Bachelor of Arts in Romance Languages

at St. Thomas University Canada

The Catholic Studies Program is an academically rigorous and interdisciplinary exploration of Catholicism. Courses engage with the Catholic intellectual tradition—the 2000 year-long dialogue between and within faith and culture. We approach the texts of the Catholic intellectual tradition with a view toward understanding the role that Catholicism has played in the human search for meaning and in the conviction that thinking is a critical part of belief. 

Discovering catholic studies
Catholic Studies enthusiastically welcomes students from any or no faith tradition. The program is dedicated to a critical and scholarly engagement with Catholicism, and is dispositionally nondogmatic. Courses are especially attentive to the ways in which the Catholic intellectual tradition can help students understand issues of social and economic justice and peace.

You are therefore given the freedom to explore perennial human questions and pressing contemporary concerns in a way that is open to the potential contributions of faith. You are also given the chance to study the Catholic Church itself, as a cultural and political, as well as a religious institution. You will also benefit from co- and extra-curricular events, service opportunities, scholarly activities, and community outreach sponsored by the St. John XXIII Centre for Catholic Studies.

You might be interested in catholic studies if you ...

• You are interested in a challenging, interdisciplinary major which explores the meaning of Christian faith
• You are interested in exploring human questions and contemporary concerns as potential contributions to faith

Critical and transferable skills
Students in Catholic Studies benefit from an interdisciplinary course of study which draws from many different academic disciplines. The interdisciplinary character of the program helps students become well-rounded thinkers, able to analyze problems and phenomena from a variety of disciplinary perspectives and using diverse analytical tools. The program’s emphasis on the Catholic intellectual tradition will help students develop the skills of thoughtful reading, clear writing, and verbal eloquence.

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.

In Economics, you will study how the economy works, where it came from, the challenges it creates for social equality, and how individuals engage to modify and change economic relations.

Discovering economics
The Department of Economics at St. Thomas brings the strengths of a critical liberal arts education to the study of the economy. We study different ways regions, large and small, manage their resources—whether those resources be financial, natural, goods, or services. The study of Economics takes a critical look at how regions trade, price, consume, and distribute. It is the job of an economist to be an expert in understanding the various economies in which she or he works and to prepare best practice advice for the benefit of his or her region. Our students investigate not only how the economy works, but where it came from, the challenges it creates for social equality and social justice, and how people engage to modify and change existing economic relations.

You might be interested in studying economics if...

• You are interested in the economy
• You want to become an informed citizen

Critical and transferable skills
As a student of Economics, you will learn to navigate through the ebb and flow nature of the economy in which you live and work. You will develop intelligence in making informed decisions and providing meaningful advice related to wealth and resources in your area. You will also sharpen your analytical skills and appreciate the value and limitations of evidence-based arguments and research. At the same time, you will gain advanced communication skills, especially in your capacity to read and analyze academic and technical writing.

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.

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.

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.

Criminology is the study of crime, the consequences of crime, people who engage in crime and the reasons for that engagement, while Criminal Justice examines the Canadian criminal justice system including corrections, victimology, police, courts, youth-at-risk, and criminal procedure.

Criminology is a discipline that seeks to understand how people behave in difficult, confusing, stressful, tragic, and bizarre situations. As the study of Criminology often involves political, social, and personal consideration, students learn to analyze theories of criminal behaviour and fairly and accurately evaluate criminal justice systems and policies.

Our program at St. Thomas examines the people and institutions that affect, and are affected by, the justice system, exploring the impact on offenders, victims, and the public.

You might be interested in studying criminology if...

• You have ever questioned the workings of the criminal justice system
• You want a better understanding of the reasons individuals engage in crime
• You are interested in social justice and want to make a difference

Critical and transferable skills
By studying Criminology, students develop exceptional academic and research literacy. As presentation of this research is essential to the discipline, students also gain significant experience in skills such as communication and debate. Analytical and evaluative skills are central to the study of Criminology and Criminal Justice as students are required to question the policies and institutions in place for those who have been identified as criminal and those who have been victims of criminal behaviour.

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.