Programs
Business and Society
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Business and Society
This interdisciplinary specialization combines core political science concepts and theories with those found in other social scientific disciplines. It critically examines the impact of business on both society and the environment and provides students with the skills to evaluate important economic processes and relations. As part of their course requirements, students will also be asked to consider and develop sustainable business practices.
Legal Studies
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Legal Studies
Most of today’s controversial issues—whether stemming from political conflict, technological developments, economic inequality or other social changes—are expressed and mediated through law. The Legal Studies program offers you the opportunity to critically explore the social roles of law and its connections with community, government and society from different theoretical perspectives. The program demonstrates a commitment to promoting justice by cultivating active citizenship skills, critical reflection, and respect for diversity, pluralism, equality and equity.
You will be stimulated to appreciate the law in its plural—formal and informal—forms and to evaluate it from diverse perspectives. You will be challenged to question whether law equally responds to the needs of all groups in society, including Indigenous peoples, racial minorities, immigrants, the poor, women, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and persons with disabilities. You will study law in relation to topical themes, including national security, globalization, technology and the environment. You will explore various ways of resolving social conflicts—from traditional court processes to alternative methods of dispute resolution such as mediation.
Legal Studies graduates have knowledge and skills suitable for careers requiring legal research and analysis, policy analysis, human rights advocacy, mediation and/or an understanding of privacy and information access issues. The program also offers preparation for graduate work in legal studies, law school, or paralegal and mediator certification programs.
You may pursue the comprehensive program or a specialization in:
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Human Rights Law
- Information Law
Students also have the opportunity to complete a double major in Legal Studies and Political Science. This double major enables students to receive degrees in both Legal Studies and Political Science in four years. The two programs are especially complementary given law and politics are deeply intertwined. Students learn to navigate how legal systems affect governance, and how power impacts lawmaking and legal decision-making. You will acquire knowledge and skills that especially equip you to enter into the legal profession, including law school.
Communication and Digital Media Studies
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Communication and Digital Media Studies
Is social media changing the world for better or worse? How do smartphones shape the way we think and behave? Can popular culture create and challenge stereotypes? Why are ads so effective at persuading people to buy?
Communications and digital media are everywhere and in everything. Journalists, public affairs officers, content creators, entertainment makers, branding experts, digital storytellers, social media influencers, consumers, citizens and activists use all kinds of media every day to produce, send and receive digital messages and images about the world, to change it in some way.
In the Communications and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) program, you will develop specialized knowledge about the fast-changing communication and digital media environment in which we live, work, shop and play, analyze the social dimensions and impacts of many media forms and hone professional communication and digital media skills linked to thousands of new and exciting careers. You will become a strong communicator who is able to present your ideas in a variety of forms such as research essays, case studies, journals, blogs, videos, digital stories, memes and mini-TED Talks.
For more information, visit the CDMS website or view our program postcard.
Liberal Studies
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Liberal Studies
Pursuing the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Liberal Studies program entails deepening one’s capacity for effective communication, incisive analysis, creative thinking and critical self-reflection. The program is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to adapt to and thrive in a dynamic employment environment. It is not just a university graduate’s overall sum of knowledge, but the capacity to increase, deepen, distribute and apply that knowledge, which matters most in an ever-changing world.
Preparing students to flourish in their personal and professional lives informs the holistic, interdisciplinary, inquiry-driven approach of the Liberal Studies program. Creating awareness and compassion, fostering civic engagement and nurturing the needs of the 'whole student’ are central to the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities’ mission to equip students with the intellectual and interpersonal skills they need to excel in all facets of life.
Creativity, Digital Arts and Entertainment Industries
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Creativity, Digital Arts and Entertainment Industries
From Hollywood to Silicon Valley, creativity is core to the globe’s largest entertainment industries, and the world has become a stage for all kinds of digital creators, artists and influencers. Whether made by a big studio or a YouTuber, new ideas, styles, artworks, apps, movies, TV series, games, songs, ads and videos spread around the world. Creativity is now everywhere and in everything, and the digital arts and entertainment industries are used to educate, distract, delight and persuade.
In the specialized Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) - Creativity, Digital Arts and Entertainment Industries, you will learn about creativity, the digital arts and the entertainment industries in relation to the social environment that shapes them. You will explore the political economy of the creative industries, the legal, policy and regulatory environment that supports and sometimes stymies what digital media creators do and say on the internet and design and communicate ideas, images and stories to resonate with audiences and have a social impact.
The specialized program’s high-quality and socially relevant curriculum will provide you with a strong foundation in the theory, research, analysis and professional practice of communication and digital media, and its emphasis on creativity, digital arts and entertainment industries will open pathways to thousands of new and emerging 21st century careers.
Political Science
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Political Science
What is your passion? This program explores a wide range of issues related to understanding and reimagining the world:
- Climate change and environmental sustainability
- Community building and rebuilding
- Economics and politics
- International and local development
- Policy creation and implementation
- Social justice and poverty
- War, peace and protest
This program is unique in that it addresses policy and social justice issues, with a focus on the interrelations of communities including nations, regions, cities, towns and social movements. It emphasizes strategies for creating sustainable policies for community and international development, improved quality of life and social justice and community planning.
This interdisciplinary major draws on faculty strengths in political science, sociology, public policy, history, communication and digital media studies, philosophy, legal studies and economics to give you an integrated multidisciplinary background.
Students also have the opportunity to complete a double major in Legal Studies and Political Science. This double major enables students to receive degrees in both Legal Studies and Political Science in four years. The two programs are especially complementary given law and politics are deeply intertwined. Students learn to navigate how legal systems affect governance, and how power impacts lawmaking and legal decision-making. You will acquire knowledge and skills that especially equip you to enter into the legal profession, including law school.
