Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance

at York University - School of Continuing Studies Canada

Computer Security is a multi-faceted and challenging field. Ensuring the privacy of personal data, preventing unauthorized access to computer systems, ensuring back-up contingency plans in the event of data loss and protecting systems from malicious activity such as viruses and worms are just a few areas you can get involved in.

What You'll Learn 
In our Computer Security program you will build a solid background in computer science and math. You will study a variety of courses, including cryptography and operating systems. Computer security is the specialized part of computer science that studies threats to computer systems and networks. It is the science and practise of how to mitigate them. You will become an expert on all those topics. 

We offer both BA and BSc degrees, which share the same computer science and math requirements. In the BA program, you will complement your studies with courses from the Liberal Arts (e.g., humanities, social sciences). In BSc, the complimentary courses will be in the sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics).

After third year, you can put your knowledge to the test by taking part in our paid internship program. We have teamed up with a variety of major companies to ensure you gain valuable professional experience.

Gain an in-depth understanding of the impact of business on society and the relations between business, social structures and government - crucial factors in understanding the social environment of business.

Choose from an array of courses within 10 streams of study.
Choose from a dynamic array of courses that explore the political, social and cultural context of business, both in Canada and around the world, including:

• Economics
• Political science
• Law and governance
• Communications
• Business ethics

If you'd like to further specialize your studies, you may wish to pursue a certificate while working on your degree. Certificate programs offer additional background in areas such as management, finance, marketing and organizational behaviour.
Thanks to the flexibility of the program, you'll be prepared to work in public service, corporate business, community and international development, teaching, marketing, human resources, public relations, finance and labour relations.
Gain the knowledge to help you account for, evaluate and transform the various ways that business influences society and society influences business.

Informed global citizens understand the history behind current policies or media headlines. How do you support fair trade? How to overcome the North-South divide? This program will challenge you to analyze colonialism and the developing world, the gap between rich and poor nations and the social, cultural, economic and political elements of international development case studies.

York's International Development Studies program will help you develop a deep and sophisticated understanding of the dimensions of world poverty, its causes and the processes of development aimed at eliminating poverty by promoting human fulfillment and achievement.

You will emerge from the program with a thorough grounding in the history, debates, dimensions, institutional approaches and critiques of the field, but also able to read World Bank documents, talk the institutional language of development professionals and know how to put together and implement a development research or delivery proposal.

• Participate in the events and workshops offered by York's International Secretariat for Human Development and Democratic Governance.
• Complement your study with overseas internships, volunteer positions or study abroad programs to develop awareness and respect for diverse cultures and to become familiar with the dynamics of poverty and development.
• Join the International Development Studies Student Association to develop and support the advancement of international development.

Political Science encompasses not only the actions of governments, political parties and the courts, but also political movements in society and in the power relations of everyday life.

Choose from a rich and diverse range of courses that allow you to focus on a number of topics such as:

• Global politics
• Political economy and political power
• Development and inequality in the Third World
• Social justice
• Ethics
• Law and democracy
• Violence and security

This breadth of choice will help you to gain a comprehensive understanding of critical issues facing our world and the political context in which they exist while acquiring in-demand analytical and communications skills.

• You will learn to conceptualize and to think critically about crucial dimensions of political life, both values and processes, especially those linked to such issues as the uses and abuses of power; the articulation of rights and responsibilities; and the intersections of community and nation-state with more globally-defined realities.
• Our first-year classes are taught by our most distinguished scholars who not only cover the essentials, but also design the courses with flair and expertise.
• Our Political Science professors are internationally known. Professor Leo Pantich is the Canada Research Chair in Comparative Political Economy and Professor Leah Voskos is the Canada Research Chair in Feminist Political Economy.
• We are well known in many areas including Canadian Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory and Women and Politics

Flooding, terrorism, global warming and hurricanes are all disasters and emergencies that can be effectively managed – and, in some cases even mitigated – through good planning and response. The recent earthquake in Haiti, the H1N1 pandemic and memories of 9/11 are reminders of the pressing need for qualified and trained professionals in the field.

Disaster & Emergency Management is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks. In this exciting and rapidly expanding field you’ll explore key concepts, methodologies and technologies used by emergency management professionals while honing your analytical and critical skills. You'll also gain a comprehensive understanding of how emergency management intersects with other disciplines such as psychology and sociology. Discover strategies to help save lives and property, reduce damage and speed a community’s recovery from natural and human-induced disasters and emergencies.

You'll examine a diverse range of topics including:

• Business continuity planning
• Emergency management communications
• Disaster risk management
• Ethics
• Terrorism

In addition to this, you will learn to apply key concepts, methodologies and technologies used by emergency management professionals to complex real-life challenges.

This program prepares you to synthesize large amounts of complex information and make sound decisions in challenging and often difficult circumstances. As a graduate you will be equipped with the skills for a career in emergency preparedness, public safety or consultancy work for a range of opportunities from positions in federal and provincial governments to large multinational companies and non-governmental organizations like the Red Cross/Red Crescent, World Bank, Oxfam or UNICEF.

