Programs
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?
In a time in which communications and digital media is pervasive, Communication and Digital Media Studies is a cutting-edge program designed to provide you with a strong foundation in scholarly, civic and professional knowledge and skills pertaining to the roles, practices and impacts of communication and digital media in society. You will learn about the fast-changing communication environment in which we live, explore the social and cultural impacts of many media and technology, and hone professionally relevant communication skills.
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Criminology and Justice
The Criminology and Justice program is an academically-rigorous program of study in critical reading, writing, and experiential learning. You will be well prepared for private and public service, as well as further professional and graduate education.
As a student in our program, you will have the opportunity to engage in independent and collaborative research with professors. You will not only be consumers of knowledge, but also leaders and producers of criminology by participating in the knowledge-creation process. That is what makes us a unique place to study criminology.
If you are looking to pursue a career in criminology, justice, social service, policy, or preparation for graduate school we hope you will consider our university's Criminology program as a place to pursue your goals.
Forensic Psychology
Forensic Psychology involves applying core psychological principles to issues that have implications for the legal and justice system. In general, psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. Psychology is also a profession that applies the findings of psychological research to real-world problems.
Students in the Forensic Psychology program will gain the skill and knowledge necessary to answer the following questions:
- Can you tell when someone is lying?
- Do psychopaths feel guilt?
- Can we predict when and where crimes will occur?
- Do people understand their legal rights?
- Can sex offenders be rehabilitated?
- How can we reduce wrongful convictions?
- Can children be reliable witnesses?
Legal Studies
Law plays an ever-growing role in our lives. Most of the controversial issues of today—whether stemming from political conflict, technological developments, economic inequality or other social changes—are expressed and mediated through law.
The Legal Studies program at Ontario Tech University offers students the opportunity to critically explore the social roles of law and its connections with community, government and society from different theoretical perspectives. The program emphasizes the development of critical thinking and analytical skills alongside a practical understanding of how to access and use legal materials. Our faculty’s commitment to interdisciplinary approaches to both formal and informal law equips students to address socio-legal and social justice issues in a variety of contexts.
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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.
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Political Science
This program draws from the strengths of an interdisciplinary faculty with expertise in areas such as community development, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, public policy, culture, politics, economics, environment and social movements. With guidance from world-class professors, you will come to understand the ways in which communities can be mobilized and policies designed to yield economic prosperity, environmental sustainability and social justice.
A few specializations are offered within our political science program:
- Political Communication
- Social Justice, Globalization and Development
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.
Learn more: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.
Learn more: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.
Your career possibilities:*
* some of these careers may require further study.
As a graduate of the Criminology and Justice program, I am now preparing to complete my Bachelor of Education at Ontario Tech to teach youth who have been in conflict with the law. I was fortunate enough to have met some of my long-time friends in my program and have been impacted by a variety of professors throughout my undergrad. Caitlin Morgan Criminology and Justice major, Forensic Psychology minor, Youth Crime and Justice specialization, class of 2021
Education, class of 2022