Bachelor of Arts in Economics

at St. Francis Xavier University Canada

As a StFX Human Kinetics student, you will pursue a four-year integrated program that focuses on human body movement from a variety of perspectives (athletic therapy, biomechanics, disability, exercise physiology, gender, growth, health, history, motor control, philosophy, physical education, sociology, psychology).

You will be well-prepared after graduation to enter the workforce or apply to professional programs and medical school, or pursue graduate studies

WHY STUDY HUMAN KINETICS AT STFX?
Movement is essential to life. Students learn how to create, interact, think, grow, communicate, and connect through physical movement. The department’s reputation attracts some of the foremost experts in the field of Human Kinetics who you will interact and have research opportunities with.

You will study in a program offering breadth, depth and holistic applied approaches (including skill courses like yoga and golf). Opportunities for Service Learning Experiences for physical activity with a variety of individuals: Toddlers (Fit 4 Tots), Children (Fit 4 Life + Gymnastics) Individuals with disabilities (Motor Activities with X: learn to skate for children with autism + sledge hockey) and Seniors (Aging and exercise). This leads to the development of well-rounded graduates who excel in the community directly or in advanced studies.

Catholic Studies at StFX is a program that uses courses in art, history, literary studies, religious studies, philosophy and the social sciences to provide you with a wider perspective on the influences of Catholicism in world culture and history as well as on moral and spiritual life. The program emphasizes the significant contribution of Catholicism to the arts, sciences, society, human fulfillment and the overall human condition. Catholic Studies courses are for anybody who wants to have an informed, adult-level understanding of the Catholic Church's beliefs, traditions, and contributions to contemporary culture.

WHY STUDY CATHOLIC STUDIES AT STFX?
The program offers an intimate learning environment in which you explore some of the most challenging and valuable themes of human existence drawing on the insights of the Catholic Christian religion, such as human nature, the necessity of grace, and the compatibility of faith, reason and freedom. Your professors are accomplished scholars. Combine that with small class sizes and you are guaranteed to be included in intellectually inspried discussions.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a burgeoning field undergoing rapid progress and development. Technological advances that rely on AI are numerous and include applications such as self-driving automobiles, medical diagnosis, computer-assisted translation tools, speech recognition, biometrics, entertainment, and a wide variety of classification and predictive technologies. AI is recognized as having immense social, technological, and ethical implications for society. The diploma will allow graduates to either begin or broaden their career in computing-related fields and provide them with a depth of knowledge in the highly sought-after field of AI. AI is an area that is in high demand, and graduates of this program will be prepared for entry into the workplace or into graduate programs.

Computer Science faculty at StFX are very active in research. Together, they provide an education in Computer Science that produces high-achievers who are well-suited for graduate studies or to develop a career in industry. StFX’s Computer Science program is the top ranked in Atlantic Canada in Maclean’s for the third year in a row. Computer Science research at StFX was tied for first place in Canada in field-specific research impact (Field-weighted citation impact, Maclean’s 2019). Students in the Artificial Intelligence Post-Baccalaureate Diploma will also join a vibrant department surrounded by like-minded undergraduate and graduate students.

The Program
The Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Artificial Intelligence is a two-year diploma program for students who already possess an undergraduate degree. The diploma is geared towards students whose undergraduate degree is not in Computer Science. The program is concentrated and rigorous, with at least half of the courses at the upper-year levels. Students will be introduced to a discipline that is new to them, build the basic knowledge quickly (within the first term), and then move to rigorous higher-level courses. Learning will be enriched by prior education and by the diverse backgrounds of their peers. As graduates of this program, they will bring this rich educational foundation to the workplace.

Post-Baccalaureate diplomas are attractive to students who want to do one or more of the following:

• Expand their knowledge into a discipline outside of their first degree.
• Change the direction of their first degree into new areas for career reasons.

If you have a passion for the environment, and want to learn more about aquatic resources and sustainability, explore Aquatic Resources at StFX. Within this program, you’ll study aquatic life, climate change, policy and the complexity of human­ ecosystem interactions, all related to our most precious resource - water.

WHY STUDY AQUATIC RESOURCES AT STFX?
StFX is located next to Canada’s rugged Atlantic coastline, so you’ll have plenty of opportunity for hands-­on research exploring freshwater and marine resources first­-hand. It's this research that will give you invaluable experience — a distinct advantage in whatever you choose to do next!  In addition, you’ll develop and hone skills in oral and written communications, organization, and technical abilities like maintaining lab equipment, quality control and safety procedures.

