Bachelor of Arts in Developmental Studies - (Stream A/B)

at The University of Winnipeg Canada

Biology is a broad discipline, which includes the subject areas of botany, zoology, microbiology, cell biology, ecology, and genetics. It examines all life forms from the simple to the complex, and is an ideal partner to study in chemistry, physics, and mathematics. If you have an aptitude for science and possess a keen desire to understand the living world, you will find the study of biology very rewarding.

At The University of Winnipeg, we teach a wide range of courses and offer active research programs in botany ecology, forest ecology, mosquito biology, evolutionary genetics, molecular biology, evolutionary physiology, soil microbiology and remediation, limnology, bioinformatics, genomics, dendrochronology, behavioural biology of birds, effects of UV radiation on the environment, and cell biology.

Biology can be explored in several different programs of study at The University of Winnipeg which can lead to a Bachelor of Science degree (3-year, 4-year, or Honours).

Theatre and Film – one of the largest in Canada – includes the opportunity to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in one of six different areas of study: Acting and Directing, Design, Drama in Education, Filmmaking, Playwriting, Stage Management or Production. The Department also offers a BA (Honours) in Acting, Directing, Design, Playwriting, and Stage Management and Production.  Your coursework will encompass a full range of practical and theoretical study, and will prepare you for an exciting career in the arts.

Economics analyzes how societies provide for their well-being, and examines the choices and tradeoffs that are made in the face of limited resources. You’ll study the competition and cooperation that arises among individuals, private organizations, and governments in the process of allocating scarce resources for a variety of different uses. Economics also offers insight into politics, law, history, environment, and development.

One may obtain the Economics Major through the 3-Year BA, the 4-Year BA or the BA Honours degree program. Some of the courses we offer are recommended for interdisciplinary programs, and it is common for other departments in the University to require or recommend certain Economics courses. The BA in Economics is highly recommended for students planning to go into law, accounting, or business studies.

Anthropologists study the evolution of humankind by examining how humans have developed and adapted, both culturally and physically, to the world around them. Anthropology specializes in cultural anthropology, archaeology or physical anthropology, or you may choose an integrated program that includes all three areas. Practical experience is also available through the Archaeological Field School.

If you enjoy thinking about life’s big questions, you might be a natural philosopher. Philosophy engages in disciplined and imaginative thinking about the philosophical questions common to all humans by studying the works of great philosophers. Through analysis and discussion, you’ll learn how to think critically, and understand the origins of the ideas that influence us today.

Philosophy is literally the love of wisdom. Rather than studying a particular aspect of human history or culture, philosophy takes a step back and tries to understand the nature of all inquiry. Students of philosophy examine fundamental beliefs about who we are and the world we live in – beliefs most people take to be true but never examine systematically and critically. Philosophers consider such questions as: What is the meaning of life? How should I live my life? Why be moral? What is the best form of government? Are human beings immortal? Does God exist? What is knowledge? Does the world appear to us as it really is? What makes something right, or good, or beautiful?

If coming to an understanding of the human condition is the goal of a liberal arts education, then philosophy is essential to it. But philosophy also has a practical side, which we see whenever we debate social and political questions concerning the environment and our obligations to future generations, the distribution of wealth and opportunity in society, gender equity, the relationship between science and religion, and so on. Philosophy helps us to identify and defend what is most valuable to us.

The UW Philosophy Program prides itself on being small and student-focused; this is a place where you can work closely with professors and other students in small classes, reading great philosophers from the past, and thinking and writing about the big questions.

We have an excellent record of placing our students in graduate programs in Canada and the United States as well as overseas.

This program is specifically designed to serve the needs of health and service industries in Manitoba. Courses in Applied Environmental Science cover such topics as waste management, soil-vegetation systems and environmental ethics. You can choose between a four-year and five-year program. In the five-year program, you’ll have the option of completing a co-operative work term consisting of a minimum of 16 weeks of full-time, paid work experience.

The goal of physics is to formulate theories, or “laws,” which summarize our knowledge of the natural world. We don’t yet know all the basic laws of nature, or how many laws there are.

The famous physicist Richard Feynman said the first principle of science is that the test of all knowledge is experiment and experiment is the sole judge of scientific “truth.” But what is the source of knowledge? Where do the laws that are to be tested come from? Experiment itself helps to produce these laws in the sense that it gives us hints. We also need imagination to create from these hints the great generalizations: to guess at the wonderful, simple, but very strange patterns beneath them all, and then to experiment to check again whether we have made the right guess. Physics needs people with imagination and a thirst to understand the inner workings of nature.

Research in physics often gives rise to unexpected benefits, with revolutionary discoveries like galaxies, lasers, magnetic resonance imaging, fibre optic communications, and the transistor.

The University of Winnipeg has a nationally recognized Physics Department. Research is conducted on a variety of topics in both theoretical and experimental physics. The experimentalists study the nature of diamonds and semiconductors, medical uses of MRI, and the properties of subatomic particles, while the theorists imagine, deduce and investigate the inner workings of black holes, hot space, chaos, quantum computers, and quantum gravity. Students are encouraged to participate in these research activities through summer employment with research groups.

This program can lead to a Bachelor of Science degree (3-year, 4-year, or Honours). The 4-year and Honours programs have the options of Chemical, Computational, and Mathematical Physics streams.

Criminal Justice at the University of Winnipeg focuses on different aspects of the police, courts, corrections and explores the social responses to crime and policies designed to ameliorate its effects. Criminal Justice is an interdisciplinary degree that provides our students with a strong social science degree developing critical thinking, writing, and research skills.

Increasingly, modern and progressive police forces, legal agencies, and correctional organizations are recruiting individuals with education in related areas such as criminal justice, and with good reason. Our program provides you with both the historical background and current research on the Canadian criminal justice system, gives you an overview of crime causation theories, and an understanding of the role of the law and its application in society. You will also gain insight into enduring debates in the justice system such as crime control versus due process, rehabilitation versus punishment, limits of state powers, wrongful convictions, difficulties confronting our Aboriginal peoples, victims rights, and how best to manage youth crime.

Our students typically obtain work in the criminal justice field. Many go into law enforcement careers with Canada Customs, the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, Winnipeg Police Service and other municipal forces such as those in Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto. Another large employer is Corrections, with work available in federal and provincial governments and private sector non-profit groups for Correctional Officers, Youth Workers, Parole Officers, Probation Officers, Caseworkers or general Counselors. Some work for private, non-profit human service agencies involving youth, addictions, crime prevention or general social services. A number of our best students go on to law school in Manitoba or other provinces, while some obtain graduate degrees. 

Chemistry is the essential science to the building blocks of life. It spans all aspects of our lives, from our health and nutrition to our scientific discoveries and management of an environmentally sustainable world. A degree in this “central science” can take you anywhere, allowing you to specialize in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, or physical chemistry.

Exploring the past helps us understand the complexities of the present, and anticipate the challenges of the future. As a student of History, you will explore the careers of major figures such as Galileo, Gandhi and Stalin.. You’ll improve your ability to evaluate evidence and learn how to present your interpretations in clear and logical written and oral arguments.