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Pave Your Own Path
Concentrations and Specializations
Dive deeper into your program by taking a minimum of three courses in a related area of study. These courses typically count towards the course requirements for your major too. Some examples include concentrations in the Business Administration and Music programs on the Waterloo campus or the Forensic Psychology Specialization on the Brantford campus.
Minors
A minor is a secondary area of concentration in a subject different from your honours program. Most of our honours programs can be taken as minors, so there are many options for you to expand your learning in other areas of interest. In addition to our regular program minors, we offer some specialty minors with career-focused learning goals. You can view a selection of these minors below.
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Options
An option is an enhanced minor you can incorporate into your degree program. Options range from six to 10 courses and can be added to many of our programs.
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Get a head-start on a career in education. Develop the teaching skills you need through hands-on experiences and future-focused courses offered through Laurier’s Teaching Option or Education Minor.
Note: Some options and minors are only available at our Brantford campus and some are only available at our Waterloo campus. Not all options and minors can be added to every program.
The Health Studies program is unique to the Brantford campus but is now offered entirely online!
Explore how social, biological, cultural and institutional factors affect the health and well-being of communities. Learn to identify significant health challenges in different populations and evaluate what's creating health risks for individuals. Then find out how you can intervene by making recommendations to improve programs and policies.
Here's a sneak peek at a selection of our course offerings for this minor:
- Introduction to Public Health
- Social Determinants of Health
- Canadian Health Care Systems
- Epidemiology and Public Health
- Environment and Health
Our English program offers popular courses in creative writing taught by several experienced faculty members who are distinguished creative writers. The Minor in Creative Writing provides opportunities to think and practice beyond the usual forms of academic writing. You'll also gain real-world experience in using your creative, analytical, and editorial skills to develop writing for professional publication.
Criminology is a program on our Brantford campus that we've brought to Waterloo! By adding a Minor in Criminology to your degree, you’ll use sociology, psychology and law to examine what defines a crime, why people commit them, how society responds to crime, and how crime has changed over time.
You’ll explore these ideas in courses such as Youth Justice, Multiple Murder, Restorative Justice and Introduction to Corrections. This grouping of courses will emphasize critical thinking, communication skills and writing skills, while exploring the exciting and ever changing criminal justice system.
Combine exciting elective courses within your current program and turn them into an Education Minor! The Education Minor is designed to provide you with a complementary selection of practical courses focusing on education and learning in a variety of contexts.
You’ll take courses such as Images of Education in Media, Teaching in Non-School Contexts, Remodeling Relationships with Mathematics and many more. If you’re passionate about educating and empowering the next generation, this minor will help you achieve your goal.
Game Design works well in combination with other fields at Laurier because of our focus on meaningful and transformative games. Students interested in communicating to others in a game-based way will learn game design skills through this minor. Game-based learning and gamification are focused on helping people convey something that is not a game in a playful manner. Students will learn the basics of creating meaningful games, the ethics of implementing games for change, and how to create analog and 2D digital games.
The History and Philosophy of Science Minor offers courses with multidisciplinary subject matter taught with an interdisciplinary approach. It attracts students from diverse faculties who engage critically in the study of science, technology, medicine, and environment from the varied perspectives of an increasingly sophisticated scholarly field of study.
The minor's core courses encourage you to engage firsthand with the original works of scientists and scientific thinkers, as well as with studies of the historical and philosophical contexts in which these works acquire meaning.
A richly cross-disciplinary experience, the History and Philosophy of Science Minor invites you to recognize the mutual benefits in sharing your own diverse areas of specialization and training with other students in other disciplines.
The Minor in Human Relationships is designed for students who are contemplating professional careers or graduate work in the areas of mental health, community work and social services, developmental services, spiritual care, public service, counselling and/or ministry.
Courses in the areas of music and global song, spiritual care and counselling, Indigenous ways of knowing and healing, the restorative contemplative arts, and citizenship, faith and leadership are available.
