Bachelor of Arts in Honours Arts and Business - Liberal Studies

at University of Waterloo Canada

Use insights from the natural, physical, and social sciences to help solve some of the world’s biggest environmental challenges — from water scarcity to pollution to loss of biodiversity.

Learn about conserving and restoring ecosystems, and explore issues in environmental governance. And thanks to our small classes, you’ll develop a real sense of community right from first year.

When you graduate, you can apply your knowledge in a growing number of fields, from green technology to ecological consulting to environmental law. And if you want an early start, you can also apply that knowledge to paid co-op work terms.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

Learn about the fascinating and complex world under your feet by exploring topics such as geology, geophysics, geochemistry, and hydrogeology.

In its four billion year old history, the Earth has changed – sometimes slowly (such as mountain building) and sometimes with violent and sudden transformations that can be devastating (such as a meteorite impact). In Earth Sciences you'll learn about the make up of our planet, from rocks and soil to water and the effects of climate change. We depend upon resources that come from the Earth, such as minerals, oil, organic materials, gases, and the water we drink. Who finds these hidden and valuable resources? A geoscientist!

Dig deep with your choice of specialization: Geology, Geophysics, or Hydrogeology. And if you're up for it, apply your knowledge through the paid work experiences co-op offers.

When you graduate, you’ll be eligible for a Professional Geoscientist designation — and be ready to develop meaningful environmental protection plans, predict natural disasters, advance health standards for water, and more.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

In the world of biotech, specialists who can understand both spreadsheets and gene sequencing are a hot commodity. Enrol in the only accountancy program in Canada that combines biotechnology, accounting, and paid co-op work terms.

You’ll learn about biology, biochemistry, and biotechnology in the Faculty of Science. At the same time, you’ll take accounting, auditing, financial management, and taxation courses in Waterloo’s top-ranked School of Accounting and Finance.

Outside the classroom, you’ll have all kinds of opportunities to get involved in competitions and student clubs. You’ll graduate ready to succeed in your choice of fields: accounting, biotech business development, financial analysis, and more.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

Tourism and outdoor recreation represent one of the world's largest industries, creating numerous opportunities for inspired professionals who can develop and deliver rewarding experiences while protecting cultural and natural resources for future generations.

What will I get out of the program?

• You'll learn the critical components of developing, implementing, and evaluating tourism experiences and events.
• Learn from professors who have been recognized nationally and internationally for their excellence in teaching and research.
• Be well-positioned for a career in one of the world's largest industries - developing, planning, and managing tourism areas and organizations in Canada and around the world.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

In a rapidly changing and increasingly globalized world, the insights of anthropology are more valuable than ever.

In Anthropology at Waterloo, you’ll explore cultures past and present. Delve into the origins of human and primate evolution, use archaeology to learn more about earlier societies, or tackle contemporary issues such as violence and media.

Our first-year introductory anthropology course exposes you to the breadth of this discipline. In your upper years, you can focus your degree on the area of anthropology that interests you most: socio-cultural, archaeological, or biological (physical) anthropology.

You’ll graduate to a wide range of career options, including market research, cultural resource management, forensic anthropology, and international development, with the added bonus of work experience if you take the co-op stream.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

Canada’s largest Environmental Engineering program gives you the technical rigour of an engineering degree combined with scientific know-how and environmental insights. As it's also one of the top 100 environmental engineering programs in the world (Shanghai World University Rankings 2020), you’ll take courses in engineering, chemistry, biology, geology, and more, drawing on that broad base of knowledge to tackle water, soil, and air pollution.

Meanwhile, you’ll gain two years of paid experience through your co-op work terms, allowing you to earn money to help pay for your education and discover the career areas that fit you best.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

Gain expertise in two majors (computer science and finance) and become a valuable asset in any technology-dependent organization – especially in the ever-evolving financial technology industry.

As part of Computing and Financial Management (CFM), you'll study in two of Waterloo’s powerhouse institutions: the School of Accounting and Finance, where you’ll learn to understand sophisticated concepts of modern financial management, and the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, where you’ll acquire the skills to develop and maintain financial software.

By the time you graduate, you'll be armed with the know-how, the networks, and the co-op experience to land a career in computer science or finance — or both.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

Love the written word? An English degree at Waterloo gives you all kinds of opportunity to explore that passion, with more than 150 undergraduate courses available in both the regular and co-op streams.

Take rhetoric courses and learn the art of persuasion. Focus on digital media, where you’ll merge the latest technology with enduring principles of effective communication. Or explore the pleasures and insights of English literature, from Beowulf to Virginia Woolf.

At Waterloo, you’ll be learning from the best: the Department of English features internationally recognized scholars. In their classes, you’ll develop all-important skills in communication, critical thinking, analysis, and persuasion.

At the end of first year, you can choose one of three majors within the English program.

• Literature
• Literature and Rhetoric
• Rhetoric, Media, and Professional Communication

The Rhetoric, Media, and Professional Communication program
Rhetoric, Media, and Professional Communication is one of three majors offered by the English Department. RMPC offers both intellectual challenge and practical insight into rhetoric, professional writing and information design, and digital media.

This degree will give you a solid grounding in classical and contemporary rhetoric and allow you to pursue interests in advertising, technical writing, document design, and digital media.

Courses
In the English-RMPC program you will be taking courses that span a number of different fields:

• Rhetoric and professional communication courses will give you experience not only in writing in a variety of modes and for a variety of purposes and audiences, but also in exploring a variety of research methods.
• Digital media courses will give you opportunities to both analyze and create a broad variety of digital media texts.
• Linguistics courses will show you the nature and structure of the language through which we express and define ourselves. 
• Literature and criticism courses will allow you to select from a broad range of traditions, including British, Canadian, American, and Postcolonial literatures.
• RMPC electives will give you the opportunity to extend your interests in many directions.
• On graduation, you'll be prepared for graduate studies in several areas including literature, language, communications, and composition studies, or for a career in business, industry, government, teaching, or communications—in any field, in other words, that values a well-educated person capable of analytical, critical, and creative thinking, writing, and speaking.

Learn to wow your audience as you explore theatre and performance in one of Canada’s most creative drama programs. Go beyond art history books and collaborate with professors, visiting artists, and other students to make high quality work that contributes to a just society. You'll learn by doing, covering performance to management, design to critical studies, and creation to technology. 

In the classroom, courses in performance, production, design, direction, and management will give you the technical tools to excel at your craft. Meanwhile, complementary courses in politics, race, gender, theory, technology, and aesthetics will help you decide what messages matter. You can apply your knowledge to co-op placements too.

By the time you graduate, you’ll have a rich portfolio to take into the world of theatre, plus a range of creative, analytical, and management skills that will serve you well in any number of roles, on stage or off.

Explore earth processes as they relate to human activities to better understand the impacts of human (and natural) influences on environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and hydrology/hydrogeology.

Environmental science applies geologic knowledge to address and solve problems related to the more than seven billion humans occupying the Earth. Topics you'll learn include climate change, groundwater flow and contamination, environmental impacts of pollution, responsible extraction of earth resources, waste disposal, and human engineering of earth processes. Enjoy examining the interactions between and within the Earth's four spheres that include both living and non-living components.

Train with cutting-edge professors and the latest technologies, at Canada's most innovative university, to directly address challenges facing humanity today and future generations.   

Water Science
Investigate the unique properties of water, the distribution and movement of fresh and salt water above, on, and within the Earth, and the quality and quantity of water that humans depend upon to survive and thrive on this planet.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!