Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics / Economics and Trade

at York University - School of Continuing Studies Canada

Humanities is the study of culture. It involves history, art, literature, music, architecture, politics, food - all aspects that help to define and express a specific group of people. The study of the Humanities serves to challenge our common understanding of issues and events, and helps students to develop valuable critical, analytical and communications skills.

The Humanities program in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies will introduce you to the major questions of life as you study issues of social, moral and aesthetic value. Drawing from literature, History, Philosophy, Religion, Fine Arts and popular culture courses, the Humanities program enables you to gain a greater self-understanding and appreciation of the diversity of human cultures and experiences. The program pays special attention to what is unique, particular and unpredictable in human experience.

You can combine studies in the Humanities with a related discipline such as History, Philosophy or Women's Studies, exploring complimentary historical, cultural and gender perspectives.

As a Humanities graduate, you will be well-prepared to face your future lives and careers through well-reasoned decisions and responsible actions. You will be valued by leaders of the high-tech industry and government for your:

• Creativity and broad-based skills;
• Ability to communicate, to sell, to relate and work as part of a team;
• Intellectual curiosity;
• Critical values.

Flooding, terrorism, global warming and hurricanes are all disasters and emergencies that can be effectively managed – and, in some cases even mitigated – through good planning and response. The recent earthquake in Haiti, the H1N1 pandemic and memories of 9/11 are reminders of the pressing need for qualified and trained professionals in the field.

Disaster & Emergency Management is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks. In this exciting and rapidly expanding field you’ll explore key concepts, methodologies and technologies used by emergency management professionals while honing your analytical and critical skills. You'll also gain a comprehensive understanding of how emergency management intersects with other disciplines such as psychology and sociology. Discover strategies to help save lives and property, reduce damage and speed a community’s recovery from natural and human-induced disasters and emergencies.

You'll examine a diverse range of topics including:

• Business continuity planning
• Emergency management communications
• Disaster risk management
• Ethics
• Terrorism

In addition to this, you will learn to apply key concepts, methodologies and technologies used by emergency management professionals to complex real-life challenges.

This program prepares you to synthesize large amounts of complex information and make sound decisions in challenging and often difficult circumstances. As a graduate you will be equipped with the skills for a career in emergency preparedness, public safety or consultancy work for a range of opportunities from positions in federal and provincial governments to large multinational companies and non-governmental organizations like the Red Cross/Red Crescent, World Bank, Oxfam or UNICEF.

• Upon graduating, you'll join one of the fastest growing industries in North America.
• You have the option of continuing your education within the disaster and emergency field with York's Master of Disaster & Emergency Management degree — the only graduate program of its kind in Ontario and one of only two in Canada.
• You'll have the opportunity to join The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting the goals of saving lives and protecting property during emergencies and disasters.
• Take advantage of experiential learning opportunities and interact with leading professionals who will provide you with a deeper insight into the field. You'll have the option to complete a field experience that will help to foster a greater understanding of the complexities and realities emergency management professionals face.
• You are also encouraged to take advantage of the regular events held by the School of Disaster & Emergency Management. These include conferences and symposiums held throughout the school year to help you apply your education to real-life situations.

Study the health of the world’s population that is intertwined with broader issues, including wealth disparity, environmental degradation, government policy and human rights. Students in York’s Global Health degree examine these and other issues in small classroom settings benefitting from direct interaction with their professors and fellow students. Combine your classroom learning with a fourth-year field placement offered with organizations locally or internationally.

Global Health Courses
All students, whether in the BA or BSc options, are exposed to the major issues that are at the forefront of global health through core courses, including:

• Global Health Governance and Leadership
• Global Health Policy, Power and Politics
• Health and Human Rights
• Determinants of Health: Local to Global
• Chronic Diseases and Care
• Communicable Diseases and Care
• Healthcare Planning for Communities
• Healthcare Ethics
• Agents of Change in a Global World (strongly recommended as an elective course)

Pathways to Medical, Professional Schools & Post-Graduate Training
Taught by professors in all areas of the Faculty of Health – Health Policy & Management, Kinesiology & Health Science, Nursing and Psychology – the Global Health degree provides an excellent foundation for medical school, professional schools (e.g. law, teaching), graduate school and post-graduate training (e.g. nursing).

