• Skills to analyze complex social interactions
• Critical thinking skills
• Ability to gather and analyze data sets

Why study at CBU?

• Here on Cape Breton Island, our rich history and famous landscapes have carved out a home for some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. Some of the best food you’ll ever taste. And certainly some of the best times you’ll ever have. It’s a great place to call home, and an even better place to study.
• Our sociology courses are taught by accessible faculty with diverse research backgrounds in areas of sociology of family, gender, identity and sexuality, feminist theory, queer theory, critical pedagogy, environmental sociology, deviance, green criminology, animals and people, consumption and consumerism, qualitative research methods, sociology of home and statistical analysis. This diverse selection of topic areas provides students with a distinctive mix of subjects in their coursework all while providing a unified approach to sociological theory.
• With modern facilities and a diverse campus filled with lifelong friends waiting to meet you, CBU is a place where you can truly build a sustainable future.

Nurses are at the forefront of our health care system. The Bachelor of Science, Nursing (BScN) is an incredible opportunity. It’s a program that prepares students to be eligible to practice as registered nurses in a variety of health care settings. At Cape Breton University, you arrive inspired and leave prepared with the skills you need to thrive, with lifelong knowledge, skills and ability guiding you along the way.
The nursing curriculum is an intentional blending of courses from many disciplines, integrating theory and practice to facilitate self-growth, critical inquiry and a commitment to lifelong learning. Teachers and students engage in continuous professional development. From perfecting evidence-informed practice to respond to changing patient needs, to learning modern technologies, our faculty and students work together in a supportive and dynamic learning environment.

CBU’s BScN strives for excellence in preparing our future registered nurses to be knowledgeable, compassionate and ethical professionals.
What skills will I gain from this program?

• Knowledge of nursing theories, research and evaluation.
• Acquire practice-based learning.
• Learn to promote, maintain and restore health.
• Skills to prevent illness or injury.
• Qualify to write the NCLEX-RN exam.

Why study at CBU?
The nursing program at CBU uses a concept-based curriculum, so it’s easy to find the resources you need to gain the skills you need. Our concept-based learning is an approach to education that is more student-centered and student-directed. This means you’re fully immersed in real-world studies through engaging, hands-on learning.

CBU students have access to a wide variety of nursing practice placements (hospitals, community, long-term care) within the Nova Scotia Health Authority as well as private community partners that provide the experiential learning nursing students need to bridge theory to practice.

You also have an opportunity to take part in a two-week International Experience designed to help you learn about health and nursing in another culture and engage in service-learning. Our students have travelled to Quito, Bali, and Argentina. Students have the opportunity to study for a Specialty Nursing Certificate in oncology, acute and critical care, mental health, public health or Indigenous health nursing, along with others. Additionally, qualified students can enhance their research knowledge and skills by completing an advanced major in an area of interest.

Students from across the global and political spectrum come to Cape Breton University for a chance to make a real impact in the world around them. When you study political science at CBU, you learn from more than books. You’re learning from a rich environment shaped by local, national and global politics.

We pride ourselves on having accessible professors who are highly qualified and dedicated professionals. Some are authors of respected books, journal articles and research studies. Others are engaged as leaders in local, national and international activities that shape political science education. Their goal is the same as yours: to help you obtain an enhanced understanding of the subjects that will help pave your path to success.

The political science program at CBU responds to the issues of our time. Our Department of L‘nu, Political, and Social Studies offers a variety of courses in the fields of Canadian law, international law, social justice, public policy, public administration, international relations and political theory.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Analytical, independent and structural thinking
• Quantitative and qualitative research skills
• Understanding of how governments work
• Management and community development skills
• Critical understanding of important issues in global politics
• Develop an awareness of colonialism and decolonization

Why study at CBU?

• The political science program at CBU has a solid reputation for hard work, innovation, and commitment to excellence. Firmly grounded in the liberal arts and social sciences, our program provides students with the analytical tools and critical thinking skills to constructively contribute to society.
• Political scientists are called upon to examine and challenge the groups, systems and institutions that perpetuate injustice. Issues that impact real communities are the types of issues we study every day, including worldwide issues such as global warming, or local issues such as social and economic development.
• Our approachable faculty enable you to draw knowledge from their experience with public administration, governance, community economic development, social justice, the environment and democracy.

There’s an instant connection that’s made between the study of biology and living on Cape Breton Island. In this incredibly bio-diverse region on the coast of Atlantic Canada, we’re constantly reminded that we’re all part of nature.

Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of all living organisms. Although living organisms share some unifying themes, such as their origin from the same basic cellular structure, and their molecular basis of inheritance, they are extremely diverse. This diversity of life leads to many divisions in biological science. That’s why, at CBU, collaboration and collective learning environments are so important.

As a biology student, you will look at such topics as origins, structure, function, reproduction, growth and development, and behaviour and evolution of different organisms. In addition, you will consider how living organisms interact with each other and the environment on an individual and group basis.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Solid grounding in key biology concepts and essential skills.
• Ability to specialize in multiple areas of
• Exposure to scientific research and educational experience.
• Skills required for any future career in biology.

Studying a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Public Health) at CBU offers a unique opportunity to impact quality of life for everyone around you. With the knowledge and skills learned here, you gain the ability to make a difference in a real community using modern facilities, working alongside experienced faculty.

Specifically, the public health program at CBU focuses on environmental health. This segment of public health centres on keeping people healthy in the places they live, work and play. With an eclectic community coming from more than 40 countries collaborating and studying together in an island setting, health sciences in Cape Breton is a rich area for discovery.

Our program taps into the natural resources of our region, focusing on food safety, water and air quality, communicable disease control, and occupational health and safety. We currently offer three streams of our program.

