Bachelor of Arts General

at University of Guelph Canada

The Studio Art program at Guelph is designed to provide a progressive alternative to existing post-secondary programs; one that combines equal strengths in studio practice and its conceptual and critical underpinnings. This approach has had a very positive impact on all graduates by providing them with a substantial working knowledge of both contemporary art history and studio practice, regardless of their career plans.  In fact, our program is designed as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Studio Art, rather than a Bachelor of Fine Arts. The BA allows students to more easily combine their studies in Studio Art, as Majors or Minors, with major and minor programs of study in a variety of other disciplines. The permutations are endless in terms of building your career path: our graduates are successful contemporary artists, gallerists, teachers, and art therapists, among other things.

Learning Approach

• Studio Art combines the best of two worlds, providing a fundamental understanding of art history, theory and criticism with the opportunity to explore a range of media in the studio. You'll learn through lectures and discussions. Diverse audio-visual materials, from digital images to videos and films, will be regular components of most courses.
• Studio courses emphasize hands-on experience in art making. You'll develop not only technical and manual skills but also an awareness of historical and contemporary contexts, and formal and expressive strategies.
• You'll do much of your learning in the renovated studios and facilities of historic Zavitz Hall and the Alexander Hall. Trips to major collections, galleries and museums will augment your learning experience.

Understanding how we conserve organisms within an ecosystem by understanding the role they play in the ecosystem. 

Wildlife Biology and Conservation focuses on both the ecological and evolutionary factors that influence the sustainability of species and communities and an understanding of how these factors can be used to manage natural systems or species that are at risk or invasive.

The objective of the Wildlife Biology and Conservation major is to provide students with an integrated foundation in three disciplines necessary to understand the origins, interactions, and protection of plant and animal diversity: evolution, ecology, and conservation biology. The Wildlife Biology and Conservation curriculum reflects the current interdisciplinary nature of the study of plant and animal diversity that builds on the depth and breadth of expertise in the Department of Integrative Biology.

This major will provide students with a unique interdisciplinary opportunity to study the causes, consequences, and conservation of plant and animal diversity. There is currently no other major in Canada that explicitly integrates ecology, evolution, and conservation into a 4-year major. This major also builds on the University of Guelph’s long-standing reputation in the areas of biology and natural resources management. Although there are a series of required courses associated with each of the ecology, evolution, and conservation core themes, the major offers a significant amount of flexibility from years 2-4 that allows students to focus on 1 or 2 streams. In their 4th year, students will take a 1.0 credit capstone course (BIOL*4110 Ecological Methods) that focuses on the development and execution of a research problem by building of the different skills students have acquired in each of these streams.

Learning Outcomes
You can expect to learn how to:

• Recognize the origins and current methods of protection of plant and animal diversity.
• Develop detailed knowledge of ecological and evolutionary factors that influence the persistence of species and communities.
• Understand how to manage natural and impacted systems (e.g., invasive species, species at risk) and apply scientific approaches to adaptive management strategies in wildlife conservation.
• Assess the complex interplay between science, socioeconomic factors and public opinion in the forging of public policy decisions and the value of interdisciplinary approaches to understanding complex problems in wildlife biology.
• Gain “hands on” experience in the field working with plants and animals in a variety of ecosystems.

Food is a multi-billion dollar industry that is influenced by changing socio-economic conditions and evolving agricultural and industrial technologies. As a Food Science student, in the Bachelor of Science degree program, you will apply chemistry, microbiology and physics to study the processing and development of food products and processes. The program also covers aspects of law, health, nutrition, and security as they relate to food safety and quality.

You will obtain hands-on experience in the industrial processes such as pasteurization, sterilization, fermentation, and packaging and apply these to commodity groups such as dairy, meats, cereals and beverages. In addition, you will gain experience in sensory evaluation and in the development of new food products and effective food safety and quality assurance programs. Communication skills are also emphasized to help ensure success in your future career.

Students interested in problems requiring the application of knowledge from both the biological sciences and engineering will find a challenge as a Biological Engineer. This field of engineering is the application of principles, methods and concepts of biology to systems and tools, ranging in scale from molecular to ecosystem level. This field combines engineering principles with life sciences to design creative solutions for biological systems, with applications ranging from pharmaceutical and food manufacturing, bioconversions to reduce waste, and production of sustainable, bio-based materials. For example, a Biological Engineer concentrating on biotechnology might design and manage bioreactors to improve their productivity. A Biological Engineering graduate can pursue a career in a number of exciting fields, including food safety, bio-instrumentation, diagnostics and sensorics in bio-systems, biomechanics and ergonomics.

