Bachelor of Arts Community Studies in Political Science (Co-op Optional)

at Cape Breton University Canada

When it comes to global innovation and change, petroleum has been at the heart of some of the most important scientific advances in human history. That’s because hydrocarbons are at the foundation of our modern, energy intensive societies.

At CBU, we help you capitalize on this career opportunity by giving you the skills you need to build a solid foundation in this field. As a small island with an incredible way of life that is delicately balanced, we know how petroleum and its by-products affect nearly every aspect of human life and occupation.

After graduating from CBU with a BET Petroleum, students will have the skills and knowledge regarding the extraction, processing and refinement of petroleum resources. You’ll also focus heavily on protecting the environment, a challenge that is necessary to tackle in today’s oil and gas industry.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Knowledge of drilling and exploration
• Reservoir analysis skills
• Completions planning skills
• Oil and gas equipment knowledge
• Awareness of petroleum processing

CBU offers a four-year Bachelor of Arts Community Studies degree in the field of Mathematics. For years, CBU has been providing impeccable services to its students to prepare them to be successful citizens of the world. Math is a subject that keeps evolving and there are new developments in the subject happening now and then. Along with mathematics, this degree also deals with community studies and how we can positively influence our communities.

CBU has a great faculty of expert mathematicians, state-of-the-art services, and excellent placement records which make this a very desirable course. Students have a number of career options after completing a degree in mathematics namely accountancy & finance, banking, actuarial career, statistician, careers in academia & research, engineering, and many more. 

Over the years a number of students have graduated in the field of mathematics from CBU who have made great careers. The four-year program helps students deal with the basic fundamentals of mathematics and gradually delves into the deeper aspects of the subject.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Argument and logic skills
• Computer math skills
• Problem-solving & analytical skills
• Risk assessment skills

The English language is central to the way billions of people work, play, think and relate to one another. The English program at CBU teaches you to become an expert user of the language, understanding the history and applications in all its linguistically splendid detail and nuance.

A big part of that nuance will come from understanding humanity’s richest literary tradition, engaging with some of the world’s most profound imaginations.

Studying English means learning to think not just critically, but curiously and courageously. It’s opening your eyes to cutting-edge ideas while also being skeptical and analytical.

Studying English means coming to understand the way our language shapes us, our societies and even our physical environment. We study how we can use language – and its texts – to understand our past, to remake ourselves and to understand the world around us.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Deep critical interpretation skills
• Cultural literacy
• Advanced writing skills
• In-depth knowledge of literary texts and forms
• Flexible and adaptable research skills

Why study at CBU?

• Study English in a place where inspiration comes naturally. Our English faculty are active scholars with an impressive record of publications and awards. CBU faculty care deeply about inspiring their students to become engaged readers, brave writers and thoughtful citizens.
• We will be here from your first day as a student to your first day as a graduate and beyond, guiding you through the program and helping you engage with the intricacies of scholarship. We’ll be here to help you craft a brilliant writing style and hone unparalleled research skills. We’ll be here to help you sharpen your critical prose, to make your creative writing sing, and even to help you make a splash at your first academic conference.

When it comes to the prosperity of a business, nothing is more important than a solid financial foundation. Finance is a body of concepts, principles and theories dealing with making strategic investment acquisitions, and identifying where the firm will get the long-term capital to finance the strategic investments.

Finance courses explore the day-to-day operations of a firm and examines how to ensure the business is successful.

Everyone has to deal with money. Finance takes a closer look at this dynamic by studying the management of money for individuals, companies and governments. Topics in world capital markets, investments in real and financial assets and the world of international finance are covered.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Acquire the ability to make sound financial decisions that will maximize the value of a business.
• Learn to effectively manage money to provide growth in investments.
• Understand the time value of money and how to use the concept to make sound financial decisions.
• Learn to help a firm raise capital to foster growth.
• Acquire the knowledge needed to make sound strategic decisions to ensure a successful business.

Why study at CBU?
A finance concentration at CBU will prepare students for many careers in the financial services industry and in other related fields. The skills and concepts learned include the ability to make sound financial decisions and will lead the way to achieve a successful work-life environment.

The scope of finance is broad. Finance courses at CBU explore the full spectrum, from corporate finance, personal finance, investments, capital market theory, financial markets and international finance. Courses in accounting and economics are also ideal for a concentration in finance.

