Bachelor of Arts, Major in Indigenous Studies

at EduCo - Western University Canada

Are you moved by crisis in Darfur? Do social movements such as the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street interest you? Do you want to work for a public service or a non-profit organisation? Then the Media and the Public Interest (MPI) program might be for you. The MPI program is the only one of its kind in Canada and connects issues of communication and media to social justice issues such as democracy, equity, class, race, and gender. Students in MPI examine social movements and how media can be used to further these causes. Some example courses in the MPI program include Alternative Media, Social Movements and Media, and Activism in Mainstream Media. A primary goal of the program is to connect media theory learned in the classroom to real world experiences. Students are encouraged to put what they learn to use. Many of the courses feature a service learning component or practicum that gives students the opportunity to volunteer in a community organisation.

Are you interested in understanding the universe and our place in it? Consider studying astrophysics at Western! Through the interaction of light and matter, you can access the universe through observatories around the world and in space. Astrophysicists at Western will help you explore black holes, exoplanets, meteors, the atmospheres of Earth and other planets, the dust and gas between the stars, and the evolution of galaxies over cosmic time. With the skills acquired in this module, our graduates stand out with their involvement in cutting-edge research, including the recent discovery of gravitational waves and new planets beyond our solar system.

The Major in Kinesiology provides flexibility in selecting Kinesiology courses allowing students to initially investigate courses throughout the broad scope of Kinesiology. With fewer Kinesiology course requirements than other modules students enroled in the major have the flexibility to incorporate more external electives within their degree. Students often combine a major in Kinesiology with a major from another discipline.

Western's School of Kinesiology offers undergraduate and graduate programs that allow students to explore the bioscientific and sociocultural aspects of human movement. Flexible program options at both the undergraduate and graduate levels allow students to tailor their program of study to achieve specific learning goals while learning from researchers and teachers who are experts in their fields.

Theatre Studies is a multidisciplinary liberal arts program with a diverse mix of classroom learning through field trips, intimate lectures and seminar classes delivered in conjunction with established theatre organizations. Students have the opportunity to study theatre abroad through our popular Destination Theatre course and learn onsite with renowned theatre coaches at Stratford Festival. Our Fall Production course is also of interest to students keen to pursue careers in theatre practice, students looking for a drama teachable, or students seeking graduate training in theatre and performance studies.

An interdisciplinary and dynamic field, Women’s Studies has undergone impressive expansion in recent decades. In the Department of Women’s Studies and Feminist Research at Western, students study gender, and sexuality in terms of cultural norms and their implications from a variety of feminist perspectives. We explore how gender intersects with other axes of identity such as class, race, ethnicity, socio-economic standing, (dis)ability, age, and more. Encouraging the development of critical thinking skills, our discipline asks students to consider how knowledge gets produced and to what effect. We question how gendered understandings shape and shift our world in relation to local experience, historical realities, and the global present.

Our programs in Middle East Studies offer students the opportunity to gain expertise in the Middle East and develop analytical skills of contemporary politics and business opportunities. The region has an economic growth potential for investments, markets, innovation and skills development.

The concentrated program of studies is aimed to provide students with the opportunity to specialize in the Middle East. The program offers the possibility to enrol in a combination of courses related to the Middle East from such disciplines as History, Sociology, Economics, Anthropology, Political Science, Religious studies and Modern Languages. One may choose a Major in Middle East studies (7 courses) or a Minor in History with specialization in the Middle East (4 courses). Students can also opt for specialization in only one of these disciplines: Religious Studies, Modern Languages, History, Social Studies or Politics of the Middle East.

The BA (Major in Popular Music Studies) is a module unique to Western that engages students with the interdisciplinary nature of the study of popular music.

The program incorporates three dimensions:

• Practical subjects, including songwriting and analysis of popular songs and recordings
• recording practice
• Critical study of musical styles, recordings, artists, and genres in their broader historical and cultural contexts.

In addition to courses in popular music and culture, the program includes post-1945 popular music, musical theatre, jazz, and more advanced courses indigenous musics and musics of the world, film studies, literature, and sociology. Introductory and advanced courses in songwriting and desktop music production allow students to compose, produce, and record their own music.

In Pharmacology, study how drugs act on biological systems to modify physiological functions in health and disease. Discover the adverse effects of both drugs and chemicals on humans and other biological systems and learn how technology is an integral part of risk/safety evaluation.

Build on a foundation of normal anatomy, biochemistry, cell biology and physiology to look at the structural and functional changes that occur in human disease. Learn about human illness that can also result from adverse effects of biological and chemical toxins, environmental pollutants, and occupational exposures to toxins.

These modules help students understand the fundamental factors associated with identifying, treating, and rehabilitating members of society with a goal of improving quality of life. Rehabilitation Sciences explores the theories underlying rehabilitation of children and adults as well as studying the impact and effects of mental health, disease, and human movement. See the bottom of this page for information regarding the Minor in Rehabilitation Sciences. Students wishing to pursue careers in Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy find the modules in Rehabilitation Sciences offer an excellent knowledge foundation that they can build upon in their graduate studies.