Bachelor of Arts in History

at Lakehead University - Orillia Campus Canada

Our Interdisciplinary Studies program is flexible in its design, allowing you to customize your educational experience. You will be encouraged to think beyond the confines of a traditional undergraduate degree and take a range of courses in different disciplines that are oriented to your individual career aspirations.

As an Interdisciplinary Studies major, you can choose any two disciplinary areas from the following:

• Anthropology
• Biology
• Criminology
• English
• General Science
• Geography
• History
• Media, Film and Communications
• Political Science
• Psychology?
• Sociology 

You will develop advanced critical thinking skills, problem-solving strategies and specialized knowledge pertaining to a variety of topics. We also offer the ability to pursue concentrations in Environment in Politics and Culture, Human Nature, Social Justice, and International Conflict and Human Rights.

Environment in Politics and Culture
The Environmental in Politics and Culture concentration offers students a blended approach that combines disciplinary courses in social science, science, and the humanities with interdisciplinary questions such as:

1. What makes a community? How do communities live well in place? 
2. What groups are most affected by environmental problems? Who is responsible? Who should make the decisions for environmental and community planning? Who should bear the costs?
3. What role do government, law, and policy play in prevention, management, and remediation of environmental challenges? How do local efforts relate to global systems?
4. How do we reconcile immediate interests with long-term challenges? Local needs with distant ones? Inequality with economic growth?
5. Why is it so hard to create social change on environmental issues? What roles could be played by formal and informal education, art, media, story-telling, and popular culture?

Environmental problems are complex.  In this concentration, students ask broad questions about how we come to be facing environmental problems and the ethical, political, and cultural challenges they pose. Topics include social and environmental justice in food and agroecology sovereignty movements, gendered approaches to the environment, animal rights and representation, and the challenges of what it means to be an environmental educator inside and outside a classroom.

The program of study emerges from social science and humanities approaches to the environment, focusing on the ethical, political, social and cultural challenges posed by environmental problems, political organization and governance structures involved in social change, and the cultural frameworks through which environment has been understood in various periods, places, media, and aesthetic modes. Students will use problem-based learning to explore effective responses to environmental problems in contexts such as local governance, political organizing, policy development, art, media, popular culture, storytelling, and formal and informal education.

The Environment in Politics and Culture concentration appeals to individuals who are community and volunteer-oriented and willing to engage as citizens and problem-solvers on the state of their lived environments. It would also appeal to active and life-long learners, educators, artists, writers, and politically active individuals. This concentration leads to work, career, community, and further study opportunities in the fields of education, public service, the charity and not-for-profit sector, law and policy development, community organizing, media and journalism, law, and the arts.

Government policies influence virtually every aspect of our lives, from housing to education to crime. Our Political Science program studies the institutions, ideas, practices, and power that shape government and policy at all levels. Students will gain a thorough understanding of political systems - with a particular focus on Canadian politics - and overarching notions of freedom, equality, and justice.

Our goal is to provide a well-rounded Political Science education by applying both theoretical and practical modes of analysis to examine sociological, economic, and historical contexts.If you have an interest in political systems abroad, you will also have the opportunity to explore the politics of America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Additionally, you will study: 

• International Relations
• Political Theory
• Law and Politics
• Public Administration and Policy
• Indigenous Governance
• Comparative Politics

The study of Sociology emphasizes the social relationships between people, communities and cultures. By exploring fundamental sociological theories, contemporary thinkers, and a variety of research methods, you will have the opportunity to examine topics including:

• Health and Aging
• Marriage and the Family
• Crime and Deviance
• Media and Popular Culture
• Science and Technology
• Gender and Sexuality
• Education
• Northern Communities
• Discrimination
• Social Change 

Research and hands-on application is at the core of our programs. You will graduate with the necessary skills to facilitate quantitative and qualitative research and to think creatively and inquisitively in order to better understand social patterns, behaviours and issues. 

Our faculty is actively engaged in diverse areas of research such as Gerontology, Education, Health, Demography, Media, Work and Occupations, Social Psychology, and Northern Studies, providing you with well-rounded course options taught by some of the foremost leaders in the field.

It is our goal to enhance your knowledge of the society in which you live and to increase your ability to think independently and critically.  You will graduate with a strong understanding of social interaction, preparing you for success in virtually any profession.

Contrary to popular belief, the study of English is not simply about books. English is a wide-ranging field of study that uses textual analysis to dig deeper into our society and the world around us.

At Lakehead University, the flexibility of our English program encourages you to follow your own interests within the discipline. You’ll learn about the historical development of English language literature - from the Medieval to the contemporary period - as well as different theoretical approaches to the study of literary and cultural texts.

We offer a broad range of courses including:

• Poetry
• Film
• Popular Culture
• Creative, Academic, and Professional Writing
• Gender Studies
• Children’s Literature
• Fiction

History
The academic and professional pursuit of History is the process of bringing the past to life. The study of History encompasses all aspects of human experience, from wars to celebrity culture, and is constantly evolving as our knowledge and perspectives advance.

