Bachelor of Arts in American Studies

at Mount Allison University Canada

Commerce provides a solid foundation in the key disciplines of business, including accounting, finance, marketing, and management.
At Mount Allison, Commerce provides you with an experiential and personal approach to business studies. You'll benefit from small class sizes, one-on-one time with your professors, frequent interaction with fellow students, opportunities to gain real-world experience, and Mount Allison’s strong links to the business world.

You'll study a variety of business areas, such as:

• Accounting
• Finance
• Marketing
• Management

The program is designed to give all students, regardless of their areas of concentration, a strong undergraduate foundation in the key disciplines of management education. Students will be challenged both inside and outside the classroom to develop the problem-solving and decision-making skills that are essential to successful business enterprises.

A Bachelor of Arts in Commerce also includes courses from the core Commerce requirements. As a BA student, you'll have more flexibility to combine your Commerce major (60 credits) with complementary courses from other disciplines.

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind, brain, and behaviour. The goals are to describe, explain, and predict behaviour, allowing for a scientific means of optimizing human development, abilities, and quality of life.

At its core, psychology is the quest to understand why people do what they do. The objectives of psychological study are to understand human nature, for its own sake, and to provide an increasingly reliable basis for the application of psychological principles to education, social policy, and medical treatment.

At Mount Allison, psychology can be pursued either as a science or an arts discipline, depending on your interests.

As the scientific study of mind and behaviour, psychology studies is a:

• Social science – how people influence the behaviour of others, why we do what we do, personality and self-concept
• Biological science – physiological mechanisms, neuroanatomy, evolutionary origins of mental and behavioural phenomena
• Cognitive science – sensation and perception, abstract thinking, reasoning, language, memory

The psychology program at Mount Allison offers students a diversity of courses, while maintaining a strong core curriculum. Courses are offered in areas of psychology like:

• Developmental
• Biological
• Neurological
• Cognitive
• Social
• Personality
• Abnormal
• LearningHealth

Psychology students develop their knowledge by using scientific methods to analyze behaviour, employing careful observation and experimentation to develop and test theories. The results are theories, backed up by facts, that further your comprehension of the human mind.

Mount Allison was among the first universities in the country to establish a Canadian studies program. This well-respected program has earned a national reputation for excellence.

Canadian Studies facultyCanadian studies is an interdisciplinary program that seeks to study Canada’s place in the world through Canadian-centred courses in a number of disciplines. Students explore the complexities of the country, including its vast and varied geography and its regional distinctions, as well as the intricacies of issues such as the environment, First Nations, bilingualism, and multiculturalism.

The program benefits from its collaboration with Mount Allison’s Centre for Canadian Studies. An invaluable resource, the Centre supports and extends student learning through an exceptional program of public lectures and extracurricular events.

Computer Science
At Mount Allison, computer science courses are designed to address the needs of a wide variety of users, from the casual to the professional. Whether you want to learn more about certain software or to develop advanced programming skills, Mount Allison has a computer science course for you.

Introductory computer science courses offer an overview of programming skills, the use and application of popular software, and the essentials of computing. More advanced courses deal with topics ranging from artificial intelligence and the role of computers in society to the design and implementation of advanced hardware or software systems.

Specialized areas include:

• theory of computation
• cryptography
• artificial intelligence
• databases
• computer graphics
• networks
• software and hardware design

All courses in the computing curriculum offer a blend of theory and practical application, with many of the offerings having a significant project component in which students are given the opportunity to apply the classroom material to real-world problems.

Physics
At Mount Allison, a key feature of Physics is the experiential learning approach used in many courses — students learn through collaborative, hands-on activities. In the Physics program, the development of fundamental concepts and mathematical formulation proceeds simultaneously in a selected series of courses in physics and mathematics.

Physics also prepares you for more advanced study in applied areas such as photonics, materials science, or biomedical engineering; or for a career in such fields as astronomy, space research, or oceanography. Introductory physics involves a combination of mini-lectures, lab work, and collaborative learning experiences.

While in upper years you may choose to pursue studies in subjects like:

• astrophysics
• quantum mechanics
• electricity and magnetism
• statistical mechanics
• advanced physical chemistry
• electronics
• medical physics
• thermodynamics
• nuclei and fundamental particles
• solid state physics
• energy production and the environment
• modern optics

International relations is the study of the relationships between countries and between governmental and non-governmental organizations. It examines the impacts of economic, social, technological, environmental, military, and political processes, as well as issues of justice, responsibility, and human well-being.

The international relations program at Mount Allison is centred around courses in economics, language, and political science.

In first and second year you will take introductory courses in economics, political science, and international relations.

In third and fourth year you will begin to specialize. International relations is inter and multidisciplinary and in addition to your core courses, you will have the opportunity to choose two streams of study from the following disciplines:

• Political science (politics in Europe, the U.S., Africa, the Middle East; security studies; foreign policy analysis)
• History (war and society in Europe, Japan and modern Asia, environmental history)
• Sociology (social movements, refugee studies, globalization)
• Anthropology (indigenous knowledge systems, social inequality, globalization and social change)
• Economics (game theory, environmental economics, international development)
• Geography and environmental studies (Canadian environmental policy, international environmental affairs, sustainable development)
• English (African literature, Caribbean literature, literary representations of race and culture)
• Religious studies (gender issues in eastern and western religions, contemporary ethical issues)

International relations also has a university-level language requirement. Mount Allison offers courses in French, Spanish, German, and Japanese.

You are encouraged to gain international experience by studying or working abroad or by doing international work in Canada, and to carry out independent research.

The study of English literature is important both for the understanding of particular literary texts and for the insight it provides into how we interpret the world and our place in it. English helps you develop skills in research, analysis, critical thinking, interpretation, and persuasive writing.

