Bachelor of Arts in Creative Industries

at Toronto Metropolitan University Canada

Combining theoretical, historical, and critical knowledge with opportunities for experiential learning, the BA English curriculum encourages students to engage deeply in the widest possible range of verbal, visual, material, and digital texts, and to showcase their understanding of how to put knowledge into action in meaningful ways.

Curriculum Information
The curriculum builds on a foundational year of interdisciplinary study in the Humanities and Social Sciences, followed by three years of more specialized study in English. Students take a combination of 8 required English courses and 12 English elective courses. A mandatory practicum elective course is taken in the second year. Students must also take two pre-20th century elective courses to ensure disciplinary breadth. The core goals of the program are to graduate students who:

• Have mastered the ability to critically analyze oral, written, and other forms of texts;
• Will appreciate the complexities in various academic interpretations, and will be able to think critically about the normative assumptions governing both particular interpretations and interpretation in general;
• Are capable of developing probing research questions, conducting effective research, and persuasively communicating the results of their inquiry in a variety of oral and written modes;
• Possess a superior set of “career-ready” research, analytical, and oral and written skills, and know how to apply them to professional situations as well as to graduate study opportunities;
• Demonstrate discipline-specific knowledge, including an integrated understanding of the aesthetic, intellectual, and social foundations of literature and culture in a range of genres and media and cultural literacy through a familiarity with the richness and complexity of their literary and cultural heritage; and
• Act as responsible academic and community citizens, both locally and globally.  

Semesters One and Two: The first year is a Common Arts Platform which is shared with the BA programs in Criminology, Environment and Urban Sustainability, Geographic Analysis, History, Philosophy, Politics and Governance, Psychology, Sociology, and Language, Literatures, and Cultures. Students gain a broad, interdisciplinary base of knowledge, skills, and methodologies. They also establish the basis for study in the English discipline in two required courses in fictional and non-fictional narratives. Students also acquire skills and knowledge in two Faculty of Arts foundational courses, Academic Writing and Research, and Critical Thinking, and choose additional electives from a broad range of areas.

Semesters Three through Six: In second year, students take their final foundational Common Arts Platform skills course, Research Design and Qualitative Methods, alongside a more specialized Advanced Research Methods course in English. Students also select an English practicum course. In the third year, students take a course in Literary and Cultural Theory. Students select their pre-20th century English courses and fulfill additional elective requirements, including Liberal Studies electives.

Semesters Seven and Eight: In their final year of study, students satisfy any remaining elective requirements and take the required capstone seminar. Electives may include an independent research paper or an advanced practicum course. These capstone courses are designed to develop depth in the disciplines and sharpen students’ professional competencies.

First Year: The BSc (Hons) in Chemistry shares a point of entry with the programs in Biology and Medical Physics. This allows students to explore various science-based routes to degree completion before they commit to the Chemistry program. In addition to foundation courses, the first year of studies will include an introduction to the use of computers as scientific tools, and an orientation course that will support students in making a successful transition to university and planning their steps to degree completion. All students in Science programs must enroll in SCI 180 in their first semester of studies.

Upper Years: Because this is a strongly applications-oriented program, a large proportion of student learning will take place in the laboratory. Lab hours account for a significant amount of learning time in every semester, supported by a solid grounding in the theory and principles of chemical science. In the upper years of the curriculum, students will focus on developing their technological expertise and exploring the research and industrial applications of chemical science. Depending on the course sequence selected they may pursue a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry, Chemistry with a Biology Minor, Chemistry with an option in Applied Physics.

Co-operative
An optional co-operative program is available which provides the graduating students with up to 20 months of work experience that enhances their organizational and technical abilities as well as their oral and written communication skills.

Although the Office of Co-operative Education cannot guarantee a placement, they provide assistance in locating suitable positions and counseling of students in their search for suitable jobs. This co-operative program enables students to earn competitive wages to offset the costs of a university education.

Students who have completed the first year of the program must apply through this department for admission to the co-operative program before the beginning of the second year. Enrolment in the co-op program is limited. Admission will be based on the student's grade point average.

The Mechanical Engineering BEng degree program is accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board.

This program prepares students for various career opportunities in Mechanical Engineering. The curriculum is designed to develop and sharpen the student's abilities to conceptualize, analyze and synthesize. It provides studies in fundamental science and mathematics, engineering science and engineering design. The main engineering areas of the curriculum are machine design, manufacturing and fabrication, materials, thermal and fluid processes and mechatronics. A balance of liberal arts and complementary studies, including some management courses, further the student's ability in communication and provide a wider understanding of the modern technological society.

