Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance - Production

at Toronto Metropolitan University Canada

The baccalaureate degree program prepares graduates to be eligible to apply for registration as midwives in Ontario, and meets recognized national and international standards. Graduates work as registered health-care professionals who provide primary care to people with low-risk pregnancies, conduct births in home, birth centre and hospital settings, and provide care after birth for the birthing parent and their babies up to six weeks of age.

The Midwifery Education Program prepares graduates to engage in lifelong learning. Working as a midwife requires a keen intelligence combined with flexibility and compassion. Midwives need a thorough understanding of normal and complex conditions affecting pregnancy, birth and the postpartum care of the birthing parent and the newborn and at times may need to make clinical judgements under stressful or emergency situations.

The Midwifery Education Program equips students with the clinical and communication skills needed to work effectively and competently as primary maternity care providers. Students learn critical thinking and problem solving skills, how to apply research evidence to provide high quality care, and develop an understanding of the relevance of cross-cultural issues to midwifery work. The Midwifery Education Program sees its role in education and in the midwifery profession as part of a broader commitment to social justice.

First Year: The BSc (Hons) in Biology shares a point of entry with the programs in Chemistry and Medical Physics, through which new science students at Ryerson complete a common first year. This allows students to explore various science-based routes to degree completion before they commit to the Biology program. In addition to science foundation courses, the first year of studies will include an introduction to the use of computers as scientific tools, and an orientation course that will support students in making a successful transition to university and planning their steps to degree completion. Students in Science programs must enroll in SCI 180 in their first semester of studies.

Upper Years: In the upper years of the curriculum, students will focus on developing their technological expertise and exploring the research and industrial applications of biological science. Depending on the course sequence selected, students may pursue a BSc (Hons) in Biology, with a Minor, and with an Option in Biophysics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology or Environmental Biology. In the final year, they will consolidate their learning by undertaking an independent, faculty-supervised thesis project in their field of academic focus.

The graphic communications industry is one of the most important and the largest employers in Canada, producing visual communications in the form packaging, marketing materials, eBooks, online graphics, direct mail, point of purchase displays, books and magazines. This program prepares students for a dynamic and exciting career in graphic communications through three main pillars: Creativity and design, technology and innovation, and business and entrepreneurship. Between third and fourth year, students gain real-world experience through paid internship.

The curriculum in the School of Image Arts is designed to educate artists, storytellers and digital media practitioners. The programs lead to careers in film, photography, digital media, visual arts and the cultural industries.

Graduates are capable of performing responsibly in the relevant industries as professionals in both creative and managerial positions, ranging from the commercial to the artistic and experimental.

The curriculum provides students with the necessary grounding to pursue graduate studies in a variety of media-related academic and artistic disciplines. The Film and Photography Studies Programs and the Integrated Digital Option provide an experiential education with a foundation in design, art history, and cultural studies.

There is a strong link between theory and practice in each of these programs. The curriculum is enhanced by a broad offering of liberal studies courses, and professional and professionally related electives. In the third year of the Film and Photography Programs students can decide to pursue the Integrated Digital Option. The focus of this Option is on cross-disciplinarity, hybridity and digital fluency.

The School of Image Arts houses both analogue and digital resources and students are expected to develop a professional proficiency in these tools. Access to facilities is governed by School policies and curriculum. Students will be required to own certain items of equipment appropriate to the program they enter. Please refer to the sections on Special Department Charges and on the Cost of Attending Ryerson in the Student Services portion of this calendar.

Film Studies Program
The Film Studies Program offers a comprehensive academic framework for undergraduate studies in the theory and practice of analogue and digital storytelling leading to career choices in the Canadian screen industries and to further study at the graduate level. The program emphasizes experiential learning and is designed to nurture personal visions that will contribute to the growth and diversity of Canadian culture, as well as enhancing Canada’s presence in international film and video. In addition, the program aims to create flexible, quick-thinking, highly adaptable film/video makers capable of working effectively in a variety of circumstances and roles. Graduates are equipped to take advantage of many different artistic and commercial opportunities in the world of visual communication.

Integrated Digital Option
The Integrated Digital (ID) Option is available to film and photography majors starting in third year. The Option is comprised of studio and lecture courses in image-based media and visual studies. The Option is designed to expand creative and analytical skills beyond the borders of film and photography. Areas such as multi-channel, titling, web-based image book design are among the many cross-platform, interactive art practices offered within the Integrated Digital Option.

Professional and Professionally-Related Courses
From second year, students choose electives from the professional and professionally related offerings. These courses are designed to enhance and deepen a student’s professional practice and critical-theoretical knowledge. For example, professional courses include studio and location lighting, sound design, art direction, screenwriting. Professionally related courses include advanced courses in photo and film history, visual culture, national cinemas, history of animation and gaming, curatorial practices and advanced topics in film and photo criticism.

This one-of-a-kind program is designed to let you tap into your passion for music and equip you with the skills to thrive in the modern music industry. Develop your creativity and business savviness for careers in digital audio recording, live entertainment, entrepreneurship and other roles across the music industry. The program exposes you to rich and diverse experiences, including music fundamentals, studio and live production and the business of music. Located in the heart of the Canadian music industry, you will gain access to modern studios and facilities as well as exciting internship possibilities with industry stakeholders and cutting-edge startups.

