Bachelor of Science in General Studies

at Mount Saint Vincent University Canada

Tourism is the world’s largest service industry and the second largest industry overall. At Mount, we know that tourism is about hotels, restaurants, and resorts, but it does not stop there! It is also about customer engagement, adventure tour companies, destination planning and marketing, and boutique inns – creating experiences and memories that last a lifetime. Careers in tourism and hospitality are available locally and around the world. Here in Nova Scotia, the tourism and hospitality industry is an exciting, vibrant and rapidly growing sector. Students in our program benefit from small class sizes, flexible learning options, experiential learning, and faculty who have a wide range of research interests and industry experience.

Over the four years, you study for a Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management, you’ll receive in-depth education in the many facets of this booming industry. From planning and marketing to operations, you will learn the skills and knowledge you need to forge a career in a multi-billion dollar global industry.

There is a growing need for university-educated professionals in the tourism and hospitality industry. With Mount’s Bachelor of Tourism & Hospitality Management program, you will get a strong foundation in business while you learn about tourism development and hospitality management. You will graduate with a thorough understanding of the key areas of the industry.

You must complete 20 units of academic course work and three co-operative education work experiences. If you have previous industry-related experience and are admitted to the work experience route, you must complete 20 units of academic course work and two work experience terms as part of your program. You will be required to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in 8 units of required courses including 4 units of tourism and hospitality electives. You must also meet all requirements for co-operative education to graduate.

This degree offers a broad background in the humanities, sciences and social sciences and requires completion of 15.0 units. Students intending to complete the general studies degree must declare their intention to do so before they register for their sixth unit of coursework. Students who do not make this declaration within this time frame will not be permitted to register for further coursework.

Mathematics is one of the most original products of the human mind. It has many important applications in science, engineering, and statistics, but mathematics is also an important field of study for its own sake. Throughout history each culture has developed its own mathematics to solve its problems. Today there is an internationally accepted mathematics that is studied and used across the world. Its practitioners work in fields as diverse as astronomy, meteorology, agriculture and banking. With our increasing need for information and technology, mathematics will play an even more important role in most occupations and fields of study. It will also continue to be a critical topic in the history of ideas, documenting fundamental modes of human thought.

Some students may take mathematics courses which apply only to their individual areas of study. Others may wish to minor or major in the subject and pursue careers in teaching, statistics, computer science, actuarial science, or many other areas. Whether studied for its many applications or for the beauty of its logical structure and expressive power, mathematics will reward the effort of students with a deeper understanding of the world and how it works.

The Mount's Cultural Studies program is the only degree program of its kind to be offered in Eastern Canada. In this program, you will study the nature and criticism of culture in its multiple forms and expressions, including literature, film, visual art, and popular culture. This interdisciplinary program fosters inquiry into the social and political conditions in which thought and expression take place. Forms of cultural expression such as films, literature, and paintings are thus analyzed both as texts and as practices in context. 

The Communication Major is a multidisciplinary program which draws from a variety of approaches, theories, methods and other resources to analyze communication in social, political and cultural environments that are rapidly changing and increasingly complex.  This program is designed to meet the needs of students interested in an undergraduate degree in Communication, grounded in a foundation of communication and media theory, research and ethics.  Students who have an interest in media literacy, interpersonal, small group and organizational communication as well as the sociopolitical aspects of communication within today's society are well-suited for this program.

Program Objectives
Students enrolled in the COMM Major program (having selected Communication as their major) will complement core strengths in Communication with required courses from a number of related disciplines as well as elective courses.  Together, these elements work to provide students with an introduction to the dynamic context in which communication occurs

The objectives of this program are to:

• Encourage students to develop a broad understanding of communication theory;
• Contribute to the advancement of communication as both a field and a discipline;
• Provide enhanced opportunities for students to study the contextual nature of communication in its various forms;
• Develop within students an appreciation of the processes which define human communication;
• Develop within students an appreciation for and awareness of ethical communication.

The Bachelor of Public Relations is a four-year degree that is respected nationally and attracts students from across Canada and beyond. In 1977, the Mount became the first Canadian university to establish a professional degree in public relations, and remains the only institution to grant the Bachelor of Public Relations (Co-operative Education). The Mount has been recognized for excellence in public relations education by the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS), and boasts an impressive roster of faculty with interests ranging from change management to social media, literacy and ethics.

