Bachelor of Arts in Social Justice Colloquium

at St. Francis Xavier University Canada

Students in the StFX Philosophy Department are taught by Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, René Descartes, David Hume, Immanuel Kant and all great philosophical minds. The goal, however, is not merely to learn what the philosophers have said but to learn the truth and a wisdom by which we ought to live our lives. Great minds do not think alike, but they are the best guides for our own independent thinking.

WHY STUDY PHILOSOPHY AT STFX?
Professors in this department view teaching and research as their primary academic mission. The department has special strengths in the history of philosophy, especially ancient and mediaeval philosophy. As well, the department has strong offerings in ethics, theory of rights, and political philosophy; it offers advanced instruction in areas such as biomedical ethics.

As a pioneer in jazz education in Canada, StFX Music is a community where you can expand your creativity as you become a skilled and literate musician in jazz and popular music.

At StFX, you will receive individual attention from some of Canada’s leading music educators in studio, classroom and rehearsal environments, honing your jazz instrumental (or vocal) performance and compositional skills.

MUSIC AT X
As a student in the StFX Music Department, you have close contact, including direct face-to-face private sessions, with talented and passionate music faculty. This incredible resource creates community as faculty get to know you and mentor your talents. Additionally, opportunities to perform with faculty members is an ideal way to learn and stretch your horizons.

Peer-to-peer learning with fellow students in performances and practice rooms is another hallmark of the continuous learning environment.

The Visiting Artist Program brings internationally-known performers to campus for clinics, concerts and workshops, giving students exposure to learn from the world’s best jazz musicians.

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.

Physics is an incredibly diverse field, from fundamental research to practical applications of the latest technology. What are the fundamental particles of matter? What happens when two black holes collide? How can quantum cryptography improve security on the internet? What new magnetic materials will be used in the next generation of computer storage? If you’re interested in this field, StFX Physics is for you.

WHY STUDY PHYSICS AT STFX?
You’ll learn in a department where faculty are dedicated to teaching and to their active research programs. Students receive a world-class degree in an environment where questions are welcomed, discussion encouraged, and opportunities presented to get involved in research projects, even after the first year. In the wider physics community, our students are authors on research publications and attend national and international physics conferences.

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.

Learning is a creative and multidisciplinary venture in the StFX Engineering Department. Here, the history of civilization and the history of engineering are one in the same and faculty have structured the program around that very idea.

WHY STUDY ENGINEERING AT STFX?
Small classrooms and a close-knit atmosphere ensure you graduate with the best possible education – one that allows you to compete for jobs and graduate study opportunities all over the world. With dedicated and talented faculty and some of the most contemporary facilities in the country, it’s no surprise that many StFX engineering students go on to successful, rewarding careers.

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.

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.

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.