Humanities and Liberal Arts Programs In Canada

Credential
· Bachelor of Arts (BA)
· Bachelor of Arts and Science (BAS/ BASc)
· Bachelor of General Studies (BGS)
· Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
· Associate of Arts (AA)
· Diploma/ certificate

Program Length
· 3- 4 years for bachelor's degree
· 2 years for associate's degree
· 2-3 years for diploma
· 12 - 52 weeks for certificate

Entry
· Bachelor's degree - direct entry; entry after 1 or 2 years of diploma or certificate study
· Associate degree - direct entry
· Diploma/ certificate - direct entry

Areas of Study
· General arts, general science, social sciences, natural sciences, humanities
· Specialization areas include history, literature, philosophy, ethics, linguistics, foreign languages and cultures, archaeology, comparative religion, philosophy of law, art history and criticism, anthropology, classics, Canadian studies, medieval studies, contemporary studies, music, criminal justice/ justice studies, sociology, cognitive science, mathematics and statistics, geography, psychology, political science, urban studies, gender and women's studies, economics, computer science, native/ Aboriginal studies, social work, cultural studies, labour studies, leisure studies, development studies, environmental studies and peace studies.

Special Features
· internship/practicum
· field trips

Humanities and liberal arts cover a huge range of subjects, and therefore education options for international students at university undergraduate humanities and liberal arts programs in Canada are also varied and flexible. Three- or four-year degrees include a Bachelor in General Studies (BGS), Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BAS/ BASc). Students with a focused interest in actively helping others might consider the more career-specific Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). Admission for these programs at most universities in Canada is competitive, and the BSW often requires one to two years of prior post-secondary study.

Within these degrees, international students have extensive choice of major, double major, or major and minor combinations. These options include, but are not limited to, history, literature, philosophy, ethics, linguistics, foreign languages and cultures, archaeology, comparative religion, philosophy of law, art history and criticism, anthropology, classics, Canadian studies, medieval studies, contemporary studies, music, criminal justice/ justice studies, sociology, cognitive science, mathematics and statistics, psychology, geography, psychology, political science, urban studies, gender and women's studies, economics, computer science, native/ Aboriginal studies, cultural studies, labour studies, leisure studies, development studies, environmental studies and peace studies. Honours degrees are available, and some schools in Canada also offer diplomas and certificates in arts or general studies.

Generally, individual programs in the various humanities and liberal arts subjects are available under the Faculty of Arts, and students can major in the subject of their choice. Some universities have liberal science courses (or math, physics, chemistry, computer science, geography, astronomy, etc.) specifically designed for Arts students. Universities may also have separate Faculties of Humanities or Social Sciences. Other Faculties to look into are Liberal Arts, Arts and Sciences, Communications and Culture, Arts and Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and other combinations of the above terms. Some large universities have smaller affiliate colleges that specialize in liberal arts as part of their campus; be sure to investigate this option of studying at a smaller "college" within a university. Many Christian universities and colleges also specialize in humanities and liberal arts education.

The investigative nature of humanities and liberal arts courses means that classes tend to be a combination of lecture, theoretical work and class discussion. Emphasis is on discovery and development-of intellectual and imaginative skills. Study abroad, field trips or work placements aim to give humanities and liberal arts students a wider context for the ideas they are studying.

Depending on articulation agreements, students can apply to the third year of certain university Bachelor of Arts degree programs with a completed two-year Associate of Arts (AA) degree. An Associate of Arts can be taken at the university or community college level and can also include many of the specializations mentioned above. Many community college two- to three-year diploma programs in humanities and liberal arts also ladder into university degree programs. Humanities and liberal arts subjects may be offered in university transfer divisions, and may also be available as career studies.

While humanities and liberal arts are geared more towards intellectual rather than vocational skills, community and private career colleges in Canada offer diplomas and certificates in professional studies related to the humanities and liberal arts. Some community and career colleges have specific departments of Social Sciences. At this level you can study journalism, library and information technology, child and youth care, police studies, legal studies, criminology, languages and more.