Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

at University of Prince Edward Island Canada

Canadian Studies is an interdisciplinary program drawing on the resources of eight departments at UPEI.

The goal of the program is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of Canadian society and culture. A student may major in Canadian Studies, may double major in Canadian Studies and another discipline, or may minor in Canadian Studies.

The specialization augments the Mathematics major with Engineering courses offered through UPEI’s School of Sustainable Design Engineering. The Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with Engineering provides a foundational Engineering program combined with more advanced mathematical training than is received in an Engineering Degree program.

With the new Bachelor of Environmental Studies program at the University of Prince Edward Island you will learn to make environmental connections across academic fields and to analyze environmental challenges we face today. In the classroom, field, and community, you will lead the way in finding innovative solutions—making a positive impact toward sustainability in your personal life, locally and globally.

Environmental issues typically do not respect traditional academic boundaries and require scientific, technical, human and social perspectives to address. As an interdisciplinary liberal arts and science program, the Bachelor of Environmental Studies will provide students with the opportunity to integrate knowledge across faculties of Arts, Science, and Business.

Are you interested in sport, physical activity, and wellness? Would you like to work with children, adults and seniors and help them become and remain physically active? If so, a degree in kinesiology may be an appropriate undertaking for you. Kinesiology explores human development and movement from a number of lenses. For example, the physical, psychological, and social experiences of sport and physical activity are investigated to provide students with a holistic view of how they affect human development.

Within the kinesiology degree, students take courses in areas including (but not limited to) sport psychology, exercise physiology, biomechanics of sport and physical activity, motor learning and control, human development, and research methods. Students interested in international study opportunities should contact their faculty advisor and check potential exchange opportunities well ahead of time.

Upon degree completion, students will have the ability to apply their knowledge to a number of fields or have can continue their studies in fields such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and education. In addition, graduate studies in any of the sub-disciplines of kinesiology are possible for interested students.

Students interested in the program directly out of high school are required to register in the Faculty of Science and complete a list of pre-kinesiology courses. Students having completed the qualifying courses need to apply to the Kinesiology program by March 31 of the current year. 

"My experience in the Kinesiology program here at UPEI has been amazing up to this point. Over the past three years, I have had the privilege of meeting a number of wonderful people and learning from some of the most knowledgeable professors I have ever met. I find that they do a fantastic job of connecting with us students and being on our level, which leads to strong student-teacher relationships.

The field in which we study is one with many applications. I love that what I learn in the classroom does not simply just stay in the classroom, but can be applied to situations that I encounter in everyday life. I find this really opens students eyes to the number of opportunities we have upon graduating from the program, whether it be in health, sport, management, research, the list goes on.

History is our collective memory. History shapes our identity, informing who we are as individuals, communities and nations. In our modern complex and diverse world, the study of history has never been more relevant. Understanding the origins and developments of institutions and ideas, tensions and conflicts, societies and civilizations improves our social awareness and provides insight into the perspectives of others, allowing us to make informed decisions about future courses of action.

Studying history provides students with a tool box of transferable skills that will serve them well in today’s evolving job market. History students are trained to be excellent researchers, tracking down information and communicating their analysis with clarity and confidence. A History degree at UPEI will hone students’ abilities to weigh and assess evidence and expert opinion, to evaluate causes and consequences, and provide them with a foundation from which to develop practical solutions to contemporary problems. Our History graduates are pursuing successful careers in heritage and conservation, law, journalism, education, medicine, social services, policy analysis, business, communications, and digital information management.

There are a number of reasons why you should choose to major or minor in political science at UPEI. The department is characterized by diverse course offerings by expert and engaging faculty with active research interests. The small and collegial atmosphere in the department provides a unique opportunity to build mentor relationships with faculty and upper year students. The small class sizes and upper year seminar classes provide an excellent opportunity to hone research, writing, and presentation skills.

Prince Edward Island was the first province in Canada to adopt baccalaureate education as the exclusive entry to nursing practice. This decision placed us at the forefront in the initiative across Canada to locate nursing education at the university level.

The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program is intended for applicants with a university degree who wish to become professional nurses. Students in the Accelerated Program are required to take the same courses and have the same number of clinical hours as students in the four-year BScN program.

The Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Paramedicine combines occupational content provided by the Paramedicine Diploma programs at Holland College (or any two-year CMA-accredited paramedicine program) with foundational science courses, senior specialized courses in the life sciences, and advanced capstone paramedicine courses at the University of Prince Edward Island. It is designed for paramedics interested in enhancing their science knowledge as well as their research and communication skills, thus increasing access to post-graduate opportunities (e.g., Master's degree programs) and improving job prospects.

The Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering at UPEI offers a progressive and innovative four-year Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering degree which recognizes the need for a broad and balanced engineering education. The program follows current trends in engineering education and focuses on student outcomes. Small class sizes within an activity-based learning environment allow faculty and staff to be student-centric and to provide specific and timely input to individual students.

Students are exposed to a broad base of knowledge and skills in engineering science, natural science, mathematics, and complementary studies in concert with an applied project-based design stream simulating the engineering profession. Students entering the degree program will be actively engaged in the profession of engineering from day one, providing creative and sustainable solutions to society’s problems. The degree program is designed to provide a highly flexible learning environment that is responsive to the dynamic needs of students and the industries that employ them.

In addition to fundamental science, engineering science and mathematics courses, students are required to develop skills in engineering design, communication, analysis, project management, professional ethics and more. With a solid grounding in these fundamentals, students in Program Years 3 and 4 can enhance their technical knowledge by choosing an engineering focus area:

• Mechatronics
• Sustainable energy
• Bioresources

The Master of Arts in Island Studies (MAIS) at the University of Prince Edward Island is a unique, interdisciplinary, and policy-driven graduate program that critiques islands on their own terms. We welcome students from around the world with diverse disciplinary backgrounds and diverse degrees, or with professional workplace experience in the public, private, or resource sectors.

Our program offers a challenging opportunity for students with:

• A special interest in researching islands: their societies, economies, histories, cultures, governments, geographies, and environments
• An interest in public policy and administration
• Career aspirations within local, regional, national, and international governmental and non-governmental organizations
• Career aspirations in the private and resource sectors
• A desire for the challenge of graduate education

Island Tourism
Tourism on many islands is one of the largest employers and fastest-growing sectors. This focus area is designed to meet the needs of current and future island-based tourism industry managers, executives, and other professional and public sector researchers. Graduates will develop their analytical, research and management skills to a standard that will allow them to excel in this growing sector. Graduates will develop a firm understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities associated with tourism in both warm and cold-weather island tourist destinations. The practical experiences associated with this program will allow students to work with professionals in the tourism sector to gain knowledge in the industry that complements the knowledge gained in the classroom. Employment opportunities for graduates include positions in travel agency and tour operating companies, the heritage sector, official tourist organizations, branding and marketing companies, and local or national government and other (including regional and international) organizations where knowledge of the tourism sector is important.