Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies

at St. Thomas University Canada

Philosophy is not just one discipline amongst others. It is unique, not just because it asks questions about the most fundamental and important things, but also because, unlike other disciplines, it isn’t optional: whether we know it or not, all of us are already doing Philosophy. We cannot escape it; we can only decide whether to do it well or badly.

We carry within ourselves certain basic convictions about what is true, what is good, etc. And yet, we also wonder about these convictions, doubting them, calling them into question. Philosophy is this wondering and questioning. As such, it is indispensable for developing a clearer understanding of ourselves and our world, and for living our lives responsibly. 

You might be interested in studying philosophy if...

• You’re always asking questions and are fascinated with puzzles and paradoxes

Critical and transferable skills
Studying Philosophy helps you think more clearly and precisely, such that you have a sharper grasp of your own views and can better articulate yourself, both orally and in writing; it strengthens the critical reasoning skills that enable you to organize and construct compelling arguments and identify the strengths and weaknesses in the arguments of others; and it helps you “think outside the box” so that you approach questions and problems in fresh, creative ways. Philosophy graduates learn to enter into respectful and patient dialogue with each other: Philosophy always involves considering and responding to the views of others and submitting one’s own views to their critical assessment; it is less a matter of “winning arguments” than of seeking truth together, co-operatively.

Courses offered in the Japanese language focus on learning fundamental language structure and practicing communication skills. In the courses, reading and writing Hiragana and Katakana are essential, and some Kanji are introduced and practiced. Japan and Japanese culture are introduced and discussed.

Advanced courses develop the communicative skills necessary for everyday situations - focusing on conversation and writing systems, expanding vocabulary and sentence structures and teaching students to express themselves on a wide range of topics from daily life.

As students complete the beginner’s level of Japanese, they are prepared for the Level IV Japanese Proficiency Test offered by the Government of Japan.

Anthropology is unique in being a hands-on field of study. Anthropology can be done wherever people are, and wherever people were. As a student of Anthropology at St. Thomas, you can expect to get out there in the real world, interacting with people in a variety of social contexts, excavating artifacts, and analyzing bones in our anthropology laboratory.

Discovering Anthropology
Cultural anthropologists, social anthropologists, and linguists typically spend years living with particular groups of people, participating in their everyday lives. This process of long-term, small-scale, intensive and detailed study allows them to understand some of the most fundamental aspects of human existence which only reveal themselves in this way. Archaeologists also conduct long-term fieldwork examining human material culture, excavating, documenting, and analyzing artifacts as a means of answering the same questions about human existence. Physical anthropologists study human skeletal remains not only to understand our physical past and development, but also in modern-day criminal forensic investigations.

You might be interested in Studying Anthropology if...

• You’re a global thinker that’s interested in language, society, geography, and music 
• You’re interested in people and curious about different cultures 
• You want to understand yourself and your culture better

Critical and Transferable Skills
Living and working in today’s world increasingly means interacting with people from many different cultural backgrounds. The skills developed through completing a degree in Anthropology enables graduates to become critical thinkers and effective communicators who are able to generate relevant information and make informed decisions.

According to the American Anthropological Association, anthropological training concentrates on three transferable skill areas: “understanding human diversity, building research skills for collecting and making sense of information, and communicating effectively.”

Our Political Science program covers the four traditional subfields of the discipline: Canadian Politics and Government, Comparative Politics, International Relations and World Politics, and Political Philosophy. Students are offered a sound foundation in the institutional and philosophical dimensions of political life and are attuned to the trends and shocks that alter the forces and issues affecting us at home and abroad.

The program also offers a for-credit Model United Nations course, which sends student each year to at least one major Model UN simulation. Teams have competed at Harvard, the UN in New York, and Ottawa. Each spring, St. Thomas hosts the John Peters Humphrey Model UN for high school students, giving students in our Political Science Department a chance to become centrally involved in organizing and running the event.

You might be interested in studying political science if...

• You are interested in understanding how human choices affect how the world is organized 
• You want to know more about the major current events that shape our social and cultural environment

Critical and transferable skills
Political Science students hone their reading, writing, and analytic skills. They examine arguments, identify trends, test theories, and explain developments. They learn about the links between individual concerns and public policy problems. By studying case studies in national and international governance, international relations, and comparative politics, they develop their skills of public policy analysis and prepare themselves for analytical, project management, and communication work in various agencies of the government, as well as non-governmental and international organizations.