Optional Co-operative Internship Program
Third year students with CLEAR Academic Standing may opt to enrol in the Co-operative Internship. If they are selected by one of the partner corporations, they spend a period of 12-16 months, from May to September of the following year, as engineering interns at the corresponding corporations. After the completion of the Co-operative Internship, students return to the academic program to complete their final year of studies. Enrolment in the Co-operative Internship extends the program length to five years.

Co-operative Internship students enrol in the course WKT 88A/B: Co-operative Internship Program during the academic year in which they work as interns. This course is graded on a pass/fail basis. Completion of the Co-operative Internship Program (CIP) will be identified on the student's transcript as WKT 88A/B: Co-operative Internship Program, with the appropriate grade achieved.

Throughout their studies, Ryerson Computer Science students are provided with a solid foundation in and exposure to many areas of computer science, at both the systems and applications levels. Students learn to become versatile in many development methodologies and technologies. In the later years of their studies, they can opt to deepen their knowledge of a particular sub-discipline of computer science or continue broadening their knowledge of the entire field. An optional thesis in fourth year also provides high­ performing students with the opportunity to work on a capstone project or research thesis.

The skills acquired by Ryerson Computer Science students make them desirable in the computing industry. In addition to pursuing graduate studies, our graduates are employed as software engineers, IT specialists, developers, software architects, communications and network specialists, system and database administrators, or security consultants.

Co­-operative
The Department of Computer Science also offers an optional co-­op program for full-time program students, which provides graduates with up to 20 months of career-related work experience integrated into their academic program. The optional co-op extends the program from four years to five.

Students wishing to be considered for this program enrol first in the Computer Science program and then apply for admission into co-­op during the third semester of their studies. Applications are submitted to the Computer Science Department. To be admitted into the co-­op program, students must have a CLEAR Standing and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 at the end of the Fall semester of their second year semester, or receive departmental approval. To stay in the co-­op program, students must maintain a CLEAR Standing and minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00, or receive departmental approval.

The School of Nutrition offers a four-year Bachelor of Applied Sciences (BASc) program that focuses on nutrition, food and health from an integrative and multidisciplinary perspective. The program is designed to ensure that graduates are flexible and responsive to changing trends in health and community settings, foodservice and food industries, education, private practice and entrepreneurial endeavours. Graduates of the program are able to apply a social determinants of health perspective to assess, plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate nutrition and food issues, interventions, and innovations for individuals and communities.

The Nutrition and Food program is an accredited program recognized by the Partnership for Dietetic Education and Practice (PDEP). There are three educational steps to becoming a registered dietitian - you must meet both academic and practical experience requirements before qualifying to write the Canadian Dietetics Registry Exam (CDRE). Academic requirements can be obtained by completing specific courses within an accredited program such as the one at Ryerson University. The second step is to complete a supervised practical training (accredited dietetic internship or an accredited master’s program). The final step is to pass the CDRE. As access to internships is competitive, students with cumulative GPA less than 3.00 should also consider other career options.

Our program is also recognized by the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, the Canadian Association of Food Service Professionals, Ontario Home Economists in Business and the Ontario Family Studies/Home Economics Educators Association. The program offers academic and career planning to support students in their next steps post-graduation.

The baccalaureate degree program prepares graduates to be eligible to apply for registration as midwives in Ontario, and meets recognized national and international standards. Graduates work as registered health-care professionals who provide primary care to people with low-risk pregnancies, conduct births in home, birth centre and hospital settings, and provide care after birth for the birthing parent and their babies up to six weeks of age.

The Midwifery Education Program prepares graduates to engage in lifelong learning. Working as a midwife requires a keen intelligence combined with flexibility and compassion. Midwives need a thorough understanding of normal and complex conditions affecting pregnancy, birth and the postpartum care of the birthing parent and the newborn and at times may need to make clinical judgements under stressful or emergency situations.

The Midwifery Education Program equips students with the clinical and communication skills needed to work effectively and competently as primary maternity care providers. Students learn critical thinking and problem solving skills, how to apply research evidence to provide high quality care, and develop an understanding of the relevance of cross-cultural issues to midwifery work. The Midwifery Education Program sees its role in education and in the midwifery profession as part of a broader commitment to social justice.

The architectural science program promotes an integrated approach to architectural science, through studio and lecture courses. Students have the opportunity to apply theory learned in the lecture courses to studio projects which engage with real-life problems in design, construction, management, and the environment.

The Architecture Option/Concentration offers a focus on in depth exploration of architectural design principles in society today. Through lectures, seminars, and hands-on studio projects, students learn program planning, design, presentation techniques, research, planning and the role of architecture today.

