Master of Science, Specialization in Human Biology

at University of Prince Edward Island Canada

There are a number of reasons why you should choose to major or minor in political science at UPEI. The department is characterized by diverse course offerings by expert and engaging faculty with active research interests. The small and collegial atmosphere in the department provides a unique opportunity to build mentor relationships with faculty and upper year students. The small class sizes and upper year seminar classes provide an excellent opportunity to hone research, writing, and presentation skills.

Since 1992, The Faculty of Nursing at the University of Prince Edward island has fostered an interactive academic environment that prepares nursing students to become critically reflective practitioners, advocates, educators, and professional leaders grounded in the principles of primary health care.

The curriculum of the Faculty of Nursing is based on the concepts and principles of Primary Health Care. Primary Health Care is defined by the World Health Organization (1978) as "essential health care made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community by means acceptable to them, through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford." The purpose of the program is to prepare nurses to practice according to the concepts and principles of Primary Health Care.

In keeping with the basis of Primary Health Care, nurses collaborate with clients, other health care providers, and people from other sectors of society in promoting health. Nursing roles range from direct caregiver to formulator of healthy public policy and include advocate, leader, educator, researcher, and program developer.

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.

Tourism and Hospitality (specialization):
The Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a specialization in tourism and hospitality is designed for students who plan to work in the tourism and hospitality industry in a management capacity or as an entrepreneur. 

The specialization in tourism and hospitality includes four required courses that focus specifically on the tourism and hospitality industry, as well as five electives to be chosen from a large multi-disciplinary set of courses that can enrich a students’ understanding of international business and international peoples.

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.

Today, Spanish is said to be the fastest growing language in the world. Over 360 million people speak Spanish. In the U.S., it has been the second language, and in Canada, it is becoming increasingly important and popular as NAFTA and other commercial links are established with Latin America. This creates a need for translators, interpreters and teachers, as Spanish speaking persons are needed in tourism, management, corporations, etc.

As Spanish is not presently taught in P.E.I.'s high schools, UPEI presents the only opportunity for learning this language. This means that students wishing to study Spanish start with 1010 which demands no prior background in the language. Those who have had some contact with the language either through exchanges, family background, or travel may enter at a higher level (1020, 2010, 2020, etc.).

Courses designated 1001-1020 or 2010-2020 are basically language courses, while courses above these levels focus mainly on cultural studies. Students may do a so-called minor in Spanish (7 courses) and even a major. In the latter case, however, two of the 14 semester courses must be taken elsewhere, preferably abroad.

If you are a person who loves to read, you've come to the right place. We have several degree options. Each offers strong preparation for further studies in a wide variety of areas.

The Major in English provides intensive study through reading, writing, and lively conversation. Explore the world through fiction, drama, film, poetry, non-fiction, and memoir. Enhance your ability to think about, understand, and interact with our increasingly complex society. Gain a richly diverse knowledge of how language and literature have been shaping, and continue to shape, human experience and culture.

The Minor in English is designed for those of you who want to enhance another major or wish to clear a space for literature and language studies in your lives. We also welcome anyone who wants to sample a course here and there, staying in touch with familiar writers and discovering new ones.

The Honours degree is for those who want to extend a thorough grounding in English language or literature by developing an area of independent study through a scholarly or creative writing Honours project.

As well as the place for all things literary, the English Department is home to the University Writing and Theatre Studies Programs. You will also find creative writing workshops and linguistics courses here.
 

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.

This specialization augments the Computer Science major with the skills needed to design and program video games on traditional, mobile and emerging platforms. Candidates for this program require strong programming, mathematical and problem solving skills. The focus is on game programming, rather than on artistic skills. A large and dynamic gaming industry offers graduates excellent employment prospects.  Emerging technologies such as augmented/virtual reality ensure continued growth.

History is our collective memory. History shapes our identity, informing who we are as individuals, communities and nations. In our modern complex and diverse world, the study of history has never been more relevant. Understanding the origins and developments of institutions and ideas, tensions and conflicts, societies and civilizations improves our social awareness and provides insight into the perspectives of others, allowing us to make informed decisions about future courses of action.

Studying history provides students with a tool box of transferable skills that will serve them well in today’s evolving job market. History students are trained to be excellent researchers, tracking down information and communicating their analysis with clarity and confidence. A History degree at UPEI will hone students’ abilities to weigh and assess evidence and expert opinion, to evaluate causes and consequences, and provide them with a foundation from which to develop practical solutions to contemporary problems. Our History graduates are pursuing successful careers in heritage and conservation, law, journalism, education, medicine, social services, policy analysis, business, communications, and digital information management.