We are all global citizens with a stake in the economic issues that have become an integral part of our daily lives. From the local economies that drive our national industries, to the complex nature of free trade between countries, Cape Breton Island offers a unique glimpse into the fluid world of economics.

As a social science concerned with the efficient use of resources in production, exchange and consumption, students from dozens of countries arrive here to gain a better understanding of how local and global economies thrive. They end up graduating with the confidence and knowledge they need to enter the professional world of economics.

Economics professors at CBU are dedicated and engaged professionals who stay on top of developments in the global economy. This gives students an up-to-date flow of knowledge regarding the creation and distribution of wealth, labour disputes, unemployment, inflation, taxes, oil prices and international trade. And that’s just to start. Our modern facilities and comprehensive curriculum ensure you have what you need to achieve true economic success in the real world.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Obtain a basic understanding of the organization and structure of economies – domestically as well as globally.
• Understand the basic tools of micro and macro-economic analysis and apply them to contemporary economic settings.
• Appreciate that socioeconomic and political landscapes are driven by economic considerations domestically and globally.
• Engage in informed discussions regarding economic policy.
• Recognize that, as citizens of the world, we need to function efficiently and effectively.

Why study at CBU?

• At CBU, students have access to various experiential learning opportunities and are encouraged to actively participate in class. Our exchange program provides students with the chance to travel to other countries to gain global experience relating to the study of economics.
• Another great aspect, among many here in Cape Breton, is the sense of community, and the friendly, approachable people. People who, even if they aren’t from here, have adopted our warm, welcoming island lifestyle as their own. Because of that, it’s a place where CBU students and faculty get to know each other on a professional and personal basis.
• The Shannon School of Business also maintains close ties with the local business community, bridging the gap between students and professionals, owners and managers in the field of economics.

Just like organizations who are made up of people who interact to accomplish shared objectives, Cape Breton University is made up of students all working toward the same goal. That goal is to educate themselves for a better way of life for their families and their communities.

The study of human resources (HR) helps us understand why people are so important to the success of business operations. A strong HR department is critical to an organization’s effectiveness and success. This means getting to know the functions of the people within an organization where everyone benefits. Attracting the best talent, getting the most out of employees, maintaining an equal environment for everyone, and strategically leveraging resources are all essential elements of HR management.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Leadership skills
• Interpersonal communication skills
• Learn organizational behaviours
• Deep understanding of HR processes

Why study at CBU?

• What you’ll notice most about Cape Breton Island is the warm, welcoming community filled with the nicest people you’ll ever meet. It’s enough to write home about. Which is a good thing, considering HR includes a range of responsibilities that all deal with people.
• As an HR professional, your work will require you to go above and beyond, including attracting the best talent, getting the most out of employees, maintaining an equal environment for everyone and strategically leveraging resources.
• Cape Breton University prepares you for the realities of the working world. So, our program is designed to teach you how to create a cohesive, inclusive and fully functioning workplace. This means you’ll get the real-world experience you need with an education you deserve.

Now, more than ever, Canada’s health care system needs strong, compassionate and capable leaders. By studying CBU’s Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Health Care Management, the only of its kind in the Maritimes, you’ll learn the essential skills and aspects of managing and leading a health care unit successfully and efficiently.

In a climate of rising costs and tighter budgets, health care units are in the continual process of adapting, innovating and reinventing themselves. Health care organizations are looking for employees who are knowledgeable of policy and quality of service directives and, at the same time, have the skills to manage people, resources, innovation and costs. The comprehensive curriculum of this program allows students to learn essential aspects of managing a health care unit, including accounting, statistics, analytics, organizational behavior and more, all within a culturally respectful environment.

This program is for domestic or international students who have an undergraduate degree, and wish to pursue supervisory careers in the field of health care. Or, for those students wishing to gain a foundational knowledge of management prior to pursuing a Master’s degree.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Understand the effect of external environments (political, legal, market, sector) on the management of health care organizations
• Use data analytics tools and techniques to make strategic decisions, support operational goals and maximize resources
• Understand and respect the diverse beliefs, values and health care needs of the community, including Indigenous health care priorities, barriers and needs
• Ability to integrate technical knowledge of management, incorporating theoretical and ethical concepts in managing people, operations and finances

Experiential Learning Opportunities
Choice of completing a 12-week internship placement within an organization Or, completing a capstone project where students are supervised and closely mentored by their professors, having the opportunity to apply skills to a business project.