As a History student you will have the flexibility to pursue your own interests within the discipline and the ability to regularly collaborate with your professors due to our small class sizes. Our courses provide you with various approaches to the study of History and the necessary skills to analyze any issue within its historical context. You will examine historical topics from North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa and South Asia including:

• Aboriginal History
• Digital History
• Environmental History
• Gender History
• International Development
• Political History
• Medical History
• Military History
• Social History

The Faculty of Education at Lakehead University offers a Master of Education program designed to meet your professional and academic goals and interests. Our Master of Education (MEd) program provides you with a unique learning opportunity, which addresses the current landscape of both education and research. Our program consists of two distinct fields of study, Educational Studies and Education for Change.

Our Educational Studies field offers you the opportunity to earn your Master's of Education while studying educational research, theory, and practice in a variety of educational contexts, as well as the chance to specialize in Gerontology or Women's Studies.

All class sizes are small, giving you the opportunity to interact with classmates, instructors, and other faculty members. Our Faculty members have expertise in a wide variety of areas; for more information about our faculty and their research areas, please see the Faculty and Staff page.

We are also the home of two Canada Research Chairs (in Environmental Education, Arts Integrated Research), the Centre for Place and Sustainability Studies, the Multi-Data Convergence Laboratory, and the Canadian Journal of Environmental Education.

Criminology involves the study of crime, including victimization, criminality, and criminal justice agents and institutions among other areas. The field is multi-disciplinary, including Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, and various other academic fields.
At Lakehead University, you will have the option to major, specialize, or minor in Criminology. The Criminology Program emphasizes a practitioner orientation, with a variety of courses that introduce and familiarize students with the Canadian criminal justice system. Three thematic areas of focus run throughout the Program’s course offerings: (1) social justice and human rights, (2) law and legal institutions, and (3) forensic science and criminalistics.

As a program graduate, you will be well situated to, among other things, consider careers in:

• Law enforcement (e.g., policing, border security)
• Corrections (e.g., institutions, probation)
• Social work (e.g., victims services organizations, offender rehabilitation programs)

Or, to apply to further schooling that opens up additional career opportunities, such as:

• Law school
• Teacher education  
• Graduate school

A sample of courses in the Criminology Program at Lakehead includes: Youth Crime, Cyber-Crime, Forensic Psychology, Criminal Profiling, Policing, Death Investigation, and a wide variety of other innovative courses.

The Faculty of Education at Lakehead University offers a Master of Education program designed to meet your professional and academic goals and interests. Our Master of Education (MEd) program provides you with a unique learning opportunity, which addresses the current landscape of both education and research.

MEd: Gerontology Specialization
The Gerontology Program actively collaborates with the Faculty of Education to provide you with an innovative, interdisciplinary learning perspective. You have the opportunity to access multifaceted resources and work together with complementary disciplines.

Our Faculty of Education prepares prospective teachers for a dynamic and rewarding career through unique and innovative programming. By emphasizing critical thinking skills and collaborative learning, we give you the flexibility to explore the teaching methods, concepts, and values that are meaningful to you. 

We are leading the way in teacher education. Our program emphasizes practical, experiential learning to ensure you are fully prepared to enter into the workforce post-graduation. Our programs are continually adapted to encompass a variety of educational settings and training opportunities in two divisions:

• Primary-Junior (P/J): JK – Grade 6
• Intermediate-Senior (I/S): Grades 7-12 

Unlike our Concurrent Education program, which is completed along with an undergraduate degree in another discipline, our Consecutive Education program is a two-year program open to those who have already completed a three- or four-year undergraduate degree.

Studying Environmental Sustainability will prepare you to play a crucial role in protecting the ecosystems and living organisms that make up our environment. You will gain both the scientific expertise and practical experience needed to solve modern sustainability challenges in Canada and around the world. 

Our program is known for producing environmentally conscious and responsible graduates with excellent communication skills and problem-solving abilities. You will be trained to meet the growing demands of interdisciplinary practitioners in the diverse fields of science and sustainability.

In addition to the core Environmental Sustainability courses, you will take courses in the following areas:

• Biology
• Environmental Chemistry
• Environmental Economics
• Geography
• Geology
• Natural Resource Management

Government policies influence virtually every aspect of our lives, from housing to education to crime. Our Political Science program studies the institutions, ideas, practices, and power that shape government and policy at all levels. Students will gain a thorough understanding of political systems - with a particular focus on Canadian politics - and overarching notions of freedom, equality, and justice.

Our goal is to provide a well-rounded Political Science education by applying both theoretical and practical modes of analysis to examine sociological, economic, and historical contexts.

If you have an interest in political systems abroad, you will also have the opportunity to explore the politics of America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Additionally, you will study:

• International Relations
• Political Theory
• Law and Politics
• Public Administration and Policy
• Indigenous Governance
• Comparative Politics

The Lakehead Advantage
Our diverse course content, combined with an intimate learning environment, provides a comprehensive education in classic and contemporary government, law, and politics, as well as highly developed writing, research and analytical skills.

If you are thinking about applying to law school in the future, consider taking our specialized Pre-Law Program. It is designed to introduce you to the study of law by emphasizing subject matter related to the legal process, in addition to politics. Graduates from this program are regularly accepted to excellent law schools.