Bachelor of Art in (Honours) International Development Studies (Co-op)

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.

Legal Studies (Option):-
Understanding the legal system in Canada is valuable for everyone, not just lawyers and policy makers. A complement to virtually any B.A. or B.Sc. degree, this option provides students with fundamental knowledge about Canadian law. You'll learn about rights and freedoms, what it takes to draft and pass new laws, and how the law influences and is influenced by society and culture.   

An option is a “mini-minor” – a set of courses in one discipline that can be completed in conjunction with any undergraduate degree program, allowing you to focus on an additional subject of interest.

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

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.

Statistics (Specialization)
Numbers can reveal a lot about an individual, a society, or even a whole nation. Through a specialization in Statistics, students pursuing a degree in Mathematics will learn to incorporate pure math, big data, and computing to navigate the knowledge interwoven in numbers, paving the way for career success in everything from medicine and communications to marketing and technology.

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.

Economics:-
Pursue either a B.A. or B.Sc. degree in Economics with exclusive access to leading Economics professors and experts in small-group classes, seminars and workshops.

At both a national and global level, the most significant social issues involve economics. Through your studies in Economics, you’ll gain a thorough understanding of the methods and tools required to analyze complex economic issues such as unemployment, inflation, economic growth and the regulation of the market structure. Your studies will enable you to use national and international data to explore trends and tendencies, test economic models, and will give you the ability to recommend policies addressing inadequacies with market outcomes.

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

The study of Philosophy can shed light on some of the most fundamental and important questions we ask as human beings. At Trent, you’ll explore your place in the world, the nature of reality, the meaning of human existence, and the limits of knowledge. You will be encouraged to develop your own philosophical positions as you cultivate your ability to reason logically, question commonly held assumptions, and develop a worldview that does justice to the complexity of life.

Resume Boosters:-

• Put your work on display at the Trent Philosophy Society’s annual student symposium
• Enjoy generous awards and scholarships available exclusively to Philosophy majors
• Interact with our strong network of Philosophy alumni that stop in from time to time, including Yann Martel, best-selling author of Life of Pi

As a graduate of this advanced program, you’ll apply your skills to uncover evidence recovered at crime scenes, draw impartial conclusions based on physical evidence, and present and defend these findings using your foundational knowledge in science.

Beyond TV shows like NCIS or CSI, this highly-rewarding discipline integrates the study of science and law with investigative practice and theory. By studying Forensic Science at Trent, you’ll learn the foundational science of forensics through the study of anthropology, biology, and chemistry, along with uniquely specialized forensics courses. The B.Sc.F.S. degree emphasizes emerging developments in DNA forensic applications and crime scene investigation through courses in laboratory techniques and related case work.

Resume Boosters:

• First-hand investigative work with bloodstain pattern analysis, fingerprinting, and evidence recovery in mock crime scenes at Trent’s on-campus Crime Scene House
• Opportunities to research and work directly with scientists in the lab and professionals in the field
• A third-year work placement in a sub-discipline of your choice, including Federal government internships with Border Services, RCMP, Health Canada, Food Inspection Services
• Hands-on internships with federal organizations including Border Services, RCMP, Communication Security, Health Canada, Food Inspection Services
• Direct access to leading experts in DNA profiling, forensics and at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Knowledge in both arts and science is key to understanding the complicated issues of today’s world – from global warming and medicine to human rights and politics, and everything in between. In this unique program, you will gain the skills needed to take on the most complicated subjects and communicate about them effectively – key attributes of success for lawyers, doctors, journalists, business leaders, and environmental scientists. Here, you will have the opportunity to experience the very best of both areas of study, while benefiting from the ability to customize your degree with flexibility. The options are virtually endless.

Resume Boosters:-

• Develop a broad knowledge-base and skill set that is highly adaptable to any career path you choose
• Gain professional experience performing and presenting independent research for the Arts and Science Colloquium
• Take advantage of several internship opportunities within one or more of your chosen majors
• Participate in a community-based research project with guidance from faculty members in a variety of disciplines

Explore the environment at the molecular level and use your passion for chemistry to make a meaningful impact on the world. Your studies in Environmental Chemistry will introduce you to contemporary approaches to quantifying contaminants, along with the sources of chemicals, their cycles and the impact they have on organisms and ecosystems in the environment.

Resume Boosters:-

• Undertake undergrad research opportunities working with leading professors and groups
• Benefit from practical work experience through community research projects with local organizations and companies
• Gain experience with advanced instrumentation and modern analytical techniques, preparing you to handle challenging environmental problems from a multidisciplinary perspective

What is power? How do power relations and structures shape Canadian society and societies around the world? What is the relationship between states, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, social movements/protests and citizens? Explore these and many other questions in Political Studies at Trent. Here, you will sharpen your analytical skills and learn how to make a positive impact in the world. Focus your political exploration on Canadian politics, world politics or political theory. Immerse yourself in understanding political structures and systems, as you engage in lively debates and discussions alongside sought-after experts in globalization, populism, international relations, and political theory.

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 stream, giving you the competitive edge for future job prospects.
• Apply your learning to the real world through a community engagement project, field placement, or research practicum, gaining valuable hands-on experience in qualitative research methods
• Get published – complete a fourth-year thesis under the supervision of expert faculty who are leaders in the field
• Go global and internationalize your degree (and experience) through a study abroad opportunity
• Build a foundation for more advanced study in various domains of Political Studies

Computing Systems
When you study Computing Systems at Trent, you'll get a chance to develop your skills in designing, implementing, and integrating software applications - everything from supercomputers to game boards. This degree will equip you with the skills required for a successful career in the ever-changing tech sector. Get advanced use of the latest science and digital technologies, with assistance from professors who are experts in their fields. You can also work with real-world clients from industry, government, and education through a third year internship course and fourth year project course.

Media Studies
Earn credit for doing as well as thinking, gaining hands-on experience by fabricating 3D-printed objects, bending circuits, shooting on 16mm film, creating fake social media profiles, and more. In Media Studies, you'll examine the influence of advertising and ideology, the political economy of media corporations, and the principles of multimedia design. You'll also benefit from our interdisciplinary curriculum, learning across subjects from the humanities to the sciences, and taking workshop, internship, and community-based research courses with your professors and media professionals.

Studying History develops and refines your capacity for critical thinking in a complex, competitive, and changing world. One of the most established and versatile university majors, History paves the way for understanding the foundations and origins of society’s behaviour and institutions. At Trent, the versatility of skills gained through your History degree can be applied to the real world through the dynamic co-op stream, where you will explore a variety of political, social, and cultural themes in the classroom and out in the workforce in a variety of sectors. At the end of your degree, you’ll have valuable research, analytical, and communication skills to launch your career.

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.
• Our small group teaching environment means you’ll know your profs and they will know you – a great advantage for that personal reference after graduation
• A world of job opportunities await graduates with the analytical and writing skills that only history can provide
• Study history firsthand with the opportunity to study abroad in one of 35+ countries around the world
• Take advantage of a unique pathway to pursue the Museum Management and Curatorship postgraduate certificate program offered in partnership with Fleming College