Mathematics is a powerful problem-solving tool and a highly creative field of study that explains diverse phenomena such as the human nervous system, the evolution of life forms and the stock market. You’ll learn to identify patterns using logic, exacting principles and imagination, and will complete a thesis project. An optional paid co-op and optional specializations in Computer Science and Economics will further prepare you with the knowledge and problem-solving expertise needed to offer solutions in a variety of fields.

The Mechanical Engineering BEng degree program is accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board.

This program prepares students for various career opportunities in Mechanical Engineering. The curriculum is designed to develop and sharpen the student's abilities to conceptualize, analyze and synthesize. It provides studies in fundamental science and mathematics, engineering science and engineering design. The main engineering areas of the curriculum are machine design, manufacturing and fabrication, materials, thermal and fluid processes and mechatronics. A balance of liberal arts and complementary studies, including some management courses, further the student's ability in communication and provide a wider understanding of the modern technological society.

Optional Co-operative Internship Program
Third year students with CLEAR Academic Standing may opt to enrol in the Co-operative Internship. If they are selected by one of the partner corporations, they spend a period of 12-16 months, from May to September of the following year, as engineering interns at the corresponding corporations. After the completion of the Co-operative Internship, students return to the academic program to complete their final year of studies. Enrolment in the Co-operative Internship extends the program length to five years.

Co-operative Internship students enrol in the course WKT 88A/B: Co-operative Internship Program during the academic year in which they work as interns. This course is graded on a pass/fail basis. Completion of the Co-operative Internship Program (CIP) will be identified on the student's transcript as WKT 88A/B: Co-operative Internship Program, with the appropriate grade achieved.

As a Ryerson-trained child and youth care practitioner, you will design and implement theoretically sound and evidence-informed therapeutic interventions, programs and services that aim to partner with young people, their families and their communities in the process of bringing about positive change — for young people, families, neighbourhoods and communities. Your practice will include life-space work, advocacy at the individual and system levels, and a children’s rights perspective that seeks to ensure young people’s participation in the decisions that affect them.

Students in the Criminology and Sociology double-major will have the opportunity to develop proficiency with a range of theoretical and methodological tools used within both Criminology and Sociology, allowing them to think critically about the complexities and structural nature of social inequality and justice. Students will develop a critical understanding of power, inequality, and justice in the social world. Students will engage with theoretical perspectives that allow them to challenge social structures and institutions. Qualitative and quantitative methodological tools will be used to rigorously understand the social and legal foundations of crime, injustice, and social regulation. Successful students will have the capacity to question the status quo and contribute towards social change.

The core goals of the double major are to graduate students who will be able to:

• Identify the implications of cultural and social diversity for justice and equity within and outside of the criminal justice system, as well as the important role of communities, not-for-profit and private-sector agencies in delivering justice;
• Understand the impact of structural inequalities (e.g., gender, race, class, legal status) on individuals, communities, and criminal justice outcomes.
• Use sociological and criminological theoretical frameworks to think critically about access and barriers to justice
• Demonstrate knowledge of the socio-historical and global context of contemporary social relations and knowledge production, including ways in which a) structural inequalities and social injustice are manifested in individual and group identities; and b) social injustice, inequalities and identities have been legitimated, normalized, and institutionalized over time and c) people individually and collectively resist discrimination and inequality.
• Critically read, interpret, assess, conduct and evaluate research methods and methodologies used within sociology and criminology, while demonstrating an informed knowledge and respect for epistemological and ethical issues.
• Demonstrate social engagement by bridging academic thought and research in relation to practical challenges, policies and strategic organization in local, national and global communities and forums. Express the intellectual breadth to allow sociology and criminology specialists to explore new perspectives on identities, social relationships and the organization of social institutions.

The combination of intensive practical training and academic university theory truly distinguishes Ryerson’s Performance programs. While learning to achieve their professional goals, students gain a well-rounded education in the humanities and liberal arts. They develop valuable skills in problem solving, adaptability, critical thinking, research, and communication. These skills are essential for success in the current arts and cultural industry and they enrich all facets of the student’s life.

The four-year Acting and Dance programs offer an intensive conservatory approach in performance complemented by academics which are a crucial part of the program curriculum. Actors and dancers spend a portion of each day in the studio, and each year brings fresh opportunities to perform in productions of original, innovative and established works. The program trains performers who are distinguished by their capacity to generate original artistic material and their ability to bring a rich mixture of skills into the multi-disciplinary environment. Graduates of the program will be ready for immediate entry into a wide range of performance-related careers and for future professional growth.

The Program of Study
The Performance program challenges students with creative study, critical analysis, and exciting traditional and innovative areas of application for their performance skill development.

In the tradition of all Ryerson programming, the program offers a very strong conservatory perspective to the theoretical exploration of dance or acting. There is a wide variety of practical/studio work, active learning projects, and performance-related assignments. Everyone has the opportunity to perform under the guidance of working professionals who are leaders in the artistic community.

The Core Years - Production
The first two general years of the Production program introduce the student to the multi-disciplinary and collaborative nature of production work. In core courses consisting of lectures and labs, students learn the basics of the skills required to mount a show and apply those skills in junior capacities on the School’s shows. Lecture courses include instruction in the management of the process, theatre history and the research skills required for critical thinking.

In the third and fourth years, through a large menu of lecture and lab electives, students concentrate on those areas where their interests are greatest. They take the gained knowledge with the skills learned in their first two years and apply both to their duties in more senior positions on the School’s various dance and theatre productions. Academic courses broaden the understanding of the holistic process required for producing. Students also take business and management electives to broaden their understanding of those issues.