Bachelor of Arts in Sociology

at St. Thomas University Canada

Explore Spanish culture and study literature and media to develop skills in oral communication, grammar, and composition.

Discovering Spanish and Latin American studies
Spanish is one of the world's most common languages. It is the first language of Spain, Mexico, most of South America and a large part of the population of the United States and the Caribbean. It is becoming an increasingly important language in global trade and commerce.

The Romance Language Department offers both majors and honours programs in Spanish, as well as DELE in Spanish. The department is comprised of dynamic and devoted faculty responsible for delivering an ambitious program. Due to its association with Hispanic worlds, all having immeasurable intellectual and artistic impacts on the development of Western culture and humanism, the Romance Languages Department has a pivotal role to play in a liberal arts curriculum.

An introductory course for beginners leads to advanced courses in grammar, conversation and composition, translation, and Spanish and Latin American literature.

You might be interested in studying Spanish and Latin American studies if...

• You want to increase your language proficiency or become bilingual
• You want to learn about another culture
• You want to become a global citizen

Courses offered in the Japanese language focus on learning fundamental language structure and practicing communication skills. In the courses, reading and writing Hiragana and Katakana are essential, and some Kanji are introduced and practiced. Japan and Japanese culture are introduced and discussed.

Advanced courses develop the communicative skills necessary for everyday situations - focusing on conversation and writing systems, expanding vocabulary and sentence structures and teaching students to express themselves on a wide range of topics from daily life.

As students complete the beginner’s level of Japanese, they are prepared for the Level IV Japanese Proficiency Test offered by the Government of Japan.

Courses offered in the Japanese language focus on learning fundamental language structure and practicing communication skills. In the courses, reading and writing Hiragana and Katakana are essential, and some Kanji are introduced and practiced. Japan and Japanese culture are introduced and discussed.

Advanced courses develop the communicative skills necessary for everyday situations - focusing on conversation and writing systems, expanding vocabulary and sentence structures and teaching students to express themselves on a wide range of topics from daily life.

As students complete the beginner’s level of Japanese, they are prepared for the Level IV Japanese Proficiency Test offered by the Government of Japan.

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.

Religious Studies starts with a thematic introduction to some of the perennial questions that continue to arise in human existence. There are choices between courses that emphasize big question perspectives, particular social issues and projects, specific disciplinary approaches, and courses that examine in greater detail specifics of particular religious traditions, including texts, rituals, ideas, and political and historical overviews.

Religious Studies is a multi-disciplinary study. Students are exposed to a variety of approaches, as well as to serious reflections on the nature of methodology and scholarly inquiry. We believe an adequate understanding of religion is an asset in recognizing and responding appropriately to the many complex issues that face contemporary society. A sufficiently critical sensibility ensures thoughtful responses, rather than emotive and unthinking reactions.

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

• You want to examine how the different aspects of religion shape politics, the arts, social movements, sexualities, and the environment
• You want to learn more about world religions and their similarities and differences

Critical and transferable skills
Religious Studies requires an ability to recognize and identify the particular disciplines utilized in any given study. Being familiar with the social sciences, literature, philosophy, history, and linguistic/language studies, aspects of the physical and natural sciences become part of the student’s worldview. Critical skills include self-reflection, inasmuch as everyone has a vested interest in being able to make reasonable and coherent choices in life. The dynamic nature of critical inquiry indicates the life-long project of learning and developing for which the study of religion equips students.

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.

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.

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.

Taught by artists and scholars, our Fine Arts courses offer students opportunities to discover and develop their creativity. Whether your interest is in music, musical theatre, film, visual arts—or all four—you will benefit from an informative, engaging, and inspiring curriculum.

You might be interested in studying fine arts if...

• You want to examine music, theatre, and visual arts through technical, social, and historical perspectives
• You want to grow and develop as an artist through in-class learning and performances

Critical and transferable skills
Studying in the Fine Arts Department helps students develop a critical eye of their own work as well as the work of others. Students build confidence and courage by performing and sharing their work. They also build persistence and discipline by learning from their mistakes and mastering skills. In addition, they cultivate a strong knack for dealing with the unexpected and coming up with creative solutions.

In Great Books students encounter different subjects, genres, and modes of inquiry. Each course is organized around a theme, like Freedom or Human Nature & Technology. Students read novels alongside philosophical treatises; they study law, politics, poems, works of history and autobiographies all in the same course. In addition, every course is team-taught by two professors to promote conversation and a diversity of views. Professors choose texts that will challenge and provoke you — books that might inspire or trouble you. Through these texts our students come to understand a good deal about themselves and the world they inhabit.

Students who are interested in Great Books often take the first-year Aquinas: Great Books Program, as it operates on similar principles. Our classes are team-taught by at least two different professors and sufficiently small (36 students maximum) to allow for discussion.

You might be interested in studying great books if...

• You are interested in understanding yourself and your place in the world
• You love to read and think about life's big questions
• You're interested in the history of ideas

Critical and transferable skills
Great Books classes require a great deal of reading, writing, and critical thinking. With two professors dedicated to each class, you receive a lot of one-on-one attention to help sharpen your reading and writing skills. Our classes are discussion based, not lectures. We want you to think about the questions posed by the texts and determine for yourself what an appropriate answer might be. Your capacities to think through arguments and to speak cogently and persuasively are developed by means of the discussion-based format.