Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Mathematics

at Wilfrid Laurier University - Waterloo Campus Canada

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"

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.

In our Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Honours Science program, you have the opportunity to solidify and pursue your scientific interests before committing to a specific major — or you can decide not to major at all and graduate with an extensive science degree.

Either way, you'll be prepared for future studies in professional or academic science-related fields. You have the flexibility to choose courses that interest you in order to tailor your degree to your career aspirations or postgraduate plans.

Choose to take courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, statistics and/or psychology, all while developing a myriad of research, analytic and technical skills.

Apply what you learn in hands-on labs and engage in research activities as part of a directed study or undergraduate thesis project. At Laurier, you can immerse yourself in cutting-edge research alongside faculty members at the undergraduate level.

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"

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.

ABOUT MATHEMATICS AT LAURIER:-
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.

Our Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Mathematics emphasizes the role of mathematics and statistics in the natural, physical and computational sciences. You can combine our Mathematics program with many other disciplines, including Biology, Chemistry and Computer Science.

We also offer a program specifically in Financial Mathematics, in addition to a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Mathematics, which focuses on the mathematics and statistics used in the social sciences, the humanities 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

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.

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.

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.

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.