Bachelor of Arts (Joint Honours) in Philosophy and Political Science

at University of Ottawa Canada

Psychology is the science that studies human behaviour and mental processes, and it is one of the richest fields of scholarly and scientific research. The BA in psychology deals with the fundamentals of psychology with a particular focus on how we learn, communicate and interact with one another, preparing you for graduate studies in experimental psychology, clinical psychology, in health sciences, in education or in administration. 

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.

Mathematics
Mathematics and statistics are not only powerful problem-solving tools, but also highly creative fields of studies that combine imagination with logic, and precision with intuition. 

Mathematics is much more than numbers! Its basic goal is to reveal and model general patterns to help explain our world, whether they be found in electrical impulses in the human nervous system, the evolution of animal populations in their habitats, fluctuations in stock-market prices, or electronic communications. Mathematics reaches far beyond science and engineering into medicine, business and the social sciences. 

Advances in mathematics and statistics lie behind many discoveries that are now part of our daily lives, such as MRI scanners, digital compression of music and video, secure electronic communications, data mining, genomic algorithms, futures pricing, and many other innovations. 

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers Honours, majors and minors both in mathematics and in statistics. Our Honours program in statistics is accredited by the Statistical Society of Canada, allowing graduates to earn the A.Stat. professional designation. Moreover, the Department offers a joint honours program in mathematics and economics, a joint honours program in mathematics and computer science, as well as a multidisciplinary program in financial mathematics and economics. All our honours programs also include the co-operative education option.

Economics
Ever wonder why some countries are richer than others? Ever question why income inequality has been growing? Ever wonder why Canadian politicians worry when other countries may be going bankrupt? Economics can answer all these questions. 

Economics examines how individuals and society make choices in a world where resources are limited. It focuses on the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Two important themes are efficiency (the absence of waste in the use of resources) and fairness. Since making choices is central to all human activities, studying economics often helps explain why people and governments behave in certain ways.

The MPH is a course-based program with an experiential learning component (Public Health Practicum) and a culminating experience (Applied Public Health Capstone Project) which demonstrates integration and synthesis of public health skills and knowledge. It is to be completed full-time over 4 terms.

The MPH builds on SEPH’s existing strengths in global health, population health risk assessment, and empirical public health sciences. The content and structure of the program are also consistent with the Canadian Guidelines for MPH programs developed by the Network of Schools and Programs of Public and Population Health, the entity which represents the professional and academic public health community in Canada.

Areas of Focus
Students will opt into one of four areas in which to focus their learning:

• Public Health Practice
• Public Health Policy
• Global Health
• Population Health Risk Assessment.

Enhanced Policy Training
We are partnered with the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs so that the MPH program can offer enhanced policy training to all enrolled students, and a policy stream that is unique in Ontario. This program will create leaders in the practice of public health and in public health policy analysis.

Program Goals
The MPH program will produce professionals who are competent, flexible, and ready to respond to diverse and changing population, disease, and political contexts in Canada and globally. In short it will prepare candidates for meaningful professional careers in the field of public health. 

The program has three goals:

• Prepare leaders for strong and professional public health practice and policy work in Canada and globally.
• For graduates planning a professional public health practice career, ensure a superior understanding of the policy perspective
• For graduates planning a public health policy career, ensure a superior understanding of the scientific evidence perspective.

Computer science at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science combines the study of computation and information processing fundamentals with their application in the world around us. Computer scientists build fast, reliable, scalable and secure software systems to organize and analyze information. The honours curriculum comprises advanced topics in databases, artificial intelligence, computer graphics, security, distributed computing and algorithm design, culminating in an honours project. 

This program teaches graduates how to use their creative and innovative talents to conceive, design and implement software systems. The Extended French Stream (EFS) is now available to all students in the Computer Science program. Our degrees are very flexible and include options, minors and a major, which can be used to explore connections between computer science and many other fields of study.

The School of Music at the University of Ottawa is one of the country's leading music schools. It is the ideal place to nurture your passion for all things musical and to pursue the rigorous training needed for an active and successful career in the field. We maintain close ties with renowned institutions such as the National Arts Centre (NAC) and the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. Our program boasts state-of-the-art music facilities and internationally recognized professors who perform around the globe and publish in leading academic journals.

Healthcare systems are undergoing unprecedented transformation fuelled by the digitization of services and investments in health information technologies. Our option in Healthcare Analytics is a field built on the crucial role that data, systems engineering, management, and organizational innovation play in improving the quality and timeliness of service delivery in a high performing healthcare system. This field answers a need to develop expertise to create the research and training capabilities required for transforming healthcare into a system that adheres to the principles of patient-centered care and participatory medicine.

Civil engineers design the infrastructure on which their communities depend, such as buildings and their foundations, bridges, canals, dams, transportation facilities, municipal sewer and water networks, and wastewater and solid waste treatment systems. 

Civil engineering students at the University of Ottawa can take advantage of world-class teaching laboratories, multimedia classrooms and outstanding computer facilities. Students develop expertise in computer applications, field and laboratory testing, and project management, and they are well-equipped to serve their communities upon graduation.

Biochemistry

• Biochemistry is the chemistry of life. It provides the foundation for understanding all biological processes as well as the molecular basis and treatment of human disease. 
• The biochemistry bachelor's provides you with the education you need to play a leading role in new and exciting areas of medical research. You will be exposed to cutting-edge research and knowledge. Our program prepares you for graduate studies and for an academic or research career in the medical sciences. What's more, biochemistry provides an excellent foundation for further studies in medicine and other areas of health care. 

You can choose an Honours BSc in Biochemistry, a major or a minor. 

• If you want to pursue a career in experimental biochemistry, choose the Honours program. If you prefer a basic biochemistry education, choose a major. And if you want to focus on another discipline but are interested in biochemistry, choose a minor. 
• If you have a particular interest in microorganisms and the role that the immune system plays in health and disease, you can also choose an Honours BSc in biochemistry with an option in microbiology and immunology. We also offer an integrated biotechnology program that lets you combine studies in biochemistry and chemical engineering and receive both a BSc in biochemistry and a BASc in chemical engineering in five years. 

As for the language of instruction, compulsory courses and many optional course units are available in either English or French. 

• If you choose the Honours in Biochemistry, you have the opportunity to complete a full-year research project under the supervision of a professor from the departments of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Biology, Physics, or Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, or under the supervision of an affiliated principle investigator from one of the many research institutes in the National Capital Region. Given the breadth of research expertise within our program, you can conduct research in many areas of modern biomedicine, including biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, chemical biology, molecular biology, cell biology, proteomics, genomics, systems biology and bioinformatics. 

Chemical Engineering

• Chemical engineering is at the intersection of many disciplines, linking knowledge of basic and applied sciences, economics, and health and safety. Chemical engineering graduates use a series of operations to sustainably process raw natural materials into finished products. They work in any number of industries, and during their careers, they may face a variety of challenges, including optimizing processes, monitoring pollution, converting renewable energy, processing foods and drugs, and manufacturing new materials.