Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies

at Trent University Peterborough Canada

Not only will you graduate with two degrees in just six years, but you’ll also have the chance to take your education global while you learn, travel, explore, and live abroad.

If a career in law is what you want, this is the program for you. 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.

How the Program Works:-
The first two years of your degree take place at Trent, where you’ll pursue your choice of 14 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 well-prepared for the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) exams, enabling you to take the required steps to practice law in Canada.

Degree Program Options:-
Business Administration*; Canadian Studies; Cultural Studies; Economics; English Literature*; Environmental & Resource Studies; Gender & Women’s Studies; History*; Indigenous Studies; International Development Studies; Media Studies*; Philosophy*; Political Studies; Sociology*

Resume Boosters:-

• Combining your law degree with your choice of B.A. or B.B.A. degree means that you will graduate with a unique set of skills and perspectives
• Meet and learn from top law professionals through our Visiting Lawyers in Residence program
• Join the Trent Law Society and benefit from field trips, workshops, and events, all with a focus on law and the legal system

Politics shape everything society touches, influencing what we believe, how we live and what we do to create order in a chaotic world. In this program, you’ll learn to make a positive impact through shaping and influencing social policy, focusing on Canadian politics, world politics and political theory. You’ll find yourself debating and exploring ideas surrounding democracy and global politics, closely examining power relations and relationships between state, business, and citizens.

Public Policy (Specialization):-
In today’s challenging political environment, the world needs new leaders who are driven to find the best solutions to society’s problems. The specialization in Public Policy is the ideal path for students in Political Studies who are interested in pursuing a career in public service, think tanks, as well as non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations.

Resume Boosters:-

• Apply your learning to the real world through a community engagement project or political internship
• Get published – complete a fourth-year thesis under the supervision of expert faculty who are leaders in the field
• Go global and internationalize your degree (and experience) through a study abroad opportunity

Information Systems
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.

Science
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.

Explore the way gender relations have  shaped culture, history and contemporary society. In this program, you will explore a broad range of feminist perspectives from a lens of social justice. Dive deep into conversations about labour, health, history, popular culture, law, the environment, social policy, literature, and globalization. At Trent, you will develop an interdisciplinary understanding of feminist thought and practice, and the ways that feminism intersects with critical race, disability, decolonial and critical sexuality studies.

Resume Boosters:

• Put your knowledge to the test through a community-based gender research project working with organizations like The Elizabeth Fry Society or the Ontario Public Research Interest Group
• Calibrate a skillset that includes a gendered lens on key issues, invaluable for those seeking careers in social work, teaching or policing
• Access awards and bursaries exclusive to Gender and Social Justice students
• Engage with guest lecturers, authors, and leaders in the field

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.

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

Build your future career by uncovering the ancient past, studying in one of the most robust archaeology programs in Canada. Your studies will focus on the history of human beings, examining artifacts, human and animal bones, architecture, and plants. You’ll learn the field methods and lab techniques used to study these materials, as well as theories archaeologists use to understand the ancient cultures and past civilizations of the Americas, Europe and the pre-Classical and Classical Mediterranean world.

Resume Boosters:-

• Perform hands-on research (even during your undergrad degree!) in specialized on-campus labs for bioarchaeology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), archaeozoology, and lithic and ceramic analysis
• Immerse yourself in the global community – conduct field work abroad in places like Belize, Greece, Europe, Turkey, North Africa, and more… or right here in Ontario

Analyzing blood or hair specimens at crime scenes; deciphering the cause of death of an individual based on human remains; and identifying illegal products from endangered species– just a few examples of the role forensic biologists play in the field of forensic science. Trent’s Forensics Biology degree gives you all the advantages of hands-on forensic studies, while developing your expertise as a biological scientist. Students of the Forensic Biology degree program receive a comprehensive biology education that includes the study of life - from the level of molecules and cells to populations and communities - applying this knowledge in the practical applications of crime scenes and criminal investigations.

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
• Direct access to leading experts in DNA profiling, forensics and at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Making sound decisions. Managing business growth. Creating short-term and long-term strategies. Each of these actions (and more) are rooted in a sound understanding of accounting. This specialization allows students to not only gain a thorough understanding of accounting, but also make and gain critical career experience and connections through the specialization’s co-op stream. Across three work terms, you can explore different areas and analysis of accounting, get paid, and prepare for a potential future as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) or other professional track.

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.
• Prepare for your CPA designation or springboard into an M.B.A.
• Complete 100-hours of hands-on professional experience through an internship with business sector companies and organizations
• Network with industry experts and organizations through program-led events

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.

Forensics:-
Trent is the only university in Canada to offer students the chance to combine your study of forensics with one of several different academic disciplines. Choose a joint major in forensics in combination with a vast array of complementary areas of study in either the arts or the sciences. Interested in a career in forensics specializing in ballistics? A joint degree with Physics could come in handy. Want to analyze the mental state of criminals, or become a criminal profiler? Combine your Forensics degree with a B.A. in Psychology. The emerging field of computer forensics means a joint major with Computing Systems can help you stand out from the crowd. No matter what your forensic career ambitions are, you have plenty of options at Trent.

Business:-
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.

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