Bachelor of Arts in Human Rights and Equity Studies

at York University - School of Continuing Studies Canada

Develop awareness and a sense of social responsibility relating to Indigenous issues. Your access to traditional Elders and ceremonies, and your placements with Indigenous or supporting organizations will provide you with cultural and experiential knowledge about Indigenous lands, languages and cultures.

Indigenous Studies at York is a unique program that combines an experiential emphasis on local Indigenous traditions, treaties and languages with the theoretical insights of Indigenous scholars. We also feature courses that enable students to explore Indigenous literatures, cinema and music, or to develop an awareness of interconnections with Indigenous peoples internationally as well as with the racialized communities situated on Indigenous lands across the Americas due to histories of slavery and indentureship.

When you think of Italy, do you visualize the art of Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo daVinci, Titian, Giotto, Cellini? Or think of  the literature of Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarch, Machiavelli, Pirandello and Ariosto? Do you hear the music of Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, Mascagni, Leoncavallo, Donizetti, Respighi, Palestrina, GianCarlo Menotti? That's not surprising. According to UNESCO, more than 60% of the world's art treasures are found in Italy.

Or, do you think of Italy in the company of the G8 – one of the top five economies in the world? As a member of the European Union since its beginnings, Italy is one of the most vocal advocates and leaders of the new dynamic Europe.

Our program offers courses in languages, literatures and linguistics as well as unique courses such as Italian opera, Italian cinema, the Italian minority in North America and Italian-Canadian authors. In addition to language training, you can study the dialects, literature and rich cultural heritage of Italy.

The History program in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies explores historical events, people and places to help you gain a fuller understanding of, and appreciation for, the role and importance of history and how it impacts current events. Our professors have won university-wide, provincial and national teaching awards. Because of our size, our roster includes many and varied courses taught by experts in their fields.

Choose from courses covering Canadian, African and European history and explore themes such as the immigrant experience in Canada, the Holocaust and global migration.
In addition to courses in social, economic and political history, we offer subjects like:

• Native History
• Black History
• Histories of gender and sexualities
• History and film

Some of our best students go on to MA and PhD programs in Canada or abroad. In conjunction with York's programs in education, many of our graduates become teachers. The study of history teaches many skills necessary to succeed in today's world: critical thinking; research; assembling and analyzing information; and effective oral and written communication. Knowledge of history deepens your understanding of both the past and the present.

• We offer courses covering an almost global geography and ranging in time from antiquity to the fall of Communism.
• Our professors have published books on topics as varied as Halloween, love and death in Renaissance Italy, the world of voyageurs, Canadian marijuana policy and modern Iraq.
• We have 37 full-time professors providing creative, dynamic and innovative teaching. They include one Canada Research Chair, two Distinguished Research Professors, three Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and one member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the RSC.

York has Canada’s largest and most renowned team of scholars in labour relations, work and global political economy.

Work and Labour Studies explores the complex nature of work and employment, the impact of globalization and the role of trade unions. Work occupies much of our lives and it informs how we live and how we think about the world. Work & Labour Studies explores what work is, who decides who does what, how workers respond to the conditions of the workplace, and the relationship of capital, the state and labour.

Key factors include:

• The economy
• Globalization
• The changing nature of work and the workplace
• Industrial relations
• Gender
• Class
• Inequality
• How labour is portrayed by the media
• How politics is shaped by mass media and how workers' culture both informs and diverts class struggle

Our program's strengths include labour law and labour policy, the future of work and employment, women and work, globalization and its impact on work and workers, and our unique fourth year placement course. Labour Studies also offers courses in collective bargaining that will prepare you for contemporary and relevant workplace situations.

You will be well prepared for employment in the labour movement, private industry, government service, journalism, public or private administration, social work, law or teaching. Many students go on to graduate work in political science, industrial relations and labour law.

Gain insight into critical business topics such as strategic competition, the internal organization of firms and international issues facing businesses in the changing global marketplace.

Business Economics combines economic theories with the field of business administration. This field of study is concerned with the study and consequences of scarcity and strategic competition. Individuals, households, businesses and nations all experience some level of scarcity in that they do not possess all the resources to satisfy all their wants and needs. Decisions have to be made to balance those scarce resources in order to improve what can be achieved with them.