Co-op
The Co-op program in Biological Engineering is a five year program, including five work terms. Students must complete a Fall, Winter and Summer work term and must follow the academic work schedule as outlined below (also found on the Co-operative Education website: https://www.recruitguelph.ca/cecs/). Please refer to the Co-operative Education program policy with respect to adjusting this schedule.

To be eligible to continue in the Co-op program, students must meet a minimum 70% cumulative average requirement after second semester, as well as meet all work term requirements. Please refer to the Co-operative Education program policy with respect to work term performance grading, work term report grading and program completion requirements. 

Combine politics, law and business and explore the unique intersection of the public sector with business and economics. Examine issues like whether government should be run in a more “business-like” manner, and equality and justice in decision-making. Develop transferable business skills in law, human resources, marketing, accounting and finance, and pursue diverse career opportunities within the public, private and voluntary sectors. A great choice for students hoping to pursue law school.

Bachelor of Arts - Mathematics program is designed to prepare you for a wide variety of employment opportunities within the dynamic and ever-growing fields.

Create your own curriculum and explore Physical Science. Focus on chemistry, computing and information science, mathematics, physics or statistics. Build the necessary background for further studies in a specific area of your choice or continue in the major of Physical Science. Choose a minor in subjects like biotechnology, geographic information systems, psychology or business to meet your career goals or pursue professional schools.

The Mathematical Science program provides students with the ability to Tackle current issues in the arts, humanities, social sciences, business or computing by blending your studies in mathematics and statistics with their application to a secondary field of interest. Mathematical Science is key to understanding and changing the world around us. Choose from three areas of emphasis: Economics; Computer Science; or an Individualized area of emphasis in humanities and social sciences.

In the Bachelor of Arts - Sociology program, students will Examine society’s vast influence on the lives of groups and individuals. Discover patterns and relationships in human culture and behaviour. Gain insight into the cause of inequalities and learn the skills needed to tackle societal problems and improve life.

Students can establish themselves and build successful careers in an emerging and fast-growing field: Nanoscience, the science of the very, very small; an inherently multidisciplinary approach that unites chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics. Understanding the world at the molecular level is increasingly important for the development of many new technologies.

In this major, you will focus on the understanding and synthesis of nanoscale materials, in an industry that has been recognized as a revolutionary field of science and technology, comparable to the introduction of electricity, biotechnology, and digital information revolutions. Students take an integrated MATH and PHYS course in first year along with the chemistry and biology taken by other Bachelor of Science students. In second through fourth year, focus on the core nanoscience courses along with chemistry and physics. The nanoscience courses combine aspects from different science disciplines, reinforced and extended by the unique laboratory available where students learn to synthesize nanoparticles and nanostructured materials, and characterize the physical properties of these materials using a wide range of research-grade nanotools.

Learning Outcomes
You can expect to learn how to:

• Apply scientific methods and processes by formulating questions, designing investigations and synthesizing data to draw conclusions and make scientifically-based decisions.
• Generate and interpret scientific data using quantitative, qualitative and analytical methodologies and techniques.
• Demonstrate advanced, contemporary and relevant knowledge in the chemistry and physics of materials at the molecular level.
• Apply intermediate level mathematics techniques to enhance understanding in the chemistry and physics of materials at the molecular level.
• Demonstrate advanced laboratory skills to practically realize concepts in the chemistry and physics of materials at the molecular level, and apply these skills in self-directed learning.
• Work safely and effectively in the laboratory to generate reproducible and reliable results.
• Apply modern computational techniques to investigate various physical phenomena and demonstrate proficiency in using mathematical software.

Co-Op Options
Nanoscience co-op is a five year program, which includes five work terms. Below is an example of how the academic and work sequence will look for a Nanoscience major.

*Please note this sequence may change. The current undergraduate calendar will house the most accurate sequence that students must follow. 

Students in this co-op major complete a course, COOP*1100, in the fall semester of second year.  This course helps students prepare for their work term by developing professional attitudes and skills for the workplace. This course also provides students with a toolkit of resume and cover letter writing as well as interview skills, which helps students to apply, interview and secure their work term positions..