Bachelor of Art (Honours) in Political Studies with (Specialization) Public Policy

at Trent University Peterborough Canada

Create a unique educational focus based on your passions and interests, with an interdisciplinary knowledge base
Trent’s joint major programs give you full license to create a degree that's uniquely your own, by combining courses in the arts, sciences, or professional programs. Have a passion for social justice? Combine your Politics degree with Gender & Women’s Studies. Interested in all things tech? Join Media Studies and Computing Systems. Mix and match programs that best appeal to your interests, preparing yourself for a future with more possibility.

Combine degrees. Expand your horizons.
At Trent, you have the flexibility to combine nearly any two programs of your choice. To help you narrow it down, here’s a list of some of our most popular combinations:

• Media Studies and Psychology 
• Anthropology and History 
• English and Media Studies 
• Biology and Psychology 
• Anthropology and Psychology 
• Environmental Studies and Biology 
• Anthropology and Sociology 
• Geography and Canadian Studies 
• Computing Systems and Media Studies 
• Economics and Philosophy 
• Economics and Psychology 
• English and Psychology 
• Psychology and Sociology 
• Computing Systems and Economics 
• English and Sociology 

You can also explore the popular joint major combinations within our professional programs like Business Administration and Forensic Science.

Political Studies:-
Politics shape everything society touches, influencing what we believe, how we live and what we do to create order in a chaotic world. In this program, you’ll learn to make a positive impact through shaping and influencing social policy, focusing on Canadian politics, world politics and political theory. You’ll find yourself debating and exploring ideas surrounding democracy and global politics, closely examining power relations and relationships between state, business, and citizens.

Business:-
You want to become an innovative business leader or entrepreneur. No other program will help you get there better than Trent’s exclusive Bachelor of Business Administration. By examining corporate, self-employment, online, small business, and other business models, you’ll learn the fundamentals of leadership and management, gaining a deep understanding of the organization of business and its role in today’s highly-digital world.

Resume Boosters:-

• Gain the diversity of knowledge today’s employers are looking by studying and specializing in not one, but two academic disciplines
• Hands-on learning experiences abound in all Trent programs – gain the competitive edge on your resume

How do social constructs like gender, race and class impact the experience of individuals? How do movements for social justice support progress towards a more equitable world? As a Sociology student at Trent, you will explore and question a diverse range of social topics, completing your studies with an understanding of social organizations and institutions and people’s place in them. These explorations can take place both in the classroom and beyond – through the new B.A. Co-op stream you can put skills to action across three work terms in professional settings. This program is progressive, critical and timely in the way it engages students in not only understanding but also acting on the consequences of social change with practical learning components. Through this degree, you’ll explore and question a diverse range of social topics, completing your studies with a heightened understanding of human relationships and society, rooted in the social sciences and inspired by a passion for social justice. A Sociology degree is an excellent foundation for law school, teachers college, social work or similar programs.

Resume Boosters

• Explore your strengths and career interests, and graduate with 12 months of work experience (and income) through the new four-year B.A. co-op option, giving you the competitive edge for future job prospects.
• Conduct original research with one of our award-winning faculty members, in areas of LGBTQ+ issues, the pharmaceutical industry, or human rights in prisons as part of our research practica opportunities
• Meet and learn from leading thinkers in the field through guest lectures and speaker series held throughout the year
• Present your work at a symposium with other undergraduate students

Study at the only university in Canada to offer a wide range of joint majors in Business Administration for more career choice and flexibility.

Forge your own unique path to success in the world of business by connecting your interest in business with other areas of study across the arts or the sciences. The combinations are virtually endless. What will you choose?

Business:-
You want to become an innovative business leader or entrepreneur. No other program will help you get there better than Trent’s exclusive Bachelor of Business Administration. By examining corporate, self-employment, online, small business, and other business models, you’ll learn the fundamentals of leadership and management, gaining a deep understanding of the organization of business and its role in today’s highly-digital world.

Science:-
With so many fascinating science programs offered at Trent, it can be difficult to know which degree to choose. If you’re interested in general sciences but haven’t yet decided on a specific program, this flexible first-year pathway is for you. Honours Science allows you to explore courses across various science programs before declaring a major or joint-major in your second year. You can even choose to combine different disciplines, taking courses from programs across both the sciences and arts.

Are you drawn to social sciences or humanities, but unsure which program you should apply to? The Honours Arts path at Trent is geared towards students like you, who want to explore a few different areas of study before declaring a major or joint-major in second year. Start your university experience through this first-year pathway and you’ll have the flexibility to combine different disciplines and take courses from programs across the humanities and social sciences.

Program Paths:-
Start in Honours Arts in first year and move into the humanities or social sciences program of your choice
in second year – English, History, Economics, Anthropology, Media Studies, International Development... choose from 30+ degrees. 

Not only will you graduate with two degrees in just six years, but you’ll also have the chance to take your education global while you learn, travel, explore, and live abroad.

If a career in law is what you want, this is the program for you. In this one-of-a-kind program, you will undertake either a Bachelor of Arts Honours or a Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Trent – Ontario’s #1 undergrad university, while also obtaining a law degree from Swansea University’s renowned Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law in the UK – no need to write the LSATs.

How the Program Works:-
The first two years of your degree take place at Trent, where you’ll pursue your choice of 14 degree options. In third year, you’ll transfer to the coastal city of Swansea in Wales to complete three years of law studies, earning your Bachelor of Laws degree. Once your LL.B. is complete, you’ll return to Trent to complete your Honours degree credentials. By simultaneously taking several Canadian Law courses in your final year at Trent, you’ll be well-prepared for the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) exams, enabling you to take the required steps to practice law in Canada.

