Bachelor of Science in Psychology

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. 

It is often stated that the four key functions of management are planning, organizing, leading and controlling, and so the study of management focuses primarily on the strategic and human dimensions of business to prepare students to assume managerial roles in a variety of work organizations. The primary strands of scholarship within the field of management are below, and students in the Management & Leadership stream will take courses in each of these areas:

    • human resources management
    • strategic management
    • business ethics and corporate social responsibility
    • leadership
    • human behaviour in organizations
    • the theory of organizations

This stream contains core courses that are of sufficient breadth for students to subsequently pursue jobs in human resource management, industrial relations, project management, general management and beyond, and in organizational types ranging from private to public, profit to not-for-profit. Post-graduate educational pathways most common for students in this stream include the national CPHR designation (Chartered Professional in Human Resources), MBA or MPA, research-based Masters’ degrees and Law, plus the focus on management in specific industries, such as Sports Management, Tourism and Hospitality, Health Administration, etc.  

Amongst other management programs, our basis for differentiation resides in our emphasis on responsible management, combining ethics, social responsibility, sustainability and responsible leadership. Our graduates learn about the complexities of managing within an increasingly global and diverse social context, and the leadership challenges that come with heightened expectations for responsible decision making amongst the many stakeholders of a modern corporation. Course instruction draws from a wide range of engaging methods, including community based projects, film and case analysis, debates, simulations, guest lectures, virtual teams and field trips. Along the way, through critique and reflection, students will learn more about themselves and the kind of business leader they are and wish to become.

Numerous undergraduate-level research opportunities are available for students, whether they are completing the honours degree or are hired by a faculty member as a research assistant; it is common for M&L faculty to be in a supervisory role for student research.

Our program is nationally accredited by the Canadian Institute of Management, and students graduating from this program meet the academic requirements for the Certified in Management (C.I.M.) designation. 

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.

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. 

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 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.

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.

With increasing public interest in food and health, human nutrition is a dynamic field with new career opportunities emerging. StFX Human Nutrition students graduate with a strong scientific background in foods and nutrition, combined with social science perspectives, communication skills and understandings of ways to effect individual and social change.

WHY STUDY HUMAN NUTRITION AT STFX?
You will be well equipped to assist individuals, groups, and the population-at-large to achieve their food, nutrition, and health-related goals.

Under the guidance of talented faculty, you will learn through theory–based courses and experiential learning, such as lab and community-based assignments and Service Learning.

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.

As a StFX Political Science student, you will study how power is used in politics and public life. This involves analysis of government structures, historical political trends and the role of ideas and ideologies in politics. It extends from global systems to nation states to local communities and it varies dramatically in form and practice. Politics is central to addressing the shared concerns of citizens and political science highlights the underlying forces that drive and constrain power and government.

WHY STUDY POLITICAL SCIENCE AT STFX?
The department is a dynamic scholarly environment where professors believe that research and teaching flourish together. It is a place where you feel comfortable debating current issues in the classroom and beyond it, broadening your understanding of the political world. Here you can have close contact with your professors and fellow students in a positive, accessible setting for learning.