Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Media Studies and Psychology (Joint Majors)

at Trent University - Durham GTA Canada

An important field of study particularly in today’s social media-focused world, Sociology helps us achieve a greater understanding of the complex yet simplistic nature of humankind, and the societies in which we choose to organize ourselves. Rooted in the social sciences and inspired by a passion for social justice, Trent’s Sociology program engages students in understanding and acting on the consequences of social change. Through this degree, you’ll explore and question a diverse range of social topics, completing your studies with a heightened understanding of human relationships and society. A sociology degree is an excellent foundation for law school, teachers college, social work or similar programs.

Social Justice & Equity Studies (Specialization)
Be a driving force behind the creation of a more inclusive world and broaden your understanding of the dimensions and intersections of social equality.
Would you describe yourself as a passionate advocate? Interested in being a change maker? Find your future career path with the new Social Justice & Equity Studies specialization. Gain insight into issues affecting equality in communities and workplaces in Canada and around the world. Broaden your perspective on gender, race, class and sexuality, as well as the systems and power structures that shape our society. This specialization turns Sociology majors into sought-after talent for diverse career paths in advocacy, social work, policing and human resources.

Forge your own path to a rewarding career in education through Trent’s distinctive Teacher Education Stream (TES). If your dream is to become a teacher, this one-of-a-kind program is the best pathway. TES will provide you with a strong foundation for application to a consecutive B.Ed. teacher education program, giving you an opportunity to design your B.A. or B.Sc. degree according to your individual interests. Gain relevant practical and theoretical knowledge through coursework and experiential opportunities such as teaching placements and other hands-on experiences. 

Create a unique educational focus based on your passions and interests, with an interdisciplinary knowledge base
Trent’s joint major programs give you full license to create a degree that's uniquely your own, by combining courses in the arts, sciences, or professional programs. Have a passion for social justice? Combine your Politics degree with Gender & Women’s Studies. Interested in all things tech? Join Media Studies and Computing Systems. Mix and match programs that best appeal to your interests, preparing yourself for a future with more possibility.

Combine degrees. Expand your horizons.
At Trent, you have the flexibility to combine nearly any two programs of your choice. To help you narrow it down, here’s a list of some of our most popular combinations:

• Media Studies and Psychology 
• Anthropology and History 
• English and Media Studies 
• Biology and Psychology 
• Anthropology and Psychology 
• Environmental Studies and Biology 
• Anthropology and Sociology 
• Geography and Canadian Studies 
• Computing Systems and Media Studies 
• Economics and Philosophy 
• Economics and Psychology 
• English and Psychology 
• Psychology and Sociology 
• Computing Systems and Economics 
• English and Sociology 

You can also explore the popular joint major combinations within our professional programs like Business Administration and Forensic Science.

Child & Youth Studies:-
Offered exclusively at Trent’s Durham GTA campus, the Child & Youth Studies program focuses on how children learn through play and creativity. You’ll gain essential expertise in understanding the child and youth experience through exploration in emotional and cognitive development, relationships and social interaction, diversity and social justice, laws and rights, and teaching and programming.

Sociology:-
An important field of study particularly in today’s social media-focused world, Sociology helps us achieve a greater understanding of the complex yet simplistic nature of humankind, and the societies in which we choose to organize ourselves. Rooted in the social sciences and inspired by a passion for social justice, Trent’s Sociology program engages students in understanding and acting on the consequences of social change. Through this degree, you’ll explore and question a diverse range of social topics, completing your studies with a heightened understanding of human relationships and society. A sociology degree is an excellent foundation for law school, teachers college, social work or similar programs.

With so many fascinating science programs offered at Trent, it can be difficult to know which degree to choose. If you’re interested in general sciences but haven’t yet decided on a specific program, this flexible first-year pathway is for you. Honours Science allows you to explore courses across various science programs before declaring a major or joint-major in your second year. You can even choose to combine different disciplines, taking courses from programs across both the sciences and arts.

Program Paths
Start in Honours Science in first year and move into the science program of your choice in second year – Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology… which major will you choose?

Graduate with two degrees in just six years, while taking your education across the Atlantic to Wales as you live, learn, travel, explore, and live abroad.

Dreaming of a career in law? The Trent/Swansea Dual Degree program will get you there. In this one-of-a-kind program, you will undertake either a Bachelor of Arts Honours or a Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Trent, Ontario’s #1 undergrad university, while also obtaining a law degree from Swansea University’s renowned Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law in the UK – no need to write the LSATs.

Your Law Career Starts Here
The first two years of your degree take place at Trent, where you’ll pursue your choice of 16 degree options. In third year, you’ll transfer to the coastal city of Swansea in Wales to complete three years of law studies, earning your Bachelor of Laws degree. Once your LL.B. is complete, you’ll return to Trent to complete your Honours degree credentials. By simultaneously taking several Canadian Law courses in your final year at Trent, you’ll be wellprepared for the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) exams, enabling you to take the required steps to practice law in Canada.