Degree Program Options:-
Business Administration*; Canadian Studies; Cultural Studies; Economics; English Literature*; Environmental & Resource Studies; Gender & Women’s Studies; History*; Indigenous Studies; International Development Studies; Media Studies*; Philosophy*; Political Studies; Sociology*

Resume Boosters:-

• Combining your law degree with your choice of B.A. or B.B.A. degree means that you will graduate with a unique set of skills and perspectives
• Meet and learn from top law professionals through our Visiting Lawyers in Residence program
• Join the Trent Law Society and benefit from field trips, workshops, and events, all with a focus on law and the legal system

Studying in one of the only degrees of its kind in Canada, you can choose from a diverse range of courses offering theoretical and practical paths into visual arts, media, film, theatre, music, pop culture, and more.

Cultural Studies gives you the tools to critique and create cultural objects and practices – everything from games to graffiti, print to painting, and music to film. You’ll study culture by reading, talking, and doing, taking both lecture and workshop courses in literature, fine art, media, and theory. And you’ll ask (and seek answers to) the questions about how culture shapes our lives.

Film & Media (Specializations)
Break outside the box of mainstream and conventional media to get at the core of how film, radio, television, popular culture, and social media influence culture. Through hands-on workshops in game, radio and podcast creation, and focusing on topics covering everything from Media and War to the History of Radio and TV, this specialization will help Cultural Studies students put your media literacy to the test and prepare you for a variety of dynamic careers.

Trent’s B.E.S.S. degree is perfect for students who want to bring science and arts together to understand and solve key environmental issues. You’ll gain an understanding of the scientific aspects of contemporary environmental issues, how they’re linked to policy and planning decisions, and how that can lead to an environmentally sustainable future.

Climate Change Science & Policy (Specialization):-
Dive into the challenges and solutions for climate change—environmental, economic, political, social—and build a strong foundation of knowledge and skills that equip graduates for the growing number of climate-related careers.

Climate change is the leading global environmental issue, but its impacts extend beyond the natural world, into business operations, politics and policy development, social justice movements, law and more. If you find yourself trading the car for public transit, reviewing a company’s environmental initiatives or participating alongside millions of others in global Climate Marches, this specialization is for you.

Trent’s Climate Change Science & Policy specialization draws on faculty specialties in Trent’s School of the Environment (TSE) and from affiliated departments, providing students with a robust, well-rounded education that could lead to a variety of careers supporting climate solutions that can have profound impacts on societies for future generations.

Resume Boosters:-

• Graduate from one of only two climate change-focused programs in Canada
• Develop a broad-base of skills and background in the science of climate change and policy perspectives related to it
• Learn from and work alongside professors who are experts in their field and practicing climate change practitioners, such as the first-ever Canada research chair in environmental geoscience
• Study in the Trent School of the Environment, a research-intensive unit that nurtures collaboration with diverse faculty specialties and expertise as well as opportunities for applied learning
• Benefit from access to state-of-the-art labs and facilities in Trent’s DNA, Life & Health Sciences Building and Water Quality Centre

More than simply the study of numbers, mathematics is a powerful tool that is crucial for helping us make sense of the world around us. In this program, you’ll learn about the fundamental structure of the universe and the limits of human reason. The expertise and skills developed in this program are in high demand in the job market, as mathematical science careers are estimated to be one of the fastest growing occupation sectors in the coming decade.

Resume Boosters

• Test your math skills and knowledge in our Math Resource Room accessing mathematical and statistical software, such as Maple and MatLab
• Work alongside leading professors through summer research opportunities
• Take advantage of part-time employment opportunities available in marking and tutoring
• Become a member of our Society of Undergraduate Mathematics Students (SUMS) and join in events and workshops related to all things math

Trent’s joint major programs give you full license to create a degree that's uniquely your own, by combining courses in the arts, sciences, or professional programs. Have a passion for social justice? Combine your Politics degree with Gender & Women’s Studies. Interested in all things tech? Join Media Studies and Computing Systems. Mix and match programs that best appeal to your interests, preparing yourself for a future with more possibility.

Computing Systems
The ability to create, manipulate, and speak the language of computing systems has become some of the most valued skills applicable to almost every industry. Whether it’s a job that does not exist yet or current positions if you study Computing Systems at Trent, you’ll get a chance to develop your skills in designing, implementing, and integrating software applications.

Business
You want to become an innovative business leader or entrepreneur. No other program will help you get there better than Trent’s exclusive Bachelor of Business Administration. By examining corporate, self-employment, online, small business, and other business models, you’ll learn the fundamentals of leadership and management, gaining a deep understanding of the organization of business and its role in today’s highly-digital world.

An important field of study particularly in today’s social media-focused world, Sociology helps us achieve a greater understanding of the complex yet simplistic nature of humankind, and the societies in which we choose to organize ourselves. Rooted in the social sciences and inspired by a passion for social justice, Trent’s Sociology program engages students in understanding and acting on the consequences of social change. Through this degree, you’ll explore and question a diverse range of social topics, completing your studies with a heightened understanding of human relationships and society. A sociology degree is an excellent foundation for law school, teachers college, social work or similar programs.

Social Justice & Equity Studies (Specialization)
Be a driving force behind the creation of a more inclusive world and broaden your understanding of the dimensions and intersections of social equality.
Would you describe yourself as a passionate advocate? Interested in being a change maker? Find your future career path with the new Social Justice & Equity Studies specialization. Gain insight into issues affecting equality in communities and workplaces in Canada and around the world. Broaden your perspective on gender, race, class and sexuality, as well as the systems and power structures that shape our society. This specialization turns Sociology majors into sought-after talent for diverse career paths in advocacy, social work, policing and human resources.