Bachelor of Arts in English

at Mount Allison University Canada

Biology is the scientific study of living things — their form, function, origin, and behavior. Disciplines include cell biology, ecology, genetics and evolution, and animal and plant diversity.
The Department of Biology at Mount Allison is committed to providing students with opportunities for hands-on learning, as well as research and laboratory experience.

First-year courses include studies of evolution, ecology, human biology, and cell biology, as well as biochemistry.
Upper-year courses allow students to explore topics such as:

• Marine biology
• Aquaculture
• Embryology
• Genetics
• Microbiology
• Ornithology
• Physiology
• Animal biology
• Plant biology

Faculty are actively involved in research and students are strongly encouraged to participate in research through faculty-supervised independent research projects during summers or during academic terms.

Research opportunities in the Department of Biology at Mount Allison include:

• Phytoplankton physiology
• Neurophysiology
• Environmental animal physiology
• Fish ecology
• Molecular genetics
• Marine botany
• Field ecology

The study of geography develops an understanding of the principles of ecological and physical systems; of the cultural, social, economic, and political forces acting on those systems; and of the management, planning or scientific tools necessary to meet environmental challenges and opportunities.

Other degree options in the field of geography and environment at Mount Allison:

• BA environmental studies (honours, major, minor)
• BSc environmental science (honours, major, minor)
• Any degree, geographic information systems (minor)

The Mount Allison geography program explores courses in both human and physical geography, and is designed for students interested in the study of social sciences at various spatial and temporal scales.

Geography will often take you outside the classroom to learn through lab work, field study, and library and archival searching. Field trips to locations across the Maritime region and throughout North America have become an increasingly important part of this program.

You are also encouraged to become actively involved in research, either through independent summer research projects or as a research assistant to a faculty member.

Ranging from hands-on applications to pure theory, Computer Science introduces students to all facets of the discipline. It also gives you an appreciation of the historical, ethical, and social context of computing, and the responsibility of the computer professional and casual computer user in a modern society.

At Mount Allison, computer science courses are designed to address the needs of a wide variety of users, from the casual to the professional. Whether you want to learn more about certain software or to develop advanced programming skills, Mount Allison has a computer science course for you.

Introductory computer science courses offer an overview of programming skills, the use and application of popular software, and the essentials of computing.
More advanced courses deal with topics ranging from artificial intelligence and the role of computers in society to the design and implementation of advanced hardware or software systems.

Specialized areas include:

• Theory of computation
• Cryptography
• Artificial intelligence
• Databases
• Computer graphics
• Networks
• Software and hardware design

All courses in the computing curriculum offer a blend of theory and practical application, with many of the offerings having a significant project component in which students are given the opportunity to apply the classroom material to real-world problems.

Art history is integral to the study of art and visual culture. It provides valuable insight into history, philosophy, and the humanities in general.

Courses in art history at Mount Allison range from an introduction to art and its contexts to more focused examinations of specific time periods, movements, and issues surrounding the visual arts.
You will be able to explore:

• Canadian and Indigenous art
• Museum and curatorial studies
• Contemporary art
• Women and gender in art
• Specialist courses in 19th and 20th century art

Upper year advanced seminars offer you the opportunity to take a more focused and critical approach to topics like:

• Modern to postmodernism
• Feminism and gender
• Museum studies
• Museums and education
• Collections and collecting
• Curating and critical writing
• Arts and archives
• Independent studies in specialized subjects
• Museum and gallery practicums

French studies at Mount Allison includes a variety of language, literature, and culture courses, which give you the opportunity to learn more about French, French-Canadian, and francophone cultures while developing your abilities in the language.

As part of the modern languages and literatures department, Mount Allison offers an extensive French studies program with a variety of language, literature, and culture courses to increase your awareness of the French and French-Canadian identities while developing your ability to function in the second language. To this end, all language and literature courses are taught in French.

First and second-year courses provide the opportunity to establish a sound foundation in written and oral French*. The study of grammar at these levels is reinforced in the language laboratory or tutorial groups.

Upper year courses are specifically intended to refine your command of spoken and written French, while other courses examine the various areas of French and French-Canadian literatures and cultures as well as theories of literary criticism.

Most courses in the French curriculum are generally delivered in French, while some culture courses are taught in English.

Biochemistry is the study of living organisms at the molecular level.
As part of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mount Allison's biochemistry program is designed to provide students with a solid science foundation in the first two years, with paths for specialization in third and fourth years.

You will begin your studies by examining the world around you at the molecular level, with courses including:

• Introductory biochemistry
• Introductory chemistry
• Cell biology
• Organic or analytical chemistry
• Enzymology and metabolism

Third-year is a pivotal year in the program as you will take core lab courses that lay the foundation for research in biochemistry, including lab only courses like Molecular Analyses and Experiential Biochemistry.