The BACS degree is highly flexible, with a wide range of opportunities for academic specialization as well as highly specific focused degrees in different areas of study. The program is a process-oriented, experiential degree program that prepares students for the job market. The core community studies courses are focused on problem-solving, critical thinking, community-based research and work placements.

Why study at CBU?
What makes the decision to study at CBU the right decision to make? The unique academic programs. The undergraduate research opportunities. The people. The location. It all comes together to create the perfect environment for learning and living. And as #8 on the top islands to visit in the world by Travel + Leisure Magazine, CBU prides itself on our beautiful landscapes, tradition of excellence and innovative culture of collaboration.

Our BACS degree offers a unique experiential education with volunteer or work placements built into the core of the program. We strive to ensure students have real work experience before graduation. Additionally, students engage with their communities in projects that help foster both community awareness and establish a true sense of teamwork.

CBU also provides an easy destination for transfer students as CBU has articulation agreements with Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) and a number of other Canadian colleges. In some areas of study, it is possible to complete a three-year BACS degree entirely online.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Reflective learning
• Workplace experience
• Community involvement

Communication helps the world work together. It helps people see the world more clearly, and helps to create mutual understanding. This is especially true when your world is an island wonderland filled with unlimited opportunity and intellectual resources. That’s Cape Breton and this is CBU – a place where you can learn to communicate with efficiency, respect and effectiveness. Here, you leverage your naturally existing communication skills to amplify and expand your other communication-based talents.

Clear and creative communication is critically important for safe, stable communities and workplaces. That’s why we’re proud to say Cape Breton University offers the only communication major in the Maritimes.

The theories and skills learned in our program are essential for successful careers, healthy relationships and the development of a deep understanding of communication and its functions in society. Through our on-campus and distance courses, communication students explore various areas of interpersonal and public communication, media studies and cultural studies. These dynamic and energetic environments allow students to develop the skills and knowledge base needed to critically examine and understand communication in all aspects of society.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Critical thinking and reflection skills
• Conflict management / resolution
• Effective public speaking skills
• Effective interpersonal communication skills
• Media literacy and analytic approaches to media messages
• Leadership, team building and collaborative working skills
• Ability to apply communication theory in wide-ranging contexts

Why study at CBU?

• At CBU, our modern facilities and experienced faculty guide you through the intricacies of communication. This includes areas that touch on relationships, communities, culture, history and technology. We believe communication is ever-changing and evolving, so our faculty continue to stay up-to-date by exploring the impact that new technologies, practices and forms have on our daily lives.
• With the guidance of a communication lab peer facilitator, students work in small groups and participate in dynamic, hands-on activities and discussions. These discussions help them put into practice the communication theories and skills they study in the classroom. Peer facilitators are upper-level students who have excelled in their studies and have a passion for helping other students develop as communicators. Peer facilitators take our communication facilitation courses and receive training to gain personal and professional experience in this unique leadership role.

One look at island life and it becomes clear: CBU is a special place that is focused and determined to make the world a better place. The passion for innovation and collaboration runs deep in our history and fuels our future.

The engineering transfer program is offered at CBU on an associate basis with Dalhousie University. CBU is one of the few Associated Universities to offer the first two years of all seven engineering disciplines. These include civil, environmental, mineral resource, electrical, industrial, mechanical and chemical engineering. We deliver the first two years of the four-year Bachelor of Engineering program.

The first year of the program is common for all seven discipline options. At the end of the first year, you must make a decision on a specialty. Application is made at this time to both CBU and Dalhousie for a seat in the particular discipline of choice.

During year two, you will be registered at both CBU and Dalhousie University.

Students can also combine a BSc in either chemistry or mathematics with the Engineering Diploma. This program requires a third year of study at CBU to complete the BSc, followed by two years at Dalhousie University to complete the BEng.

What skills will I gain from this program?

• Reduce complex problems using appropriate assumptions.
• Identify appropriate engineering tools for real-world problems.
• Learn to plan for safety and sustainability issues.
• Explain interactions between technical systems in various contexts.
• Become an effective leader and team member.

Why study at CBU?

• Our friendly, welcoming, respectful community helps engineering students connect solutions with real-world problems.
• By starting the BEng Transfer Program at a smaller institution, students get individualized attention and support from experienced faculty, which is critical for success.
• CBU is home to the newest Engineering Department in Nova Scotia, and second in size only to Dalhousie University. CBU is also one of the few Associated Universities to offer the first two years of all eight engineering disciplines.