The Business Economics program is concerned with how:

• These decisions are made;
• The resources of a nation or business are allocated and utilized in the production of goods and services; and
• The rewards of these activities are distributed.

You will become acquainted with all the activities which illustrate the practical nature of the subject, such as commercial reports, articles in newspapers and periodicals and examples from daily life. This program integrates aspects of economics and business studies, focusing on the use of economic analysis and statistical methods to deal effectively with management problems in practical business fields. By applying economic theory to business management, you will become familiar with the analytical and decision-making techniques used in the business world and with the public and private institutional environments within which businesses operate.

Students who take our Marketing & Consumer Economics course work on a real-world market consulting project which gives them the opportunity to develop a full marketing plan for an outside organization.

Do you know that Spanish is spoken by more than 400 million people in over twenty-one countries? Of the 56 million people who speak languages on the Internet other than English, Spanish speakers represent almost a quarter.

Spanish is the fourth most spoken language in the world. Both globally and locally, fluency in Spanish is a valuable asset in any career.. University graduates with a knowledge of Spanish and the Spanish-speaking world are in demand not only in the international business community, diplomatic circles, and international agencies and Non-governmental organizations such as the World Bank, the World Health Organization and the United Nations, but also throughout Canada and the United States. Spanish is a common home language in urban Canada and is the de facto second language of the United States.  Spanish is useful in careers from Social services and medical fields, to media and the arts: any fields that engage with the public.

The Spanish program introduces you to the language and literature of Spain and the Spanish-American world. Spanish represents many cultures and countries. The rich cultural heritage and ethnic diversity of the language is discovered through literature and linguistics and you can develop a strong command of the language itself through intensive training in listening, reading writing and speaking.

• Our professors are experts in their respective fields, dynamic and responsive teachers who look forward to sharing their perspectives on the Spanish-speaking world. 
• Our courses explore a range of topics from the development of the Spanish language to an examination of Renaissance and Baroque literature when Spain's prolific playwrights rivaled Shakespeare; from the literature of the Spanish Civil War to the vast, innovative work of Latin America's writers.
• Our program offers opportunities for experiential education and co-curricular activities, including opportunities to edit and publish creative work in Spanish and experience working with professors to conduct primary research. You will benefit from our respected Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean on the economic development, political and social organization and cultural contributions of the region.

Ever wish someone listened to you as a child? Our Children, Childhood and Youth program focuses on the experiences, knowledge and concerns of children. You will learn ethnographic techniques specific to children and their cultures. You'll analyze children's voices in contemporary and historical contexts and gain an understanding of the human condition from the child's perspective. You'll also participate in community-based partnerships and be encouraged to take part in advocacy work.

Children, Childhood and Youth explores global childhood experiences in philosophical and social terms and their personal, societal and human consequences. Attention is paid to the nature and significance of children's culture – distinguishing between culture created by adults for children and the culture of children themselves. You will learn how to engage children, discern children's voices in historical and cultural contexts and come to understand the human condition from their perspective.

The Children, Childhood and Youth program is truly interdisciplinary, incorporating expertise and courses from programs such as sociology and psychology. Courses include:

• Introduction to Children, Childhood and Youth Studies
• Global Cultures of Children and Young People
• Research with Children and Young People
• Honours Research Project
• Internships / Practicums

Students in our program access to a variety of unique advantages:

• York is home to the Canadian Children's Culture Collection, a major archive of child-related materials including York-based studies and unique toy collections designed by children. York is also home to the LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research, which supports research in health, education, relationships and development of infants, children, adolescents, emerging adults and families. Additionally, York hosts the Alexander F. Chamberlain speaker series, which features lectures and seminars from leading scholars in the Children's Studies field.
• Learn with professors that are actively involved in research with children and young people in Canada and around the world, covering a range of topics from literature and ethnomusicology to critical race studies and the global cultures of children and young people
• You will have the opportunity to enhance your studies and add to your university experience by participating in an exchange program with the Children’s Studies program at the National University in Galway, Ireland. You also have the opportunity to explore the cultures of children and youth in international contexts such as Limpopo, South Africa, by taking an international field study course.
• Join a child/youth-centred club or association. Local chapters of the advocacy groups "Free the Children" and "Right to Play" are found on York's campus and play an important role in the program. The York student club Peace by PEACE works with children, empowering them to prevent, manage and resolve conflict peacefully.
• The Children, Childhood & Youth Student Association (CCYSA) offers students an opportunity to gain further knowledge of children and their cultures; to advocate for children's rights; to build lasting friendships and partnerships in the community through social and cultural events, advocacy projects, and information sessions; and to provide resources for its members such as mentoring, leadership training, and volunteer opportunities.