Stream One is the four-year option that a student graduating from high school, or someone without post-secondary education, could take. Stream Two is an accelerated two-year option for students with a previous science degree or a similar degree/diploma. And Stream Three is an in-career option available only to military workers seeking a degree. These military workers must be certified by the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Evaluate safety hazards and mitigate risks.
• Sharpen interpersonal skills through presentations.
• Interpret and apply government legislation.

The history along the ancient east coast of Canada is rich and rewarding for those who dive into the legend and lore. That’s why we’re so proud to not only teach history – but to make it. With students studying here from more than 40 countries around the globe, the historical and cultural knowledge base is wonderfully vast and incredibly diverse.

Home to faculty who are award-winning teachers and cutting-edge researchers, the history program at CBU offers a unique perspective on this intriguing field of study. Our approachable and experienced faculty facilitate the study of history by teaching students to think about the past and the present in equal parts. Historians analyze the causes and consequences of change over time, yet the study of history also takes the present into account – seeking to expand our knowledge of our own experiences through a deeper understanding of the past.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Research skills
• Communication skills
• Understanding of history

Why study at CBU?

• From the cornerstones of our historic culture, students will learn how life is forged into the future by an interwoven series of past events.
• Thought-provoking material and a diverse course selection are offered through unique courses that provide a variety of ways to study and a range of experiences in and out of the classroom.
• Enjoy a more personal post-secondary education experience with accessible and experienced faculty, and ample opportunities to work as a research assistant conducting original, independent research throughout your degree.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

• Hands-on Internship Program
• Work experience at Beaton Institute or CBU Art Gallery
• Travel with International Exchange Programs

With increasing public interest in food and health, human nutrition is a dynamic field with new career opportunities emerging. CBU Human Nutrition students graduate with a strong scientific background in foods and nutrition, combined with social science perspectives, communication skills and understandings of ways to effect individual and social change.

Cape Breton University recognizes the inherent challenges of maintaining proper health and safety in today’s ever-evolving workplace. With CBU’s Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety Management, students will gain the managerial skills necessary for effective management of occupational health, safety and risk across various disciplines in the Canadian and global context.

Students will gain competencies to provide coaching and guidance and the abilities to identify, assess and communicate on matters relating to occupational health, safety and organizational risk. The diploma further provides an introduction to approaches for working with various stakeholders, workplace diversity, human rights and working within an Indigenous context.

Upon graduation from the OH&S Management diploma, students will be prepared for roles in any industry; particularly the public sector and compliance services, business and insurance project management and construction, safety supervision, environmental industry, oil and gas and many more roles where advanced education in these areas is highly valued and in demand.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Develop an advanced understanding of occupational health, safety, and organizational risk applicable to any industry.
• Gain strategies and methods for developing collaborative relationships among stakeholders to achieve greater health, safety and risk outcomes and to better inform culturally responsive approaches.
• Develop competencies to provide coaching and guidance and the abilities to identify, assess and communicate on matters relating to occupational health, safety and organizational risk.

On Cape Breton Island, you’ll find the path to your successful future by discovering today’s world of psychology. With students coming to study at CBU from over 40 countries around the world, our diverse campus of thought leaders set the stage for your future success.

Psychology courses at CBU emphasize the genetic, physiological, sensory, cognitive, personality-based and social structures that mediate behaviour and mental processes. As the science that examines the structure and function of behaviour and mental processes, we’re proud to offer relevant programs for today’s world.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Understanding of mental health
• Learn theories and history of psychology
• General research skills·
• Specific knowledge to your specialization

Why study at CBU?

• At CBU, our comprehensive curriculum focuses on understanding individual behaviour so you can apply your skills to a wide variety of opportunities in the field of psychology. Studying psychology here will provide you with the skills you need to think, be innovative and design your own experiments to answer your own questions. You will critique work, yours and others, as well as conduct and report on experiments to help build a foundation for tomorrow.
• With modern facilities and breathtaking scenery, not many places in the world can offer what Cape Breton Island can offer. Plus, with accessible and experienced faculty, CBU encourages active research alongside your professors.
• Because hard work and dedication are noticed here, students are often hired as research assistants to help professors in their duties. Here, we also believe that what we learn from psychological research can be used to understand past, current, or future events. That means the knowledge you gain at CBU can also help analyze mental health issues, and improve education, employment and relationships.
• Our Honours Psychology Program (BA, BSc, or BACS) provides advanced training in research methods, statistical analysis, as well as guaranteed one-on-one thesis supervision. This program prepares students wishing to go on to graduate school or professional programs.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

• Directed study course work
• Co-op opportunities
• Working as a research assistant

Studying a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Public Health) at CBU offers a unique opportunity to impact quality of life for everyone around you. With the knowledge and skills learned here, you gain the ability to make a difference in a real community using modern facilities, working alongside experienced faculty.

Specifically, the public health program at CBU focuses on environmental health. This segment of public health centres on keeping people healthy in the places they live, work and play. With an eclectic community coming from more than 40 countries collaborating and studying together in an island setting, health sciences in Cape Breton is a rich area for discovery.

Our program taps into the natural resources of our region, focusing on food safety, water and air quality, communicable disease control, and occupational health and safety. We currently offer three streams of our program.

Stream One is the four-year option that a student graduating from high school, or someone without post-secondary education, could take. Stream Two is an accelerated two-year option for students with a previous science degree or a similar degree/diploma. And Stream Three is an in-career option available only to military workers seeking a degree. These military workers must be certified by the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Evaluate safety hazards and mitigate risks.
• Sharpen interpersonal skills through presentations.
• Interpret and apply government legislation.