Connecting to industry via co-operative education:
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Public Relations program are required to complete the co-operative education component, taking their knowledge to the real world with hands-on experience. Each year, hundreds of employers across Canada give students the opportunity to gain experience in government, corporate, agency, education and non-profit sectors. By completing three work terms over the course of your degree, students graduate with a full year of work experience. Learn more about co-operative education »

Making theory relevant
Inspired by a desire for public relations excellence, students will explore various theoretical perspectives to gain confidence and understanding of public relations as a practice focused on the ethical and strategic management of relationships. From there, theories become applied to relevant and timely discussions and coursework, deconstructing and analyzing real-world events, crises situations and conversations had in new media. Courses offered »

The Bachelor of Science in Applied Human Nutrition (BScAHN) prepares students for a wide choice of careers in nutrition and for the professional practice of dietetics. The programs use classroom, community service, and practice learning to develop an interdisciplinary knowledge core in nutrition as related to health, wellness and illness and their determinants. Through rich and varied experiential learning opportunities, students gain practical skills related to application and interpretation of knowledge. Faculty members maintain professional ties with society and grassroots community organizations, hospitals, community services, research organizations and businesses that enrich students’ educational experience through placements, research projects and other professional activities.

The Mount has a unique historical connection to the education and advancement of women. To this day, we remain committed to the education of women, and have a well-established women's studies program. Students can declare a minor, major, or honours in the undergraduate women’s studies program. Women’s studies places women’s experiences and knowledge at the centre of critical inquiry. Students in women’s studies courses learn about the ways in which women’s societal position can be transformed. In examining the accomplishments and struggles of women, it considers the complexities of race, class, sexual orientation and ability, from cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspectives.

At the Mount, we are aware that the business world is both thought-provoking and diverse. Our program will equip you with the essential leadership skills. These skills will prepare you for your career in business, whether you choose to become an entrepreneur or work in a large corporation, a small business, or a not-for profit organization.

The tourism industry is an exciting, vibrant and rapidly growing sector. Tourism is the world’s largest service industry and second largest industry overall. Careers in tourism and hospitality are available here in Nova Scotia and around the world.

Understanding the business of tourism and hospitality management offers many rewarding avenues to explore. If applying your accounting or strategic human resource management skills in a tourism organization is what you are looking for, combining a foundation in tourism with a BBA may help you to get that job you want.

BBA with a Concentration in Tourism and Hospitality Management
Complete a BBA with a concentration in tourism by taking four full units of coursework in tourism and hospitality management. The concentration in tourism provides you the opportunity to focus on your business program while gaining a foundation in the field of tourism.

Biology is the scientific study of past and present life. The Department of Biology offers programs and courses that introduce students to fundamental and specialized biological knowledge and train students in scientific thinking and biological investigation and communication. The BSc Major, Combined Major and major with Honours programs all provide a thorough grounding in the organismal perspective of biology – that is, in the many ways organisms (including humans) make their livings, grow, develop, interact with other organisms and their environments, regulate internal conditions and processes, and reproduce. Required courses in the BSc programs introduce students to the incredible diversity of the animal, plant and microbial worlds and to the unifying disciplines (cell and molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry and metabolism, developmental biology, ecology and evolutionary biology) that indicate descent of all organisms from a common ancestor. All required courses in these programs have laboratory components in which students learn “hands-on” from nature and develop practical lab skills and techniques of data-analysis and written and oral scientific communication. Students in BSc programs acquire specialized knowledge by completing elective biology courses at the 2000-, 3000- and 4000-levels. A student may choose courses that deepen knowledge of a particular group of organisms (plants, animals, humans, microbes or fungi) or follow a recommended path of required and elective courses that should prepare him/her for careers in

• Health, Veterinary and Plant Sciences
• Evolution, Ecology and Environment
• Neuroscience and Biological Psychology
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Consult the department for advice on following one of these paths or see the large poster on the departmental website and bulletin board.

Graduates can pursue careers in the animal and human health professions, environmental sciences, resource and wildlife management, journalism, public relations, library science, biotechnology, epidemiology and public health, education, public service, conservation and research.

Students interested in research can satisfy their curiosity and learn about scientific culture and communication by becoming involved in faculty research. This may take the form of one or more 4000-level courses in directed literature, laboratory or field research extending over a single term or a full academic year (BSc Honours). Alternatively, students may be part time or full-time research assistants.
Regardless of whether you are in a biology or non biology program, the department’s objectives are the same: (1) to include you in our community of biology scholars and to teach you about scientific philosophy and culture; (2) to share up to date fundamental and specialized biological knowledge; (3) to satisfy your personal and career related interests in biology; (4) to develop your analytical, critical and creative intellectual skills; (5) to make you an effective communicator of science; and (6) to develop some degree of personal responsibility for social welfare as it relates to biology.

Students seeking admission to biology programs and courses are advised to have knowledge of basic chemistry and facility in mathematics and oral and written English.
Any student wishing to complete a major, concentration or minor in Biology should consult a faculty member or contact the Centre for Academic Advising and Student Success for help with planning an academic program.