Bachelor of Arts in Childhood and Social Institutions

at Kings University College at Western University Canada

Students have the opportunity to complete a BA in Catholic Studies for teachers, and, if desired, another major of their choice with guaranteed admission to Western’s Faculty of Education to complete the Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree. This program is intended for preparation for teaching in the Catholic school system.  Students can choose either the Junior Intermediate or the Intermediate Senior streams in the BEd program.

In Years 2, 3, and 4 of the BA (Honors) or four-year BA program, students complete Religious Studies courses in Catholic studies in areas as diverse as Scriptures, Catholic symbols, tradition and morality, issues in religion, as well as courses in Judaism, Islam, and Eastern Traditions.  Students will also register in service learning courses in which they will be placed in Catholic schools to assist teachers in the classroom as well as work in other parts of the school (such as the library, special education) to get an overall view of the educational institution as a whole and its culture. Students will receive extensive orientation before their placements and will also have regular meetings with the program coordinator throughout their time in the schools.

All around us the world is changing. Security considerations, geo-politics, divisions born of wealth and poverty, and global development challenges are all re-shaping the world in fascinating and critical ways.

Political science is the field of study interested in making sense of power and authority within the global, national, provincial and local arenas.

Political Science at King’s is a vibrant community of students and award-winning faculty that offers opportunities to questions and debate policy choices and to examine alternative futures for our society. The King’s Political Science Department is committed to real student engagement and active learning. Our faculty supports an active student club and a debating society where vibrant discussion, contentious, timely public lectures, and visits to major political institutions take place frequently. We aim to help students develop in all aspects of life- intellectually, socially and personally.

Social Justice and Peace Studies is an interdisciplinary academic program committed to experiential education and inspired by the Catholic Social Teaching tradition. It encourages critical reflection on oppression and injustice, locally and globally, and it examines theoretical and practical approaches to justice and peace.  It calls students to social action that transforms the world in the interests of human dignity, equality, sustainability, and peace.

This innovative cross-disciplinary program offers one of  four core courses in social justice and peace in each of the four years leading to a degree. These core courses are combined with existing courses drawn from a variety of disciplines such as sociology, politics, economics, history, social work, religious studies, and others. There is a mandatory service component in second year that engages students in local issues of Social Justice and Peace and an optional (experiential learning) component offering a variety of opportunities that may be undertaken at any time after first year. Course credit can be arranged for these experiences.

While this degree can be pursued independently, students are strongly encouraged to combine their degree in Social Justice and Peace with a Major or Minor in social science, arts, or science. The program is designed to make it easy to do this.

Although the program reflects King's mission as a Catholic College, the program addresses students of all religious and political persuasion in a spirit of open and free dialogue.

A major in Finance is available to students who wish to pursue this career interest.  Courses in business, management and organizational studies, mathematics and economics are included in this degree.

The discipline of Psychology spans perhaps the broadest range of any academic discipline.  Psychologists can be involved in examining brain processes, animal behaviour, human sexuality, language acquisition, cognitive processes and learning, creativity, consciousness, interpersonal relationships and psychological problems.

The Department of Psychology strives to educate students in the theories, methods, evidence base, and practical applications of Psychological Science. We aim to help students grow in their verbal and written communication skills, critical thinking ability, ability to understand, produce, and use research, and awareness of human strengths and challenges. Our faculty members maintain vigorous programs of research that contribute to scientific knowledge and guide practical applications of psychology. This scholarship provides a context for mentoring students in research and it enriches our teaching by adding breadth and depth to the courses we offer. We are committed to the principles of holistic education, open inquiry, scientific rigour, and social justice.

The French Language and Literature Program at King’s is designed to foster an appreciation of the various literatures and cultures of la Francophonie as well as to develop a variety of skills that will serve you well in the future. We offer a range of language and literature courses to help you hone your language, communication, and research skills.

Our small classes provide an excellent opportunity for you to interact with your classmates and your professors. 

• Being able to speak French will open up career opportunities in teaching, business, government agencies as well as in many other sectors.
• Our students have the opportunity to spend the third year of their French program at the Université Catholique de Lille. Studying abroad can be a life-changing experience, a chance to see the world, to make new friends, and to learn to appreciate cultural differences.
• We have a free tutoring service for students having difficulties with French grammar or composition.
• Every year, two graduate students from the Université Catholique de Lille will help you improve your pronunciation and conversation skills in the language lab.
• You can join in extra-curricular activities such as French film nights and casual drop-in conversation hours to further enhance your French experience at King’s.

A degree in Religious Studies provides an opportunity to study such topics as the existence of God, the meaning of human freedom, sacred rituals and literature as well as the rich tradition of the Christian religious heritage and other religious traditions and their relationships with contemporary culture.

A deeper understanding of the Christian vision or of other religious traditions can help you to form your own outlook on social, legal and ethical problems and help you to better understand those with whom you live and work.

King’s English programs provide the pleasures and challenges of reading closely literary texts of our own time and many other periods and places.  We offer courses in all the major historical periods of English, from medieval through contemporary; national literatures in English, including British, Canadian, American, and Postcolonial;  courses in literary theory, drama, popular literature, film, children's literature, creative writing, and more.

In our small classes and seminars, our students acquire knowledge and skills in analysis, writing, and public speaking.  Our graduates thereby prepare themselves for careers in, for example, education, publishing, law, marketing, media and communication, public relations, business, and industry.

In addition, the study of English allows us, as Wallace Stevens put it, to find ourselves "more truly and more strange." Come study with us, and see how reading, writing, and thinking about literature can cultivate a lifetime of curiosity, wonder, and pleasure.

This program is based closely on the Management and Organizational Studies program with diverse studies in both Business and the Social Sciences.  There is a more distinctive and detailed focus on international business in this stream.  Students have the opportunity to study with King’s professors at sister universities in Brazil or China

We offer a wide range of stimulating and challenging courses at various levels. Our classes are small, which means that motivated students will find the kind of individual attention they’re looking for.

Our Award-winning faculty are committed to helping acquaint students not only with knowledge of past, but also to helping them cultivate fundamental skills which are essential to success in any field: historical thinking, critical analysis, research methods, as well as effective verbal and written communications skills.