Bachelor of Health Science in Respiratory Therapy

at Dalhousie University Canada

The only program of its kind in Canada, Bioveterinary Science will give you the foundation for a career in veterinary medicine and opens up a world of other exciting opportunities. Offered at our Agricultural Campus in Truro, N.S., this degree program is the starting point for your animal-related career.

What will I learn?
Dalhousie's Bioveterinary Science program blends a core general science education with specialized courses in animal health and welfare. Our 200-hectare farm and high-tech laboratories give you opportunities in experiential learning. You’ll work directly with animals like sheep, dairy cows, fish, chickens and more in both an academic and research capacity.

Students begin by taking foundation courses in biology, chemistry, math, physics, genetics, biochemistry and cell biology. These courses will give you the background for more in-depth studies in topics such as veterinary epidemiology, animal health and nutrition and mammalian physiology. You’ll leave with an in-depth knowledge of animals and focus on issues related to their health and care.

Our students gain practical experience alongside accomplished faculty members whose research projects are relevant to the needs of the modern animal care industry. No matter your chosen path, your Bioveterinary Science degree will set you up for a successful career or future studies.

Whether caring directly for patients, conducting valuable research or engaged in public policy advocacy, nurses make a difference in the quality of people's lives. Dal's Nursing program will prepare you to apply current evidence and respond with professionalism to the health and illness needs of people in a variety of health-care settings: hospitals, homes, schools, businesses, clinics and communities. At Dal, you'll find flexible program options and hands-on learning opportunities alongside world-class faculty.

The Master of Health Administration (MHA) is a 16-month, CA+HME accredited program will prepare you to take the lead in managing healthcare organizations. You can cultivate a career in management and administration, playing a transformative role in improving healthcare for the communities we serve.

Engineering touches everyone's lives in countless ways. The opportunities in engineering are virtually limitless, allowing you to pursue a career in almost any field, in any industry, in any location around the world.

If you thrive in a smaller campus environment with average class sizes of 20 to 30 people, consider doing the first two years of your degree on our Truro campus. After completing your first two years (and earning an Engineering diploma), you will move to the Halifax campus to complete the final two years of your degree.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
A rapidly growing discipline within the engineering profession, environmental engineers develop solutions to environmental problems – from ensuring our drinking water is clean to remediation of environmental hazards. You'll learn various approaches to environment-based design, waste management, water and soil quality, energy conservation and renewables, and air quality.

Do you want to become part of the solution to our world’s complex environmental issues and help improve our quality of life in the future? The Environmental Sciences program offered through Dalhousie's Faculty of Agriculture at the Agricultural Campus in Truro, N.S. can get you there. Our program teaches students to analyze complex environmental issues and develop practical solutions that consider the impacts on the environment, society and our economy.

What will I learn?
Dalhousie’s Environmental Sciences program is a multi-disciplinary program that offers diverse courses, personalized attention and quality instruction. It merges the physical and natural sciences to give you a unique and marketable education.

Alongside the core sciences, you'll also learn about ecosystems, conservation, water quality, waste reduction, site remediation and resource management and policy. You’ll put your classroom learning into practice through lab and field work. You'll also get an opportunity to practice environmental sampling and analysis.

Once students have identified their personal interests, they’ll be able to select one of the following specializations for their degree: Environmental Biology, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Economics, Environmental Soil Sciences, Pest Management (minor) or Waste Management.

Engineering touches everyone's lives in countless ways. The opportunities in engineering are virtually limitless, allowing you to pursue a career in almost any field, in any industry, in any location around the world.

If you thrive in a smaller campus environment with average class sizes of 20 to 30 people, consider doing the first two years of your degree on our Truro campus. After completing your first two years (and earning an Engineering diploma), you will move to the Halifax campus to complete the final two years of your degree.

Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineers play an essential role in industries ranging from manufacturing to health care to the renewable energy, designing everything from medical devices to engines.

In our programs, our expert faculty teach how parts, machines and systems work and how to design and analyze them. Our students understand and apply concepts in solid mechanics, control and thermofluids.

In addition to building a strong theoretical foundation in engineering, you'll work with new technology and apply your knowledge in hands-on design projects.

Co-op Options
Co-op students take the same academic program as the non co-op program; however, our co-op option gives you an opportunity to complement your studies with three paid work terms.

