Bachelor of Arts and Science in Biological Sciences

at University of Lethbridge - Lethbridge Campus Canada

A General Major in Humanities, unlike a single discipline major, allows you to customize your course selection to your interests and abilities. Where you compromise depth of focus in one area, you gain breadth of knowledge in a few key areas, thus increasing your flexibility. This multidisciplinary approach provides access to the "big picture" or the wider context of any subject area. Conversely, the courses you choose can enhance your focus and provide a cross-discipline perspective on one particular theme.

Students choosing a General Major in the Humanities select three disciplinary streams from the following:

• One of Art, Dramatic Arts, or Music
• English
• One of French, Japanese, or Spanish Classical Languages (Greek, Hebrew, and Latin)
• History
• Linguistics
• Native American Studies
• Philosophy
• Religious Studies

As a student participating in a General Major degree program, you’re not limited to studying only within your three streams. As part of your liberal education, you will be required to take classes outside your major(s). This allows you to develop skills and experience in all three streams.

Chemistry studies the elements that comprise all matter. Everything around us - the air we breathe, water we drink, food we eat, cars we drive, even our bodies - are made from these elements.

There are five main branches of chemistry:

• Analytical | Focuses on the detection and measurement of chemical species used in fields like forensics.
• Organic | Deals with carbon compounds, which are the main components of living matter.
• Inorganic | Delves into all the remaining elements, most of which are found in the mineral world.
• Physical | Looks at the study of the fundamental principles governing the behavior of matter.
• Theoretical | Starts by exploring basic physical theories like quantum mechanics in order to provide frameworks within which all chemical phenomena can be understood.

The primary focus of the program is to provide you with extensive theoretical knowledge in all five branches, in addition to enhancing your technical and practical skills with hands-on experience. Throughout the program, you will receive intensive laboratory instruction on the transformation and safe handling of chemical compounds, as well as hands-on training in advanced instrumental techniques such as elemental analysis, optical spectroscopy, magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction and mass spectrometry.

As a chemistry student, you will have access to state-of-the-art research facilities that provide the infrastructure to support the research interests of our award-winning faculty, your instructors, as they investigate diverse areas of the chemical sciences including catalysis, nanomaterials and food chemistry.

Political Science is the systematic study of government, politics and political behaviour. It studies how a society governs itself at all levels and various ideas about how it should be governed in the future.

As a political science student you will study how political conflict is organized and resolved in the “real world.” You will look at how rulers are chosen, governmental decisions are taken and how decision-making processes are organized. You’ll learn how governments design and implement their laws and policies in Canada and abroad.

You will also consider how political leaders understand their obligations towards one another and how decisions are shaped by different views of “what’s right,” “what works” and “what’s possible” in different circumstances.

The Department of Political Science offers four sub-fields of study and encourages you to choose a variety of courses from each area to ensure you gain a broad view of the discipline. These are: Canadian Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory.

Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data. In a world that is increasingly data-driven, knowing how to extract and interpret information is key. Statistics help evaluate ideas, test hypotheses and give clarity to complex issues.

If your passion is the environment, statisticians help manage our natural resources and understand the impact of climate change. If your passion is public policy, statisticians work with governments and non-governmental organizations to measure the health of the economy and assess the effectiveness of programs. If your passion is sports, statisticians help improve teams through player drafting, signing and development. No matter where your passion lies, you are likely to find statisticians active in that area.

The major in applied statistics is structured to provide a firm theoretical background in statistics and to allow you to apply specific statistical techniques within your discipline of interest. The program has three possible concentrations:

• Economics
• Geography
• Psychology

Each of these disciplines makes extensive use of statistics in the analysis of real-world data. Students in this major and any chosen concentration will learn about statistical resources and benefit from training across multiple departments.

Biological sciences delve into the world of living organisms - from microbes, to human beings, to entire ecosystems. It is the science of life on, under and above earth. Exploring the nature of life leads biologists out into the world where they study how organisms interact with their environment, how they function and how they evolved over time.

The Department of Biological Sciences provides you with hands-on learning, moving you beyond textbooks and lectures to engaging research projects. Biology is a research-intensive science that can lead to a wide range of study areas, like environmental work, medicine, microbiology or agriculture.

