Bachelor of Arts in History

at Mount Allison University Canada

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.

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.

Other degree option in the field of psychology at Mount Allison: BSc honours or major in cognitive science

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
• Learning
• Health

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.

You may also have the chance to participate in directed studies projects, independent summer research projects, honours theses, and volunteer work.

Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Mount Allison is the only PPE program in Canada east of Ontario, and one of only three in the country.

The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics program brings together three fundamental disciplines that use different tools and methodologies to study the human experience, but are all concerned with the many, often conflicting, ideas of what is good for people and the challenges that arise when these varied approaches are put into practice.

It helps students develop critical-thinking skills that will serve them well no matter their chosen career, offering students the opportunity of a multidisciplinary immersion in the problems that structure the human world.

At Mount Allison, courses in the multidisciplinary PPE program are drawn from established courses in all three disciplines, with special topics courses offered in upper years.

In Philosophy, you'll cultivate a broad view of human experience and values by examining concepts like:

• how we can know the world
• the nature of justice
• our responsibility to others

In Politics, you'll gain insight into:

• the workings of government
• the meaning of citizenship
• how society, economy, and culture shape the political community

In Economics, you will look at:

• the development of modern economies
• the evolution of economic systems
• the outcomes of economic policies
• the economic consequences of participation in trade, exchange, or employment

Most of the required courses for the program are at the first and second-year level, giving you greater flexibility in your upper years to tailor your courses to your interests.

Classics offers the unique opportunity to gain new perspective on our language, literature, culture, and political structure by examining their roots in ancient Greece and Rome.

Classical studies examines the history and culture of ancient Greece and Rome and their contributions to western civilization.

Classics is unique among modern academic disciplines in the breadth of its approach to its subject – it is a field in which you must be simultaneously linguist, literary critic, anthropologist, sociologist, and historian of politics, religion and art.

In classics, you will study all aspects of the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, including: 

• History
• Mythology
• Art
• Archaeology
• Language
• Literature

Introductory courses focus on classical civilization, mythology, and archaeology, while upper year studies specialize in topics like Greek democracy, the Roman emperors, health and medicine, and Greek and Roman drama, poetry, and art.

You also have the opportunity to study classical languages – and even minor in: ancient Greek and Latin.

Sociology is the study of people as they interact with one another in specific social, cultural, and historical contexts. It uses a scientific approach to study human behaviour and the social influences that affect it.

Mount Allison's sociology department helps students develop their perspective on society, examining it from different points of view and in different contexts. Sociology facilitates understanding of how and why society is organized as it is, and how it might be changed to create a more just and equitable social world.

You will study subjects like:

• Social class and inequality
• Race and racialization
• Gender relations
• Youth culture
• Work and society
• Media and popular culture
• Health and illness
• Education and society
• Citizenship, identity, refugees
• Social policies
• Non-profit organizations
• Criminology
• Research methods

First and second-year sociology courses provide an overview of the discipline and an introduction to sociological analysis. You will be introduced to the study of social problems through dynamic class interactions and assignments.

Third-year courses emphasize theoretical approaches, analytical methods, and their application to major areas of interest. This will help you build on your critical, analytical, and writing skills and teach theoretical approaches to sociology.

In your fourth year, students work with greater interdependence and in more depth on a range of sociological topics.

Classes and assignments are designed to build both conceptual and applied skills. You will have the opportunity to pursue research as part of the honours program.

Environmental Studies focuses on the human dimensions of environmental change and problem-solving through environmental management, planning, and policy.

At Mount Allison, the aim of the Environmental Studies program is to equip you with the kind of integrative and analytical thinking that will help you effectively contribute to environmental leadership and decision-making.
Courses cover such topics as:

• Environmental policy
• Natural resources management
• Environmental ethics

In upper years, Environmental Studies students choose complimentary courses from the following four optional streams:

• Environmental social justice
• Environmental policy and economics
• Environmental history and philosophy
• Ecology and environment

You will also have the opportunity to carry out your own research as summer projects or as part of directed studies courses.

Biology is the scientific study of living things — their form, function, origin, and behavior. Disciplines include cell biology, ecology, genetics and evolution, and animal and plant diversity.
The Department of Biology at Mount Allison is committed to providing students with opportunities for hands-on learning, as well as research and laboratory experience.

First-year courses include studies of evolution, ecology, human biology, and cell biology, as well as biochemistry.
Upper-year courses allow students to explore topics such as:

• Marine biology
• Aquaculture
• Embryology
• Genetics
• Microbiology
• Ornithology
• Physiology
• Animal biology
• Plant biology

Faculty are actively involved in research and students are strongly encouraged to participate in research through faculty-supervised independent research projects during summers or during academic terms.

Research opportunities in the Department of Biology at Mount Allison include:

• Phytoplankton physiology
• Neurophysiology
• Environmental animal physiology
• Fish ecology
• Molecular genetics
• Marine botany
• Field ecology

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

Physics seeks to describe the nature of the physical world. It includes the study of everything from subatomic particles to the essence of the universe as a whole.
Physics plays a central role in most technological developments in the modern world, as well as in the theoretical foundation for most other areas of science.
Other degree options in the field of physics at Mount Allison:

• BSc honours in mathematics and physics
• Any degree, minor in applied physics
• Any degree, minor in astronomy

In the Mount Allison physics program, the development of fundamental concepts and mathematical formulation proceeds simultaneously in a selected series of courses in physics and mathematics.

The physics program 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.

A key feature of the Mount Allison physics department is the experiential learning approach used in many courses – students learn through collaborative, hands-on activities.

Introductory physics involves a combination of mini-lectures, lab work, and collaborative learning experiences, covering subjects like: 

• General physics
• Astronomy
• Physics for the life sciences
• Physics of music and sound
• Classical waves
• Date acquisition and analysis

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

You are also encouraged to carry out independent research through work on your thesis or summer projects and to become involved in faculty research as research assistants.

The study of politics examines the nature and workings of power, state, and government; the rights and duties of citizenship; the limits and possibilities of collective political action; and the social, economic, and cultural formations that shape the life of the political community.

The politics and international relations department at Mount Allison combines traditional and innovative approaches to equip students with the knowledge and critical thinking skills they need for active and creative engagement with the world around them.

The political science program is organized into four main subfields: 

• Canadian politics
• Comparative politics
• International politics
• Political theory

The program offers students the opportunity to gain a strong foundation in all four subfields and to combine empirical, practical, and theoretical approaches in each year of study.

In addition to courses in Canadian politics, you may choose specialized area courses in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

If you wish to pursue a more intensive concentration in one particular subfield, you can also take courses in Canadian studies, international relations, history, and philosophy.