Bachelor of Art in (Honours) International Development Studies

at Trent University Peterborough Canada

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.

Psychology:-
Psychology is the study of human behaviour, the brain, and the mind. This program is perfect for students who wish to develop a better understanding of how and why people act, think, and feel the way they do. You’ll study the principles of psychology and a variety of specialized subjects ranging from personality, child development, and abnormal psychology in your first two years, to advanced subjects such as gender, emotions, and the psychology of evil in the latter half of your degree.

Economics:-
At both a national and global level, the most significant social issues involve economics. Through your studies in Economics, you’ll gain a thorough understanding of the methods and tools required to analyze complex economic issues such as unemployment, inflation, economic growth and the regulation of the market structure. Your studies will enable you to use national and international data to explore trends and tendencies, test economic models, and will give you the ability to recommend policies addressing inadequacies with market outcomes.

Resume Boosters:-

• Gain the diversity of knowledge today’s employers are looking by studying and specializing in not one, but two academic disciplines
• Hands-on learning experiences abound in all Trent programs – gain the competitive edge on your resume

Schools all over Canada are in need of Indigenous educators, and an educational environment that honours the culture, language, and knowledges of Indigenous students is critical. Trent’s highly unique Indigenous B.Ed. program puts Indigenous knowledge and perspectives at the forefront of teacher preparation, providing self-identified First Nations, Me?tis, Inuit and Indigenous students with the opportunity to become exceptional educators.

Resume Boosters:-

• Enjoy education placement opportunities in every year of your degree
• Attend traditional gatherings and connect with elders, traditional knowledge holders and surrounding Indigenous communities
• Benefit from Mohawk or Ojibwe language instruction in first year and learning opportunities on the land and water
• Ontario College of Teachers Certification

As a graduate of this advanced program, you’ll apply your skills to uncover evidence recovered at crime scenes, draw impartial conclusions based on physical evidence, and present and defend these findings using your foundational knowledge in science.

Beyond TV shows like NCIS or CSI, this highly-rewarding discipline integrates the study of science and law with investigative practice and theory. By studying Forensic Science at Trent, you’ll learn the foundational science of forensics through the study of anthropology, biology, and chemistry, along with uniquely specialized forensics courses. The B.Sc.F.S. degree emphasizes emerging developments in DNA forensic applications and crime scene investigation through courses in laboratory techniques and related case work.

Resume Boosters:

• First-hand investigative work with bloodstain pattern analysis, fingerprinting, and evidence recovery in mock crime scenes at Trent’s on-campus Crime Scene House
• Opportunities to research and work directly with scientists in the lab and professionals in the field
• A third-year work placement in a sub-discipline of your choice, including Federal government internships with Border Services, RCMP, Health Canada, Food Inspection Services
• Hands-on internships with federal organizations including Border Services, RCMP, Communication Security, Health Canada, Food Inspection Services
• Direct access to leading experts in DNA profiling, forensics and at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Virtually every organization and field of study rely on computers in order to succeed in today’s hyper-digital age. As an Information Systems student, you’ll look for better ways to accomplish tasks using computing technologies, exploring how the world processes, manages, and communicates information. Over the course of your degree, you’ll develop a unique understanding of technical subjects such as databases, networks, data visualization and telecommunications, as well as non-technical matters such as ethics, law, and digital culture.

Resume Boosters:-

• Put theory into real-world practice through a third-year or summer internship or fourth-year student-driven project
• Learn alongside the experts as you pursue an undergraduate research thesis with your prof
• Take advantage of small class sizes to get to know your profs – comes in handy for personal references

Trent’s unique Biomedical Science degree combines the study of biology and medicine, allowing you to examine the impact of disease on human health. In this program, you’ll study a range of medical and health-related topics such as cell biology, anatomy and biochemistry. You’ll gain a better understanding of how the many levels and approaches to health and medicine are complementary, and you’ll learn to apply these principles to assess and solve problems as they relate to real-world health issues.

