Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies

at St. Francis Xavier University Canada

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.

As a student of Applied Forensic Psychology, you will learn about psychological concepts, methods, and practice skills and their application within the legal system. Eyewitness testimony, jury selection, deception detection, criminal law, police stress, forensic risk assessment, criminal behaviour, types of offenders (e.g. sexual offenders, psychopaths, murderers) are all topics that Forensic Psychology sheds light on.

To cement your understanding of the academic material from the classroom, you will receive hands-on experience by participating in practicum placements in forensic settings (prisons, courts, addiction services, forensic hospitals, etc.). Placements vary in length and take place in different settings so that you’ll graduate having experienced working in a variety of settings where careers in Forensic Psychology are applicable. As a student in the program, you’ll need to complete practicum placements in years 2, 3, and 4 of study. Placements can be arranged in your home community, near Antigonish, or elsewhere. In addition your practicum placements, many of your Forensic Psychology courses will include field trips to relevant locations for practice including correctional centres and court rooms.

The program is ideal for students with an interest in careers in social, correctional, and legal fields. The following is an unexhaustive list of potential career paths for graduates in Forensic Psychology:

• Crime Analyst
• Social Worker
• Law Enforcement Officer
• Correctional Officer
• Lawyer
• Journalist
• Interventionist
• Victim Advocate
• Psychologist
• Counselor

There are many more options available to graduates of Applied Forensic Psychology. Some of the above careers will require additional education beyond a Bachelor’s degree.

Over 80 years of outstanding education in health care has allowed the Elizabeth and Thomas Rankin School of Nursing at StFX University to evolve into one of Canada’s most respected nursing programs. Graduates are known around the world for their caring, competency, and commitment to the field.

WHY STUDY NURSING AT STFX?
As a student in StFX’s B.Sc.N. program, you will have excellent learning opportunities that support best practice experiences.

StFX offers diverse clinical experiences in community health, mental health, acute care, maternal and child care, pediatrics, and international service learning opportunities. This diversity creates a dynamic learning environment that produces graduates who understand the complexity of nursing practice and the multi-level interventions required to address the needs of patients, families, communities, and populations.

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.

As the only university in North America offering four years of Scottish Gaelic, and one of the few universities offering the study of Celtic languages, literature and history of the Celts from about 800 BC to present, you will have unique opportunity to learn in this broad field.

Celtic Studies has as its core the languages, literatures, and histories of Celtic-speaking peoples, from the Continental Celts of ancient Gaul to the modern survivals in Scotland, Ireland, the island of Man, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. It extends into a range of topics, including archaeology, art, music, literature, folklore, religion, dance, immigration and ethnic studies.

WHY STUDY CELTIC STUDIES AT STFX?
Situated in the Highland Heart of Nova Scotia, you will study in a department where the working language is Scottish Gaelic, and where a wide variety of courses are offered in Celtic civilization and in the Gaelic folklore of Ireland and Scotland. You’ll learn from faculty who are leading researchers in the history, language and literature of Gaelic communities in North America and Scotland.

StFX undergraduate and masters students produce research papers and dissertations, and creative projects, such as audio and video recordings. They have become leading lights in the revival and development of Gaelic in both Scotland and Canada. The Celtic Student Society (‘An Comunn Ceilteach’) is one of StFX’s most active societies.

StFX is home to the largest and most important collection of Scottish Gaelic manuscripts, publications, and recordings in Canada, particularly in the substantial holdings of the Celtic Collection of the Angus L. Macdonald Library.

Whether you’re interested in getting your Bachelor of Education or pursuing graduate work, our programs will prepare you to take your place in front of any classroom, anywhere in the world.

Our faculty is dedicated to helping prepare those with a passion for teaching by combining theory and practice to prepare you for the classroom. We make sure you are job-ready by exposing you to a range of electives, from literacy to music to computers, and doing so in a personalized way.

Our two-year B.Ed. program integrates teaching, research and service within an innovative learning environment. You’ll learn from professors who are themselves accomplished educators. B.Ed. students get the opportunity to get hands-on experience teaching abroad in their second year. Our students have done their practicum in destinations including Norway, Australia, Kenya, Iceland and Scotland.

The MACS program is a course-based Masters (full-time) completed over a period of a 16 months or 2 years of full-time study. It is open to students with an undergraduate major in Computer Science, or the equivalent combination of courses. Students have flexibility to select from numerous elective courses to design a Master’s program that meets their professional interests and aspirations. Students will also have the option to complete an elective, project-based course in a workplace environment or a co-operative education option. The Department also offers a thesis- based, research-intensive Master’s in Computer Science. 

Why Computer Science at STFX?
StFX’s Computer Science program is recognized as the top ranked program in Atlantic Canada (Maclean’s Magazine October 2019). It has earned its ranking in part due to the department’s field-weighted citation impact index rank, a measure of research output, for which the group is ranked first in the country. In the Master of Applied Computer Science program, students take advanced courses that will equip them well for working in industry. As well as the course-based program, the department offers a thesis-based Master of Science in Computer Science and undergraduate programs, which contribute to a lively community of computer scientists working and studying together.

