Bachelor of Science, Major in Materials Science

at EduCo - Western University Canada

Whether taking a medication to treat a disease, driving a car, or playing on our smartphones, chemistry has an immense impact on all aspects of our daily lives. Chemistry, also known as the central science, is the study of materials at the atomic and molecular level, and in particular, their properties, composition, and reactions. Since all materials are composed of atoms and molecules, a thorough understanding of chemistry is crucial to the understanding of all other physical and biological sciences, ranging from astronomy to medicine, to zoology. Phenomena such as global warming, the health effects of trans fats, and the efficiency of hybrid vehicles, can all be explained by chemical principles. Accordingly, chemists contribute substantially to the discovery and development of new technologies, be they environmental, medical, or transportation, to name a few.

Canada is currently experiencing a shift in demographics. For the first time in our nation’s history, seniors now outnumber children. This shift significantly affects the healthcare system, and means that there is tremendous career potential for those who wish to working with aging adults. The Honors Specialization in Health and Aging provides students with the knowledge they need to understand the health issues of older adults, as well as the effects on health care services. Students who graduate from this module will be well-equipped to work in programs and services geared toward older adults, and also to address systemic challenges.

The Bachelor of Science (Honors Specialization) program is designed to give students a deeper appreciation of the life sciences. In addition to investigating courses throughout the broad scope of Kinesiology, that include exercise physiology, biomechanics, anatomy, sports injuries, exercise psychology, sport management and professional ethics, students must choose courses such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math from the Faculty of Science.

Geography and Environment at Western centres around the following sub-disciplines; Physical Geography, Geographic Information Science (GIS), Urban Studies and Environment, Development and Health. This broad, integrative perspective makes Western geographers employable in a wide range of occupations.

An interdisciplinary and dynamic field, Women’s Studies has undergone impressive expansion in recent decades. In the Department of Women’s Studies and Feminist Research at Western, students study gender, and sexuality in terms of cultural norms and their implications from a variety of feminist perspectives. We explore how gender intersects with other axes of identity such as class, race, ethnicity, socio-economic standing, (dis)ability, age, and more. Encouraging the development of critical thinking skills, our discipline asks students to consider how knowledge gets produced and to what effect. We question how gendered understandings shape and shift our world in relation to local experience, historical realities, and the global present.

By studying German at Western, you can gain a solid foundation in the language of Europe’s most influential economy and explore the language and culture in which figures such as Bach, Goethe, Mozart, Nietzsche, Brecht, Kafka, and Benjamin lived and worked and in which recent Nobel Prize winners, Elfriede Jelinek and Herta Müller, are thriving. Investigate and analyze culture through upper year seminars about German literary, visual and performing arts, covering periods from the medieval, classicist, romantic agesto the contemporary culture of unification and integration or about cities such as Vienna and Berlin. Major, Minor or Certificate module options are available and final-year capstone experiences include research seminars or project courses, and completion of an undergraduate honors thesis.

Student learn the German language through a multi-media, communicative approach, that focuses on the cultures of all German-speaking countries and integrates authentic materials such as articles, websites, film and literature. Challenge yourself with study abroad or exchange opportunities and receive credit at Western or engage with hands-on intercultural experience through in-class and community service learning.

Are you moved by crisis in Darfur? Do social movements such as the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street interest you? Do you want to work for a public service or a non-profit organisation? Then the Media and the Public Interest (MPI) program might be for you. The MPI program is the only one of its kind in Canada and connects issues of communication and media to social justice issues such as democracy, equity, class, race, and gender. Students in MPI examine social movements and how media can be used to further these causes. Some example courses in the MPI program include Alternative Media, Social Movements and Media, and Activism in Mainstream Media. A primary goal of the program is to connect media theory learned in the classroom to real world experiences. Students are encouraged to put what they learn to use. Many of the courses feature a service learning component or practicum that gives students the opportunity to volunteer in a community organisation.

Anthropology is the study of humans in all our social, cultural, linguistic, and biological diversity and complexity.  The four subfields of Anthropology (Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology, and Sociocultural Anthropology) are united by shared perspectives on how we study the full breadth of humanity. 

Jewish Studies is excited to welcome all students at Western and our Affiliated Colleges! This program offers our diverse student body an opportunity to pursue a Major or a Minor in Jewish Studies, providing a rigorous academic setting to learn more about the diverse history and culture of the Jewish People, past and present. Our wide-ranging program explores the many disciplines related to Jewish studies on Main Campus, at King’s, and at Huron, including Art, Biblical Studies, Hebrew Language, History, Literature, Media Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Rabbinics, and Religious Studies. The inter-disciplinary nature of Jewish Studies allows students to sample multiple forms of knowledge and to understand Jewish politics, culture, and society from a variety of perspectives. By combining breadth and depth, the Jewish Studies Program contributes to a well-rounded Liberal Arts education to any and all interested undergraduates.

The culture and history of the Jewish people extends across more than three millennia, from Biblical times to the present, and spans across most of the world, from the Middle East to Latin America and from Eastern Europe to North America. The study of the Jewish experience highlights the complexities of cultural exchange and interactions in changing temporal and geographic circumstances. Students learn not only about the unique trajectory of Jewish life, but also gain a more nuanced picture of non-Jewish societies. As the study of a diaspora people, the Jewish story is one that can be contrasted and compared to that of other minority groups, offering unique insights into and perspectives on religion, sociology, politics and culture.

Students of Jewish Studies gain vital skills, including proficiency in writing and verbal expression; critical thinking; aptitude in a foreign language (Hebrew); sensitivities to cultural difference; textual analysis and many more!

Our department’s expertise encapsulates a wide array of interdisciplinary strengths across feminist theory and various feminist approaches to health studies, media studies, history, globalization and development studies, philosophy, law, writing studies and literature, and visual culture, as well as significant work in queer theory and sexuality studies. We are one of only a few units across the University recognized as a Department in both the Faculty of Social Science and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Further, we have a rich network of Affiliate faculty members appointed in many other departments across Western who are integral members of our learning community. We also promote feminist scholarship through provision for resident scholars, a Distinguished Speakers Series, faculty colloquia, annual conferences (including a graduate conference, and Flaunting It!, our annual undergraduate conference on gender and sexuality).