While the curriculum focuses on literary study, students are encouraged to develop an appreciation for the English language, which will prove invaluable not only in your studies, but in any future career or profession.

First-year English courses offer you an introduction to different approaches to reading and writing about literature, using texts from a range of genres and time periods.

In second year you may choose from courses focusing on:

• Introduction to literary periods
• Shakespeare
• Canadian literature
• American literature

Third-year courses expand on your second-year choices, including studies in:

• British literature in different periods
• Canadian and American literature
• Gender and literature
• Postcolonial literature
• Dramatic literature
• Creative writing
• Film, genre, and cultural studies

In fourth year you will be able to pursue “selected topics” courses, which allow you to pursue special interests, either through the particular courses offered that year or through individual study and research under the supervision of a faculty member.

If you choose to do an honours English degree, you will have the opportunity to write a thesis under the supervision of a faculty member.

You will also have opportunities to present and publish creative and critical work.

Mathematics is the foundation of most modern quantitative and qualitative studies. It has many faces, from practical uses of its statistical tools to theoretical studies of abstract relationships.

At Mount Allison, the Mathematics program aims to provide an appreciation of the historical, theoretical, and applied nature of mathematics.

All courses in the curriculum offer a blend of theory and practical applications. The program includes lectures supplemented by weekly labs where you can gain hands-on experience.

Introductory courses* may introduce students to the applications to which calculus may be applied or the practical uses of statistics.
Upper-year courses deal with topics ranging from geometry to game theory.

You will be introduced to mathematical concepts such as:

• The practical uses of statistical tools
• Theoretical studies of abstract relationships
• The applications of calculus
• The use of number theory in modern cryptography

Many of the courses offered include a substantial computational component and students are encouraged to use the mathematical software tools available. You are also encouraged to conduct independent summer research projects or to contribute to faculty research projects as a research assistant.

Chemistry is the branch of physical science involving the study of the composition of substances, the ways in which their properties are related to their composition, and the interaction of substances to produce new materials.
The general purpose of studies in chemistry is to increase our understanding of the structure and behaviour of the matter of our environment. A knowledge of chemistry is important to the solution of problems in important areas of the environment, medicine, and the utilization of resources.

The chemistry program at Mount Allison – fully accredited by the Canadian Society of Chemistry (CSC) – is designed to provide students with an education in the main branches of the subject, namely:

• Analytical
• Organic
• Inorganic
• Physical
• Computational

In upper years, students are offered some choice and flexibility with a curriculum that covers advanced courses, including:

• Advanced organic chemistry
• Physical organic chemistry
• Nanoscience and nanotechnology
• Physical chemistry: statistical thermodynamics, computational chemistry
• Inorganic chemistry: organometallics, physical aspects, bioinorganic, structure and bonding in main group chemistry
• Advanced quantum mechanics
• Environmental chemistry

The interdisciplinary nature of chemistry means you may also take courses in biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, mathematics, and psychology.

The chemistry and biochemistry department emphasizes experiential learning – you will graduate with 600 to 1,200 hours of lab experience, developing important analytical and presentation skills along the way.

Research is a key component of the department's approach. You will be encouraged to take advantage of faculty-supervised independent research, job opportunities as summer research assistants, and chances to contribute to faculty research projects, which often leads to co-authoring a paper with your professor for publication.

Studies in drama and in the theatre form an integral part of Mount Allison's special mission and tradition in the fine and performing arts, as well as playing a vital role in the University's overall efforts to provide a liberal education. The best in theatre and drama allows us to rehearse alternative realities. It shows us new perspectives, challenges us, and touches us, as our lives and the issues we face are reflected back in new and surprising ways. It can change our lives and change our world. Students involved in Drama at Mount Allison are challenged to work creatively and resourcefully, solving problems, and discovering and exploring new means of communication and expression - all within a cooperative collaborative environment that is intimate enough to allow special attention to the individual student.

In response to our mandate as an interdisciplinary program in Drama Studies within the liberal education focus on Mount Allison University, our curriculum focuses on breadth, introducing students to as many areas of the discipline as our faculty and staff are qualified to teach. Our capstone independent theatre projects course (DRAM 4011 Advanced Theatrical Interpretation) allows students to gain a measure of advanced work in areas of interest, while our extensive theatre season means all students (both drama and non-drama) have ample opportunity to experience a wide range of skills: artistic, practical, academic, social, managerial, critical, and experimental. All dimensions of drama work are fully contextualized in the broader degree structure, which means students are not only exposed to at least one other field in some depth through their Minor subject, but also introduced to a multiple of complementary and distribution study areas.
 
Students' involvement with the Interdisciplinary Program in Drama may evolve through the formal routes of the Major or Minor in Drama described elsewhere under programs on this website, or it may take the form of co-curricular or extra-curricular activities in support of Drama Program productions in the University's brand-new multi-functional Motyer-Fancy Theatre. Typically, a total of up to ten shows are mounted every year, performed and crewed by students, with direction and design by a mixture of theatre professionals and senior students.

Participation in the Motyer-Fancy Theatre is open to all Mount Allison students, regardless of their chosen field of study.

Many Mount Allison graduates - both those who followed the formal path of Major or Minor, and others who worked on Drama Studies theatre productions as enrichment of their academic programs have gone on to careers in acting, directing, theatre management, stage management, design, and playwriting both in Canada and abroad.

Applied Physics is a branch of physics that focuses on the technological or practical use of the discipline.

At Mount Allison, the Physics department promotes a personal experience for students, with experiential learning as a key feature — students learn through collaborative, hands-on activities.
Students in Applied Physics may take courses in: 

• digital signal processing and electronics
• medical physics
• thermodynamics
• energy production and the environment
• the physics of music and sound