Psychology is the scientific study of thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. At StFX, students are taught by active research psychologists studying both human and animal behaviour. Studying psychology at StFX will give you an understanding of the ways that psychological scientists apply their knowledge to solve problems in the real world.

WHY STUDY PSYCHOLOGY AT STFX?
The StFX Psychology Department is led by a team of professors and lab instructors with varying perspectives on behaviour, development, health, social relationships, mental processing, and culture. As a psychology student at StFX, you will have opportunities to gain first-hand experience with psychological research in our lab courses and by working with your professors, lab instructors, and senior honours students. Many of our courses also have service learning options enabling you to apply your knowledge in community settings. In our program, you will receive a foundation in basic psychological science and the opportunity to choose from a wide selection of courses that give you a depth of knowledge in various fields, including forensic, gender, developmental, social and personality, abnormal, cultural, biopsychology, and health, with several courses available in each field. 

If you have a passion for the environment, and want to learn more about aquatic resources and sustainability, explore Aquatic Resources at StFX. Within this program, you’ll study aquatic life, climate change, policy and the complexity of human­ ecosystem interactions, all related to our most precious resource - water.

WHY STUDY AQUATIC RESOURCES AT STFX?
StFX is located next to Canada’s rugged Atlantic coastline, so you’ll have plenty of opportunity for hands-­on research exploring freshwater and marine resources first­-hand. It's this research that will give you invaluable experience — a distinct advantage in whatever you choose to do next!  In addition, you’ll develop and hone skills in oral and written communications, organization, and technical abilities like maintaining lab equipment, quality control and safety procedures.

Mathematics is the science of structure, order and relation. It deals with logical quantitative reasoning. Statistics is the science and art of data collection and analysis. It deals with estimation, hypothesis testing and decision making. At StFX, you may undertake studies that focus on either or both fields.

WHY STUDY MATH And STATISTICS AT STFX?
With small class sizes and a personal environment that maximizes individual attention, as a StFX Mathematics and Statistics student, you will be well educated for further success in graduate studies, education programs and industry.

Students in the StFX English Department examine the human experience through a survey of literature that spans the ages. From the study of contemporary science fiction to the poetry of centuries past, you will develop well-rounded writing and analytical skills that have applications in countless career and post-graduate fields.

WHY STUDY ENGLISH AT STFX?
Professors get to know their students by name and offer the kind of mentoring and one-on-one assistance that will help you achieve your full potential. You will meet with professors to discuss assignments and exams, and are involved in literary activities that take place outside the classroom. From participation in conferences, to discussions with visiting writers and scholars, to literary publications and readings, faculty are actively involved in their students’ academic programs.

In Religious Studies, students analyze fundamental questions relating to the meaning of human existence. The program provides a strong basis for compassionate global citizenship and global cultural literacy. It interests students associated with a particular religious tradition, and those with no formal religious traditions.

WHY STUDY RELIGIOUS STUDIES AT STFX?
The StFX Religious Studies Department is growing and, in addition to traditional courses, offers you innovative studies covering topics that range from the paranormal to cults and new religious movements.

You learn from dedicated faculty who also work in the areas of ethics and religion and health, who have extensive knowledge in the study of mindfulness, and who bring a strong ability to work in primary languages and a series of modern languages.

Students have presented research papers at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, and have opportunity to enroll in a one-of-a-kind course offered in cooperation with Gampo Abbey that includes one week residential study at this Buddhist monastery on Cape Breton Island.

The first degree program of its kind at StFX, the Bachelor of Arts and Science in Health is true to its name: a program for students interested in the ever-broadening field of health, including scientific, social and humanistic dimensions. Students in the BASc in Health will take courses in a wide range of disciplines and have the opportunity to focus on either the Biomedical or Social Determinants and Health Equity field as they customize their degree. Additionally, all students will complete courses in Health Humanities – a unique feature of the degree at StFX – a growing and recognized facet of the health landscape that is integral to health problem-solving in the 21st Century.

WHY STUDY HEALTH AT STFX?
A truly interdisciplinary degree program that looks to the future of health-related practices, the BASc in Health will provide students with an education that is in keeping with today’s definition of health. This degree will prepare students for a career in a field where increasing emphasis is placed on scientific enquiry, critical thinking and culturally sensitive practices.