Global Health as a 2nd Degree
Students who hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution and are admissible according to Faculty of Health and York University policies may pursue a second degree in Global Health at York University. With full-time study (i.e., 15 credits per term), students may be able to complete an Honours BA/BSc degree in Global Health in as little as four terms (two calendar years). Students pursuing a Specialized Honours BA/BSc degree in Global Health may complete the program in six terms (3 calendar years).

Students will be assessed as eligible for an Honours or Specialized Honours degree in Global Health if they have graduated with an Honours or 90-credit bachelor’s degree. Students will be granted transfer credit in accordance with the University’s residency requirement. Depending on the program of study from an applicant’s first degree, it is likely that all general education and many elective course requirements will be waived. This will allow students to focus exclusively on their Global Health major course requirements as they fast-track their studies.

Why take our Public Relations program?
Managing a brand’s reputation in the public eye is no simple task. Whether you’re responding to a last-minute media inquiry, dealing with negative publicity, or monitoring the web for newsworthy content, the message is clear: to succeed in public relations, you need to be strategic and quick to adapt to new trends and technology. Top public relations executives agree that career success means being an incredible storyteller and trusted strategic business advisor—Someone who can leverage emerging technologies and critical thinking to build lasting relationships with stakeholders. This shift in skill demands is why top companies are struggling to hire and keep the right public relations professionals.

Program Benefits
Created in collaboration with industry leaders, the 8 course full-time Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Relations gives you the expertise to broadcast your brand message to the right audience, at the right time, using both traditional and digital media. Real-world project work will give you the chance to learn and practice effective public relations strategies, business principles and stakeholder relationship management, as well as how to respond to crises and manage brand reputation. All this, while building the core job skills that top employers are looking for when hiring for public relations jobs.

What you will learn
Use the technology you need to get the public opinion you want
Using the right tools at the right time can mean the difference between a media firestorm or the recruitment of countless new brand influencers to support your cause.

You will gain in-depth public relations knowledge, including:

• Public relations fundamentals & strategy
• Digital storytelling
• Marketing principles
• Internal communications
• Data analytics
• Effective writing
• Presentation skills
• Reputation & crisis management
• Media relations
• Stakeholder engagement

In public relations, it’s all about the story. Make sure the story of your career is a success.

Computer engineering forms the basis of the modern world. Self-driving cars, robotics, mobile devices, electronic commerce, wireless communications, and other advances are all built by Computer Engineers. Computer engineers gain deep knowledge about hardware and software design, as well as are uniquely qualified to work on computer systems involving these aspects. They design and implement solutions to the ever increasing range of engineering problems.

What You’ll Learn
As a Computer Engineering student you will gain deep knowledge about hardware and software design, as well be uniquely qualified to work on computer systems. You will take courses in computation, system design and other specialized areas, including robotics and virtual reality. This theoretical knowledge is balanced with hands-on experience. Lassonde Computer Engineering students have access to our state-of-the-art facilities –Digital Systems Lab and Robotics Lab. 

After second year, the co-op program can provide you with valuable experience, giving you an early start to becoming a licensed Professional Engineer.

Health care is undergoing fundamental change from solely treating acute illness to focusing on a person’s whole needs for wellness—where physical health, mental health and social supports are explored—involving a team of health care professionals, including doctors, nurses, social workers, mental health specialists and others. In this new model, health managers, information specialists and policy experts are fundamentally important to leading the change and York’s Health Studies program prepares students for careers in these dynamic fields.

Not sure if you want to focus on Health Management, Informatics or Policy in your first year? Then choose Health Studies and explore all three. In addition to taking courses in management, informatics and policy, students study the breadth and depth of health and health care through a wide variety of issues and social contexts (e.g. status and disability, homelessness), including case studies in health care in the community. Societal factors that determine why some people stay healthy and others become ill are also examined such as income, stress, early life, social exclusion, work conditions, unemployment, social support, addiction, food and transportation.

Health Studies offers students the flexibility to attain a double major or do a minor in other Faculty of Health or York programs. The program also provides students with the prerequisites for postgraduate study in a professional program (e.g. medicine, law) or graduate school.

In Health studies you have different degree options. i.e Health Policy, Health Management. Health Informatics, and Health Studies. For more information please click here.

Public management leaders must have multidisciplinary knowledge, critical skills and abilities to realize their vision to advance the public interest. At York, we prepare leaders for the broader public sector that spans all levels of government, public institutions and non-profit organizations, who can excel and thrive in a dynamic multicultural environment. Our graduates also work as policy analysts, legal and regulatory compliance officers, consultants and government relations managers in the private sector.

