Bachelor of Arts in Music

at St. Francis Xavier University Canada

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.

Through hands-on learning in the classroom and field, in the StFX Earth Sciences Department, will help you follow your passion to learn about the natural processes that have shaped Earth’s evolution for over 4.6 billion years, and continues to influences its modern environment.

Earth sciences uses physical, chemical, biological, and mathematical methods to study the Earth’s materials, behaviour, history and environment.

You will study fascinating field topics such as the origin of the majestic Rocky Mountains, the life and death of dinosaurs, climate change and greenhouse gases, and the origin and evolution of the oceans.

WHY STUDY EARTH SCIENCES AT STFX?
Often, the most important learning takes place in the field, where studies bridge the gap between textbook descriptions and actual occurrences. The StFX Earth Sciences Department has a natural laboratory just steps away, where over 620 million years of geological history are exposed for study, and where you can access ecosystems from soaring hardwood forest, to tundra, to coastal estuary.  

As one of the most research-intensive departments on campus, you will have abundant opportunity to work one-on-one with professors on cutting edge research projects that are regional, national, and international in scope.

As a StFX Anthropology student, you will look at the social world and ask fundamental questions about the development and behaviour of human societies. Exceptional faculty members guide you to think critically about the development and behavior of human society, explore the way human cultures differ, and explain what it is that makes humans different from other animals.

WHY STUDY ANTHROPOLOGY AT STFX?
Here, you’ll engage with big issues in small classes taught by a team of academics committed to providing a the very best education. You’ll join like-minded students engaging in projects that take on social justice issues at StFX, in the community and beyond.

As the majority of research is field work, both local and international, learning often extends beyond classroom walls. StFX professors have active projects across the world and annually involve and welcome students in their research.

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.

The Entrepreneurship stream provides a unique opportunity to gain the entrepreneurial competencies needed to start, develop and/or manage a small business venture, to engage in social entrepreneurship, and to pursue a career that requires entrepreneurship or one that provides assistance to the small business sector. Considering that the majority of net new jobs are being created by firms with less than 100 employees (where entrepreneurship is usually a key success factor) and that individuals with entrepreneurial skills and competencies are among the most sought after by growth industries, there is no shortage of career opportunities. Even communities and not-for-profits that are taking responsibility for their own destiny still often need help in identifying and pursuing entrepreneurial initiatives, and that is where our graduates can help.

Entrepreneurship is an interdisciplinary business program to which almost all other streams in the Schwartz School of Business contribute. As a result, courses cover a range of topics related to entrepreneurship, including:

    • entrepreneurship and new venture creation
    • social entrepreneurship
    • entrepreneurial finance
    • marketing research
    • marketing management
    • small business management

Courses in topics ranging from management accounting to business ethics to project management may also contribute to earning a business degree in Entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship students are persistent and determined, committed to seeing things through, and are never satisfied with the status quo. The Entrepreneurship stream will interest you if you thrive on taking responsibility, acting independently on your own initiative, finding creative solutions to problems and learning new things. You like to learn by becoming actively involved in the learning process, taking initiative, having opportunities to integrate and apply your knowledge, skills and abilities in a real-life context, and using creativity to solve problems and capitalize on opportunities. These opportunities are realized through an experiential and engaging learning environment that includes new venture start-ups, community-based projects, field trips and more.

Entrepreneurship students have several avenues to extend what they have learned into research, internships and society work. There are funding opportunities specifically aimed to assist student entrepreneurs, and faculty frequently supervise students in research and community engagement activities.

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.

In Computer Science (CS), students are offered a well-rounded education in the scientific foundations of information and computation together with practical techniques for the implementation of these foundations, applicable to almost every facet of life, through an intensive, hands-on approach. 

There are many sub areas (e.g., artificial intelligence, databases, game development, cyber security, graphics, high performance computing, big data, networking, programming languages, robotics, etc.) within the broader discipline of CS, with new areas such as health informatics and the internet of things being created as the discipline evolves. 

WHY STUDY COMPUTER SCIENCE AT STFX?
Here, you learn directly from professors, not teaching assistants, who are accomplished scholars -- many that hold National Sciences and Engineering Research Council grants and are very active in research. Together, they provide an education that prepares students well for the opportunities and challenges of the information age whether they wish to go directly into a career, go on to further studies at the graduate level, or go into an education program. 

Whether students plan to work in the finance industry or pursue higher studies in finance, the Finance stream provides students with solid foundations in finance to help them excel in the future.  Courses within the Finance stream cover a broad variety of topics including:

• corporate finance
• investments
• portfolio management
• derivatives
• financial institutions
• international finance
• personal finance

Our curriculum is rigorous as well as fun, allowing students to learn through problems, cases, spreadsheets and guest lectures. Beyond theory courses in finance, every student in the Finance stream has the opportunity to participate in training within our state-of-the-art Finance Trading Lab, equipped with professional software for trading and research that includes Thomson Eikon, Datastream, and Stockguide.

In the StFX History Department, you can count on distinguished historians to offer you excellence in teaching and historical scholarship. The department offers fascinating courses on themes such as war, empire, myth and memory, religion, gender, sexuality and race. Taking courses in history will prepare you to be an engaged and informed citizen and provide you with a variety of marketable skills for today’s job market - from analytic thinking to communication and research expertise.

WHY STUDY HISTORY AT STFX?
With small class sizes, a broad course selection, and a team of committed academics, you can apply what you learn to your lives and the lives of those around you. In a place where history itself is part of the academic experience, StFX is an ideal atmosphere in which to explore the past and its relevance to the present and future.

Economics explores issues of central importance to the human condition at the local, national and global levels. These issues include unemployment, inflation, poverty and inequality, pollution and environmental degradation, sustainable economic development, depletion of fish stocks and other resources, international economic interactions, budget deficits and national debts.

WHY STUDY ECONOMICS AT STFX?
You will join an intimate learning environment where you explore some of the most challenging topics within your field. Small class sizes in upper year courses facilitate maximum interaction with your professors and peers and promotes a student-centered environment.

You can also participate, through groups like the Economics Society, in the intellectual life of the department by being involved in the choice of speakers and other activities.