Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Public Policy

at St. Thomas University Canada

Our School of Education takes a cross-disciplinary approach to teaching and learning, while emphasizing inclusionary teaching approaches. We offer concentrations in elementary (K-5), secondary (6-12), or French second-language teaching through cooperative learning and teamwork, along with practical teaching techniques.

Our 11-month program includes two field placements in different schools and at different grade levels offer opportunities to put theory into practice and will prepare you for a rewarding career in education. 

In Great Books students encounter different subjects, genres, and modes of inquiry. Each course is organized around a theme, like Freedom or Human Nature & Technology. Students read novels alongside philosophical treatises; they study law, politics, poems, works of history and autobiographies all in the same course. In addition, every course is team-taught by two professors to promote conversation and a diversity of views. Professors choose texts that will challenge and provoke you — books that might inspire or trouble you. Through these texts our students come to understand a good deal about themselves and the world they inhabit.

Students who are interested in Great Books often take the first-year Aquinas: Great Books Program, as it operates on similar principles. Our classes are team-taught by at least two different professors and sufficiently small (36 students maximum) to allow for discussion.

You might be interested in studying great books if...

• You are interested in understanding yourself and your place in the world
• You love to read and think about life's big questions
• You're interested in the history of ideas

Critical and transferable skills
Great Books classes require a great deal of reading, writing, and critical thinking. With two professors dedicated to each class, you receive a lot of one-on-one attention to help sharpen your reading and writing skills. Our classes are discussion based, not lectures. We want you to think about the questions posed by the texts and determine for yourself what an appropriate answer might be. Your capacities to think through arguments and to speak cogently and persuasively are developed by means of the discussion-based format.

The courses in Romance Languages are designed for those students who come to St. Thomas University and wish to have a general knowledge of two or more Romance Languages and Literature. Such students are encouraged to think of their language learning experience in terms of a commitment to Romance Languages (French, Italian, Latin, and Spanish) rather than in terms of a specialization in any one language.
 

Environment and Society will help you understand the social processes that promote the degradation of the Earth and our persistence in such destructive behaviour.

The Environment and Society Program is an interdisciplinary program with courses from a number of departments which explore the root causes of environmental degradation and how society can address them. You will examine different ways of understanding the environment, the politics of environmental decision-making, and praxis - reflection and action for a sustainable world.

You might be interested in studying the environment and society if...

• You are concerned about what’s happening to our world
• You believe environmental change is possible

Critical and transferable skills
By studying in the Environment and Society Program, you will learn to look at issues critically to understand causes and discover realistic solutions. You will develop advanced skills in research, as well as in written and verbal communication as you learn about complex environmental issues and work to communicate those issues as you work with others to change unsustainable cultural, economic and political systems. Environment and Society students are able to connect what they learn in class to the real world, and use that knowledge to become effective ecological citizens in all aspects of their lives. Through experiential learning opportunities, you will have direct experience of working with local organizations and agencies that are addressing environmental problems locally, provincially and nationally.

Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. It is a discipline that examines how we feel, perceive, think, learn, and remember; what motivates us, and how we act in groups and societies. The Psychology Department at St. Thomas covers all of the traditional areas of Psychology, and alternative areas as well, giving students a thorough foundation in our dynamic and broad discipline.

Each year, some of our students present their original research at the Science Atlantic Conference (which is held at a different university in Atlantic Canada annually).

You might be interested in studying psychology if...

• You have an interest in the study of human functioning
• You want to explore how we communicate, analyze and solve problems, and interact in the world

Critical and transferable skills
Studying Psychology provides students with excellent skills in analytical thinking, research processes, and problem solving. In addition, studying Psychology enhances skills regarding interactions and relations with people with different backgrounds and experiences. Psychology students develop the abilities to work well as part of a team and as independent thinkers. The study of Psychology heightens our understanding of ourselves as well as the social world around us.

Students of all interests and backgrounds should consider taking a university math course. You need some math skills to pursue careers in psychology, sociology, economics, business, science, and many other fields. Mathematics is a discipline that's grounded in logic and you'll find that by studying math you can improve your ability to think sequentially and to discern patterns and relationships.

One course, Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning, is designed to meet the needs of liberal arts students who wish to become more mathematically literate but who may not yet wish to pursue studies in mathematics.

Various first-year courses ranging in difficulty from fundamentals to calculus are offered in mathematics. St. Thomas also offers a major in mathematics.

Upper-level courses include modern analysis, abstract algebra, symbolic logic and differential equations.

International Relations challenges students to broaden their perspectives and their understanding of the forces shaping global politics. Students who major in International Relations will complete course work in specific international themed courses while focusing on one or two particular areas of the world.

Students participate in a for-credit Model United Nations course that has taken many to international competitions such as the Harvard and New York City events. International Relations students are also encouraged to study Economics as well as a foreign language to develop an appropriate base of knowledge and skill that relate directly to different areas of the world.

You might be interested in studying international relations if...

• You are interested in the politics and cultures of other countries in the world 
• You want to understand other people and other perspectives

Critical and transferable skills
The skills a student learns by studying International Relations include the ability to understand and summarize complex information and gathering evidence to make good, critical arguments. Graduates from the program must learn to write clearly and directly. They are also required to gain proficiency in a foreign language and to gain a basic understanding of economics, which are both invaluable skills in today’s world. Studying International Relations also provides students with a wider perspective on and understanding of the complex global environment.

St. Thomas values student-centred learning and has been at the forefront in the development of interdisciplinary majors and electives that allow students to pursue a topic or theme of particular interest.

The Interdisciplinary major/honours option allows students to tailor a programme to their interests and goals. These programmes focus attention on emerging issues and explore such common themes as Canadian Studies, American Studies, International Relations, Social Justice. They draw upon courses offered by a number of different university departments.

Within the Bachelor of Arts, St. Thomas offers a unique English as a Second Language (ESL) program for students whose level of English proficiency is not high enough to pursue regular studies at an English-language university.

Students are provided the opportunity to begin university studies for credit while they continue to improve their language skills in a planned, individualized program of study.

Courses in Romance Languages are designed for those students who come to St. Thomas University and wish to have a general knowledge of two or more Romance Languages and Literature.

Such students are encouraged to think of their language learning experience in terms of a commitment to Romance Languages (French, Italian, Latin, and Spanish) rather than in terms of a specialisation in any one language.

Students wishing to complete a Minor Programme in Italian must complete at least 18 credit hours in Italian selected from the first, second or third year offerings and maintain an overall average of B in those 18 credit hours.