WHY STUDY MANAGEMENT AT DAL?
Develop as a leader with skill and creativity
There's no other program like it in Canada. Our Bachelor of Management provides an innovative and interdisciplinary program that combines information management, environmental resource management, public administration and business.

What will I learn?
Your first two years are dedicated to core courses in Management Issues, Accounting, Marketing, Ethics and Social Responsibility, Government Structure, Data Literacy, Economics and Statistics.

In your third and fourth years, you'll choose electives to tailor your degree to your strengths and interests. Choose from one of five majors (Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Leadership and Organizations; Managing Data and Information (formerly Knowledge Management); Public Sector Management; or Environment, Sustainability and Society) to focus on your area of interest, or stay flexible by doing a general Bachelor of Management degree without a major.

Sample courses:

• Interdisciplinary Management
• Data Literacy
• Financial Accounting
• Professional Communication Skills

The optional paid internship for Bachelor of Management students is a minimum of 32 weeks (approximately eight months) of consecutive, full-time work experience related to your studies. It takes place between your third and final academic year.

WHY STUDY HEALTH SCIENCES AT DAL?
We’re a nationally accredited school that offers a Bachelor of Health Science (BHSc) in four professional disciplines: Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Radiological Technology, and Respiratory Therapy. We also offer Medical Laboratory Technology in the Post Diploma program. We’re the only fully integrated four-year university-based program of this kind in Canada.

RESPIRATORY THERAPY
Who are Respiratory Therapists?
Respiratory therapists (RTs) are highly skilled health care professionals who help people with their breathing. RTs care for patients by evaluating, treating and maintaining heart and lung function. They treat all age groups, from newborns to the elderly.

Where do Respiratory Therapists work?
Respiratory therapists work in a variety of hospital and/or community settings:   

• Intensive care units
• Emergency departments
• Operating rooms
• Neonatal nurseries
• Outpatient clinics
• Sleep labs
• Home care
• Smoking cessation programs
• Medical equipment sales
• Education and research

How do I become a Respiratory Therapist?
The School of Health Sciences offers a four year Bachelor of Health Science (BHSc) degree program, which includes theory and practice. Students will take core professional development courses with a  concentration on respiratory therapy specific skills. A diploma option is possible after completion of Year 3.   The program curriculum offers the necessary competencies to challenge the national certification examination administered by the Canadian Board for Respiratory Care (CBRC).

Examples of Courses in the Program

• Anatomy & Physiology
• Cardiopulmonary Physiology
• Respiratory Disease and Therapeutics
• Human Pregnancy and Fetal/Newborn Development 
• Mechanical Ventilation 
• Foundations of Health Care Practice
• Health Care Ethics
• Statistics
• Research Methods

Discover the complexity of the human mind
Psychology encompasses all aspects of human and animal behaviour. Dalhousie offers the largest Psychology department in the region and you'll have plenty of opportunities to get involved in research. In addition to offering insight into the way people think and behave, our program will provide you with skills in critical and analytical thinking that will serve you in any of your future career paths.

What will I learn?
If you’ve ever wondered why we do the things we do or how people think, behave and interact with others, then you’ve wondered about topics studied in psychology. When you study psychology at Dalhousie, you'll learn about experimental design, statistical analysis, brain function, language development, learning mechanisms, psychopathology and treatment and more.

In your first year of study, you'll take introductory courses in psychology and neuroscience to provide you with a foundation for more in-depth studies in upper years. Fourth-year students will have the opportunity to complete their own honours research project to discover topics that are of personal interest.

Sample courses:
Methods in Experimental Psychology
Abnormal Behaviour
The Science of Sleep

The Bachelor of Commuity Design (BCD) is a three-year program that explores ways in which people can work towards creating and maintaining healthy and sustainable communities. Our BCD Brochure gives you an overview of the degree.

If you are eager to make changes in the world, the BCD will help you develop the knowledge and skills to allow you to analyse issues facing communities, such as food security, just cities, sustainable transportation, and affordable housing. You will learn how to develop solutions to these pressing concerns in communities of different sizes. Our students care about the future of communities, are committed to sustainable urban sysems, and want to learn how to develop better designed environments. They are interested in protecting environmentally-sensitive landscapes and heritage neighbourhoods, and want to give commmunities the tools to make their own choices. Our students become part of our community, a close-knit network of faculty, alumni, employers, and community-based organizations.