Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning

at Toronto Metropolitan University Canada

Canada is safer and healthier than ever before, thanks in large part to public health and safety professionals. Ryerson graduates working in this progressive field help prevent injury and illness by anticipating, evaluating and controlling physical, biological, chemical and other hazards in the community. Drawing on their specialized knowledge, they help develop and implement initiatives that improve health, safety, and well-being in a range of settings that are accessed by the public.

Why Public Health and Safety at Ryerson?

• Public Health and Safety at Ryerson is the original and longest running program of its kind in the country.
• Our curriculum integrates a strong foundation in public health and safety with relevant courses in the sciences, risk assessment, built environment, health policy, environmental health, law, epidemiology and disease control. A balanced education prepares you to become the well-rounded and highly skilled professional that industry demands.
• You’ll have access to outstanding learning opportunities in the classroom and in the workplace. Qualified students can apply to gain important real-world experience through paid co-operative education opportunities.
• Plus, we support your success with:
  • Workplace visits
  • Opportunities for laboratory testing and analysis
  • Presentations and seminars
  • Independent research project

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.

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.

Co-operative Program
An optional co-operative program is available for students who wish to obtain work experience and receive a salary from an employer while studying at Ryerson. The program leads to a BSc degree. In this option school terms alternate with four or five paid work terms starting from the second year (see the table below). This schedule is the same as that used by the rest of the science programs at Ryerson and is designed to ensure that students attend winter and fall semesters in the correct order.

Although neither the Department nor the Office of Co-operative Education can guarantee a placement, they provide major assistance in locating suitable positions and counseling of students in their search for suitable jobs. This co-operative program enables students to earn competitive wages to offset the costs of a university education.

Students who have completed the first year of the program must apply through the Mathematics Department for admission to the co-op program before the beginning of the second year. Enrolment in the co-op program is limited and the department retains the right to deny access to the co-op program based on the number of available placements and student's grade point average. Once in the co-op program, the terms alternate between four months of study and four months of on the job experience. The co-op program usually takes an additional year to complete. The graduation requirements for the co-op program are the same as those for the BSc in Mathematics.

Students will have the opportunity to develop proficiency in critical thinking, and enhance their ability to question, research, argue, understand, and communicate. Combining their studies in these two disciplines will allow them a unique set of skills to situate complex issues within a broader historical and structural context.

Students in a History and Sociology double major will:

• Explore a diversity of historical and contemporary issues using critical theoretical frameworks.
• Use historical and sociological methods to understand and analyse complex phenomena.
• Understand the impact of structural inequalities (e.g., gender, race, class, legal status) on individuals and communities.
• 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 history, 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 specialists to explore new perspectives on identities, social relationships and the organization of social institutions.

"This program is all about not only learning new languages, but learning about different cultures along with their similarities and differences when compared to others."

The focus of the four-year baccalaureate degree program in Language and Intercultural Relations is to give students both the linguistic and cultural competence needed to enter a global market, and the leadership skills particular to a global workforce.

Students will be prepared for a wide range of cultural encounters - from the known to the vastly unfamiliar. This requires a breadth of knowledge that stems from a humanities education. Based in language studies and anthropology, the degree also includes courses that focus on history, urban and gender studies, human development, political science and psychology.

Curriculum Information
Intercultural Relations constitute an interdisciplinary field of knowledge which draws on theories, practices and methods of enquiry that are related to a wide range of perspectives in the humanities and social sciences. One of the strengths of this BA (Hons) is that it rests on solid foundations: a first year of study that is common to several programs in the Faculty of Arts, with specialization in LIR beginning in Year 2.

Semesters One and Two: In the first year, which is shared with the programs in Criminology, English, Environment and Urban Sustainability, Geographic Analysis, History, Politics and Governance, Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology, students are introduced to Language and Intercultural Relations through courses that launch them on their path to getting better acquainted with the language they have chosen to study, and that provide an overview of intercultural relations as they are manifest around the world. Students also acquire skills and knowledge in Academic Writing and Research and Critical Thinking, and choose electives from a broad range of areas, such as Business, Law, and Natural Sciences.

Semesters Three and Four: In the second year, students study foundational practices in intercultural relations and negotiations through hands-on projects that help them learn how to navigate multicultural communicative events. They are also introduced to the quantitative and qualitative research methods that are necessary to study intercultural relations effectively. It is also in semester three that they choose their Concentration.

Semesters Five through Eight: In addition to becoming increasingly fluent in their language of study, students acquire a better sense of intercultural relations through the use of ethnographic tools and practices. In addition to their program courses, students choose from a broad range of subject areas that complement their professional studies and broaden their career preparation. These include courses in Business, Communication, Finance, Journalism, Law, Marketing, Economics, Geography, Politics, Fine Arts, Psychology, Sociology, and the sciences such as Chemistry and Biology. During that time, they can also work on the basics of a third language of study.

Ryerson’s BA in Professional Communication (ProCom) provides students with solid grounding in research, analysis and practice so that they can pursue careers as savvy improvisers and reflective communication practitioners. Students in the ProCom BA develop critical and analytical skills for understanding the role of communication on personal, interpersonal and global levels. Through instruction on theory, methods of inquiry and critical thinking, students are exposed to a variety of topics, including communication technologies, social identities, professional practices and intercultural communication. Additionally, to prepare students to communicate creatively and thoughtfully in the digital and global age, experiential learning is a fundamental aspect of the ProCom BA.

The School of Professional Communication has connections to local organizations and industries, and these connections are integrated into classroom learning. Combining those experiences with theories and applications related to language, image, sound and media, students graduate prepared to assume responsibility for communication in areas such as public relations, internal communications and digital media development.