Criminology and Justice
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Criminology and Justice
Our program explores and critically analyzes criminological and sociological theories of why people commit crimes. It also examines how societies define crime and who is considered a criminal. Our program approaches the study of crime from an interdisciplinary perspective, drawing on a rich tradition from criminology, sociology, philosophy, psychology and law. In addition to examining why crime is committed, you will be encouraged to think about crime, criminal justice and its administration in ways that are consistent with the principles of fairness, equity, peace and justice.
You may pursue the comprehensive program or a specialization in:
- Criminal Justice
- Youth, Crime and Justice
Psychology (Bachelor of Arts)
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Psychology (Bachelor of Arts)
Do groups of people make better decisions than individuals? How do clinicians diagnose mental illness in children and adults? Can we empathize equally with people from different cultural backgrounds?
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program will receive a core first year of social science courses with their second year reserved for foundational psychology courses. Students will also be required to take a number of additional social science electives in their upper years of study. This program will be of particular interest to students wishing to pursue studies in the social, personality and developmental characteristics of human behaviour.
Students will receive a solid foundation in research methods and statistics as well as highly marketable skills in a variety of tech-focused domains. The knowledge students will gain from this program will put them in strong positions for additional education or direct-to-work opportunities in areas such as business, community development, advocacy, public policy, security and marketing.
Two specializations are offered:
Affective Science and Mental Health
Students will receive targeted education pertaining to the psychological and neural mechanisms underlying emotion, and the manner in which these mechanisms contribute to mental health or mental illness.
Developmental and Psychological Science
Students will gain in‐depth knowledge into historical and contemporary trends regarding human development, from infancy and childhood, through adolescence, and into adulthood and gerontology.
Unique to both specializations will be the intentional cross‐cutting of traditional disciplinary and methodological lines, to bring students in contact with a variety of sociological, criminological, psychological and biological perspectives.
Forensic Psychology
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Forensic Psychology
You will study the core areas of psychology: social, cognitive, developmental and abnormal, as well as research methods and data analysis. You will explore a variety of forensic psychology courses that apply psychology to crime, policing, the courts, corrections and other aspects of the justice system. You will also have opportunities to incorporate aspects of criminology, legal studies, health and neuroscience into your degree, with the objective of developing unique knowledge and skill sets.
Students have access to new, modern buildings and innovative labs including:
- Forensic Psychology Laboratories
- Social Science Library
Psychology (Bachelor of Science)
Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Psychology (Bachelor of Science)
Does the chronic use of drugs lead to permanent changes in the brain? How do modern pharmaceuticals help treat the symptoms of anxiety and depression? How do traumatic events influence a child’s development?
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Psychology program will receive a core first year of natural science courses, including biology, chemistry, physics, math and psychology with their second year reserved for foundational psychology courses. Students will also be required to take a number of additional science electives in their upper years of study. This program will be of particular interest to students wishing to pursue studies in the cognitive and biological underpinnings of human behaviour.
Students will receive a solid foundation in research methods and statistics as well as highly marketable skills in a variety of tech-focused domains. The knowledge students will gain from this program will put them in a strong position for additional education or direct-to-work opportunities in areas such as medicine, health care, social services and mental health.
Two specializations are offered:
Affective Science and Mental Health
Students will receive targeted education pertaining to the psychological and neural mechanisms underlying emotion, and the manner in which these mechanisms contribute to mental health or mental illness.
Developmental and Psychological Science
Students will gain in‐depth knowledge into historical and contemporary trends regarding human development, from infancy and childhood, through adolescence, and into adulthood and gerontology.
Unique to both specializations will be the intentional cross‐cutting of traditional disciplinary and methodological lines, to bring students in contact with a variety of sociological, criminological, psychological and biological perspectives.
Global Studies
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Global Studies
Our Global Studies program examines political, ecological, economic, cultural and social issues of a global scope. The program draws on political science theories and methodologies as well as a range of other disciplinary perspectives in providing a deep examination of major events and processes across the globe.
Students in this specialization will focus on climate change and biodiversity loss as well as the impact of new telecommunication technologies. As part of their course requirements, students will also be asked to consider and develop sustainable solutions to urgent international problems.
Strategic Communications, Social Media and Society
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Strategic Communications, Social Media and Society
Communications and digital media are everywhere and in everything. Journalists, public affairs officers, content creators, entertainment makers, branding experts, digital storytellers, social media influencers, consumers, activists and citizens use all kinds of media every day to create, send, and receive messages and images about the world, with the goal of changing it in some way.
In the Specialized Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) - Strategic Communication, Social Media and Society, students learn about the fast-changing strategic and social media communications environment in which a wide range of communicators, from companies to governments to militaries to political parties to non-profit advocacy and activist movements, use social media platforms such as Twitter, TikTok and YouTube to inform, influence and change society.
You will analyze strategic communications in relation to the economics, politics, technologies, and cultures of the Internet and social media platforms, and hone knowledge and skills linked to thousands of new 21st century careers.
Courses
Want to see the specific courses you’ll be taking in your program? Visit ontariotechu.ca/calendar.College-to-university transfer programs
Turn an Ontario college diploma (or equivalent) into a degree in as little as two years. See which programs are available to you at ontariotechu.ca/pathways.
Do you see yourself as a(n)...
My four years at Ontario Tech were nothing short of amazing! Through majoring in Criminology and Justice Studies I was able to expand my knowledge of the justice system and my interest in policing. Ontario Tech provided me with all of the tools I needed to succeed following graduation. During my fourth year of university, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to complete a practicum with the Durham Regional Police Service.
Ontario Tech was always a welcoming place for me, and I created many fond memories. The staff always provided support and guidance through every aspect of my university experience. I am proud to call myself a Ridgeback! Victoria Heaney Criminology and Justice Studies, class of 2022
