Bachelor of Arts in History

at St. Francis Xavier University Canada

Development Studies at StFX is a program for those wishing to understand how different ideas about development influence socio-economic well-being and environmental sustainability, as well as how to engage with these issues both locally and internationally.

WHY STUDY DEVELOPMENT STUDIES AT STFX?
The StFX Development Studies Program grows out of the rich tradition of the Antigonish Movement, a social movement grounded in community-based social and economic development. You will work with faculty members and with development professionals from the Coady International Institute. You will meet community leaders from Africa, Asia and Latin America enrolled in programs at the Coady, which for over 50 years has been promoting community self-reliance through education programs for such leaders.

You will have opportunity for real-world experience through service learning placements in the local community. You could undertake a 3-4 month internship in Canada or elsewhere in the world. This combination of academic courses and hands-on experience provides you with the means to make your own contribution to local and international efforts to solve development problems, reduce inequalities and change our world for the better.

The first degree program of its kind at StFX, the Bachelor of Arts and Science in Health is true to its name: a program for students interested in the ever-broadening field of health, including scientific, social and humanistic dimensions. Students in the BASc in Health will take courses in a wide range of disciplines and have the opportunity to focus on either the Biomedical or Social Determinants and Health Equity field as they customize their degree. Additionally, all students will complete courses in Health Humanities – a unique feature of the degree at StFX – a growing and recognized facet of the health landscape that is integral to health problem-solving in the 21st Century.

Mathematics is the science of structure, order and relation. It deals with logical quantitative reasoning. Statistics is the science and art of data collection and analysis. It deals with estimation, hypothesis testing and decision making. At StFX, you may undertake studies that focus on either or both fields.

WHY STUDY MATH And STATISTICS AT STFX?
With small class sizes and a personal environment that maximizes individual attention, as a StFX Mathematics and Statistics student, you will be well educated for further success in graduate studies, education programs and industry.

Over 80 years of outstanding education in health care has allowed the Elizabeth and Thomas Rankin School of Nursing at StFX University to evolve into one of Canada’s most respected nursing programs. Graduates are known around the world for their caring, competency, and commitment to the field.

WHY STUDY NURSING AT STFX?
As a student in StFX’s B.Sc.N. program, you will have excellent learning opportunities that support best practice experiences.

StFX offers diverse clinical experiences in community health, mental health, acute care, maternal and child care, pediatrics, and international service learning opportunities. This diversity creates a dynamic learning environment that produces graduates who understand the complexity of nursing practice and the multi-level interventions required to address the needs of patients, families, communities, and populations.

As a StFX Public Policy and Governance student, you will study the world of public affairs and leadership. This new program involves introducing students to a broad field that integrates many different disciplines to answer the key questions: how do we solve the common problems we have as a society, and how do we organize ourselves to provide those solutions? This involves analysis of government and other public institutions, their processes for tacking policy problems, and how to analytically approach the design, implementation and assessment of public policy.

 WHY STUDY PUBLIC POLICY AND GOVERNANCE AT STFX?
This is a new program introduced in 2017, drawing from the expertise of several departments including political science, economics, philosophy, sociology and history. StFX has a long history of engagement in the public affairs of our community, and in inspiring students to grow into leadership positions. Our university is a dynamic scholarly environment where professors believe that research and teaching flourish together. It is a place where you feel comfortable debating current issues and solving problems in the classroom and beyond it, broadening your understanding of the world. Here you can have close contact with your professors and fellow students in a positive, accessible setting for learning.

As a Public Policy and Governance Student, you’ll study within beautiful Mulroney Hall, a stunning, new place of teaching and learning excellence located in the heart of the StFX campus. Opened in 2019, Mulroney Hall features state-of-the-art classrooms, the latest technologies, and lots of engaging, inviting spaces to do homework or catch up with friends. It’s a perfect venue to learn, be challenged, and achieve new heights!

The MACS program is a course-based Masters (full-time) completed over a period of a 16 months or 2 years of full-time study. It is open to students with an undergraduate major in Computer Science, or the equivalent combination of courses. Students have flexibility to select from numerous elective courses to design a Master’s program that meets their professional interests and aspirations. Students will also have the option to complete an elective, project-based course in a workplace environment or a co-operative education option. The Department also offers a thesis- based, research-intensive Master’s in Computer Science. 

Why Computer Science at STFX?
StFX’s Computer Science program is recognized as the top ranked program in Atlantic Canada (Maclean’s Magazine October 2019). It has earned its ranking in part due to the department’s field-weighted citation impact index rank, a measure of research output, for which the group is ranked first in the country. In the Master of Applied Computer Science program, students take advanced courses that will equip them well for working in industry. As well as the course-based program, the department offers a thesis-based Master of Science in Computer Science and undergraduate programs, which contribute to a lively community of computer scientists working and studying together.

