Master of Arts in Island Studies, Specialization in International Relations (Island Studies) and Island Public Policy (Course-Based)

at University of Prince Edward Island Canada

In 1997, in cooperation with the Prince Edward Island School of Radiography, the University of Prince Edward Island and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Charlottetown entered an articulation agreement to enable the offering by the University of a Bachelor of Applied Science in Radiography.

The Biology Department at UPEI has a strong tradition of helping people realize their potential through deep consideration of the biological world. A scientific understanding of the plants and animals is, in many ways, its own reward. But it is also a pathway to a large number of exciting and fulfilling career opportunities. A biology program is a common route toward the health professions (human and veterinary medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, etc.), for which we offer strong pre-professional programs. It can also lead to careers in environmental analysis, biotechnology, laboratory diagnostics, and many other things. Biology graduates also often establish other sorts of careers (lawyer, business professional) for which the knowledge of biology can be a strong personal and professional asset.

The strength of our educational programs derive from the strength of our scholarly activity and research. Our faculty hold grants from the Natural Sciences and Research Council of Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Atlantic Innovation Foundation, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Prince Edward Island Health Research Institute, among others. Our faculty have research programs in neurobiology, arctic insect ecology, cancer cell biology, watershed ecology, pollination biology, coastal habitat ecology, animal habitat fragmentation, heart and stroke physiology, aquatic toxicology, plant ecological genetics, among others.

The Faculty of Business is committed to providing students with a high quality, integrated business education in a personalized learning environment. It is structured to provide the broad-based, cross-functional business education required for leaders of business, government, and not-for-profit organizations. The Faculty's personalized learning environment provides opportunities for extensive interaction between students, faculty and practitioners.

The Faculty of Business holds a unique position within the province’s education system. As the only university school of business, it is committed to intellectual leadership, and to excellence in developing new knowledge and conveying that knowledge to its students and to the public. In order to attract, develop and retain students, faculty and staff, the Faculty recognizes that it must sustain an intellectually stimulating environment.

The Faculty views its students not as customers, but rather as partners in the development of a high quality business education. Graduates are expected to have developed competency in integrating the core functional business disciplines; ethical, social, historical and global awareness; critical thinking and problem solving; quantitative analysis; communication skills and leadership; team work as well as personal initiative; technological application in business; and using business research to support evidence-informed practice.

The degree program in the Faculty of Business is designed to fulfill this mission and to provide the educational breadth and depth needed by business leaders.

Co-Operative Education

The UPEI Co-op Program is an integrated approach to university education which enables students to alternate academic terms on campus with work terms in suitable employment. The success of such programs is founded on the principle that students are able to apply theoretical knowledge from course studies in the workplace and return to the classroom with practical workplace experience.

Students accepted into the program, complete at least three 14-week paid work terms and three professional development courses.

The Co-op option is available to full-time students in any specialization within the Faculty of Business. Applications to the Co-op Education Program are normally made after completion of the first year of study. Students who successfully complete all the requirements of the program will have the notation entered on their transcripts and on the graduation parchment.

Analytics is situated at the confluence of statistics, computer science and mathematics all centered on finding, interpreting and presenting meaningful patterns in data. We offer a Bachelor of Science in Analytics with specialization in either Data Analytics or Business Analytics, with co-operative education options available in both specializations. As data increasingly pervades our lives, graduates in Analytics are in high demand across a broad spectrum of fields including government, business and technology.

he UPEI Bachelor of Science in Applied Climate Change and Adaptation provides students with a strong foundation in climate sciences complemented by courses in climate related policy and cultural impacts of climate change. The program offers strong comprehensive theory-based courses and a high level of experiential and applied learning. Courses are designed to develop well-rounded students who have a high level of climate change science knowledge supported by highly relevant skills needed to utilize climate change related technology. Faculty members teaching within the Bachelor of Science in Applied Climate Change and Adaptation program are focused on providing quality instruction and student growth within a cohort-based learning community. Graduates of the program will emerge ready to pursue various climate change related careers, professional studies, or graduate education.

This program of study examines "climate change adaptation" which refers to the adjustments that societies or ecosystems make to limit the negative effects of climate change or to take advantage of opportunities provided by a changing climate. Adaptation can range from a farmer planting more drought-resistant crops to a coastal community evaluating how best to protect its infrastructure from rising sea level. Climate change is already impacting societies and ecosystems around the world, and many impacts are expected to increase as global temperatures continue to rise. While reducing greenhouse gas emissions is required to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, a certain amount of global warming is inevitable, due to the long-lasting nature of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere, and to heat already stored in the oceans. Adapting to the changes that are already underway, and preparing for future climate change, can help reduce the risks societies will face from climate change.

Economics belongs to the branch of knowledge known as the "Social Sciences." The social sciences deal with both intergenerational and intra-generational interactions between human beings in a society.