Today’s biologists require a strong background in cellular and molecular biology, organismal biology, genetics, evolution and ecology. Additionally, you will be required to complete courses in chemistry, physics and mathematics, ensuring a strong foundation in the core sciences.

You will also have access to state-of-the-art science and research facilities, like the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research. This facility provides the infrastructure to support the research interests of our award-winning faculty, your instructors, as they investigate diverse areas within behavioural and evolutionary ecology, plant biology and systemic biology, cellular and molecular biology and genetics.

Many choose the general management major because it provides a comprehensive understanding of management that can take them anywhere. Others choose it because of the opportunity to design their own program, or plan to start their own business. If you're a budding entrepreneur, a broad-based understanding of business will position you to succeed.

Whether you’re primarily a people person or a numbers person, studying general management will help you develop and refine what already comes naturally.

Management is leading others to accomplish common goals. Today’s managers are people oriented, creative, adaptable - strong communicators who deal effectively with rapidly changing environments, work successfully with small and large teams, live and work by principles of ethics and social responsibility, and are aware of our responsibility to the environment.

Mathematics is the study of structure and patterns in numbers and shapes. It is an active research area, providing a language, theories and models to solve complex problems across a wide variety of scientific, industrial and economic sectors.

Over the past century, discoveries in pure mathematics have found unexpected applications in science, industry and finance, such as: secure internet transactions, Google, DNA sequencing and the stock market. 

As a math student, you will study both pure and applied mathematics, giving you the opportunity to see real-world applications of your studies.

The program offers courses in four main areas: algebra, analysis, number theory and geometry, and statistics. Many students opt to combine math with courses in physics, computer science, chemistry, economics, management or other areas of interest.

A mathematics education provides a solid training that is sought after by employers and allows flexibility in your career choices. You will learn to tackle difficult problems employing a variety of theories and statistical models. You’ll also learn to communicate your expertise by combining your technical skills with a sound liberal education.

You will have access to state-of-the-art science and research facilities. Our computer labs feature the latest equipment and our small class sizes ensure access to your instructors whenever you need it.

Computer science is the study of algorithms and data structures and their applications in designing new and efficient solutions to industrial, technological, environmental or social problems.

Learn to tackle difficult problems using a variety of high-tech tools and approaches, and effectively communicate your expertise to others by coupling your technical learning with a solid grounding in liberal education. The program is designed to enable you gain both theoretical knowledge and practical experience, including access to state-of-the-art hardware and software in our three computer labs whenever you need to use them.

Accountants are central to the operations and strategies of all types of organizations. They require integrity and the ability to think critically, communicate and interact with others effectively. Accounting is the foundation of organizational short and long-term success. It involves measuring, analyzing and reporting on factors that affect organizational performance, resources and risk.

About the Accounting major
You will train to be an accountant, not a bookkeeper. You'll gain technical skills and learn how to address a broad range of business problems. Classes are small, allowing for one-on-one interaction with professors, who have professional accounting designations, PhDs in accounting or both. You will acquire and practice the skills needed for success, including writing, presenting, using professional tools and case analysis.

Urban & Regional Studies (URS) delves into the physical, social, economic and political factors that shape our cities. It looks at the role of planning to manage dynamic forces of change such as immigration, global warming, aging populations, energy conservation, congestion, urban forests, homelessness and smog, to name just a few.

As a URS student at the University of Lethbridge, you will learn to approach contemporary development challenges from various frames of reference. Issues include the evolving social, ethnic and architectural character of urban neighbourhoods, the decline of agricultural service centres in the west or the governance of urban sprawl.

This multidisciplinary major will provide you with a broad range of conceptual and practical tools to understand cities and regions. URS is housed in the Department of Geography, but as a multidisciplinary major, the program includes courses outside the department’s offerings, such as anthropology, economics, political science, sociology and statistics.

The knowledge and experience you gain in the URS program will provide an exceptional stepping stone, whether you choose to continue your studies to the master’s or doctoral level or to enter the working world. Either way, you will have the educational background to play an important role in providing an understanding of, and solutions for, some of our most pressing urban and regional concerns.