Bachelor of Arts in Religions and Cultures

at Nipissing University Canada

This program is designed to provide a means for individuals with undergraduate degrees in non-business fields to obtain knowledge of basic business functional areas within a relatively short period of time. The program’s objectives are to present essential, general business knowledge via a carefully selected group of courses, enabling individuals with an interest in or need for familiarity with business topics to gain the needed knowledge and skills.

In order to graduate with the Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Business Administration, students must obtain a minimum overall average of 60% on all courses presented for the diploma.  A minimum of 15 credits must be taken with Nipissing University to satisfy residency requirements.

The Master of Arts in History program consists of course work, a Major Research Paper, and a presentation of research at the annual Graduate Student Conference. It is offered as both a one-year full-time program and on a flex-time basis. Our program centres on the following fields: International, Gender, Canadian, European, and Environmental history. Our dynamic and award-winning faculty has expertise in areas that include environmental history, the history of genocide, indigenous studies and community history, foreign relations and politics, and military history and the history of espionage.​

Students in the Master of Arts in History program take compulsory seminars in four of the five following areas each year. These are also areas in which the expertise of our Faculty allows us to supervise Major Research Papers.

International History
Our international history concentration offers three major areas of focus. The first analyzes the history of the Cold War, the second the study of international law and war crimes tribunals. The third focuses on foreign policy and international relations, specifically in Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, Germany, France, and Canada.

Gender History
Our gender history concentration investigates gender in a range of contexts across historical periods and geographic boundaries. Scholars examine the impact of constructions of gender on work, family relations, religion, the military, and sexuality.

Canadian History
For any given period from colonial times to the present, the Canadian course will focus on a theme relevant to today’s world such as the state and resource development, the environment and food, the family, oral history, colonization, and decolonization.

European History
Our European history concentration examines Europe from the medieval to the modern era. Our faculty have expertise in the national histories of Britain, Germany, and Russia, as well as topics such as war and society, the Holocaust and comparative genocide studies, military history, and the history of medieval Europe.

Environmental History
Explore environmental history as a sub-field of history, focusing on the challenge it poses to other, human-centered subfields of history, as well as its links to historical geography and the environmental sciences.

Accounting is about more than financial controls and reporting — it’s also about fiscal and social responsibility. Accounting professionals need to show due diligence, and to think and act ethically when they evaluate options. You will be challenged to think not only about the shareholders, but all stakeholders when making decisions. You will learn the uses and limitations of accounting information through case studies, simulation, and hands-on learning experiences. You will gain an understanding of many topics, including auditing, information systems auditing, taxation, consolidation, not-for-profit accounting, hedges, and foreign exchange within your advanced accounting courses. You will participate in tax clinics, where accounting students prepare tax returns for low-income households and perform “mock audits” on local not-for-profit organizations. You will have help preparing for the CPA professional examinations. This combination of social awareness, academic vigor, practical experience, and support is what helps our graduates succeed in today’s marketplace.

The Master of Arts (MA) in Sociology – Applied Social Research degree will focus on the application of social theories and research methodologies that assist in understanding and addressing the social problems and challenges of northern and rural communities, including Indigenous communities, in Canada and around the world. The program brings together faculty expertise in Sociology, Health and Populations Studies, Gerontology, Anthropology, Science and Environmental Studies, and Criminology and Criminal Justice. Active involvement in the community, government agency partners, a curriculum of research-intensive courses, and practicum placements will provide you with the theoretical foundations and quantitative and qualitative research skills to undertake applied research, evaluation and policy studies in government, not-for-profit and private organizations. There are three required courses that are the foundation of the degree and include: SOCI 5106 Advanced Sociological Theory; SOCI 5216 Research Design; and either SOCI 5217 Quantitative Analysis or SOCI 5417 Qualitative Analysis. You will be well prepared for more advanced studies in Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology at the doctoral level.

Do you want to make the world a more just and better place? Are you passionate about issues like human rights violations, sexism, racism, homophobia, and poverty? Would you like to understand these issues better? Then the Gender Equality and Social Justice (GESJ) program is for you.

GESJ is an interdisciplinary program with courses in the areas of Culture and Criticism, Power and Inequality, and Human Rights and Social Justice. We ask how race, class, colonialism, ability, sex, and gender intersect in everyday acts of power, oppression, activism, and resistance.

This program will provide you with highly transferrable skills in critical thinking, research, writing, argumentation, analysis, and communication.

As one of few programs of its kind in Canada, the GESJ program will teach you to think critically about who has the power in the world, and why, as well as how to resist, shape, and change power for social justice. This program is highly interdisciplinary with close links to Social Welfare and Social Development, Religions and Cultures, Political Science, and Philosophy, and is designed for those with interests in critical studies of popular culture; the politics of resisting inequality through the law; globalization and human rights; violent conflict and international justice; transnational organizing for social justice; histories of colonization; feminist philosophies; postmodernism; theories of justice; and the intersections of race, class, ability, sex and gender.