In the first year students receive a foundation in communication theory and practice, which will act as an underpinning for the entire program. The second and third years focus on further integration of theory and practice in oral, written and digital modes. Students also learn how to apply their learning to areas such as governance, health care, new media, and profit and nonprofit organizations. The fourth year provides a capstone experience with students researching and conducting their own projects within organizations.

Courses cover a range of topics, with students having the flexibility to focus their studies in the following streams:

• Organizational/corporate/nonprofit charitable stream
• New media/technical communication stream
• Governance/public policy/international communication stream
• Science/health communication stream

The Honours Bachelor of Arts in Sociology is a degree program consisting of 40 courses, 20 of which are taken in the Sociology department. Graduates of our program have the theoretical and practical skills needed to critically engage in the world today. 

The couses in the degree will help you develop the knowledge and skills to understand and analyze complex systems of power and oppression. Many courses include experiential learning opportunities, such as community-engaged learning. You may also choose to take part in an international experience.

The Ted Rogers School of Management has consistently provided top-notch accounting and finance course offerings to their students, and the School of Accounting and Finance continues to hold itself to a standard of excellence.

Accounting and Finance classes have long been an important part of the Ted Rogers School of Management. With the creation of a separate school, we are better able to hone the skills required of accounting and finance professionals in today’s ever-changing business world.

In their first two years, accounting and finance students take general courses in each specialization before choosing their academic destination. Students choosing to specialize in accounting will take courses toward a professional accounting career. Students choosing to specialize in finance will be prepared for a career in the financial industry. Finance is becoming increasingly complex with advances in information exchange and the continued growth of the mutual funds industry. The graduates of the School of Accounting and Finance will be able to stand up to the challenge.

Optional Co-Operative
The School of Accounting & Finance offers an optional co-op program which provides graduates with 16 months of work experience integrated into their academic program.

Students wishing to be considered for this program must apply for admission into the co-op option upon completion of the first year of the program. Admission to the co-op program is based on the following four items:

• Recommended CGPA of 3.00 (or higher) and a Clear Standing. Subject to competition, candidates may be required to present a CGPA above the minimum.
• All first year courses must be successfully completed (including AFA 100, QMS 130 and AFF 210)
• Resume, Cover Letter and Application must be completed and submitted by the deadline date.
• Interview

Students begin work terms during second year of the program and the co-op program extends the Accounting & Finance program to five years from four. The School of Accounting & Finance cannot guarantee work term jobs, but the Business Career Hub and the School will prospect for employers and make every effort to locate suitable positions, as well as be available to advise students on their search for program-related jobs. The co-op program enables students to earn prevailing wages for the level of responsibility and contribution of the jobs they perform and thus finance at least part of their university education.

Throughout their studies, Ryerson Computer Science students are provided with a solid foundation in and exposure to many areas of computer science, at both the systems and applications levels. Students learn to become versatile in many development methodologies and technologies. In the later years of their studies, they can opt to deepen their knowledge of a particular sub-discipline of computer science or continue broadening their knowledge of the entire field. An optional thesis in fourth year also provides high­ performing students with the opportunity to work on a capstone project or research thesis.

The skills acquired by Ryerson Computer Science students make them desirable in the computing industry. In addition to pursuing graduate studies, our graduates are employed as software engineers, IT specialists, developers, software architects, communications and network specialists, system and database administrators, or security consultants.

The computer revolution has created vast industries and countless jobs that employ professionals educated in electrical and computer engineering, computer science and information technology- all closely related disciplines involving the understanding and design of computers and computational processes. Computer profession specialties constitute a continuum. At one pole is computer science, which is primarily concerned with theory, design and implementation of software- the product being a computer program. At the other pole is computer engineering, primarily concerned with firmware (the micro-code that controls processors), hardware (the processors themselves, as well as entire computers), software (system-level and user/application-level) and interfacing systems (both at hardware and software level) that will allow computer systems to communicate with the outside world as well as with each other. It is not possible, however, to draw a clear line between the two disciplines; many practitioners function to at least some extent as both computer engineers and computer scientists. Computer Engineers distinguish themselves with their versatile set of skills: they can design and build computers, interface them with the outside world and make them talk to each other, develop firmware and also create system-level and user/application-level software.

The Department of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering offers highly structured programs that emphasize not only the theoretical fundamentals but also the practical aspects of the engineering profession. The first-year courses will provide the students with grounding in engineering science fundamentals such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science and the theory of electric circuits. The second year of the program introduces discrete mathematics, data structures and engineering algorithms, and electrical engineering core subjects such as analog and digital electronic circuits and systems. In the third year, students will further study computer architecture, microcomputer systems, object-oriented analysis and design, digital electronics, communication systems and control theory.

In the final year of the program, students will take courses in data communications, digital systems engineering, real-time operating systems, VLSI design and numerical techniques. The fourth year curriculum also allows students further specialization in a variety of subject areas through an extensive technical electives list. During this final year of the program all students must complete a mandatory group design project. The key objective of the Design Project is to encourage students to plan, design and implement their project while developing the skills to make key decisions independently.

Software Engineering Option
Students entering the 5th semester will have a choice as to whether they would like to continue on the regular Computer Engineering curriculum or to enroll in the Software Engineering option. Students in this option will gain training in software engineering concepts through a set of seven software focused and intensive courses spread over 3rd and 4th year.

The Department of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering also offers graduate degree programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering. These graduate degree programs allow students to pursue advanced studies and independent research in the areas of signal processing and communications, computer systems engineering, and power engineering.

Optional Co-operative Internship Program (Co-op Internship)
Third year full-time students may be eligible to enrol in the optional Co-operative Internship Program. Upon successful enrolment in the program and securing an approved co-op job, students are required to spend a period of 8-16 consecutive months in a work placement. After completing the requirements of the co-operative internship work placement, 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.