The Minor in Indigenous Studies engages with Indigenous perspectives and experiences, preparing you to think critically about key social, cultural, and environmental dimensions of life in both local and global Indigenous contexts. This minor provides applied and experiential opportunities for students who may be interested in working with and for Indigenous communities, in advocacy positions, in health and wellness, and in education-related fields.
Designed for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, the courses offered in the minor center Indigenous ways of knowing and being in order to reflect on historical and contemporary resistance, holistic understandings of the world, and opportunities for social and environmental change. They also offer insight into the relationship between settlers and Indigenous people, foreground Indigenous approaches to education and research, and emphasize the vitality of Indigenous languages.
The Minor in Judaism focuses on historical, philosophical, secular and religious development of Jewish thought and traditions. It attracts students from diverse faculties who engage critically in the study of history, philosophy, education, global citizenship and social sciences.
The minor's core courses encourage firsthand interaction with the original works of Jewish tradition and thought, as well as with analysis of philosophical and historical environments whereby their significance is established and/or further developed.
The Minor in Leadership is a pathway to in-demand and transferable skills that will help you personally and professionally. Our courses are designed to explore who you are, how you can more effectively lead, follow, and collaborate with others, and ultimately, influence positive change in groups, organizations, and beyond.
We view Leadership as an ongoing process of building skills, developing relationships, and pursuing and accomplishing goals. We believe that leadership can and should be accessible to everyone and is not determined by the position you occupy. These principles have led us to develop a Leadership Minor that:
- begins with building foundational knowledge in our first and second year required courses (i.e., OL 140 Leadership Foundations, OL/MB 200 Communication Skills for Leaders, and OL/PD 224 Organizational Leadership)
- offers choice and flexibility to select two elective courses that will further develop the knowledge and skills you need to support your goals and career trajectory (more below); and
- concludes with a choice of two capstone courses to integrate, solidify, and practice your knowledge in meaningful and exciting ways (i.e., OL 401 Leadership Skills: Practice and Application or OL 485 Expanding Leadership Potential).
Here’s a sneak peek at some of our elective courses:
- OL 101: Leadership and Personal Development
- OL/HR 251: Workplace Diversity in the 21st Century
- OL270: Leadership: Followers & Leaders
- OL 298: Entrepreneurship
- OL 300: Leadership Ethics
- OL 365: Influence, Persuasion, and Negotiation
- OL 481: Project Management
Through reflections, projects, and experiential exercises, our courses will challenge you to build the skills you need to succeed in your undergraduate degree and prepare you for a career that will make a difference.
The Music Minor is a great addition to any degree at Laurier. Students (no matter their musical background) can take six courses from three distinct musical areas of study. Courses are categorized under:
- Culture and Society;
- Performance and Production; and
- Style and Structure.
Our Music Minor requires courses to come from at least two of these categories. For detailed information, review Music Program Requirements.
Students can audition to be part of one of our ensembles. Auditions take place during September. Email musicauditions@wlu.ca to sign-up for an audition time.
The Minor in Public Policy offers you the opportunity to acquire a valuable toolkit that will equip you to make direct and more meaningful connections between the knowledge you acquire within your home department and the world in which you will live and work.
This minor, with its emphasis on developing hands-on analytical and communication skills and applying them to ongoing policy issues, helps prepare you for a competitive labour market upon graduation.
You'll take courses that introduce you to the public-policy cycle and the tools of policy analysis, and then choose from a suite of courses that explore environmental, social, Indigenous, foreign and other policy issues and that develop writing skills for policy-making.
For the Minor in Spirituality and Global Music, you’ll study sacred music traditions and repertoire, and develop your practical and critical skills in leading song and prayer – all from a global perspective.
An ideal choice if you’re interested in leading music in community that is attentive to spirituality, this minor is open to all undergraduate students. Music students who are interested in basic theological and global worship studies will find this minor complements a music degree with preparation for leadership in a church setting.
Take a Minor in Statistics and learn to extract useful insights from complex data through a number of mathematical methods.
You'll take courses such as: Introduction to the Theory of Statistics; Probability; Statistical Methods for Life and Health Sciences; Introduction to Experimental Design and Analysis; and Sampling Theory.
