Bachelor of Arts in Folklore (Co-op Optional)

at Cape Breton University Canada

From the soothing sounds of our singing shores, to the everlasting beat of our vibrant culture, Cape Breton holds music close to its heart.

Build your skills for a solid foundation in music and carve your own path, wherever the tempo takes you. Our BACS music major is the only undergraduate program in Canada to focus on traditional and tradition-based popular music, with particular emphasis on Cape Breton’s rich music traditions.

Students learn about music career options, develop a career network and gain valuable work experience through courses such as Understanding the Music Industry, and Arts Entrepreneurship, as well as our Archival Internship and work placements.

Our music offerings focus on three broad areas: Atlantic Canadian cultures and traditions; popular music; and the study of global traditions (e.g., West African, Eastern European, etc.) through ethnomusicology and folklore approaches.

In all of our program options, we offer a variety of courses, including courses in performance, music theory and composition, genre surveys and histories, issues (e.g., protest, cultural tourism), research methods and business.
What skills will I gain from this program?

• Awareness and appreciation of music from around the world
• Greater understanding of music’s roles and functions in society
• Ability to analyze music
• Improved ability to perform
• Knowledge of the music industry

Why study at CBU?
As a music student at CBU, you’ll be excited to learn some of Cape Breton’s best-known traditional musicians teach here, including popular local artists such as Kyle MacNeil of the Barra MacNeils. That means you’ll be taught by experienced instructors who are both accessible and approachable, which makes a major difference in the intricate world of music.

Our music program uniquely ties together liberal arts courses, performance classes, work placements and community learning to create a truly well-rounded experience. Join students from around the world in one of the most breathtaking locations on the planet, in harmony, as you realize your true potential in music.

Cape Breton is known for its musical traditions. As one of the most celebrated cultural regions in the country, we offer courses that introduce students to a variety of music. From local traditions to music from around the world, popular music to classical music, students learn to analyze the music they love in order to see how it works.

In Cape Breton, one of the most biodiverse places on earth, you’re connected to the environment in unbelievable ways. Through a unique ecosystem with untouched elements on land, sea and air, discoveries are as abundant as opportunities.

Environmental studies at CBU provides you with the skills you need to thrive in the same real world you observe and assess. The rugged, natural landscapes surrounding you are ripe for discovery. While every student gains an understanding of the fundamental sciences, including biology, chemistry, and geology, as well as engineering principles with a focus on the environment, it’s the individual experience that is most important.

This program gives you the chance to examine key environmental subjects. Take part in air quality, water and soil assessments, waste management, sustainable development and environmental policy. All the while, building up your skills to take your next big step in life. Graduates from this program have secured successful careers in the technology industry, consulting with government, and with various public and private corporations.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Understand the interconnectedness of physical, chemical, and biological processes in natural and built environments.
• Balance environmental sustainability with economic development and technological progress.
• Perform contaminated site assessments.
• Perform environmental impact assessments.
• Measure water, soil, and air quality and determine appropriate pollution control and treatment strategies.

Why study at CBU?

• At CBU, you’ll have incredible access to research opportunities and faculty who help guide you in real-world settings. If you’re looking for a future filled with adventure and discovery, you’ve found it.
• Because the connection to our environment is strong, and our ocean-based setting is so prevalent, CBU provides plenty of opportunities for field trips and immersive experiences in environmental sustainability, exploring the impacts of large industrial remediation projects.
• Our fast-growing engineering department also provides plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning and one-on-one instruction.

One look at island life and it becomes clear: CBU is a special place that is focused and determined to make the world a better place. The passion for innovation and collaboration runs deep in our history and fuels our future.

The engineering transfer program is offered at CBU on an associate basis with Dalhousie University. CBU is one of the few Associated Universities to offer the first two years of all seven engineering disciplines. These include civil, environmental, mineral resource, electrical, industrial, mechanical and chemical engineering. We deliver the first two years of the four-year Bachelor of Engineering program.

The first year of the program is common for all seven discipline options. At the end of the first year, you must make a decision on a specialty. Application is made at this time to both CBU and Dalhousie for a seat in the particular discipline of choice.

During year two, you will be registered at both CBU and Dalhousie University.

Students can also combine a BSc in either chemistry or mathematics with the Engineering Diploma. This program requires a third year of study at CBU to complete the BSc, followed by two years at Dalhousie University to complete the BEng.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Reduce complex problems using appropriate assumptions.
• Identify appropriate engineering tools for real-world problems.
• Learn to plan for safety and sustainability issues.
• Explain interactions between technical systems in various contexts.
• Become an effective leader and team member.

Why study at CBU?

• Our friendly, welcoming, respectful community helps engineering students connect solutions with real-world problems.
• By starting the BEng Transfer Program at a smaller institution, students get individualized attention and support from experienced faculty, which is critical for success.
• CBU is home to the newest Engineering Department in Nova Scotia, and second in size only to Dalhousie University. CBU is also one of the few Associated Universities to offer the first two years of all eight engineering disciplines.

One look at island life and it becomes clear: CBU is a special place that is focused and determined to make the world a better place. The passion for innovation and collaboration runs deep in our history and fuels our future.