Explore Spanish culture and study literature and media to develop skills in oral communication, grammar, and composition.

Discovering Spanish and Latin American studies
Spanish is one of the world's most common languages. It is the first language of Spain, Mexico, most of South America and a large part of the population of the United States and the Caribbean. It is becoming an increasingly important language in global trade and commerce.

The Romance Language Department offers both majors and honours programs in Spanish, as well as DELE in Spanish. The department is comprised of dynamic and devoted faculty responsible for delivering an ambitious program. Due to its association with Hispanic worlds, all having immeasurable intellectual and artistic impacts on the development of Western culture and humanism, the Romance Languages Department has a pivotal role to play in a liberal arts curriculum.

An introductory course for beginners leads to advanced courses in grammar, conversation and composition, translation, and Spanish and Latin American literature.

You might be interested in studying Spanish and Latin American studies if...

• You want to increase your language proficiency or become bilingual
• You want to learn about another culture
• You want to become a global citizen

Science and Technology Studies examines the complex relations among science, technology, and society in the past and the present.

Science and Technology Studies (STS) looks at how science and technology are interwoven into societies and people’s daily lives. STS is an incredibly current field of study relevant to the 21st century and at St. Thomas, it draws upon the disciplinary traditions of History, Sociology, Philosophy, Communications, and cultural studies. While STS is a new field and is growing fast in popularity, there are only two universities in Canada offering STS and St. Thomas is the one where students will get a hands-on liberal arts approach.

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.

The Law, Politics, and Society (LAPS) Program is a systematic but flexible interdisciplinary exploration of the relationship between law, political life, and Canadian society. It examines the nature of law and its influence on Canadians and their polity and explores how law is made and changed, and what forces shape it.

Students learn about the institutional character of law making and enforcement and also the social factors that shape and are shaped by law.

Given the growing centrality of law in Canadian society, attention is increasingly being paid to the nature and composition of the bar and bench, and the politics of judicial appointment increasingly make the front page.

Law, Politics, and Society is an interdisciplinary program, but is also a fine complement to studies in Human Rights, Political Science, Criminology, or Sociology.

You might be interested in studying law, politics, and society if...

• You want to learn about the way law works in advanced democracies
• You want to explore the influence of law on Canadian society
• You want to learn more about the types of law in Canada, the judicial system, or the legal profession

Critical and transferable skills
It is important not simply to know that Canada is a law-based polity; it is important also to know who makes and interprets that law and to know how the law affects citizens. In this program, you will learn about how law is made and changed, how it interacts with social forces like ethnicity, gender, and economic inequality, and how social and political change leaves its marks on laws and legal processes.

You will learn about the philosophical and institutional foundation of law and courts and become familiar with the factors that influence judicial outcomes—why judges decide cases the way they do. You will also develop a familiarity with how personal conditions and characteristics may bring someone into contact with the law.

Studying English Language and Literature will expose you to a broad collection of classical and contemporary literature. Our courses introduce the vital practices of critical reading, writing about ideas and texts, and collaborative learning through discussion and debate. Whatever your taste in literature, you will encounter professors, peers, and courses to inspire and engage your love of literature.

You might be interested in studying english if...

• You care about the issues affecting society today and want to intervene in a meaningful way.

Concentration in creative writing
We believe that creative writing, as well as analytic writing, lies at the heart of a liberal arts program. Along with the academic practice of analyzing texts, you should have the opportunity to engage with texts creatively: to produce them and to hear readings by established authors and writers among your peers. The program sharpens skills in style and strategy and offers several prizes and publication opportunities. You have the option to do a Major with a Concentration in Creative Writing, or even to apply for Honours in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing.

Critical and transferable skills
English graduates move into careers in academia, teaching, social work, law, technical and creative writing, public relations, library science, publishing, communications, human resources, marketing, theatre, fi lm making, journalism, fashion, event management, and other fields that make use of advanced skills in research, critical analysis, and communications and writing.

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.