Bachelor of Arts in Catholic Studies

at St. Thomas University Canada

Native Studies is designed to provide both First Nations and non-First Nations students with the opportunity to explore the cultural, historical, and contemporary issues of First Nations people of North America, with emphasis on Native cultures of the Canadian Atlantic region and the eastern United States.

The Native Studies program offers a selection of interesting courses. As an interdisciplinary major, it also draws on courses that are offered by various other disciplines. Upper-level courses include Native American Philosophy, the Role of Native Women, Native People and the Colonial Experience, and Native History of the Maine/Maritime region.

Language courses are another key component of the Native Studies Program. Courses in Maliseet and Mi’kmaq include introductory, intermediate and full-immersion levels.

In 1984 St. Thomas University became the first university in Canada to establish an academic Chair in Native Studies.

You might be interested in studying native studies if...

• You want to understand why bureaucracy, education, and the world economy operates the way it does and how it affects indigenous peoples

Critical and transferable skills
You will obtain invaluable insight into the relationship of First Nations individuals and communities and the immigrant societies across Canada. You will have the opportunity to study Maliseet/Passamaquoddy, as well as Mi'kmaq. You will develop the ability to think critically and responsibly about issues that relate to First Nations communities and the land.

St. Thomas values student-centred learning and has been at the forefront in the development of interdisciplinary majors and electives that allow students to pursue a topic or theme of particular interest.

The Interdisciplinary major/honours option allows students to tailor a programme to their interests and goals. These programmes focus attention on emerging issues and explore such common themes as Canadian Studies, American Studies, International Relations, Social Justice. They draw upon courses offered by a number of different university departments.

Courses in Romance Languages are designed for those students who come to St. Thomas University and wish to have a general knowledge of two or more Romance Languages and Literature.

Such students are encouraged to think of their language learning experience in terms of a commitment to Romance Languages (French, Italian, Latin, and Spanish) rather than in terms of a specialisation in any one language.

Students wishing to complete a Minor Programme in Italian must complete at least 18 credit hours in Italian selected from the first, second or third year offerings and maintain an overall average of B in those 18 credit hours.

Women's Studies and Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary field that concentrates on new scholarship and looks at the different perspectives of gender and sexuality in all aspects of life.

Discovering women's studies and gender studies
Students explore the idea that identity is constructed through interplay of individuals and social groups and institutions— the family, peers, cultural and religious groups, the media, etc. Courses enable students to learn about the dynamic nature of gender roles and norms, sexism, and power relations.

A range of gender equity issues are now recognized as public policy issues, including gender-based violence, bullying, and workplace equity. Whether the focus is social justice, gender studies, or world cultures, the core issues include the social construction of identity, the nature and impact of power relations and diversity, and the role of personal engagement and social action.

You might be interested in studying women's studies and gender studies if...

• You want to explore the struggle for gender equality in politics, education, the family, the labour force, and the media
• You want to use knowledge to dismantle the inequalities present in society

Critical and transferable skills
Our students benefit from the analytical and communication skills developed in the women’s rights and men’s movements for social change. Analytical and communication skills apply to work environments where social policy is addressed and social science or humanities research skills are required, such as in social work, law, government research, e.g., Statistics Canada, and especially in educational counselling, and teaching. With the need for greater awareness around sexual harassment/abuse in workplaces and schools, including cyber-intimidation, the critical self-examination this field engenders is a central skill that managers and administrators are required to develop.

The Human Rights Program at St. Thomas is one of the few such programs in all of Canada, and the only one in Atlantic Canada, that allows undergraduate students to obtain a Major in the academic study of Human Rights. In this program, you study Human Rights in a national and international context and do individualized research projects on specific topics in your upper years of study.

The program provides knowledge of the philosophy, legal instruments, and political institutions that are the foundation for an education in Human Rights.

You might be interested in studying human rights if...

• You want to go to law school, pursue a career in social work or law enforcement
• You are interested in being an activist in your community pursuing social justice at the grass roots level

Critical and transferable skills
As a student of Human Rights, you will develop advanced skills in critical analysis. You will be able to identify issues and have the capacity to work toward meaningful, reasonable solutions. Human Rights students are driven by a passion to understand and fight for necessary changes that make significant differences to individuals and whole societies.

They are able to see how decisions, events, and other actions affect people. They acquire the ability to navigate through legal and political realities to create a better world.