Psychology is defined as the scientific study of behaviour and the mind. You will study the principles of behaviour through lectures, labs, seminars and research. Explore topics from sleep and dreams to health, sexuality, and perception. You will acquire both research skills and a broadly-based background in the basic content of the discipline, combined with the opportunity at upper levels to focus on more specialized topics.

Resume Boosters

• Undertake an undergraduate independent research thesis or research practicum and work one-on-one with award-winning faculty
• Apply the skills you learn in the classroom to a real-world healthcare setting through unique new research placement on aging
• Get excellent reference letters from your profs for grad school or your first job thanks to our highly-personalized learning environment

Earn credit for doing as well as thinking, gaining hands-on experience by fabricating 3D-printed objects, bending circuits, shooting on 16mm film, creating fake social media profiles, and more. In Media Studies, you'll examine the influence of advertising and ideology, the political economy of media corporations, and the principles of multimedia design. You'll also benefit from our interdisciplinary curriculum, learning across subjects from the humanities to the sciences, and taking workshop, internship, and community-based research courses with your professors and media professionals.

Resume Boosters:-

• Chart your own path taking courses from a dozen contributing departments including Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Computing Systems, and Political Studies
• Take workshop, internship, and community-based research courses with professors and media professionals
• Create a portfolio of your work with media new and old: write zines, compose music, code videogames, report the news, program radio shows, and more

Gain critical and interdisciplinary understanding of criminalization and punishment, in a program that places critical focus on systemic oppression including the historical and contemporary realities of Indigenous peoples’, over-criminalization.

Justice served is about so much more than crime and punishment. In Trent’s new Criminology degree, you will gain a foundational understanding of the influence of social inequality as a cause of crime. Learning alongside faculty experts in Sociology, Law, Gender & Social Justice and Indigenous Studies, as well as the new Canada Research Chair in Community-Partnered Social Justice, you will apply your skills and knowledge to better understand the systems at play for both criminals and victims. This program is offered fully online or as a hybrid program with both online and on campus, in-class learning. Students also have the potential to perform independent research on homelessness, the criminalization of women, as well as gain critical understanding of the realities of Indigenous peoples’ and the criminal justice system.

Resume Boosters:

• Complete a work placement with community organizations and agencies such as Correctional Services Ontario, the Crown Attorney, Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society, Elizabeth Fry Society, Canadian Mental Health Association or Youth Emergency Shelter
• Practice analyzing real crime data to answer pressing criminology-related questions in society today
• Form a dynamic and critical understanding of crime as a social justice issue with practical implications for research and policy
• Gain a solid foundation in legal research methodology and theoretical application that will prepare you for success in a variety of workplace settings

You want to become an innovative business leader or entrepreneur. No other program will help you get there better than Trent’s exclusive Bachelor of Business Administration. By examining corporate, self-employment, online, small business, and other business models, you’ll learn the fundamentals of leadership and management, gaining a deep understanding of the organization of business and its role in today’s highly-digital world.

Communications and Critical Thinking (Option):-
Further develop your creative and logical thinking, project management, teamwork, problem analysis, and clear and persuasive communication skills. In this option, you’ll also have a chance to participate in the community-based capstone course. An option is a “mini-minor” – a set of courses in one discipline that can be completed in conjunction with any undergraduate degree program, allowing you to focus on an additional subject of interest.

You want to become an innovative leader or entrepreneur. No other program will help you reach your career goals better than Trent’s exemplary Bachelor of Business Administration, and its leading co-op stream which has students putting their in-demand skills into practice across three work terms. By examining a range of contemporary business models—in class and in action in the workplace, if you choose--from corporate and online to small business and self-employment, you’ll learn the fundamentals of leadership and management, gaining a deep understanding of the organization of business and its role in today’s ever-evolving and highly-digital world.

Resume Boosters

• Explore your strengths and career interests, and graduate with 12 months of work experience (and income) through the new four-year B.B.A. co-op option, giving you the competitive edge for future job prospects.
• In fourth year, gain valuable hands-on professional experience by completing 100 hours of placement in an academic term or a 6, 8, or 12 month internship, with diverse companies and organizations.
• Gain leadership experience as part of the Trent Business Student Association – a student-run organization that creates engaging and career-ready experiences for Business students.
• Sharpen your entrepreneurial skillset as you take part in a hands-on exercise on new venture planning and design or compete in local and national business competitions, including Jeux du Commerce, Pitch It, and Durham Ideas
• Network with industry experts and organizations by tapping into the local business community through Chambers of Commerce in Peterborough and Durham, entrepreneurship communities, and the recently announced Trent Enterprise Centre at Cleantech Commons
• Through Trent’s CEO-in-Residence program, build a connection with a globally-recognized business executive (like our inaugural CEO-in-Residence, Dr. Katie Taylor – the first woman to chair a Canadian financial institution) through mentorship meet-ups and events