Resume Boosters:-

• Gain valuable, real-world experience in a medical or health-care related setting through a capstone internship or placement courses, something that no other Ontario university offers in a four-year Biomedical Science degree
• Work alongside leading faculty in state-of-the-art research facilities, as well as healthcare professionals in the community
• Complete a fourth-year honours research thesis

Humans need to eat, and while this shared necessity unites us in many ways, discovering new ways to sustainably grow enough food for seven billion people has become an increasingly crucial global challenge. By studying sustainable agriculture, you can learn to create food systems that are responsible, justice- oriented, efficient, effective, and viable. In this program, you’ll examine the pathways between farm and table and their implications for people, the economy, and the planet. Learn about the challenges and benefits of producing and distributing healthy, affordable food in sustainable ways, and prepare for a career in which you can affect change and positively impact your community.

Small-Scale Farming Specialization
The Specialization in Small-scale Farming provides students in Trent’s one-of-a-kind Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (B.A. or B.Sc.) program with a comprehensive background and hands-on experience in growing food and contributing to resilient regional food systems.

Through a new, intensive hands-on field course, that covers the principles of vegetable and field crops in terms of sustainable management on the Trent Model Farm, students study the principles to cultivate crops including field preparing, soil and nutrient management, seeding, pest management, irrigation techniques, harvest and post-harvest.

Discovering new ways to grow our food sustainably has become an increasingly crucial global challenge. By studying sustainable agriculture, we can work together to create food systems that are responsible, justice-oriented, efficient, effective, and viable. In this program, you’ll examine the links between farm and table and their implications for people, the economy, and the planet. Learn about the challenges and benefits of producing and distributing healthy, affordable food in sustainable ways, while preparing for a career in which you can affect change and positively impact your community.

Resume Boosters:-

• Make your mark in our engaged student community by joining the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Society, Trent Apiary, or Food Services Sustainability Committee
• Join a new crop of entrepreneurs working in the Trent Market Garden, which provides fresh vegetables to cafeterias right here on campus, or volunteer with the student-run organic café The Seasoned Spoon
• Work alongside leading experts in the field and complete impactful community research projects

As a B.E.S.S. student at one of Canada’s top postsecondary environmental institutions, develop a strong understanding of solutions to natural resource and environmental problems and learn how to combine scientific and social knowledge effectively in this interdisciplinary joint arts-science degree. You will gain an understanding of the scientific aspects of contemporary environmental issues that are linked to policy and planning decisions leading to an environmentally sustainable future. Your studies will address environmental challenges, science, policy and politics from multiple perspectives.

Accelerated Master's Degree:-
Earn your M.Sc. in Environmental & Life Sciences (ELS) in only 12-16 months after graduating from your B.Sc.

Resume Boosters:-

• Conduct hands-on research in state-of-the-art labs and Trent’s extensive “living laboratory” of nature reserves right here on campus
• Minimum entrance and performance requirements challenge you to maintain a high standard of academic performance throughout your degree
• Pursue a capstone or community-based research project or write and defend an undergraduate Honours thesis

Through this one-of-a-kind degree, you will combine skills in mathematics and business to learn the science behind investing, preparing you for a successful career in business finance, banking, investment, or another path.

Canada’s financial industry has a growing demand for graduates who possess quantitative analytical skills beyond crunching numbers – skills that help guide businesses and individuals with their most important investment decisions. Combining mathematics, statistics, economics, business, and computing, this one-of-a-kind degree program will teach you to analyze investment industry trends and implement real-world data models, setting you up for an exciting career in an increasingly complex financial world.

The study of Philosophy can shed light on some of the most fundamental and important questions we ask as human beings. At Trent, you’ll explore your place in the world, the nature of reality, the meaning of human existence, and the limits of knowledge. You will be encouraged to develop your own philosophical positions as you cultivate your ability to reason logically, question commonly held assumptions, and develop a worldview that does justice to the complexity of life.

Resume Boosters:-

• Put your work on display at the Trent Philosophy Society’s annual student symposium
• Enjoy generous awards and scholarships available exclusively to Philosophy majors
• Interact with our strong network of Philosophy alumni that stop in from time to time, including Yann Martel, best-selling author of Life of Pi