Experiential Learning
One of the cornerstones of this program is the opportunity provided to students to engage in experiential learning, which will help build confidence and gain experience in the field prior to entering the workforce. The program is structured so that real-world problems are embedded throughout the program (in the Computer Science Graduate Seminar course and throughout the elective courses). Additionally, students have the opportunity to complete CSCI 591–Project, providing real-life software development experience by applying classroom learning in a real work context. In CSCI 591, students work with an industry or academic partner and develop a computing a solution to a real-world problem. Students are responsible to manage the project from development to execution to presentation to the client and final review.

Co-op Option
Students in the MACS program can apply to complete Co-operative Education (Co-op). Co-op offers paid work experience for students interested in developing a career in various areas within computer science fields and also integrate work experience in their field of interest within their academic studies while earning 6 credits towards their MACS. Students complete professional development seminars and workshops offered through the Co-op department prior to work term placement. This will prepare students to be professional, committed for the challenges of work term placements, and ensure that good relations with employers are fostered, right from the start. Students can apply to Co-op during their first semester of the MACS program. Space is limited.

As the only university in North America offering four years of Scottish Gaelic, and one of the few universities offering the study of Celtic languages, literature and history of the Celts from about 800 BC to present, you will have unique opportunity to learn in this broad field.

Celtic Studies has as its core the languages, literatures, and histories of Celtic-speaking peoples, from the Continental Celts of ancient Gaul to the modern survivals in Scotland, Ireland, the island of Man, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. It extends into a range of topics, including archaeology, art, music, literature, folklore, religion, dance, immigration and ethnic studies.

Why study Celtic Studies at StFX?
Situated in the Highland Heart of Nova Scotia, you will study in a department where the working language is Scottish Gaelic, and where a wide variety of courses are offered in Celtic civilization and in the Gaelic folklore of Ireland and Scotland. You’ll learn from faculty who are leading researchers in the history, language and literature of Gaelic communities in North America and Scotland.

StFX undergraduate and masters students produce research papers and dissertations, and creative projects, such as audio and video recordings. They have become leading lights in the revival and development of Gaelic in both Scotland and Canada. The Celtic Student Society (‘An Comunn Ceilteach’) is one of StFX’s most active societies.

StFX is home to the largest and most important collection of Scottish Gaelic manuscripts, publications, and recordings in Canada, particularly in the substantial holdings of the Celtic Collection of the Angus L. Macdonald Library.

As a student of Applied Forensic Psychology, you will learn about psychological concepts, methods, and practice skills and their application within the legal system. Eyewitness testimony, jury selection, deception detection, criminal law, police stress, forensic risk assessment, criminal behaviour, types of offenders (e.g. sexual offenders, psychopaths, murderers) are all topics that Forensic Psychology sheds light on.

To cement your understanding of the academic material from the classroom, you will receive hands-on experience by participating in practicum placements in forensic settings (prisons, courts, addiction services, forensic hospitals, etc.). Placements vary in length and take place in different settings so that you’ll graduate having experienced working in a variety of settings where careers in Forensic Psychology are applicable. As a student in the program, you’ll need to complete practicum placements in years 2, 3, and 4 of study. Placements can be arranged in your home community, near Antigonish, or elsewhere. In addition your practicum placements, many of your Forensic Psychology courses will include field trips to relevant locations for practice including correctional centres and court rooms.

The program is ideal for students with an interest in careers in social, correctional, and legal fields. The following is an unexhaustive list of potential career paths for graduates in Forensic Psychology:

• Crime Analyst
• Social Worker
• Law Enforcement Officer
• Correctional Officer
• Lawyer
• Journalist
• Interventionist
• Victim Advocate
• Psychologist
• Counselor

There are many more options available to graduates of Applied Forensic Psychology. Some of the above careers will require additional education beyond a Bachelor’s degree.

Whether students plan to work in the finance industry or pursue higher studies in finance, the Finance stream provides students with solid foundations in finance to help them excel in the future.  Courses within the Finance stream cover a broad variety of topics including:

• corporate finance
• investments
• portfolio management
• derivatives
• financial institutions
• international finance
• personal finance

Our curriculum is rigorous as well as fun, allowing students to learn through problems, cases, spreadsheets and guest lectures. Beyond theory courses in finance, every student in the Finance stream has the opportunity to participate in training within our state-of-the-art Finance Trading Lab, equipped with professional software for trading and research that includes Thomson Eikon, Datastream, and Stockguide.

Students in the StFX English Department examine the human experience through a survey of literature that spans the ages. From the study of contemporary science fiction to the poetry of centuries past, you will develop well-rounded writing and analytical skills that have applications in countless career and post-graduate fields.

WHY STUDY ENGLISH AT STFX?
Professors get to know their students by name and offer the kind of mentoring and one-on-one assistance that will help you achieve your full potential. You will meet with professors to discuss assignments and exams, and are involved in literary activities that take place outside the classroom. From participation in conferences, to discussions with visiting writers and scholars, to literary publications and readings, faculty are actively involved in their students’ academic programs.