• Upon graduating, you'll join one of the fastest growing industries in North America.
• You have the option of continuing your education within the disaster and emergency field with York's Master of Disaster & Emergency Management degree — the only graduate program of its kind in Ontario and one of only two in Canada.
• You'll have the opportunity to join The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting the goals of saving lives and protecting property during emergencies and disasters.
• Take advantage of experiential learning opportunities and interact with leading professionals who will provide you with a deeper insight into the field. You'll have the option to complete a field experience that will help to foster a greater understanding of the complexities and realities emergency management professionals face.
• You are also encouraged to take advantage of the regular events held by the School of Disaster & Emergency Management. These include conferences and symposiums held throughout the school year to help you apply your education to real-life situations.

Do you wonder how life originated on Earth four billion years ago? Do you puzzle over finding an environmentally responsible way to provide stable, cost-effective energy? Have you questioned whether nano-machines can be constructed at the molecular level? Then Chemistry is for you.

Chemistry sometimes is called the "central science" because it connects sciences to each other, such as biology, physics, geology and environmental science. At York, our chemistry program spans the traditional to the new: analytical, physical and organic chemistry to nanomaterials and biological chemistry. We offer a stream in Pharmaceutical & Biological Chemistry that combines knowledge of the biological, medical and physical sciences in the study of molecular-level biological process such as protein folding and drug functionality.

Offered as an optional study plan within the honours program, Materials Chemistry is centred on the rational synthesis of novel functional materials using a large array of existing and new synthetic methods. Similarly, the Analytical Chemistry option focuses on the fundamental tools and methods of chemical analysis and separation including instrumentation, miniaturization and computerization in a range of settings.

It is our goal to help you succeed in whatever field of Chemistry you choose to explore.

Humanities is the study of culture. It involves history, art, literature, music, architecture, politics, food - all aspects that help to define and express a specific group of people. The study of the Humanities serves to challenge our common understanding of issues and events, and helps students to develop valuable critical, analytical and communications skills.

The Humanities program in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies will introduce you to the major questions of life as you study issues of social, moral and aesthetic value. Drawing from literature, History, Philosophy, Religion, Fine Arts and popular culture courses, the Humanities program enables you to gain a greater self-understanding and appreciation of the diversity of human cultures and experiences. The program pays special attention to what is unique, particular and unpredictable in human experience.

You can combine studies in the Humanities with a related discipline such as History, Philosophy or Women's Studies, exploring complimentary historical, cultural and gender perspectives.

As a Humanities graduate, you will be well-prepared to face your future lives and careers through well-reasoned decisions and responsible actions. You will be valued by leaders of the high-tech industry and government for your:

• Creativity and broad-based skills;
• Ability to communicate, to sell, to relate and work as part of a team;
• Intellectual curiosity;
• Critical values.

Statistics is a field that provides the foundations and techniques to collect, analyze, and present information in an effective and efficient manner. Recent trends involve a resurgence of interest in methods for informal exploratory analysis of data. This relies increasingly on friendly computing environments supported by efficient algorithms. York's Statistics program is an exploration of the nature of measurement, chance variation, probability, uncertainty, inductive logic and inference, and combines naturally with studies in the life and social sciences.

An increasingly important aspect of modern statistics is the design of experiments and surveys — as well as analyzing the resulting data — in areas of application ranging scientific studies to the insurance industry. Statisticians use surveys to predict the patterns of behaviour of large groups based on relatively small samples.

Through its applications in almost every branch of modern professional life and research, statistics is a fast-growing discipline that provides a statistician with a variety of career opportunities. Statistics is offered as both a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science options. Why take one instead of the other? All Mathematics students (Mathematics, Applied Math, Statistics, Math for Commerce) take common first- and second-year courses. It is in the third and fourth years that the programs begin to differentiate.

For a Bachelor of Science (BSc) math degree, you will combine your math courses with other science courses such as physics, earth and atmospheric science, biology or computer science.

Passionate about the environment? Gain the scientific acumen required to have an impact on environmental issues. Environmental Science is the application of a combination of scientific disciplines to issues and questions regarding environmental problems.

Gain extensive hands-on experience
Environmental Science at York includes a compulsory Research Design & Field Study course that gets you out using the equipment of the profession. This involves a long weekend at Algonquin Park at The Frost Centre working on a project. You'll learn to use water, soil and climate monitoring equipment and geographic information systems that can be put to use immediately and directly on the job with organizations like the Meteorological Service of Canada and Environment Canada.

Our professors are conducting research on such areas as the survival of plant life in the High Arctic, the Oak Ridges Moraine and the contribution of peat lands to the Greenhouse Effect. York is home to one of Canada's most sophisticated indoor flumes to predict water flows and the structure of rivers.

What's the difference between Environmental Science and Environmental Studies?

• Environmental Science is the scientific study of the environment and the effects of humans on environmental systems. You will acquire knowledge from many academic disciplines including biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, economics, political science and physics. You will also undertake specialized courses in the study of the environment. The program emphasizes field experiences, undergraduate research, and environmental problem-solving.
• Environmental Studies focuses on the complex issues regarding the sustainability of the global environment in the face of human development. The program integrates humanities, natural and social science, environmental policy and planning perspectives. You will gain a broad educational background needed to assist in developing sustainable development policies to create positive social change within the environmental context. Real world links to practical environmental issues are developed through internships, study abroad programs, environmental problem-solving at the local and regional levels and participation in campus environmental planning.

An optimal learning environment. Quality professors, small program size, group tutorials, help sessions, peer mentoring, laboratory experience and regular feedback helps you to get the most out of the program.

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.