Bachelor of Arts in Health and Society

at York University - School of Continuing Studies Canada

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.

Computer science blends theoretical knowledge and practical skills to explore intriguing topics –computer systems that mimic human vision or helping design pharmaceutical drugs. Learn the theoretical limitations of computing and methodologies that lead to efficient, accurate computing.

What You’ll Learn
We offer BA and BSc degrees – both providing you with the same computer science and math expertise. In the BA program, you’ll complement your studies with courses from the Liberal Arts (e.g., humanities, social sciences). In the BSc program, the complementary courses will be in the sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics). A degree Minor or Double major will allow you to just sample or deeply explore another discipline.

You may also choose one of our three International Honours degrees – iBA, iBSc or the Dual Specialized degree. In the iBA or iBSc degree, you will add a study abroad component to your learning, with culture and language courses of your exchange destination. The International Dual degree leads to two degrees, one from York and one from the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University in Germany while completion of your undergraduate thesis at the University of Crete in Greece!

After the third year of your Honours degree, you can take part in our internship program to gain valuable professional experience.

Our innovative BA in Educational Studies program provides students with a broad understanding of how and why people learn, and the role education plays in society today.
Courses are clustered into three topical areas, which explore the understanding of education.

• Engagements — focus on the development of professional skills
• Values — focus on who and why we educate
• Representations — focus on understanding the idea of education

Students in this program develop the essential skills necessary to succeed in educational work outside of the traditional classroom and  benefit from the Faculty of Education’s strength in the study of education and York University’s strengths in the arts, humanities and social sciences.
There are highly skilled educators at work anywhere human beings share knowledge, contributing to their communities and succeeding in their chosen fields.. Upon graduation, you’ll have the skills and knowledge needed to educate outside of the classroom.

Experiential Education
During years 3 and 4 of the program, you will have an opportunity to experience your education through learning placements within the community or in related organizations. You’ll develop workplace-specific skills and enhance your professional networks. Our unique community-partnerships will provide you with opportunities to put theory into practice and to gain insight into the kinds of learning and advocacy that contribute to the well-being of society.
The BA in Educational Studies does not lead to teacher certification. Students accepted into the Bachelor of Arts, Educational Studies program may also apply for entry to the Concurrent Bachelor of Education program.

An actuary is a professional concerned with: the design and administration of insurance policies, pension plans, government welfare plans and similar programs. The main responsibility of actuaries is to ensure that these programs operate on a sound financial basis. To do this, they use many areas of mathematics and statistics, as well as general principles of economics and finance.Actuarial Science is the area of mathematics that applies quantitative methods to assess risks in the insurance and finance industries. It became a formal discipline in the late 17th century, when the increased demand for such long-term insurance coverages as life insurances, annuities, and burials expense coverages emerged. Since then and for a long time, actuaries have been interested in studying the present monetary value of future obligations as well as the variability of these present values in the contexts of life and health insurance, property and casualty insurance, pension funds and social wealth-fare programs. Today actuaries are also being employed in the areas of enterprise risk management, and even in general finance and investment.

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.

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.

Set yourself apart by studying with leading authorities about Canadian topics, including our national culture, environmental history, labour issues in Quebec and endangered Aboriginal languages.

Glendon's liberal arts environment is the perfect complement to its Canadian Studies program, and easily allows for cross-discipline research and study. If you're considering government or public sector work, gain a competitive edge with a bilingual degree and an understanding of the country in its various dimensions: political and legal systems, languages and cultures, history and Canada’s position in the global arena.

Apply your learning at the annual Crossing Borders Conference, support government officials and scholars from both sides of the Canadian-US border or get debate experience on current Canadian issues at provincial Canadian Studies conferences.

In AMPD's Department of Cinema and Media Arts students experientially learn to understand, think and work in the language of the moving image across all media. From idea to screenplay, camera to screen, screen to critical inquiry, our integrated curriculum offers exceptional training across the spectrum.

The BFA in Screenwriting, offering Canada’s only undergraduate screenwriting degree, provides intensive training in the art of moving image storytelling across genres, from short films to TV series, feature films to new media. Writing for today’s multi-platform universe, screenwriting students have the opportunity to collaborate with production students to see their work brought to life on screen.

This small program, which accepts a maximum of twenty students, supports intimate, intensive learning and high level of mentorship by the department's internationally recognized faculty.

The rich Cinema and Media Studies component included in the BFA in Screenwriting gives students an edge, developing their ability to not only write for screen-based media, but to think, talk and write about cinema and media, and to understand the historical and theoretical framework in which they are produced.

As 21st century medicine and health care becomes increasingly sophisticated, the demand grows for highly skilled people with a biomedical science background.

Biomedical scientists study biological processes and diseases with the ultimate goal of developing effective treatments and cures. Biomedical research requires careful experimentation by many scientists, including biologists and chemists. Discovery of new medicines and therapies requires careful scientific experimentation, development, and evaluation.

York's Biomedical Science program provides a comprehensive curriculum taught by the leading researchers in the field, including Samuel Benchimol, Canada Research Chair in Biomedical Health Research. The Biomedical Science program focuses emerging areas of biomedicine including physiology, microbiology, immunology, endocrinology, molecular genetics, and development.

This four-year Honours program also allows you the option to do a minor in another related discipline such as Chemistry, Psychology, or Kinesiology & Health Science.

The Biomedical Science stream is designed to help you:

• understand and explain the basic structures and fundamental processes of life at the molecular, cellular and population levels;
• effectively apply the scientific method for problem solving and experimental design;
• collect, organize, analyze, interpret and present quantitative and qualitative data;
• identify and describe current issues and challenges within the field of biomedical science;
• demonstrate and apply fundamental biological laboratory techniques and skills; and
• communicate effectively in written and oral forms.

The program will be particularly valuable if you're planning a career in biomedical research, and will also be a good choice if you're preparing for medical school.

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.