Bachelor of Arts in Honours Arts - Communication Studies

at University of Waterloo Canada

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.

Explore how human interactions are influenced by individual, collective, and structural forces such as mental health, social relationships, economic conditions, education and politics, and movements for social justice and social change. The common goal of those who study Social Development Studies is to help people, communities, and nations flourish.

Through courses in areas such as psychology, sociology, and social work as well as hands-on community engagement opportunities, you’ll be well prepared for a meaningful career in social work, counselling, education, public services, human resources, law, or community and international service organizations. You can also enhance your learning experience by enrolling in co-op and applying what you learn in class to real work situations.

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!

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.

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.

Our small classes create lots of opportunity for animated discussions, while the co-op option offers relevant work experience before you graduate.
In your upper years, an impressively wide range of courses let you focus on the events, themes, or historical time periods that intrigue you most. Delve deep with four possible specializations, or broaden your education with courses from other disciplines.

Whichever way you shape your degree, you’ll develop an invaluable set of skills — technical, creative, critical, and analytical — that will serve you well in almost any career

Our small classes create lots of opportunity for animated discussions, while the co-op option offers relevant work experience before you graduate.
In your upper years, an impressively wide range of courses let you focus on the events, themes, or historical time periods that intrigue you most. Delve deep with four possible specializations, or broaden your education with courses from other disciplines.

Whichever way you shape your degree, you’ll develop an invaluable set of skills — technical, creative, critical, and analytical — that will serve you well in almost any career.

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!

Focus on problems where resources need to be allocated effectively in complex, dynamic, and uncertain conditions.

You'll start with a solid foundation in math, including combinatorics, linear optimization, modeling, scheduling, forecasting, decision theory, and computer simulation. On top of that, you’ll add courses in economics, business, and management science, in addition to the ability to gain paid work experience through co-op.

After first year, you'll choose one of two specializations: Operations Research or Business.

When you graduate, you’ll have all kinds of career options. You might enhance scheduling for airline crews and sports games, improve production and distribution efficiency for manufacturing companies, increase service quality and efficiency in healthcare administration, or develop sophisticated tools for finance and investments.

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!

The Honours Studio Practice academic plan is designed to prepare students for work in the creative arts sector by teaching and fostering practical creative and analytical skills within a university environment. Students are introduced to studio art practice in our foundation course in the Fall of their first term of study. After that, over three terms (in years one and two) students take at least six studio courses from more than 20 possibilities, each concentrating on specific media: drawing, painting, digital, print, sound, sculpture, photography, performance, installation, and wearable media. Year three is focused on honing technical skills in these areas, in concert with learning how to develop an independent body of work.

The final year is dedicated to creating a cohesive body of work which is then showcased in the Honours Graduation Exhibition in March of the last term of study. Studio courses and the student’s own studio practice are underpinned by courses in modern art, contemporary art and visual culture as well as courses outside the department. Professional practice, such as documentation of work, installation, writing an artist statements and preparation of the exhibition catalogue, are all components of the fourth year studio course.

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!

How does society handle inequality, poverty, and crime? How do social groups interact? How can we improve health care, criminal justice, religion, the economy, and our relationships to one another?

This is a program where you’ll wrestle with pressing questions — and develop the tools to create solutions to local and global challenges.

You’ll explore topics such as age, class, ethnicity, religion, gender, criminality, education, work, social change, and politics. And when you study Sociology at Waterloo, you’ll learn from leading experts committed to creating an outstanding classroom experience, ranked in the top 100 in the world. (Shanghai World University Rankings 2020)

As a sociologist, you’ll find career opportunities in a wide range of fields, including government, the financial sector, health, policy and research, law, academia, policing, and non-profit organizations. Want to explore them early? You can start by enrolling in the co-op stream and gaining up to two years of work experience prior to graduating.

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!

Study the power, elegance, “how,” and “why” of math. In this rigorous program, you'll cover the spectrum of mathematics — from classical to modern — including geometry, number theory, and logic.

Because Pure Mathematics classes are among the smallest and most cohesive in the Faculty of Mathematics, you’ll get to know both your classmates and your profs. (Profs who are doing ground-breaking research when they’re not in the classroom.) You'll also get the opportunity to get paid work experience through co-op.

Pure Mathematics will provide you with problem-solving skills that can be applied in industry, business, government, or graduate school.

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!