The health of the environment has become an urgent global concern. As we better understand how human survival and well-being depend on a healthy environment, public interest and awareness of the impact of human activities on other organisms and ecosystems is increasing.

This program focuses on the biology of environmental issues, integrating ecological theory and practice to predict, quantify, and address the impact of stressors such as habitat loss, pollutants, climate change, resource harvesting and invasive species on living systems. A capstone course in fourth year prepares you to be a practicing environmental biologist, exposing you to cutting-edge experimental design and methodology. A key objective of this program is the development of communication skills, to give our graduates a competitive edge.

What makes Environmental Biology at York unique?
Learn from preeminent environmental biologists such as Bridget Stutchbury and Lawrence Packer
Combine a major in Environmental Biology with second major or a minor in a complementary discipline such as International Development, Geography, Earth and Space Sciences, Chemistry, Sociology, Health Policy or Environmental Studies.

Why take our Public Relations program?
Managing a brand’s reputation in the public eye is no simple task. Whether you’re responding to a last-minute media inquiry, dealing with negative publicity, or monitoring the web for newsworthy content, the message is clear: to succeed in public relations, you need to be strategic and quick to adapt to new trends and technology. Top public relations executives agree that career success means being an incredible storyteller and trusted strategic business advisor—Someone who can leverage emerging technologies and critical thinking to build lasting relationships with stakeholders. This shift in skill demands is why top companies are struggling to hire and keep the right public relations professionals.

Program Benefits
Created in collaboration with industry leaders, the 8 course full-time Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Relations gives you the expertise to broadcast your brand message to the right audience, at the right time, using both traditional and digital media. Real-world project work will give you the chance to learn and practice effective public relations strategies, business principles and stakeholder relationship management, as well as how to respond to crises and manage brand reputation. All this, while building the core job skills that top employers are looking for when hiring for public relations jobs.

What you will learn
Use the technology you need to get the public opinion you want
Using the right tools at the right time can mean the difference between a media firestorm or the recruitment of countless new brand influencers to support your cause.

You will gain in-depth public relations knowledge, including:

• Public relations fundamentals & strategy
• Digital storytelling
• Marketing principles
• Internal communications
• Data analytics
• Effective writing
• Presentation skills
• Reputation & crisis management
• Media relations
• Stakeholder engagement

In public relations, it’s all about the story. Make sure the story of your career is a success.

The Cinema and Media Arts Program in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design is a unique interdisciplinary program combining traditional scholarship with extensive opportunities for engaged, hands-on learning in the field of Cinema and Media Arts.

The Cinema and Media Studies Program focuses on history, theory, criticism, curation, and producing of cinema and other media-rich arts, such as gaming and social media forms. Students learn to understand film, television and other moving images in relation to history, criticism, technology and aesthetics. They encounter a diverse world of cinema and media and learn vital skills that will help them become leaders in our future world – a world that is increasingly interconnected through modes of communication and interaction that relay cinematic and moving images.

Through coursework students will develop specialized knowledge and critical understanding of multiple fields of cinema and media studies including genre, authorship, national and transnational cinemas, technologies of the image, and cultural theory. Students wishing to pursue careers in the cultural industries will have the opportunity for engaged learning in the areas of producing, marketing, the business of film, curating, and festival programming. In addition to practice-based workshops and specialized assignments, students can expect opportunities for placements and internships with a broad array of organizations, such as local film and media festivals such as TIFF and Images Festival, independent distribution companies, the National Film Board of Canada, the Ontario Art Gallery, film magazines and journals, independent production companies, archives, and many more.