Our Political Science program covers the four traditional subfields of the discipline: Canadian Politics and Government, Comparative Politics, International Relations and World Politics, and Political Philosophy. Students are offered a sound foundation in the institutional and philosophical dimensions of political life and are attuned to the trends and shocks that alter the forces and issues affecting us at home and abroad.

The program also offers a for-credit Model United Nations course, which sends student each year to at least one major Model UN simulation. Teams have competed at Harvard, the UN in New York, and Ottawa. Each spring, St. Thomas hosts the John Peters Humphrey Model UN for high school students, giving students in our Political Science Department a chance to become centrally involved in organizing and running the event.

You might be interested in studying political science if...

• You are interested in understanding how human choices affect how the world is organized 
• You want to know more about the major current events that shape our social and cultural environment

Critical and transferable skills
Political Science students hone their reading, writing, and analytic skills. They examine arguments, identify trends, test theories, and explain developments. They learn about the links between individual concerns and public policy problems. By studying case studies in national and international governance, international relations, and comparative politics, they develop their skills of public policy analysis and prepare themselves for analytical, project management, and communication work in various agencies of the government, as well as non-governmental and international organizations.

Our School of Education takes a cross-disciplinary approach to teaching and learning, while emphasizing inclusionary teaching approaches. We offer concentrations in elementary (K-5), secondary (6-12), or French second-language teaching through cooperative learning and teamwork, along with practical teaching techniques.

Our 11-month program includes two field placements in different schools and at different grade levels offer opportunities to put theory into practice and will prepare you for a rewarding career in education. 

Gerontology is the study of the changes that take place in the process of aging, how society defines aging, and how individuals understand their own later years.

At one time, talks of aging prompted images of failing health, isolation, and lack of purpose. Today, people are living longer, healthier, and more productive lives. Studying Gerontology at St. Thomas, you will explore the impact of the way society defines aging and how individuals actually experience and understand their own later years.

St. Thomas is also home to The Third Age Centre, an autonomous, community-based, non-profit organization to empower older adults to maintain healthy, independent, active lifestyles. The centre conducts research and public education on issues of particular concern to older adults. We are also affiliated with the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Narrative. Students are often invited to be involved in projects undertaken by these centres.

You might be interested in studying gerontology if...

• You want to understand the process of aging from sociological, psychological, physical, and spiritual perspectives
• You want to learn more about the issues that concern older people

Critical and transferable skills
The study of Gerontology will give you academic skills, as well as self-care and self-exploration strategies. You will learn how to conduct interviews with older adults. You will learn how to design recreation and educational programs for older adults. You will learn critical thinking as you explore controversial and ethical issues in long-term care, end of life, work life, as well as images in the media and popular culture.

Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. It is a discipline that examines how we feel, perceive, think, learn, and remember; what motivates us, and how we act in groups and societies. The Psychology Department at St. Thomas covers all of the traditional areas of Psychology, and alternative areas as well, giving students a thorough foundation in our dynamic and broad discipline.

Each year, some of our students present their original research at the Science Atlantic Conference (which is held at a different university in Atlantic Canada annually).

You might be interested in studying psychology if...

• You have an interest in the study of human functioning
• You want to explore how we communicate, analyze and solve problems, and interact in the world

Critical and transferable skills
Studying Psychology provides students with excellent skills in analytical thinking, research processes, and problem solving. In addition, studying Psychology enhances skills regarding interactions and relations with people with different backgrounds and experiences. Psychology students develop the abilities to work well as part of a team and as independent thinkers. The study of Psychology heightens our understanding of ourselves as well as the social world around us.

International Relations challenges students to broaden their perspectives and their understanding of the forces shaping global politics. Students who major in International Relations will complete course work in specific international themed courses while focusing on one or two particular areas of the world.

Students participate in a for-credit Model United Nations course that has taken many to international competitions such as the Harvard and New York City events. International Relations students are also encouraged to study Economics as well as a foreign language to develop an appropriate base of knowledge and skill that relate directly to different areas of the world.

You might be interested in studying international relations if...

• You are interested in the politics and cultures of other countries in the world 
• You want to understand other people and other perspectives

Critical and transferable skills
The skills a student learns by studying International Relations include the ability to understand and summarize complex information and gathering evidence to make good, critical arguments. Graduates from the program must learn to write clearly and directly. They are also required to gain proficiency in a foreign language and to gain a basic understanding of economics, which are both invaluable skills in today’s world. Studying International Relations also provides students with a wider perspective on and understanding of the complex global environment.