To be effective in any program at Laurier, you must be able to express yourself through your writing in a variety of formats. You must also be able to demonstrate knowledge, analytical skills and professionalism in your written work.
Moreover, the Faculty of Arts desires to provide you with the capacity and confidence to make a difference in your community, whether as an individual or through social enterprises. The Minor in Writing for Career and Community is designed both to enhance the applied elements of existing programming in the Arts and to provide you with an additional range of competencies.
The Minor in Youth and Children: Texts and Contexts will give you a chance to explore how young people are represented, marketed to and treated in contemporary society, and how young people and children understand and shape their own experiences through various modes of creative expression, acts of cultural performance and digital fluency.
If you choose this minor, you'll have the opportunity to understand youth as:
- A developmental stage in both individual and group experience; and
- A construct deeply impacted by cultural, educational and literary practice.
This minor will provide analytical tools and critical thinking strategies for students who may be interested in working with and for young people in the arts, in advocacy positions, in health and wellness, and in education-related fields.
User experience (UX) designers are trained professionals who understand how to ensure that the entire experience a person has with a product, service, environment or message is a positive one. Laurier’s approach to UX goes beyond designing for the web and extends UX to the design of 3D and immersive environments, as well as the design of processes and services.
The UX minor is also available in Brantford. Students in Game Design and Development are excluded from completing the UX Minor. They may complete a specialization in UX.
The Health Studies minor is now offered entirely online!
Explore how social, biological, cultural and institutional factors affect the health and well-being of communities. Learn to identify significant health challenges in different populations and evaluate what's creating health risks for individuals. Then find out how you can intervene by making recommendations to improve programs and policies.
Here's a sneak peek at a selection of our course offerings for this minor:
- Introduction to Public Health
- Social Determinants of Health
- Canadian Health Care Systems
- Epidemiology and Public Health
- Environment and Health
The Minor in Computer Science provides a foundation for developing computing skills to give you an advantage during your degree and when applying for jobs after graduation. You’ll study computer programming, data structures and algorithm design.
Sample course offerings include:
- Introduction to Programming
- Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming
- Algorithm Design and Analysis
Computing technology skills are in high demand across all industries, so a Minor in Computer Science will bring value to your future – no matter what field you choose to pursue!
The Minor in Education is designed to provide you with a supplemental course of study focusing on schooling and education. You'll have the opportunity to bundle elective courses within your current program of study into a Minor in Education.
You'll take courses such as Children’s Literature, Introduction to Elementary Music Education, Educational Psychology, Sociology of Youth, Mathematics Without Tears and many more.
Game Design works well in combination with other fields at Laurier because of our focus on meaningful and transformative games. Students interested in communicating to others in a game-based way will learn game design skills through this minor. Game-based learning and gamification are focused on helping people convey something that is not a game in a playful manner. Students will learn the basics of creating meaningful games, the ethics of implementing games for change, and how to create analog and 2D digital games.
In our Labour Studies and Career Development minor, you will gain an understanding of the rapidly changing world of work through courses on innovative work arrangements, conflict resolution, global labour issues, labour history, collective bargaining, employment law, work-life balance, disabilities studies, occupational health and safety, workplace diversity and much more. Students are encouraged to consider how the arrangements and contexts of work and practices within workplaces can further leverage social inclusion, diversity, and the whole person's development.
The Minor in Leadership is a pathway to in-demand and transferable skills that will help you personally and professionally. Our courses are designed to explore who you are, how you can more effectively lead, follow, and collaborate with others, and ultimately, influence positive change in groups, organizations, and beyond.
We view Leadership as an ongoing process of building skills, developing relationships, and pursuing and accomplishing goals. We believe that leadership can and should be accessible to everyone and is not not determined by the position you occupy. These principles have led us to develop a Leadership Minor that:
- begins with building foundational knowledge in our first and second year required courses (i.e., OL 140 Leadership Foundations, OL/MB 200 Communication Skills for Leaders, and OL/PD 224 Organizational Leadership)
- offers choice and flexibility to select two elective courses that will further develop the knowledge and skills you need to support your goals and career trajectory (more below); and
- concludes with a choice of two capstone courses to integrate, solidify, and practice your knowledge in meaningful and exciting ways (i.e., OL 401 Leadership Skills: Practice and Application or OL 485 Expanding Leadership Potential).