The engineering transfer program is offered at CBU on an associate basis with Dalhousie University. CBU is one of the few Associated Universities to offer the first two years of all seven engineering disciplines. These include civil, environmental, mineral resource, electrical, industrial, mechanical and chemical engineering. We deliver the first two years of the four-year Bachelor of Engineering program.

The first year of the program is common for all seven discipline options. At the end of the first year, you must make a decision on a specialty. Application is made at this time to both CBU and Dalhousie for a seat in the particular discipline of choice.

During year two, you will be registered at both CBU and Dalhousie University.

Students can also combine a BSc in either chemistry or mathematics with the Engineering Diploma. This program requires a third year of study at CBU to complete the BSc, followed by two years at Dalhousie University to complete the BEng.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Reduce complex problems using appropriate assumptions.
• Identify appropriate engineering tools for real-world problems.
• Learn to plan for safety and sustainability issues.
• Explain interactions between technical systems in various contexts.
• Become an effective leader and team member.

Why study at CBU?

• Our friendly, welcoming, respectful community helps engineering students connect solutions with real-world problems.
• By starting the BEng Transfer Program at a smaller institution, students get individualized attention and support from experienced faculty, which is critical for success.
• CBU is home to the newest Engineering Department in Nova Scotia, and second in size only to Dalhousie University. CBU is also one of the few Associated Universities to offer the first two years of all eight engineering disciplines.

Our communities are the threads that tie our country together. From helping to build a strong economic engine, to facilitating the cultivation of our healthy food, each community plays an important role in the development of our society. The Cape Breton community, although small in size, is big in opportunity. Here, you’re free to explore a welcoming island with warm people who see the same potential in you as you do in them.

The MBA in CED offers a leading edge curriculum that includes all business subjects found in traditional MBA programs, with an emphasis on economic development, leadership, governance and management of change. The program resonates with people who aspire to play leadership roles in the private, public and community sectors.

There are many MBA programs around the globe. However, the program found here at Cape Breton University is the only one in Canada that includes community economic development at its core. It’s for people who want to make a difference where they live and work. Here, we teach the lessons that inspire students to make a positive change wherever they go. The MBA in Community Economic Development has been offered by the Shannon School of Business at CBU since 1997.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Advanced analytical and strategy skills
• Advanced interpersonal and communication skills
• Advanced research skills
• Application of an international perspective to risks and opportunities in managerial decisions
• Integrated knowledge through interdisciplinary approaches
• Management of change, growth, and new opportunities
• Strategic leadership
• Understanding of the role of business and community in affecting the economy, quality of life, health, and the environment
• Understanding of community economic development and business

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.

If you’re looking for a place to study the most interesting aspects of life, you have certainly found it. Cape Breton is teeming with as much opportunity to learn about how humans live as anywhere in the world. At CBU, the study of anthropology is a natural fit in a natural wonderland.

Anthropology is said to be the most scientific of the humanities, and the most humanistic of the sciences. Divided into the sub-disciplines of socio-cultural, linguistic, physical and archaeology, anthropology is the discipline that explores the human journey. It is a holistic discipline, meaning that it considers this diverse range of topics necessary to understanding what it means to be human.

This program at CBU aims to challenge our preconceived ideas about our own traditions and ways of life. We examine other, often opposite, notions and ways of living to help determine solutions for living the best life humanly possible. CBU also encourages a reflective approach so that students learn to place their own experiences under the lens of examination. This teaches social sensitivity and a sense of place in the larger context of global human experiences. Anthropology is considered a teachable subject by the Nova Scotia Department of Education.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Ability to design and conduct thorough, independent research.
• Broad understanding of the similarities and differences of human cultural systems.
• Clear understanding of the human species in the context of the evolutionary story.
• Ability to apply an awareness of global human diversity to any future career choice.
• Learn to gather, analyze, and use qualitative and quantitative data sets.

Why study at CBU?

• With students from more than 40 countries, a natural coastline, stunning scenery drawing visitors from around the world, and a distinctive island culture, studying Anthropology at CBU is a truly unique experience.
• We provide students with a four-field approach to anthropology. Faculty who teach anthropology courses have research interests in areas such as medical anthropology, historical archaeology, evolutionary anthropology, anthropology of tourism, Mi’kmaw semantics and typology, language revitalization, Mi’kmaw language pedagogy and much more.
• This diverse range of topics and research areas provides students with a broad base of instruction that reveals the numerous types of topics that anthropological work is actively engaged in.

French is one of the most widely spoken languages in Canada after English and hence it has great professional as well as academic value. CBU offers an undergraduate level course for four years in French with excellent faculty and an exquisitely designed curriculum. Learning a language is a an obvious upper hand over other people and gives the students a cutting edge over other people willing to enter the Canadian workforce and various government degrees.

Since learning a language can be a daunting task, students are guided through this course with step by step instructions to students as well as personalized attention from the teachers. This four year course is divided into multiple sections, with each level and section dealing with various specificities of the French language. The first two years of the course deals with improvement of the listening and speaking skills. The third year of the program deals with linguistics and French literature. This year is very crucial for the students for it helps them delve into the literary aspects of the French language. By the fourth year students have the opportunity of studying francophone studies at a deeper level.

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.

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