Bachelor of Kinesiology with Management (Co-op)

at Wilfrid Laurier University - Waterloo Campus Canada

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.

Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Computer Science will help you develop strong algorithm analysis and design skills in procedural, object-oriented and low-level languages, with an optional introduction to functional, parallel, and logical paradigms. 

In senior years, you will select courses in application areas ranging from internet computing to writing apps for mobile computing, from applied cryptography to quantum computing.

The Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE) features a broad selection of core courses that reflect our integrated and multidisciplinary approach to the study of human movement, physical activity and sport, followed by opportunities to select from a wide range of elective courses and to choose one of four optional concentrations.

CORE COURSES

• Sociocultural courses exploring historical and philosophical foundations and sociological examinations of physical activity, sport and the body.
• Lab/tutorial-supported courses in human regional anatomy, human physiology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, motor learning and control, and inferential statistics.
• Foundational courses introducing you to key concepts in sport and exercise psychology, health and research methods.
• Fundamental and applied movement-based courses actively exploring key concepts related to physical literacy and athlete development, as well as teaching and coaching physical activity and sport.

CONCENTRATIONS AND ELECTIVE COURSES
Our program features four areas of concentration:

• Athletic Performance and Injury Management
• Movement, Health and Development
• Physical Activity Education and Promotion
• Sport Development and Management

Within these concentrations are Kinesiology elective courses, including:

• Exercise Nutrition; Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription; Athletic Injuries
• Psychology of Injury Rehabilitation; Applied Psychology of Sport and Performance
• Behaviour Change and Physical Activity; Adapted Physical Activity
• Children in Physical Activity; Aging, Physical Activity and Health
• Ethics in Sport and Physical Activity; Modern Olympics; Canadian Sport History
• Organization and Administration of Physical Activity; Marketing in Sport and Physical Activity
• Advanced Biomechanics and Ergonomics; Advanced Exercise Physiology
• Balance, Posture and Gait; Neuromuscular Function in Exercise
• Research Thesis; Interdisciplinary Capstone Experience

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Laurier’s Kinesiology program is designed to expose you to learning inside and outside the classroom. During your studies you are required to complete 96 hours of community-based leadership or volunteer work. Some courses will also require you to engage in practical, hands-on learning experiences such as physical activity programming, fitness testing or injury assessment.

The Christian Studies and Global Citizenship program is offered through Martin Luther University College (formerly Waterloo Lutheran Seminary), which is federated with Wilfrid Laurier University. As a student in this program you’ll learn to think critically about your faith, the world and your place within it.

Our courses will provide you with essential skills, including the ability to communicate effectively. This program promotes a greater sense of social responsibility and spiritual awareness; an appreciation of diversity; and experience in serving the community. This program equips you to pursue careers where you can integrate your spirituality, and/or worldview, into your life’s work.

Laurier's Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Financial Mathematics program is structured to teach you mathematics and its financial applications with a focus on how mathematics is connected with natural, physical and computer sciences.

Laurier’s Financial Mathematics program is structured to teach you mathematics and its financial applications at the same time. Our core courses cover many topics that are fundamental to financial mathematics, including:

• calculus
• analysis
• linear algebra
• differential equations
• numerical analysis
• optimization
• probability theory and statistics
• stochastic processes
• stochastic calculus

You will obtain extensive experience solving real-world problems in financial mathematics and risk management in our math labs, where you will use appropriate mathematical and statistical software.

ABOUT THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN FINANCIAL MATHEMATICS

• Our Bachelor of Science (BSc) program is focused on how mathematics is connected with natural, physical and computer sciences. You’ll have the opportunity to complete one or two minors in science subjects.
• For example, the concentration in Computational Finance (see below), enhanced with additional courses in Computer Science, will teach you advanced numerical techniques pertinent to financial and risk management problems and will help prepare you for a future career as a quantitative analyst.
• We also offer a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Financial Mathematics, which focuses on how mathematics is connected with social science and business.

CONCENTRATE YOUR STUDIES:-
You can select elective courses in mathematics and statistics within six optional concentrations:

• Analysis and Geometry
• Discrete Mathematics and Algebra
• Mathematical Modelling
• Statistics and Data Analytics
• Financial Risk Management
• Computational Finance
• You also have the opportunity to complete an option in Management

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"

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.

WHY PSYCHOLOGY?

By studying psychology, your insights into human behaviour will prepare you for many career options in social service agencies, human services or health.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology program provides you with a liberal arts education that includes broad exposure to the major sub-fields of psychology along with some training in research methodology and statistics. The program is designed to provide you with the analytical skills and information useful for a broad range of career options.

In addition to the BA in Psychology, we offer a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, which focuses more on the structures, functions, and workings of the brain and its interaction with our bodies and environment.

ABOUT THE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN PSYCHOLOGY

The BA in Psychology program at our Waterloo campus is structured to ensure that you are exposed to the breadth of content that exists within the discipline, while still permitting sufficient flexibility for you to pursue your own particular interests.

You'll come away with a solid understanding of the principles of human behaviour and be able to apply these principles in a responsible, engaged way.

We offer two different streams in our BA in Psychology degree and you will apply for these streams at the end of your second year:

Psychology stream: Offers you broad exposure to the major sub-fields of psychology, and prepares you for employment or graduate studies outside of psychology such as social work, teacher’s college, law school or speech language pathology.

Research specialist stream: Offers you training in research skills, along with considerable in-depth exposure to at least two of the sub-fields of psychology. You’ll also have the opportunity to complete an undergraduate thesis in your fourth year.

You can also add a Specialization in Community Psychology.

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.

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.