Economics
The Economics Department at Queen's has a long tradition as one of Canada's leading teaching and research centres in economics. The undergraduate programs we offer promote a comprehensive investigation of many aspects of the subject, with an emphasis on contemporary analytical principles and methods. Those who pursue a concentration in economics or applied economics will take courses in advanced economic analysis, statistical techniques, the historical background of today's economies, and the application of economic theory to public finance, international relations, natural resources and the environment, business cycles, labour markets, and the economic systems of other countries. Economics students at Queen's acquire a diverse portfolio of analytical, quantitative, computational, and communications skills that provide excellent preparation for a wide range of post-graduation education and career opportunities. Our recent graduates have pursued graduate studies in economics and professional programs such as finance, business administration, public administration, law, industrial relations, information technology, and resource management, and they have embarked on careers in the private sector, with non-governmental organizations and with the public sector in key positions of responsibility at all three levels of government.
Employment Relations
The study of employment relations has a long tradition at Queen’s, with several programs at both the graduate and undergraduate levels providing a broad foundation in the field, including labour-management relations, labour and employment law, conflict management and negotiations, economics, human resources management, organizational behaviour, and labour policy.
Environmental Studies
In the School of Environmental Studies, you will acquire an appreciation of the scope and complexity of environmental systems, the ability to deal with the socio-economic dimensions of an issue, and the fundamental knowledge to adapt to changes in the future. Students will study environmental systems from both the perspective of the natural and physical sciences, while recognizing the human and cultural dimensions of the issues.
Gender Studies
The Department of Gender Studies at Queen’s is distinguished by the centrality of the study of race and colonialisms across all its courses, and by a focus on how to apply knowledge within work for social change. Our curriculum is organized around six key themes: feminist, queer, trans, anti-racist, Indigenous, and postcolonial theories and methodologies; activism and social justice; political economy; representation, art, literature, and creative work; and oral histories and community memories.
Geography and Planning
The Department of Geography and Planning is an integrated department that studies the earth's places, societies, environments and landscapes. The Department is unique in bridging the social sciences and humanities (i.e., human geography) and planning with physical geography. Geography and Planning puts this understanding of social and physical processes within the context of places and regions - recognizing the great differences in cultures, political systems, economies, landscapes, and environments across the world, and the links between them. In physical geography we study natural processes, their interactions, and both naturally and human-generated environmental issues. In the social sciences we study a variety of social problems, with a special focus on the uneven distribution of resources and services at scales from the local to the global. In humanities research we explore how human beings have made, and continue to make, the places (physical, social and metaphorical) in which they live. In all these areas, Queen’s Geography and Planning has scholars and teachers of international repute who are dedicated to making a dynamic and innovative research and teaching environment and a warm and supportive interpersonal environment for our students and faculty.
Global Development Studies
Global Development Studies is an interdisciplinary degree program that empowers students to better understand and shape the driving forces of change in our interconnected world. To open up a wide range of career choices and options for further study in Canada and internationally, the program connects big-picture analysis with problem-solving approaches based on deep empirical knowledge. This unique combination gives students skill sets that help them realize their commitment to making the world a better place. Through careful analysis of contemporary challenges in the fields of poverty and livelihoods, cross-cultural communication, environmental sustainability, human rights, and indigenous studies, we help students appreciate development as a relationship rather than as a characteristic of particular places and people.
Kinesiology and Health Studies
The Kinesiology Specialization Plan is a multi-disciplinary, science-based program that focuses on human movement in the applied exercise-science fields of study such as biomechanics, ergonomics, exercise physiology, and physical activity epidemiology. While the Plan is primarily science-based, students also learn about human movement in the context of exercise and sport psychology, health promotion, and the socio-cultural aspects of physical activity. The B.Sc.(Hons.) Kinesiology Plan has been designed to meet the minimum accreditation standards for Kinesiology programs accredited by the Canadian Council of University Physical Education and Kinesiology Administrators (CCUPEKA). Admission to the Kinesiology Specialization Plan, leading to a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree, is by direct-entry from high school.
The Health Studies Plan is a social science concentration that addresses subject areas bearing on human health. For the public health care system in Canada to function effectively both the social and physical determinants of health at the individual and societal level need to be understood in the context of health education, health policy, community health, and epidemiology. The core competencies of the Plan include health processes (e.g., implementation of programs and policies), health content (e.g., nutrition, sexuality), and supporting knowledge and concepts fundamental to the evaluation of health (e.g., behaviour, lifestyle choices). Major, Joint Honours and Minor/General Plans in Health Studies are all available, leading to a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree, with admission based on first-year standing and grade in the foundational social determinants of health course (HLTH 101).
Policy Studies
The School of Policy Studies offers a rich and rewarding learning experience that is unsurpassed in Canada and matched only by the best public policy programs in the world. Through high quality interactive teaching and integrated learning, we enhance leadership in public policy by providing students the inspiration, skills, competencies and connections to become better contributors to the public good. The MPA curriculum includes core courses in economics, policy analysis, governance, management and quantitative methods. Through elective courses, students apply their skills to the analysis and resolution of concrete policy and management problems.
Political Studies
The Department of Political Studies at Queen’s offers a full curriculum in all areas of political sciences, designed to take you on different and exciting intellectual journeys. You might explore the foundations of early democratic thought, examine integration in the European Union, study how states make the transition to democracy, analyze sources of conflict and cooperation in the international system, investigate trends in voting behaviour, or explore the impact of welfare reforms on single mothers. You will develop critical thinking and writing skills, which are not only useful for a variety of pursuits after graduation, but crucial for citizenship in a democracy.
Psychology
In Psychology you will learn about basic processes of cognition and behavioural neuroscience, including the effects of brain damage or drug-induced changes on behaviour, how various neurochemicals affect behaviour, mechanisms of memory, motor control, and how we solve problems. You will also learn about child development, personality differences, how people act in groups or organizations, health-related behaviours, and various aspects of typical and atypical behaviour. Three plans are available that will lead to a BSc (Hons.) degree: the Major (Sciences) in Psychology and two interdisciplinary Plans, the Biology-Psychology Specialization and the Cognitive Science Specialization. Three plans are available that lead to a BA (Hons.): the Major (Arts), Joint Honours (Arts), and Minor (Arts). Students in all Major, Joint Honours, and Specialization Honours plans are required to complete courses in both the social and natural science branches for breadth, as well as core courses in statistics and research design.
Sociology
In Queen’s Sociology Department, you will consider theories about how societies are organized and experienced, use social research methods to critically investigate what is happening, and explore areas such as crime, law and deviance, communications and media, gender and race, and culture and consumption. We place a major emphasis on how to study a broad range of social processes, throughout the life course, from global systems to personal life.