Bachelor of Public Health - Health Research Specialization (Co-op Optional)

at University of Waterloo Canada

Learn the science of human movement and develop skills and knowledge in three core areas: physiology, biomechanics, and neuroscience.

The University of Waterloo Kinesiology is a program of firsts
Not only are we the world's first department of Kinesiology, we are also the first non-medical school in Canada to house a School of Anatomy. This means that you'll have the chance to study human anatomy using cadavers.

Since hands-on learning is one of the biggest components of our program, you'll have plenty of opportunities to gain practical experience in your field in your labs, through volunteering, and co-op jobs.

You'll also have the chance to learn from some of the most innovative professors in Kinesiology, like Dr. Richard Hughson, who works with NASA to help understand the effects of weightlessness on astronauts.

Rehabilitation Sciences Specialization
If you are interested in pursuing a health profession and post-graduate rehabilitation professional program like physiotherapy, chiropractic, occupational therapy, or athletic therapy, the Rehabilitation Sciences Specialization could be for you.

Experiential learning: co-op or regular
As a Kinesiology student at the University of Waterloo, you have two great ways to study - co-op or regular. Regardless of which path you choose, you’ll take the same academic courses, learn in state-of-the-art facilities, and have the support of friendly, helpful staff.
 

In one of the most advanced undergraduate finance programs in the world, you’ll focus on the math behind financial markets.

Offered jointly by the Department of Pure Mathematics and the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Mathematical Finance is designed for students with elite mathematical abilities who wish to pursue finance combined with pure mathematics.

Our challenging curriculum includes courses on corporate finance, mathematical finance, asset-liability management, statistics, and forecasting. It also provides a co-op stream where students can gain up to two years of paid work experience.

Choose courses from a wide variety of subjects to tailor your program towards your own area of interest. Experience community through small classes and engaged professors. Explore the theory and practice of conflict resolution, human rights, and international development, and get some first-hand experience through co-op placements or a Peace and Conflict Studies internship.

Understand the factors that drive conflict and violence. Think critically about how peace can be built in complex situations to move towards a healthy society where communities and individuals flourish.

You’ll learn from renowned specialists in peacebuilding who bring both academic and practical expertise. Build even closer ties to your classmates and professors by joining the Peace and Conflict Studies Living-Learning Community at Conrad Grebel University College, located on Waterloo’s main campus.

Philosophy has long been a central component of a liberal arts education — and with good reason. It teaches you critical reasoning like no other discipline. It’s also an excellent addition to studies in mathematics and the sciences. 

In the Philosophy program at Waterloo, you’ll explore enduring dilemmas of human existence, learn the fundamentals of formal logic, and apply philosophical reasoning to highly topical issues and current events. And have the opportunity to apply it all in your co-op work terms, too.

Once you graduate, you’ll have a wide range of options. A philosophy degree is ideal for a career in law and valuable preparation for just about any field that demands breadth of thinking, careful reading, thorough analysis, and clear argumentation.

Explore earth processes as they relate to human activities to better understand the impacts of human (and natural) influences on environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and hydrology/hydrogeology.

Environmental science applies geologic knowledge to address and solve problems related to the more than seven billion humans occupying the Earth. Topics you'll learn include climate change, groundwater flow and contamination, environmental impacts of pollution, responsible extraction of earth resources, waste disposal, and human engineering of earth processes. Enjoy examining the interactions between and within the Earth's four spheres that include both living and non-living components.

Train with cutting-edge professors and the latest technologies, at Canada's most innovative university, to directly address challenges facing humanity today and future generations.   

Water Science
Investigate the unique properties of water, the distribution and movement of fresh and salt water above, on, and within the Earth, and the quality and quantity of water that humans depend upon to survive and thrive on this planet.

Explore the ways society is shaped by gender. Be an advocate for equity, justice, and positive change. Learn the important role gender and sex play in all aspects of life. Over the course of your degree, you’ll develop a deep expertise in issues of gender, diversity, equality, and social justice.

You’ll be joining a highly-engaged group of students who are active members of their student society, department, and university as well as the student-led Women’s Centre, The Glow Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity, and the surrounding community. You'll also have the opportunity to gain work experience through co-op.

Get ready to tackle the climate crisis. In this program, you’ll study the science behind the challenges facing our planet’s environment. Combine biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science with human geography to address challenges such as flooding, permafrost thawing, drought and forest fires, peatland degradation, rising sea levels and coastal change, and changing economic opportunities in climate sensitive sectors.

Explore how people shape the planet we live on. Delve into the dynamics of the Earth’s physical systems. Help solve many of the world’s most pressing problems, such as climate change, water scarcity, resource management, global population growth, natural resource sustainability, and more.

Waterloo's Geography and Environmental Management department is one of Canada's largest and is ranked 39 in the world for research and reputation (QS Subject Rankings 2019, Shanghai World Rankings 2020). Choose from more than 70 geography courses, including lots of field studies, and maybe even take the opportunity to gain paid work experience through co-op.

Geography offers the flexibility to focus your degree with a variety of specializations and options or even add another major.

You’ll quickly connect with other students in the Faculty of Environment’s welcoming and close-knit community. And when you graduate, your degree can take you literally anywhere around the globe.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

Love the written word? An English degree at Waterloo gives you all kinds of opportunity to explore that passion, with more than 150 undergraduate courses available in both the regular and co-op streams.

Take rhetoric courses and learn the art of persuasion. Focus on digital media, where you’ll merge the latest technology with enduring principles of effective communication. Or explore the pleasures and insights of English literature, from Beowulf to Virginia Woolf.

At Waterloo, you’ll be learning from the best: the Department of English features internationally recognized scholars. In their classes, you’ll develop all-important skills in communication, critical thinking, analysis, and persuasion.

At the end of first year, you can choose one of three majors within the English program.

• Literature
• Literature and Rhetoric
• Rhetoric, Media, and Professional Communication

Literature
Your literature degree will give you a comprehensive foundation in English literature while allowing you to pursue your literary interests and passions. Literature is one of three majors we offer.

You will have the opportunity to explore literatures from all over the world--British, postcolonial, Canadian, and American. You'll study a broad variety of texts, from Renaissance drama to fantasy and science fiction, from poetry to graphic narratives.

When you graduate you'll be prepared for further study in fields like law or education, for graduate study, or for a variety of careers in areas such as government, business, industry, or art—any career, in other words, that values excellent communication and analytical skills.

From civil unrest in the Middle East to international trade negotiations, today’s political landscape is complex. Learn how to navigate (and shape) that terrain with a Political Science degree from Waterloo.

Investigate a wide range of topics, or dive deep with a specialization in Canadian Politics, Global Governance, International Relations, or Politics and Business.

Either way, you’ll hone your analytical, writing, critical thinking, and research skills in a mix of lectures, seminars, and workshops. You’ll also get an insiders’ perspective, studying with top scholars involved in current international policy debates. Gain an understanding of comparative politics, international relations, social sciences, and political theory. If you want to apply your teachings early, you can choose the co-op stream and get some work experience while going through your degree.