Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Food Agricultural and Resource Economics (Co-op)

at University of Guelph Canada

Food has a powerful influence on the lives of individuals and populations. The Applied Human Nutrition program provides a thorough understanding of all aspects of human nutrition. Lectures provide core learnings that are grounded in the biological and social sciences. Labs allow for the application of classroom instruction. New topics and emerging research are explored in small group seminars. Students may enrol in an area of emphasis in dietetics. This dietetic education program is accredited under the Partnership for Dietetic Education and Practice (PDEP) and prepares students for eligibility for registration with a provincial dietetics regulatory body.

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.

Environmental governance refers to the processes through which societies make decisions that affect the environment. Governments play an important role in this, however they alone cannot manage our most pressing environmental challenges like climate change, sea level rise, or invasive species. Thus, through environmental governance, we can coordinate governments, community organizations, and businesses to work collectively to affect positive environmental
change.

Through the completion of courses in geography, political science, agricultural economics, and economics, students will gain a solid foundation in the processes and mechanisms of environmental governance, an understanding of geographical, political, and economic factors that shape governance in Canada and around the world, and exposure to innovative approaches to environmental governance that address persistent and emerging societal concerns. Students completing the major will have the skills and experiences needed to participate effectively in environmental governance in a variety of settings.

WHY CO-OP?
As a co-op student, you will gain relevant work experience, build professional networks, and develop essential interpersonal skills needed to succeed in the workplace, all while getting paid and earning your university degree. Guelph’s co-op program is unique due to the exceptional level of support provided, including an online preparatory course, a personal connection with Co-op Coordinators to assist you during the employment process, and access to senior student mentors.

This major combines a foundation in the breadth of environmental science while giving students practical experience in integrating the basic science in environmental problem solving. The integration of biophysical sciences with real-world applications provides students with a unique skill set for engaging with current and future environmental issues. The many opportunities in the major for experiential learning and independent research give students an ability to collect, analyze and interpret environmental data, and propose solutions that account for both the biophysical science and the socio-economic context. The second year core curriculum develops a cross-disciplinary understanding of the biophysical environment, while the third and fourth years allow students to engage more deeply with issues of interest to them. Students will graduate from this major ready to address diverse problems such as pollinator conservation, soil and water conservation, greenhouse gas mitigation, plant disease management and chemical movement in the environment. It provides a solid background for careers in environmental protection, resource management and research, in both the public and private sectors.

Microbiology is the study of organisms invisible to the naked eye. This major explores the diversity of micro-organisms, including bacteria, viruses, archaea, and fungi. Applications of microbiology range from antibiotic development and resistance, to the relevance of the gut micro-flora in diseases, and finally yeast production for beverage and food development.

The variety of courses offered in the program cover a broad range of topics such as medical microbiology, infectious diseases, immunology, and antimicrobials, as well as environmental and food microbiology. Undergraduate laboratories will provide you with many practical skills in working with a variety of microbes and analyzing microbial processes at both the cellular and molecular levels. In your upper years, you will also have the opportunity to access some of the University of Guelph’s outstanding research labs and facilities through coursework or independant research projects.

Learning Outcomes
You can expect to learn how to:

• Integrate the different levels of biological organization, from molecules to cells to organisms.
• Describe the metabolic and cellular diversity of microbes, and explain the critical roles of microbes in health, disease and the biosphere.
• Describe the use of microorganisms in industry, biotechnology and as model organisms for scientific discovery.
• Design and implement experimental procedures using relevant techniques to isolate, characterize and culture microbiological samples.

Environmental Engineering is the application of scientific theories and principles to minimize the impact of human activities on the environment.

The Environmental Engineering program at Guelph was designed from the ground up as a complete, comprehensive environmental program.  It provides in-depth knowledge of relevant physical, chemical and biological systems with a strong emphasis on engineering design.  Our students experience the important role Environmental Engineering plays in serving the current and future needs of all humanity.

CTS offers a unique and flexible path to explore the role of culture and creativity in an increasingly digital world, using various technologies as part of the process. It emerges from the understanding that technology is inextricably linked to human experience, culture, and society. CTS courses tackle the complex relationships among power, knowledge, digital cultures, the representation of data, and the ethical questions surrounding the development, application, and accessibility of technologies. CTS students learn to intervene in and contribute to the contemporary world as agile creators, curators, communicators, and citizens.

In addition to completing the Bachelor of Arts with a Major in CTS, you can add an optional Areas of Emphasis in: Performance, Making & Design | Storytelling & Public Humanities |  Power, Identities, & Equity.  Each emphasis curates a unique set of courses that will allow you to apply and explore digital methods in a way that is meaningful to you. These may inspire interest in a specific career path, further research, or allow you to combine your studies in CTS with another subject (Minor or Double-Major).

Performance, Making & Design
Students in this area of emphasis learn to integrate their knowledge from core CTS classes into a variety of methods of making, creating, and performance.
Using digital technologies, students explore everything from printmaking to 3D design, from podcasting to the production of digital music. Students in this area develop skills in critique and creation: they learn to develop digital projects in a range of contexts while also developing a critical vocabulary by which to articulate the goals and achievements of the things they make.

Storytelling & Public Humanities
Students in this area of emphasis focus on the relationship between digital culture, data, public discourse, and narrative.
Analyze digital forms of storytelling from a variety of perspectives while also thinking critically about how narrative can be used to publicly disseminate knowledge. Investigate a range of digital forms of storytelling including podcasts, video games, and electronic literature. Seize opportunities to develop projects using emerging, digital technology to tell stories. In addition to thinking about how technology transforms ideas of narrative—what is a digital text and how can we read one—students also engage with the public on projects related to history, public discourse, and community work.

Power, Identities & Equity
Students in this area of emphasis focus on the intersection of identities such as gender, sexuality, race, class, (dis)ability and Indigeneity as they are reimagined in digital culture and by digital technology.
Both investigations of the past and analyses of power and difference in the present provide an important framework for understanding the role and potential of technologies. Students in this area of emphasis learn how to frame analysis of digital artifacts, digital production of knowledge, and exploration of modes of civic engagement to bring considerations of equity and diversity to the fore.

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental academic discipline that allows students to Pursue questions that have stimulated thinkers across eras and cultures. How should we live? What is it to be a person? Explore these and other questions through modern issues in artificial intelligence, politics, sexuality, and the environment in small seminars and field courses. You will acquire skills in reasoning, communication, critical thinking, intellectual independence, and the ability to understand others’ viewpoints and assumptions. 

Understand the geographical, political and economic factors that shape environmental issues. Learn how to identify and manage these issues across sectors. Address environmental challenges through creative partnerships between governments, communities and businesses. Train to be an environmental professional at the leading edge of sustainability.

Explore the ways writing can drive social justice and environmental awareness. Create meaning through your writing and storytelling. You will take courses in speculative fiction, non-fiction, poetry, screenwriting and writing for the inclusive stage. You will develop a body of creative work that includes writing exercises, short creative pieces and a portfolio.