Upper year courses concentrate on sub-disciplines of biochemistry, with topics like:

• Nucleic acids
• Molecular structure of the immune system
• Animal, bacterial, and plant viruses
• Protein structures and function
• Biochemical ecology
• Lipids and membranes
• Signal transduction
• Animal physiology

Biochemistry is an interdisciplinary program, which means you may also take courses in biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, and mathematics.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry emphasizes experiential learning — you will graduate with 600 to 1,200 hours of lab experience, developing important analytical and presentation skills along the way.

Research is a key component of the department's approach. You will be encouraged to take advantage of faculty-supervised independent research, job opportunities as summer research assistants, and chances to contribute to faculty research projects, which often leads to co-authoring a paper with your professor for publication.

The study of Fine Arts helps you develop your artistic and creative abilities, and your ability to think critically, write, and speak about works of art.

At Mount Allison, Fine Arts offers a unique approach for students looking to obtain professional training — combining studio work and instruction with the freedom of an immersive liberal arts and sciences curriculum.
The Fine Arts program gives you the opportunity to develop your creative and critical ability through studio courses in:

• Drawing
• Painting
• Photography (analog and digital)
• Printmaking (lithography, silkscreen, intaglio, relief, and letterpress)
• Sculpture and installation
• open media

The first year studio courses give you a broad knowledge and skill base. Second and third years courses build on this foundation and focus on selected studio areas. In your final year, you create a body of work through independent study. In addition to studio classes, you'll undertake courses and seminars that foster an understanding of art history and visual culture.

A Bachelor of Arts student with a major in Fine Arts, you'll also take a combination of studio work and art history. As a BA student, you'll have more flexibility to combine your Fine Arts courses with courses in other disciplines.

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind, brain, and behaviour. The goals are to describe, explain, and predict behaviour, allowing for a scientific means of optimizing human development, abilities, and quality of life.

At its core, psychology is the quest to understand why people do what they do. The objectives of psychological study are to understand human nature, for its own sake, and to provide an increasingly reliable basis for the application of psychological principles to education, social policy, and medical treatment.

At Mount Allison, psychology can be pursued either as a science or an arts discipline, depending on your interests.

As the scientific study of mind and behaviour, psychology studies is a:

• Social science – how people influence the behaviour of others, why we do what we do, personality and self-concept
• Biological science – physiological mechanisms, neuroanatomy, evolutionary origins of mental and behavioural phenomena
• Cognitive science – sensation and perception, abstract thinking, reasoning, language, memory

The psychology program at Mount Allison offers students a diversity of courses, while maintaining a strong core curriculum. Courses are offered in areas of psychology like:

• Developmental
• Biological
• Neurological
• Cognitive
• Social
• Personality
• Abnormal
• LearningHealth

Psychology students develop their knowledge by using scientific methods to analyze behaviour, employing careful observation and experimentation to develop and test theories. The results are theories, backed up by facts, that further your comprehension of the human mind.

Cognitive Science is the scientific study of the mind and its processes. It seeks to understand how the mind works through interdisciplinary studies in psychology, computer science, and philosophy.

Within the Department of Psychology, the Cognitive Science program incorporates perspectives from a variety of fields.

In first and second year you'll take introductory courses, plus courses such as:

• cognitive processes
• biopsychology
• systems programming
• philosophy of science

In third and fourth year you'll add courses in linguistics, while pursuing courses such as:

• sensation and perception
• behavioural neuroscience
• philosophy of mind
• artificial intelligence
• medical physics

You'll also be encouraged to pursue independent summer research projects, directed studies projects, or to contribute to faculty research projects as a research assistant.

The study of English literature is important both for the understanding of particular literary texts and for the insight it provides into how we interpret the world and our place in it. English helps you develop skills in research, analysis, critical thinking, interpretation, and persuasive writing.

While the curriculum focuses on literary study, students are encouraged to develop an appreciation for the English language, which will prove invaluable not only in your studies, but in any future career or profession.

First-year English courses offer you an introduction to different approaches to reading and writing about literature, using texts from a range of genres and time periods.

In second year you may choose from courses focusing on:

• Introduction to literary periods
• Shakespeare
• Canadian literature
• American literature

Third-year courses expand on your second-year choices, including studies in:

• British literature in different periods
• Canadian and American literature
• Gender and literature
• Postcolonial literature
• Dramatic literature
• Creative writing
• Film, genre, and cultural studies

In fourth year you will be able to pursue “selected topics” courses, which allow you to pursue special interests, either through the particular courses offered that year or through individual study and research under the supervision of a faculty member.

If you choose to do an honours English degree, you will have the opportunity to write a thesis under the supervision of a faculty member.

You will also have opportunities to present and publish creative and critical work.