Bachelor of Music

at University of Lethbridge - Lethbridge Campus Canada

Philosophy investigates fundamental questions about the nature of things; about the universe as a whole, about human beings, society, science, ethics and art.

As a philosophy student, you will learn about the basic intellectual foundation for our political, social and legal systems, as well as our understanding of the principles of modern science and technology. You will explore deep theoretical, practical and moral issues that do not easily fit into more specialized disciplines.

Philosophy will challenge you with its reflective and critical approach to important, often puzzling, questions about the nature of right and wrong, time and space, perception, and the human mind.

Philosophy pays careful attention to its own long history, spanning more than 2,500 years. These early investigations are the focus of the department’s courses on ancient, early modern, late modern and 20th-century philosophers and philosophical movements.

There are numerous branches within the study of philosophy, touching virtually every topic; from questions about the existence of God, through to aesthetic principles, and the concepts of space and time:

• Justice and goodness: Investigates questions about right and wrong, or good and evil, such as biomedical ethics or environmental philosophy.
• Truth and reality: Looks at truth and reality through areas such as logic, metaphysics, epistemology and the philosophy of science.
• Social philosophical concerns: Delves into fundamental social philosophical issues addressed by political philosophy, ethics and the history of philosophy itself.
• Scientific philosophical concerns: Focuses on the conditions under which enquiry produces genuine truth and accurate representations of objective reality.
• Human creativity and artistic expression: Evaluates concepts like beauty in disciplines such as aesthetics and the philosophy of art.

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.

Sociology is the study of society, including the interaction between individuals, groups, and institutions. Sociological study helps develop original ways of looking at the world and the individual’s place within it. The application of sociological thinking can lead to a better understanding of social problems and issues and suggestions about how these issues may be overcome in real-world terms.

By studying sociology, you will gain insight into how people interact with one another and how values and beliefs both shape and are shaped by the structures and processes around us. The primary goal of the discipline is to stimulate sociological thinking - applying imagination and critical analysis to the many facets of social life.

As a sociology student, you will be exposed to a wide variety of alternative theories of social behaviour, structure, and change through a wide range of courses on topics such as: crime, religion, work, gender, age, ethnicity, politics, culture and health.

The Department of Geography and the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science offer instruction leading to the multidisciplinary major in computer science and geographical information science. The program is structured to provide a firm theoretical, technical and applied background in the geographical information sciences (GIS) that draws extensively on computer science foundations.

This major provides a strong basis for further study at the graduate level in an established field of research, while also providing training in an area of employment opportunity that neither the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science nor the Department of Geography alone can provide.

Geographical information science (GIS) | GIS involves the use and analysis of digital maps, databases, models and mobile applications, as well as navigation and spatial integration tools. Major GIS application areas include remote sensing, geographical information systems, computer graphics, image processing and mapping and spatial modelling. These rely on advanced computer science algorithms and software development, platform integration, hardware design and operating system principles. The major provides applied training coupled with a solid theoretical and developmental foundation.

History as an academic discipline examines the past to explain how we got to where we are today. We live in a world that is politically, economically, and socially complex; to engage it effectively and better understand ourselves, we must first understand the many historical factors that shape our lives. Historians work to sharpen the collective memory of society.

As a history student, you’ll learn about great leaders of the past and what ordinary people believed and valued - how they lived, worshipped, worked, fought and died. You’ll have the opportunity to take thematic and regional courses in ancient, medieval and modern history from the geographic areas that shaped our world today.

We are confident that our courses, as well as our diverse areas of expertise, will offer something of interest to everyone studying history at uLethbridge.

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.

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.

Human resources and labour relations professionals manage any organization’s greatest resource - its people!

Competent, culturally sensitive and highly organized, human resource and labour relations professionals add significant value and display competence in an array of specialized areas, including: talent management; employment law; health and safety, performance management; training and development; and diversity and inclusion.

Professionals with this degree are strategic leaders in the organization. They are critical for the successful management of complex and constantly evolving environments. They work with both employers and employees to create productive and fair workplaces.

Human Resource Management and Labour Relations managers are also among the most in-demand jobs in Canada in 2019 (randstad.ca).

About the Human Resource Management and Labour Relations (HRMLR) major
Students majoring in HRMLR study a broad range of topics including how and why people behave as they do in organizations, managing organizational change, identifying training needs and creating opportunities for employee career development, managing in a unionized environment, leading people and teams, ensuring the work environment is physically and psychologically healthy, and managing diverse workplaces.

Students should take Research Methodology (MGT 2700) as early as possible, as it provides a foundation for the senior-level courses. uLethbridge offers a wide variety of electives, not all of which are offered every term. Plan in advance to ensure you can take all of the courses that interest you.

Physics is the study of matter and energy at all scales, from the sub-nuclear to the dimensions of the universe. It is the fundamental science — all other sciences and technologies rely on the principles of physics.

Physics involves observing and understanding natural phenomena. It is evident in the world around us in everything from the seasons, the motion of objects, the flight of birds, the night sky and the weather, to lasers, electronics and the technology we rely on today.

Physics is very much a “hands-on” science, so the most effective way for you to learn the subject is to actually do physics. Astronomy teaches you how to study objects at a distance and interpret the information gathered. This helps us begin to understand the universe we live in. The skills you will learn in astronomy are also applicable to remote sensing and its application to environmental problems.

The department offers a comprehensive physics major. The foundation of this program is built in the first two years, as you study mechanics, waves, electricity and magnetism, optics, thermal physics and modern physics.

In your third and fourth years, you will gain a deeper understanding of the fundamentals and delve into more advanced and specialized areas. Specialized topics may include the research interests of department faculty members, as all faculty members are involved in rigorous research programs.

Faculty members also ensure you are provided with a wide view of physics, exposing you to all areas of the subject and describing a wide variety of applications. This enables you to make informed decisions when choosing the areas you may wish to pursue in the future.

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.