Master of Arts in Music - Music and Cognition profile (Course-Based)

at University of Ottawa Canada

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.

Geology is a modern, dynamic and diverse science that involves investigating the composition and evolution of Earth and other planetary bodies.

Geologists and Earth scientists study the Earth, including its chemical, physical and biological evolution. Our programs teach students how to analyze Earth materials, probe the Earth from surface to core and model the processes that produced and shape its oceans and continents. The Ottawa region is a natural laboratory where students investigate resources (water, metals, minerals, petroleum), hazards (earthquakes, tsunamis, eruptions, landslides) and a variety of geological environments.

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences offers programs in geology and, along with the Department of Physics, a program in geology-physics. These programs balance field-based learning with theoretical and analytical investigations directly relevant to the needs of society. The final year involves an independent research project or equivalent units (credits) in advanced courses in the discipline.

The honours requirements meet the professional accreditation requirements of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario and l’Ordre des géologues du Québec.

The School of International Development and Global Studies (SIDGS) offers interdisciplinary programs leading to a Master of Arts (MA) in International Development and Globalization and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in International Development.

The master’s program is offered in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Law (common law and civil law), and the Faculty of Social Sciences and includes a co-op option.

The SIDGS offers an interdisciplinary MA program that exposes students to a broad range of development theory, policy and practice, while also permitting specialization in one of four fields: Conflict, Transitions and Peace; Growth, Private Sector and Social Inclusion; Livelihoods, Resources and Sustainability; and Social Movements, Equity and Human Rights.  Students have opportunities for hands-on practice through Co-op and international internships, as well as for networking with development policymakers and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the federal capital.

The MA in sociology is offered as a full-time and a part-time program, in French and in English. In English, the maximum number of annual admissions is fixed according to the procedure explained in the "Admission Requirements" section. In accordance with the University of Ottawa regulation, students may write their assignments, research papers, theses and examinations in either English or French.

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 French Immersion Stream 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.
 

Environmental issues fill the headlines — climate change, the oil sands, species loss, to name but a few. Is it possible to grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time? Is our current economic path sustainable? The Honours Bachelor in Environmental Economics and Public Policy provides students with a multidisciplinary understanding of the environment, the economy and the interaction between the two. The program includes a CO-OP option, and students may also undertake a research internship in the public or non-profit sector in fourth year. All students undertake original policy research in a capstone course in either environmental or natural resource economics. The program opens doors to careers in environment-economy policy development and analysis in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

Building on a solid foundation of traditional engineering skills, this program covers many different aspects of computer software and hardware design, and allows for more specialized studies in microprocessor-based systems, computer architecture, programming concepts, real-time operating systems, software engineering and robotics. This program provides multiple paths to a variety of careers.

The University of Ottawa School of Music is among the few offering a full master’s in musicians’ health and well-being, particularly in prevention and treatment of pain and injuries, as well as performance anxiety. Through innovative research, professors apply academic rigour to music pedagogy.

The school has launched a Musicians’ Wellness Centre dedicated to clinical research and professional training, not to mention a network of health care services. You can complete an internship there to gain professional experience and work with experts in fields such as physiotherapy, yoga, Feldenkrais Method, Alexander Method, audiology and mindfulness meditation.

Philosophy
Since it deals mainly with issues that have no simple solutions, philosophy emphasizes the exchange of ideas and debate, and thus cultivates an appetite for deep and serious reflection. By reading and discussing the works of the world's great thinkers on fundamental topics like truth, justice, morality and existence, you sharpen your own ability to think clearly, critically and independently. The Department's curriculum has a twin approach, historical and analytical, and covers political and social philosophy, ethics, philosophy of science, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind and logic. 

Political Science
Politics is omnipresent in our lives. Political science seeks to describe, analyze, understand and assess the principles and power relations that govern social life. It revolves as much around the structures and institutions that define these relations and principles as around the ideas and practices that drive them. It studies everything that influences political life and institutions (ideologies, groups, social movements, etc.) on a local, regional, national and international scale.

Our programs offer in-depth training in political science and encourage critical reflection on pivotal issues like citizenship, identity, political participation, globalization and development, governance and the state, and ethics and democracy. A discipline open to many theoretical and methodological approaches, political science constantly exchanges and shares with other fields. At the University of Ottawa's School of Political Studies, you build your knowledge in four subfields of political science: political thought, Canadian and Quebec politics, comparative politics, and international relations and global politics.

The study of public administration seeks to advance our understanding of how governments work and of their role in contemporary societies. It examines public management principles from various perspectives (administration, financial management, human resources, ethics, administrative reforms, governance, etc.) and the processes involved in designing public policies (policy cycle, roles of various stakeholders, ideologies, contextual factors, etc.). The program offers a high-quality education to students seeking a career in the public or para-public sectors, as well as those who seek to work in the private or non-profit sectors, or in government relations.