Nipissing University

Anthropology is a fascinating and interdisciplinary field that will have you investigating the vast scope of human experience. Questions that concern anthropologists are widespread and include: Why do some cultures construct different explanations for sickness and health? How do people throughout the world determine who is related to whom? What are the patterns of inequity and stratification from one society to another? How do human beings decide to organize themselves and why?

Your studies will range in focus from the origin of our species and the development of the first known human civilizations to language and the diversity of cultures that exist today. Your studies will provide you with fundamentals, principles and theories as you explore the human experience from cultural, historical, geographical and sociological perspectives. Your curiosity may unearth new knowledge as you find yourself immersed in hands-on fieldwork and conducting applied research.

Welcome to the Child and Family Studies (CHFS) program within the School of Human and Social Development at Nipissing University. The Child and Family Studies Program is unique with a particular focus on two thematic areas of study:

• Human Development and Learning; and
• Child and Family Well-Being: Issues, Services, and Social Justice. Students can pursue a Major, Specialization or Honours Specialization

Further, you want a career within child and adult developmental and/or behaviour services, health/mental health services, child welfare, education, justice, government, or even the private sector, and have a real appetite for social justice and making a significant difference. You may choose to complete one of our 2 Applied Certificates in Applied Behaviour Analysis or our Program Evaluation and Applied Research Certificate (PEAR) as you learn to improve systems and services for children, youth, or adults, across the social and human services sector.

The Classical Studies program, offered as part of the Humanities, provides a broad understanding of Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations including their history, philosophy, archaeology, art, language and literature. You will be introduced to Ancient Literature, Latin, Religion, Military Traditions, Mythology, Philosophy, Art and Architecture, Social and Political Thought, and differing theories developed by various historians.

The Classical Studies degree program provides an excellent education in culture, history and language for people who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree, attending law school or considering a degree in teaching.

The primary way human beings communicate is through storytelling. Almost every interaction we have involves exchanging and analyzing stories, ideas, impressions and emotions. Given this fact of human culture, we see English Studies as teaching essential skills for life beyond the university.

In English, we challenge simplistic or superficial modes of thought—or non-thought—by finding out how texts of all sorts work. We learn from the past by reading classic works of literature, such as novels, plays and poetry. We also engage with contemporary culture by considering the texts that shape our current lives, such as movies, television, web-culture, graphic novels, theatre, and other media forms. With analytical reading, research and writing practice, we equip the citizens of the future with the skills of discernment, focus, resilience and adaptability that they will need to build their own careers and communities.

Delivered with an emphasis on dialogue, our courses reflect faculty research interests and the shape of our discipline by being a mix of tradition and innovation. In first year, you can choose from among a number of topics courses. In upper years, you may take courses in British literary history, such as Shakespeare or Victorian literature, as well as choosing from a broader range of subjects such as children’s literature, Canadian and American literature, the graphic novel, postcolonial and indigenous literatures, Harry Potter, fan vids or disaster films.​​​​​

Geography is the interdisciplinary study of our world, its physical characteristics like water, landforms, vegetation and climate as well as the relationships between people and the environment. You can choose between one of our three Geography degree options. The Bachelor of Arts in Geography provides a solid foundation in physical and human geography with a focus on the cultural, economic, political, and social influences. The Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Geography concentrates on the causes and effects of various environmental issues. The Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Physical Geography focuses on geography as an earth science and integrates mathematics, biology, geology, chemistry, and physics with geography-specific courses.