Bachelor of Business Administration at (Laurier) and Bachelor of Computer Science at (University of Waterloo) - Double Degree (Co-op)

at Wilfrid Laurier University - Waterloo Campus Canada

Biochemistry is a fundamental multidisciplinary science that explores the molecular aspects of life and is the basis for many other disciplines in life sciences, including cell and molecular biology, microbiology, genetics, and molecular medicine.

Biotechnology is the application of biochemistry to develop technologies, materials and products that help improve, replenish and sustain the health of our planet.

ABOUT BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY AT LAURIER
In our program, we emphasize the health and pharmaceutical sciences, which constitute more than 50% of the total activity in biochemical research and biotechnology in Canada.

You’ll take several courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and biochemistry, along with courses in applied biochemistry, and gain the practical skills and the academic knowledge you’ll need to succeed in a career in research, service, industry or academia.

You’ll benefit from a research-intensive environment. In your fourth year, you'll have an option to complete a senior thesis research project. The thesis option will provide you with hands-on experience using state-of-the-art equipment in a new and challenging area of biochemical research.

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AT LAURIER
In our Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Environmental Science program, you will learn and understand how concepts from biology, chemistry and geography can be integrated to explain the processes that affect the physical environment and how these processes influence the biotic performance, from individual organisms to whole ecosystems.

The Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Environmental Science will give you the skills needed to understand how to use analytical tools, including lab and field methods, to quantify and assess the physical and chemical properties of soil, water and air for assessing and monitoring populations of organisms.

You will develop a broad range of techniques that will allow you to identify and devise solutions to environmental problems caused by human activities. You will be able to communicate these issues to diverse audiences for a number of purposes, such as helping to restore ecosystems or advocating for environmental issues.

Students in Environmental Science take one mandatory field course, and have opportunities to take others through the Ontario Universities’ Program in Field Biology.

Faculty members hire students as research assistants to work help with studies in the lab and field.

HONOURS THESIS OPTION
Students completing an honours thesis will conduct a yearlong research project that includes data collection, analysis and write-up.

Examples of honours thesis topics include:

• "Relating intensity of forest fires to caribou herd depletion in the Northwest Territories"
• "Effects of climate change on frozen landscapes in the north"
• "Effects of atmospheric processes on the movement and fate of pollutants"
• "Identification and conservation of rare and threatened plant species"

If you are an excellent student with superior abilities in chemistry, physics and mathematics then Laurier’s Chemistry and Physics program is a match for you. This program combines some of the best of our Bachelor of Science (BSc) programs in Chemistry and Physics. You'll graduate with a solid theoretical foundation in chemistry and physics through both classroom lectures and laboratory experiments.

The focus of Laurier’s Chemistry and Physics program is on the chemical and physical properties of materials at the bulk scale (where dimensions are effectively infinite) and at the nanoscale (where dimensions are 1 to 100 nanometers).

At the bulk scale, classical mechanics can generally be used to describe the material. However, at the nanoscale, quantum effects can be very important and the properties of the material can be very different. For example, whereas bulk gold is inert, gold nanoparticles have been shown to catalyse a variety of chemical reactions.

Your materials science and quantum mechanics courses (and nanoscience courses) in both chemistry and physics will provide you with a unique skill set which will enable you to understand the properties of existing materials and which will give you the ability to design new materials with unique mechanical, optical, electronic or magnetic properties, which could have applications not only in chemistry and physics but also in disciplines as varied as computing and medicine.

Geographers examine interactions between humans and their environment. Over the past few hundred years, humans have modified urban and natural systems at a staggering rate. As the human population continues to increase and the demand for space becomes more competitive, graduates of Geography will have a sound basis for understanding these pressing issues.

Our Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Geography offers you the opportunity to focus on the field of physical geography. Physical geography includes the sub-disciplines of geomorphology, climatology, biogeography and hydrology, and focuses on understanding how processes in the natural environment function, such as the changing surface of the earth, weather and climate, or the distribution of water on our planet.

The BSc in Geography program prepares you to seek professional registration as an environmental geoscientist (PGeo). Professional registration allows you to practice geoscience in the province of Ontario. The work involves analysis of different Earth systems and geoscientific situations in natural settings, so geoscientists need to gather on-site data and make direct field observations. Worksite locations can be remote and physically challenging. As a BSc in Geography graduate, you'll be able to confidently apply to seek professional registration.

Our Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Biology program is intended for those who want to have a role in communicating biology and biological concepts to others. This program will prepare you for careers such as law, education/teaching, public policy or science journalism.

This is a flexible program that you can combine with other subject areas through minors, options or even as a dual major with another BA program.

ABOUT PHYSICS AT LAURIER:-
Our Physics program provides you with a strong foundation in Newtonian physics, electricity, magnetism, optics and electronics, in combination with mathematics. You can choose additional specialized courses in electronics and applied physics.

You’ll also have the option to put your learning into practice by participating in faculty research projects, such as:

• Controlling light-matter interactions at the nano scale and designing ultra-sensitive biosensors.
• Constructing fibre lasers.
• Simulating semiconductor nanostructures.
• Exploring quantum computers.

Classes in physics are small, which means you’ll have a lot of interaction with your professors.

While exposure to high school computer science and physics is useful, our first-year Computer Science and Physics courses will provide you with the required background.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Biology program is intended for those who want to have a role in communicating biology and biological concepts to others. This program will prepare you for careers such as law, education/teaching, public policy or science journalism.

This is a flexible program that you can combine with other subject areas through minors, options or even as a dual major with another BA program.

The combination of Laurier's internationally accredited Lazaridis School of Business and Economics and the University of Waterloo's world-renowned Faculty of Mathematics lets you harness the strengths of two top-tier institutions in one program. This is a unique opportunity to learn about business and the applications of math while simultaneously earning two degrees from two universities in five years: a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Laurier Bachelor of Math (BMath) from Waterloo.

As a student in the Water Science and Environmental Health program, you'll learn the underlying scientific principles, processes and theories concerning the physical, chemical and biological properties of water and the factors that play a critical role in maintaining ecosystem and human health.

Through a combination of training and practical work experience, including co-op, you'll identify and solve ongoing threats to our water resources including those caused by human activities and climate change. You'll be able to recognize that the availability of safe, clean water and its resources is a fundamental question of social justice.

This program will help you develop the skills needed to apply quantitative and computer analysis to assess, monitor and sustainably manage land and water resources. You'll understand the critical need of government responsibility for managing and protecting water and Earth's resources.

Throughout your studies, you will feel empowered to contribute to the quest to improve the availability, security and reliability of human water supplies, while ensuring the whole ecosystem and human health.

The Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Biology program provides a firm foundation not only in Biology but also in Chemistry and Math. The BSc program is ideal for those looking to move on to graduate work in Biology or to professional postgraduate programs in environmental or health sciences.

Courses combine theoretical fundamentals with hands-on practices, allowing you to strengthen your proficiency in essential scientific-technical and reasoning skills. Senior students can become involved in ongoing research programs at the cutting edge of our discipline.

The Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Mathematics emphasizes the role of mathematics and statistics in the natural, physical and computational sciences. 

Mathematics is a dynamic, evolving subject with many fascinating applications. Mathematics is often used to solve problems from the sciences, the arts and business – once put within the framework of mathematics, real-world problems can be solved in an efficient and reliable manner.

As a Mathematics student, you’ll study why modern business models heavily depend on probability and statistics, first developed in analyzing astronomical and census data and gambling. This is just one example why mathematics has been, and will continue to be, of vital importance to the world we live in.