Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History (Co-op Optional)

at University of Ottawa Canada

Welcome to centre stage! From practice to theory, from performance to reception, the Department of Theatre explores all aspects of theatrical events and prepares you for a life of creative expression and intellectual stimulation. We teach acting, directing, playwriting, arts administration, dramaturgy, theatre history, production, technical theatre and design as well as theory and aesthetics. When it comes to practice, opportunities abound: the Department boasts two major theatre companies and three student companies producing up to thirty original productions a season.

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in directing focuses on the practice of directing contemporary theatre. It allows students to develop their skills in the art of directing and offers the unique opportunity to study both English and French theatre practices in a bilingual and bicultural setting. The program is designed to prepare students to work as directors in professional theatre.

Environmental Science is the interdisciplinary study of the environment, its functioning and its relationship to human activities. 

The Environmental Science program at the University of Ottawa focuses on the integration of traditional science disciplines (e.g. biology, earth sciences, chemistry, physics) to study the natural environment and the impact of human activities. The program consists of a core of basic science courses complemented by courses in various disciplines that address the scientific and societal aspects of environmental problems. In addition, the program offers three areas of specialization: conservation and biodiversity; global change; and environmental geochemistry and ecotoxicology. The final year entails an independent research project or equivalent units in advanced courses in the specialization.

Software engineering is a CO-OP only program that emphasizes innovation and teamwork to develop practical, solution-driven thinking. During their fourth-year project, students in this program can form teams and leverage their work experience to create real applications; some students even start their own companies. They learn how to apply engineering principles—including rapid prototyping, requirements analysis, system modelling, design, implementation, testing and project management—to develop software. Software engineers are key professionals in fields such as high tech, finance, telecommunications, government, health care, transportation and entertainment.

Why is our world the way it is? How can we understand and explain what we observe around us, from the smallest sub-atomic particles to the largest galaxies? How can we apply this understanding to manipulate our world? Studying physics gives insight into the fundamental laws of nature. 

But an education in physics gives so much more. The rigorous training our students receive in analyzing and understanding complex problems is valuable in many future careers. While many of our graduates have established careers in universities and in the high tech sector as research and development scientists, others have used their physics degrees as a springboard to careers in finance, administration, medicine, management or education. The range of career opportunities is perhaps wider than for any other students with a science education. 

Physicists have revolutionized the way we live our lives, with groundbreaking discoveries and new technologies, transferable to other fields such as biology or finance. Our professors and graduates are an important part of this chain. Many of our professors have also been recognized for their teaching and are seen as world-class researchers in their fields of expertise. 

The research conducted by the professors in the Department of Physics is concentrated in several sub-specialties, including the physics of biological and complex systems, condensed matter physics, photonics and the physics of geomaterials. Depending upon your choice of program, you have the opportunity to take courses and participate in research projects in these specialized areas. 

In addition to the Honours BSc in Physics, we offer three other Honours BSc programs. The first is in physics-mathematics, which provides enriched mathematics training within a physics program. The second is the option in photonics, which gives students a solid training in physics and a more applied and industry-related training in photonics. The third is the option in biological physics, which teaches students to apply a rigorous education in physics to various areas of life sciences. We also offer a Major in Physics that can form the core of an Honours BSc when combined with a major or a minor in another discipline in the Faculty of Science, or in another faculty. Finally, starting in fall 2016, we will offer a five-year integrated program in physics (BSc) and electrical engineering (BASc), jointly with the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS). This unique program will offer a full education in physics and electrical engineering. Graduates will be sought after by industry and academia, as they will have the capacity to develop technology from a basic physics idea to the final product. 

The Department of Physics also has strong graduate programs, leading to an MSc or PhD. They give students the opportunity to work on cutting edge science in a research group led by one or more department professors.

The School of Music at the University of Ottawa is the only school of its kind in Canada to offer a music and cognition program that focuses on special music education. Its partnership with the Lotus Centre for Special Music Education, which provides adapted music education for the special needs community, makes for a complete learning experience combining theory and practice. You can choose to complete a 90-hour practicum and gain experience in special music education classes and camps. Interested? Enrol in the school’s microprogram, an intensive eighteen-hour workshop for which you will be credited if you start the MA program.

In the three-year Bachelor of Social Sciences program, students cover the fundamentals of the social sciences while studying three specific areas of their choice, including at least two from the following areas: anthropology, criminology, economics, political science, psychology, public administration, sociology and women’s studies. In addition, the Bachelor of Social Sciences is an excellent springboard to studies in law or education.

The Master of Education (M.Ed.), coursework option, is a course-based program designed to deepen your knowledge of education, improve your professional practice and expand your career choices.

The School of Music offers the Master of Music (MMus) with concentration in Composition, the Master of Music (MMus) with concentration in Performance and the Master of Arts (MA) in Music. Performance studies are offered in piano, collaborative piano, voice, orchestral instruments, guitar, and conducting.

Ours is the communication and information age. Analyzing how information is gathered, produced and distributed today helps us understand the communication processes that drive a variety of settings: social, cultural, political, organizational, economic and legal. In this program, you will develop critical and analytical skills in order to evaluate the nature and impact of technology and media on society, organizations and interpersonal relations. You will have the opportunity to be exposed to the latest developments in the field of communication (communication strategies, digital media, evolution of the media industry, advertising, crisis communications, negotiations, etc.). The Department of Communication offers courses in two main areas: media studies and organizational communication (internal and external communication in public and private organizations, health communication, organizational change, etc.). Combining theory and practice, our programs develop your critical and analytical skills and prepare you either for a professional career or for advanced studies.