Students of the GESJ Department will receive a broad liberal education in Humanities and Social Sciences. Through a range of interdisciplinary perspectives, you will examine the social and cultural constructions of gender, sexuality, race and class, and how these social categories relate to our knowledge, experience, relationships and the quality of our lives.

Do you think about changing the world and making it a better place, but you aren't sure where to start? Do you want to empower people and enrich the lives of others? If you have a passion for social issues and want to advocate for social justice, then the Social Welfare and Social Development program at Nipissing University is the right home for you.

Our interdisciplinary program is unique in Canada in both name and content. It focuses on inequality and the groups that have been underrepresented in the distribution of resources, opportunities, and power. Our students graduate with a thorough understanding of the causes and consequences of inequality in global, national, and local contexts, and an ability to formulate options for improving collective well-being.

Anthropology is a fascinating and interdisciplinary field that will have you investigating the vast scope of human experience. Questions that concern anthropologists are widespread and include: Why do some cultures construct different explanations for sickness and health? How do people throughout the world determine who is related to whom? What are the patterns of inequity and stratification from one society to another? How do human beings decide to organize themselves and why?

Your studies will range in focus from the origin of our species and the development of the first known human civilizations to language and the diversity of cultures that exist today. Your studies will provide you with fundamentals, principles and theories as you explore the human experience from cultural, historical, geographical and sociological perspectives. Your curiosity may unearth new knowledge as you find yourself immersed in hands-on fieldwork and conducting applied research.

Students at Nipissing explore Biology through enriched lab and field activities—gaining practical experience through hands-on interaction. Those who are most interested in ecological or environmental forms of Biology can amass diverse field experiences through outdoor labs, field trips, Field Camps, and research studies performed in numerous nearby ecosystems. Students who are most interested in laboratory, greenhouse, or health-related Biology, can gain a wealth of skills and experience through exciting cutting-edge activities and research projects performed in our indoor research facilities, using top-of-the-line analytical equipment.

Faculty at Nipissing focus their diverse abilities and experiences on optimizing their teaching and research to enrich student learning. Our professors have studied and published in a wide range of academic topics, won research grants, written textbooks, worked with various industries, advised governments, and have been honoured with teaching awards.

We are a Department of Biology and Chemistry, and although our current emphasis is on Biology, we have established a large number of Chemistry courses to support all aspects of Biology.

The Master of Science in Kinesiology (MSc) is a thesis-based degree program that offers students an opportunity to train in a world-class facility with state-of-the-art equipment and leading faculty researchers.

Areas of study can include topics broadly related to the natural health and physical sciences, such as biomechanics and ergonomics, exercise and environmental physiology, sensory-movement behaviour, physical activity and health promotion, coaching, and sport psychology. Graduate students are drawn to the School of Physical and Health Education to work with specific research faculty members and benefit from their expertise in specific content areas.

The MSc program operates using a mentor model. The benefits of a mentor model are numerous, including clarification of research and other funding support at time of application and focused supervision from the time of registration. The MSc program prepares graduates for further research training (e.g., doctoral and post-doctoral studies) and a broad range of careers in Kinesiology and related fields, such as medicine, health promotion, rehabilitation, sport, fitness, education, government, and industry.

The Bachelor of Physical and Health Education (BPHE) is a four-year degree program that balances the science-based study of human movement with curricular opportunities that broaden socio-cultural experiences and promote health and wellness through physical activity.

In addition to prepared community leaders, the BPHE program offers students an opportunity to meet the requirements for registration in the College of Kinesiology of Ontario.

Our Teaching Approach
The BPHE program is designed to provide students with a balanced curriculum that includes lectures, labs, seminars, physical activities, research opportunities, individual study, and community placements. Studies are enhanced with components of the program being offered both on and off campus.

Unique elements of the Nipissing BPHE program include:

• ‘Practical’ Physical Education courses - students are required to take applied physical activity courses every semester! Examples include soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, aquatics, gymnastics, canoeing, rackets, dance, yoga, baseball, golf, track & field, rugby, combatives, navigation, nordic skiing, curling, downhill skiing, canoe tripping, winter camping, mountain biking, and more!
• Community Leadership Placement - students are placed in their third and fourth year within local health and physical activity organizations (e.g. schools, hospitals and clinics, sports teams, rehabilitation centres, etc) to contribute to their development as leaders in their field and to develop ongoing relationships with community-based services.
• Flexibility to select courses leading to degree completion with either an emphasis on the pedagogy of Physical and Health Education (e.g. for careers leading to Teaching and/or Coaching) or on the development as a health and exercise professional (e.g. for careers leading to Kinesiology and other allied health professions).