Experiential Learning
One of the cornerstones of this program is the opportunity provided to students to engage in experiential learning, which will help build confidence and gain experience in the field prior to entering the workforce. The program is structured so that real-world problems are embedded throughout the program (in the Computer Science Graduate Seminar course and throughout the elective courses). Additionally, students have the opportunity to complete CSCI 591–Project, providing real-life software development experience by applying classroom learning in a real work context. In CSCI 591, students work with an industry or academic partner and develop a computing a solution to a real-world problem. Students are responsible to manage the project from development to execution to presentation to the client and final review.

Co-op Option
Students in the MACS program can apply to complete Co-operative Education (Co-op). Co-op offers paid work experience for students interested in developing a career in various areas within computer science fields and also integrate work experience in their field of interest within their academic studies while earning 6 credits towards their MACS. Students complete professional development seminars and workshops offered through the Co-op department prior to work term placement. This will prepare students to be professional, committed for the challenges of work term placements, and ensure that good relations with employers are fostered, right from the start. Students can apply to Co-op during their first semester of the MACS program. Space is limited.

The impact of enterprise systems on the competitiveness of today’s technology intensive organizations is significant. Enterprise systems are large-scale software packages that support the key business processes, information flows, and data reporting of an entire organization. In addition to meeting the most basic information needs of organizations, enterprise systems also help to improve competitiveness through the inclusion of business intelligence, knowledge management, customer relationship management, supply chain management, and product life cycle management capabilities. Among other things, students in the Enterprise Systems stream will receive hands-on training on leading technologies, design, develop, and implement Enterprise Systems solutions, and learn how to manage technology projects.

Courses cover a wide range of topics related to technology and its management in organizations, including:

    • IT and enterprise systems
    • Business intelligence and analytics
    • Systems analysis and design
    • Designing and implementing enterprise systems solutions
    • Designing and implementing business intelligence and analytics solutions
    • Project management
    • IT Management
    • Enterprise systems strategy

If you are interested in the latest technologies, want to design, implement, and managing technology solutions for business, and help organizations apply the latest technologies to improve their competitiveness, then the Enterprise Systems stream may be for you. There is significant demand and numerous regional, national, and global opportunities available for graduates of the Enterprise Systems stream. Graduates may work as IT/Enterprise Systems Consultants, Enterprise Systems Solution Architects, IT Project Managers, and IT Managers for leading national or global companies. Others may pursue graduate studies in Business, Information Technology, or Enterprise Systems.   

The Accounting stream provides students with a dynamic and global perspective on the use and reporting of financial information by both external users (e.g., analysts) and internal users (e.g., managers). Accounting provides the foundation on which profitability, sustainability, strategic focus and implementation, wealth, and share prices are determined. The topic coverage within the stream is broad and includes:

• reading and preparing statements of comprehensive income, financial position, cash flows, changes in equity, and the accompanying notes
• focusing on budget preparation and use
• performance measurement of organizations and individuals
• assessing taxation obligations
• compliance with corporate governance requirements
• assessment of the impact of accounting information in capital markets
• attestation of financial reporting

The pedagogy in the Accounting stream is diverse, requiring students to engage in different education strategies including case analysis, service learning, simulations, presentations, research papers, and other experiential learning opportunities.

The accounting program at the Gerald Schwartz School of Business will prepare students for future careers as public accountants, consultants, controllers, internal auditors, tax professionals, etc. The accounting program is focused on preparing students to earn their CPA designation.

Students will be able to complete all the prerequisites for direct entry into the CPA Professional Education Program; these prerequisite courses have been recognized by CPA Atlantic School of Business (and one of its predecessors, the Atlantic School of Chartered Accountancy) for over 25 years.

The accounting program also provides interested students with the opportunity to engage in research projects (under the supervision of faculty) in areas such as financial literacy, corporate governance, and value relevance of accounting information.

Chemistry holds the key to all scientific career paths, and helps broaden our understanding of the world and how it operates. Known simply as the central science, it is impossible to work in any scientific field without an understanding of Chemistry.

As a StFX chemistry student, you will evolve academically under the instruction of award-winning professors who will work closely with you to help achieve your goals and create an exciting learning environment.

WHY STUDY CHEMISTRY AT STFX?
Class sizes are small, particularly at the junior and senior level, providing for a good deal of faculty-student interaction and academic flexibility. As science has evolved, so has the Chemistry Department at StFX. It now emphasizes nanoscale and catalytic chemistry balanced with all major components of this field: the physical, organic, inorganic, analytical and biochemistry. You will learn in some of the most modern, state-of-the art laboratories and classrooms in the country. We combine a traditional focus on one-on-one learning with advanced technology application to produce graduates who excel in the field.

StFX students often attend regional and national chemistry conferences, receive prestigious awards, and are published in major academic journals.