Human activities can, of course, be studied from many different perspectives. We could look at humans as political, psychological, historical, or economic beings. A political scientist, for example, would analyze the political activities of the people while an economist would examine activities related to their livelihood. Human beings, in order to fulfil their innate desire for food and shelter, engage in activities that lead them to the production of goods such as food, clothing, and housing, as well as services. These acts of production and consumption to satisfy human wants form the very basis of the subject matter of Economics. Perhaps observing people engaged in this pursuit, Alfred Marshall defined economics as "a study of mankind in the ordinary business of life."

Since the ordinary business of life involves the use of limited natural and human-made resources (capital), people have always been interested in making the best possible use of these resources. This efficient use of resources has been the underlying theme in economics. Hence, the most succinct definition of economics would be that economics deals with the efficient utilization of scarce resources to satisfy human wants. Scarcity gives legitimacy to economics. If there is no scarcity, there is no economic problem.

The discipline of Economics is built upon two strands of theory: Microeconomic Theory and Macroeconomic Theory. Microeconomic deals with the study of individual units in an economy, such as consumers, producers, and the interaction of these units in a given market structure. Macroeconomic theory, on the other hand, deals with the economy as a whole. Here we analyze the problems related to unemployment, growth, inflation, and the balance of payments. Most of the other courses in Economics are applied courses which use the concepts of Microeconomic Theory and/ or Macroeconomic Theory. An understanding of the relationship between these two theory courses and other fields in economics is usually helpful in planning your selection of courses.

The MSc degree of the University of Prince Edward Island requires the demonstration of a reasonable mastery of a concentrated field of study. The latter is attested by the achieving of satisfactory standings in the minimum number of graduate courses required by the respective Faculty, the completion of a research project, and the writing of a thesis based upon the research. There will be considerable interaction and co-operation among the departments/faculties to provide courses and research facilities to meet the needs of individual students and their research projects.

The Master of Arts in Island Studies (MAIS) at the University of Prince Edward Island is a unique, interdisciplinary, and policy-driven graduate program that critiques islands on their own terms. We welcome students from around the world with diverse disciplinary backgrounds and diverse degrees, or with professional workplace experience in the public, private, or resource sectors.

Our program offers a challenging opportunity for students with:

• A special interest in researching islands: their societies, economies, histories, cultures, governments, geographies, and environments
• An interest in public policy and administration
• Career aspirations within local, regional, national, and international governmental and non-governmental organizations
• Career aspirations in the private and resource sectors
• A desire for the challenge of graduate education

Sustainable Island Communities
Islands are special environments that are both resilient and vulnerable to changes in climate, economy and culture. A specialization in Sustainable Island Communities combines concepts of community development with practices of sustainability on islands to create a cutting-edge post-graduate degree. This focus area is ideal for students interested in the interdependence of physical, ecological, economic, political, cultural and social issues and who want to strengthen their abilities to become effective agents of community change. Students learn to take concepts, skills, solutions and strategies learnt in the classroom and test them against real-world situations on islands throughout the world.  Almost all public and private organizations are now incorporating some aspects of sustainability planning –including climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies - into their practices.

Employment opportunities for graduates of this specialization include community economic development, natural resources management, sustainable agriculture, rural and land-use planning, renewable and alternative energy management, environmental consulting, sustainability director positions, and posts with international organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, World Watch, Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund. Local, regional and federal government departments of sustainability and environmental management on islands would be natural employers for graduates from this focus area. Students will benefit from opportunities accorded them from UPEI’s Institute of Island Studies and the UNESCO Chair in Island Studies and Sustainability based at UPEI.

The MSc degree of the University of Prince Edward Island requires the demonstration of a reasonable mastery of a concentrated field of study. The latter is attested by the achieving of satisfactory standings in the minimum number of graduate courses required by the respective Faculty, the completion of a research project, and the writing of a thesis based upon the research.

There will be considerable interaction and co-operation among the departments/faculties to provide courses and research facilities to meet the needs of individual students and their research projects.

The Faculty of Business is committed to providing students with a high quality, integrated business education in a personalized learning environment. It is structured to provide the broad-based, cross-functional business education required for leaders of business, government, and not-for-profit organizations. The Faculty's personalized learning environment provides opportunities for extensive interaction between students, faculty and practitioners.

The Faculty of Business holds a unique position within the province’s education system. As the only university school of business, it is committed to intellectual leadership, and to excellence in developing new knowledge and conveying that knowledge to its students and to the public. In order to attract, develop and retain students, faculty and staff, the Faculty recognizes that it must sustain an intellectually stimulating environment.

The Faculty views its students not as customers, but rather as partners in the development of a high quality business education. Graduates are expected to have developed competency in integrating the core functional business disciplines; ethical, social, historical and global awareness; critical thinking and problem solving; quantitative analysis; communication skills and leadership; team work as well as personal initiative; technological application in business; and using business research to support evidence-informed practice.

The degree program in the Faculty of Business is designed to fulfill this mission and to provide the educational breadth and depth needed by business leaders.

Accounting (specialization):
A specialization in accounting is intended for business students wishing to pursue a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation after graduation.

The Co-op option is available to full-time students in any specialization within the Faculty of Business. Applications to the Co-op Education Program are normally made after completion of the first year of study. Students who successfully complete all the requirements of the program will have the notation entered on their transcripts and on the graduation parchment.