Bachelor of Arts in Social and Environmental Justice

at Wilfrid Laurier University - Brantford Campus Canada

Why do courts make the decisions they do? Why do governments pass the laws they pass? Law and Society provides you with an understanding of how society shapes law and how law shapes society. Our program applies a critical approach to revealing the underlying relationship between law and society by using real problems and examples so you can better understand the impact of law on people’s lives. It will also refine your knowledge of the many social factors that affect law, such as race, gender, age, sexuality, gender and wealth.

Law and Society enables you to examine the relationship between law and such important social phenomena as crime, culture, gender, family, social movements, Indigenous rights, intellectual property, the environment, labour, and poverty

Our Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) in Public Health (formerly Health Studies) program is concerned with understanding how physical and social factors influence health status, with the aim of identifying and promoting interventions that will reduce disease and injury, prolong life, and improve population health.

In our Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Humanities with Leadership Foundations program, you'll immerse yourself in the problems that leaders and organizations face today. You'll learn how to create long-lasting solutions that consider larger historical and cultural contexts. By studying ethics, history, literature, and other arts and science disciplines, you'll broaden your understanding of contemporary issues.

Our combination Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Policing program is unlike any other in Canada. Combining a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Policing (offered online) with another BA program in Waterloo or Brantford – such as Psychology, Criminology, Health Studies or Religion and Culture – enhances the breadth and depth of your knowledge by expanding perspectives and experiences.

The courses are designed to provide you with the skills to critically evaluate and apply different perspectives of our rapidly changing modern communities to police work experiences.

Extensive consultations with law enforcement agencies across Canada helped to shape the topics that are covered in the program including leadership, communication, diversity, ethics and building resilience. An advisory board ensures the course material stays relevant and current.

ACQUIRE KEY SKILLS
Through this program you will gain the following skills:

• Analysis and interpretation in order to productively contribute to law enforcement policy development.
• Application of criminological and psychological theories and perspectives to interpret and critique law enforcement issues.
• Refined interpersonal communication to enhance leadership skills.
• Sharpened critical thinking abilities to analyze and understand multiple perspectives and issues encountered in the field to better service individuals and the communities.
• Crafting and delivery of arguments using logic and sound reasoning.

The Pre-MBA is an eight-month intensive English and business preparatory program designed to help students whose first language is not English gain the skills and experience needed to succeed at the MBA level. The program runs annually from September to April. Students that pass the Pre-MBA program advance to Laurier’s MBA program in August.

PROGRAM DETAILS
Some of the benefits of studying in the Pre-MBA at Laurier are:

• The chance to obtain an MBA in your choice of 10 different specializations in under two years.
• Experienced, professional language instructors.
• Business core courses taught by industry professionals and Laurier’s AACSB-accredited Lazaridis School of Business and Economics professors.
• Site tours, case studies, and other opportunities to practice newly acquired skills.
• Small class sizes.
• Competitive tuition.
• GMAT preparation classes during the first semester.
• No further standardized English testing required (with successful completion of program).

As a Criminology student, you’ll delve into the exciting world of crime, criminals, victims and the law. Criminology isn’t like an episode of CSI; while forensics are part of what you’ll study, your classes will also draw on sociology, psychology and law to examine what defines a crime, why people commit them and how society responds. Criminologists focus on:

• Theories explaining the causes of crime;
• The social impact and reaction to crime and deviance;
• Victimization;
• The criminal justice system and law enforcement responses; and
• Crime prevention.

At Laurier, you’ll get a well-rounded education that emphasizes critical thinking, theoretical explanations of behaviour, a foundation in qualitative and quantitative research methods, and communication and writing skills – which just about every employer you meet wants to see.

With our small class sizes and close-knit environment, you’ll get a unique educational experience at the Brantford campus. With lots of opportunities for field placements, you’ll receive practical experience in community settings like daycare centres, educational institutions, community centres and human-service agencies.

We also offer opportunities to get involved in current research projects with our faculty members.

You’ll graduate from our program with a solid grounding in psychological theory and experience working in the field. This, combined with the other benefits of a social science degree (critical thinking skills, communication skills, project management and analytical skills), will give you the qualifications that employers are looking for.

Our Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Community Health program explores and recognizes the wide range of social, biological and institutional factors that influence the health and well-being of communities defined by geography, socioeconomic status, gender, cultural makeup, ability and vulnerability.

In this program you'll learn to:

• Identify the most significant health challenges in communities.
• Evaluate the factors that create health risks for members of those communities.
• Study and make recommendations for program and policy interventions that will improve the health status within your communities of concern.

Consideration is also given to the Canadian and Ontario health-care systems, and the policy framework that underpins the provision of health and social services to specific communities and the broader population.

Our Social and Environmental Justice program is unique in Canada – we provide you with the knowledge, inspiration and career skills to directly contribute to the world we live in both locally and globally. Our curriculum examines topics such as poverty and policies to reduce income inequality, climate change and sustainable communities, and citizens’ roles in a democratic society. Our graduates are socially aware citizens and inspirational leaders in their communities who contribute to a more positive collective future for all.

Embracing Laurier's designation as an Ashoka Changemaker Campus, the program prepares you for a career in the field of social and environment justice through targeted courses such as Social and Environmental Justice in Practise and the Community Internship. In addition, the Social Innovation Specialization supports the development of the entrepreneurial skills needed to be successful in your own socially focused business venture or within an established organization.

In this program, you'll earn an Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Laurier and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom (UK) in six years. You are guaranteed an offer of admission to Sussex’s Law School if you maintain a minimum B average (73-76%) when at Laurier. 

In this innovative, competitive-entry program, you’ll have the opportunity to study alongside other high-achieving students. You’ll also have access to supports dedicated to your academic and professional success. Because the LSAT is not a requirement to study law in the UK, your focus during your first two years at Laurier can be on your studies.

Humanities with Leadership Foundations
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Humanities with Leadership Foundations program allows you to combine a traditional arts education with foundational leadership courses to realize your leadership potential.