Master of Arts in Island Studies - Sustainable Island Communities (Course-Based)

at University of Prince Edward Island Canada

The School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences (SMCS) is built on a strong foundation of core Mathematics and Computer Science programs that have existed at UPEI for many years. The SMCS is unique in Atlantic Canada for offering a comprehensive suite of majors in the quantitative disciplines.

Mathematical and computational sciences are experiencing a “boom”, as many industries and sectors need people with the skills to manage, analyze, and extract useful information from data. This is what mathematicians, statisticians, and computer scientists are trained to do. Analytics (sometimes called “data science”) is at the intersection of mathematics, statistics, and computer science, and is the hottest area of job growth right now.

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 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.

A degree in Anthropology is a springboard for entry into a variety of professions. Our graduates have distinguished themselves in education, the legal and law enforcement professions, overseas development projects, large and small-scale corporations (including NGO's), museums, human resource departments, advertising and product research/development (some corporations even have their own anthropology units). The possibilities are endless.

The Department of Religious Studies offers courses that explore the many dimensions of religious history, experience, culture, and doctrine.we offer both a major and a minor field of study as well as minors in Christian Studies and Catholic Studies. In taking these courses students discover the central role played by religion in human civilization and learn to think, speak, and write thoughtfully and critically about that role.

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.

International Business (specialization):
The international opportunities in today’s world are vast. Doing business internationally is also challenging.

The specialization in international business includes four business courses that provide an overview of those opportunities and challenges, as well as five electives to be chosen from a large multi-disciplinary set of courses that can enrich a student’s understanding of the world beyond our borders. The specialization also includes an international exchange term or an international work term.  

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.

We encourage our students to fully engage in the process of liberal education. We encourage work across a broad range of elective courses in the arts and sciences, so that psychology study is enriched by a diverse context of academic disciplines and ways of experiencing, enquiring into, and making sense of our world.  Our students build skills in critical and creative thinking, effective reading, writing, and oral communication, research, and independent and collaborative problem solving.

In addition to teaching students in a wide range of psychology courses, members of our faculty have exciting programmes of research, often engaging both UPEI students and colleagues from across Canada and the world.  Our faculty members include award winning teachers and scholars, and people committed to service in the university and the broader community.  
 

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.

Our graduates have also successfully entered a variety of post-graduate programs, including Masters study in sociology and anthropology, social work, education, law, international development, criminology, and law enforcement, to mention only a few.

Because of Sociology's broad areas of interest, a degree in sociology is an excellent preparation for a variety of careers, including further postgraduate studies in the social sciences (sociology, social work, education, law, criminology and law enforcement, international development). Sociology graduates have always been valuable players in both public and private sectors; their rich and multifaceted understanding of society, together with their skills in social analysis, communications and problem solving, make them in-demand in this constantly shifting social and economic world.