Through courses in areas such as public administration, Canadian government and public law, you’ll examine current and emerging debates regarding public institutions, law, human rights and diversity. You’ll also gain a clear understanding of the theory and practice of government while acquiring expertise relevant to policy analysis, program evaluation and other public service functions such as project management, human resources, budgeting and finance.

The Bachelor of Public Administration is an Honours only program and students also have the option to specialize in one of three streams:

• Law, Justice and Public Policy
• Management
• Policy Analysis

Many courses involve simulations and exercises drawn from real world scenarios at all three levels of Canadian government. A limited number of practicum and internship placements are available for qualified students.
Staffed by faculty with strong research records and many years combined experience in active public service, the School provides a sense of community for students who share a fascination with questions of governance, administration, public ethics and the law.

The History program in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies explores historical events, people and places to help you gain a fuller understanding of, and appreciation for, the role and importance of history and how it impacts current events. Our professors have won university-wide, provincial and national teaching awards. Because of our size, our roster includes many and varied courses taught by experts in their fields.

Choose from courses covering Canadian, African and European history and explore themes such as the immigrant experience in Canada, the Holocaust and global migration.
In addition to courses in social, economic and political history, we offer subjects like:

• Native History
• Black History
• Histories of gender and sexualities
• History and film

Some of our best students go on to MA and PhD programs in Canada or abroad. In conjunction with York's programs in education, many of our graduates become teachers. The study of history teaches many skills necessary to succeed in today's world: critical thinking; research; assembling and analyzing information; and effective oral and written communication. Knowledge of history deepens your understanding of both the past and the present.

• We offer courses covering an almost global geography and ranging in time from antiquity to the fall of Communism.
• Our professors have published books on topics as varied as Halloween, love and death in Renaissance Italy, the world of voyageurs, Canadian marijuana policy and modern Iraq.
• We have 37 full-time professors providing creative, dynamic and innovative teaching. They include one Canada Research Chair, two Distinguished Research Professors, three Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and one member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the RSC.

How do culture, politics and the economy intermingle to inform current debates on social justice in Canada and around the globe? Choose a program that will let you contribute to meaningful change in the world by establishing a sound foundation in social theory and practice.

York’s Interdisciplinary Social Science program (ISS) provides students with a solid grounding in cross-disciplinary social science research methods and critical social theory.

Students have the opportunity to explore courses from a range of fields including Work & Labour Studies, Development Studies, Health & Society, Urban Studies and African Studies to critically examine historical and contemporary issues related to social and political thought, social justice and diversity, sustainability and the environment, social exclusion and identity, diaspora and global development.

In addition to fostering strong theoretical and methodological training, the ISS program grounds itself in the belief that social analysis cannot be separated from social practice. Professors and many students affiliated with the program are actively engaged in fostering social change.

Students are strongly encouraged to combine their ISS degree with another Major or Minor program, either within the Department of Social Science or outside it.

Students may choose among one of the four different degrees:

• BA: 90 Credits
• Honours BA: 120 Credits
• Honours Double Major BA: 120 Credits
• Honours Major/Minor BA: 120 Credits (where the Major is Interdisciplinary Social Science)

Students who choose the Honours degree will not have to select a stream, but they will have to choose from an approved list of Theory Courses as part of the degree requirements.

A degree in ISS will benefit students interested in studying the relationship between culture, politics and the economy in Canadian and global contexts. Our degree programs prepare students for a wide variety of careers in the public, private, volunteer and community sectors, as well as for further post-graduate studies.

4 years honours option also avilable for this program. For more information please visit program page.

Economic problems arise out of the conflict between an apparently limitless human demand for goods and services and a limited supply of resources for satisfying those demands. Economics combines theory and analysis with attention to practical problems and critical modern issues.

The Economics program will expose you to both the wide range of individual and social problems that arise from this conflict and to the distinctive economic approach to their solution. Our unique teaching approach that blends theory and case studies to give you the in-depth training necessary to apply the analytical and quantitative tools needed to understand complex economic issues. You can create a mathematical and statistical concentration, focus on learning how to model and forecast economic activities, or get a comprehensive understanding of contemporary economics and/or business. You'll also develop skills to analyze practical business problems such as:

• Market Forecasting
• Pricing Policies
• Strategic Financing
• Business Development