The Building Science Option/Concentration offers a more detailed technical base of studies including the selection and design of building construction assemblies, the evaluation of their suitability and performance, and the development of construction and technical drawings.

The Project Management Option/Concentration examines the managerial and economic aspects of construction projects, including the planning, organization, management, supervision and control of the process.

Graduates of this program will find career opportunities in:

• the design, documentation, and management of projects in architectural, engineering, environmental management, and planning firms
• the production, marketing, sales, research, development, testing, and evaluation of building products or systems in material fabrication, product manufacturing, and construction firms
• office and field supervision in trade and general construction organizations
• development and management of real estate/planning/conservation feasibility studies; environmental and management strategy planning
• local, regional, provincial, federal, and international government agencies
• post graduate education and research

The combination of intensive practical training and academic university theory truly distinguishes Ryerson’s Performance programs. While learning to achieve their professional goals, students gain a well-rounded education in the humanities and liberal arts. They develop valuable skills in problem solving, adaptability, critical thinking, research, and communication. These skills are essential for success in the current arts and cultural industry and they enrich all facets of the student’s life.

The four-year Acting and Dance programs offer an intensive conservatory approach in performance complemented by academics which are a crucial part of the program curriculum. Actors and dancers spend a portion of each day in the studio, and each year brings fresh opportunities to perform in productions of original, innovative and established works. The program trains performers who are distinguished by their capacity to generate original artistic material and their ability to bring a rich mixture of skills into the multi-disciplinary environment. Graduates of the program will be ready for immediate entry into a wide range of performance-related careers and for future professional growth.

The Program of Study
The Performance program challenges students with creative study, critical analysis, and exciting traditional and innovative areas of application for their performance skill development.

In the tradition of all Ryerson programming, the program offers a very strong conservatory perspective to the theoretical exploration of dance or acting. There is a wide variety of practical/studio work, active learning projects, and performance-related assignments. Everyone has the opportunity to perform under the guidance of working professionals who are leaders in the artistic community.

The Core Years - Production
The first two general years of the Production program introduce the student to the multi-disciplinary and collaborative nature of production work. In core courses consisting of lectures and labs, students learn the basics of the skills required to mount a show and apply those skills in junior capacities on the School’s shows. Lecture courses include instruction in the management of the process, theatre history and the research skills required for critical thinking.

In the third and fourth years, through a large menu of lecture and lab electives, students concentrate on those areas where their interests are greatest. They take the gained knowledge with the skills learned in their first two years and apply both to their duties in more senior positions on the School’s various dance and theatre productions. Academic courses broaden the understanding of the holistic process required for producing. Students also take business and management electives to broaden their understanding of those issues.

Ryerson’s BA in Professional Communication (ProCom) provides students with solid grounding in research, analysis and practice so that they can pursue careers as savvy improvisers and reflective communication practitioners. Students in the ProCom BA develop critical and analytical skills for understanding the role of communication on personal, interpersonal and global levels. Through instruction on theory, methods of inquiry and critical thinking, students are exposed to a variety of topics, including communication technologies, social identities, professional practices and intercultural communication. Additionally, to prepare students to communicate creatively and thoughtfully in the digital and global age, experiential learning is a fundamental aspect of the ProCom BA.

The School of Professional Communication has connections to local organizations and industries, and these connections are integrated into classroom learning. Combining those experiences with theories and applications related to language, image, sound and media, students graduate prepared to assume responsibility for communication in areas such as public relations, internal communications and digital media development.

In the first year students receive a foundation in communication theory and practice, which will act as an underpinning for the entire program. The second and third years focus on further integration of theory and practice in oral, written and digital modes. Students also learn how to apply their learning to areas such as governance, health care, new media, and profit and nonprofit organizations. The fourth year provides a capstone experience with students researching and conducting their own projects within organizations.

Courses cover a range of topics, with students having the flexibility to focus their studies in the following streams:

• Organizational/corporate/nonprofit charitable stream
• New media/technical communication stream
• Governance/public policy/international communication stream
• Science/health communication stream

The School of Fashion is launching a revised undergraduate curriculum for students admitted Fall 2020 and after. The revised curriculum provides students the flexibility to gain an understanding of the range of opportunities available within the interdisciplinary field of fashion. Students will have the ability to shape their individual curricular pathways, supported by academic advising, a foundation of core and fundamentals courses, and the option to choose increasingly advanced electives from a range of concentration areas (listed below).

Over the course of four years, students will be able to identify their areas of interest and develop specialized expertise in those areas all while establishing a breadth of knowledge in fashion theory and practice. Working closely with subject matter experts, students will develop creative, technical, and theoretical skills to advance in the interdisciplinary field of fashion.