Here’s a sneak peek at some of our elective courses:
- OL 101: Leadership and Personal Development
- OL/HR 251: Workplace Diversity in the 21st Century
- OL270: Leadership: Followers & Leaders
- OL 298: Entrepreneurship
- OL 300: Leadership Ethics
- OL 365: Influence, Persuasion, and Negotiation
- OL 481: Project Management
Through reflections, projects, and experiential exercises, our courses will challenge you to build the skills you need to succeed in your undergraduate degree and prepare you for a career that will make a difference.
The growing field of forensics and technological innovation has resulted in increased interest and an expansion of multidisciplinary programs in health and community services, and new related fields of study. Knowledge of forensic science strengthens access to a broad range of careers related to work in healthcare, the justice system, social work, journalism and human rights. These fields correspond to studies in several Bachelor of Arts programs and the Bachelor of Arts and Science program at Laurier in Brantford, including Community Health. The HS103 Introduction to Forensic Science course will permit students without high school science backgrounds access to this science based minor.
What courses will you take as part of this minor?
HS103 Introduction to Forensic Science
This course is designed to develop scientific knowledge in forensics related to the human body for students without a science background. Divisions of forensic science such as DNA analysis, trace evidence, and toxicology collect and analyse evidence during criminal investigations. Students will learn about cells, DNA, blood and other tissues as well as forensic techniques used to analyse them. Forensic science related to the human body is a valuable tool in fields such as healthcare, the justice system, social work, and human rights.
HS202 Human Anatomy & Physiology I
This course is an introduction to the structure and function of the human body. Attention will be paid to the integumentary, muscular, skeletal, nervous, and endocrine systems, and their integration with other organ systems.
HS204 Human Anatomy & Physiology II
This course is a continuation of HS202. Attention will be paid to the cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems, and their integration with other organ systems.
HS206 Genetics and the Human Genome
This course will introduce Mendelian and population genetics, with an emphasis on the inheritance of genetic diseases. The human genome project and applications of DNA technology such as gene editing, and gene therapy will also be considered.
HS333 Forensic Lab Methods I
This course is designed to combine scientific knowledge with laboratory experience in forensics related to DNA analysis and trace evidence. Students will learn laboratory techniques such as DNA profiling used to identify individuals based on biological samples and spectrophotometry which can help to determine the difference between human and animal fluids and has many other roles in forensics. Critical discussion of these laboratory methods including their shortcomings will be included in this course.
HS334 Forensic Lab Methods II
This course is designed to combine scientific knowledge with laboratory experience in the forensic techniques used at crime scenes and in laboratories related to dactylography (the scientific study of fingerprints), bones and remains, bloodstain patterns and microscopic analysis of hairs and fibers. Critical discussion of these laboratory methods including their shortcomings will be included in this course.
Do you want skills to help you get your foot in the door at a professional workplace? Do you want to be able to communicate more clearly and effectively in the working world? If so, then you should consider a Minor in Professional Writing.
This minor includes courses in writing for business, public sector, web, print media and technical writing. You can also take courses in academic, journalistic or legal writing for a more diverse portfolio, which will give you a competitive edge when applying for jobs.
Take a Minor in Public History and study the various ways historians interact with the greater public through practices such as preservation, interpretation, communication and curation.
You'll take courses such as: History and Popular Culture in the Modern World; The Active Historian; History on Film; Interpreting Digital Data; Local and Family History: Researching our Past; and Memory, Monuments and Museums (which includes a community placement!).
Want to change the world? This unique minor will prepare you for a career in social and environmental justice by examining topics like poverty and policies to reduce income inequality, climate change and sustainable communities, and citizens' roles in a democratic society
You'll take courses such as: The Engaged Citizen: Social and Environmental Justice in the 21st Century; Risks and Disasters; Global Labour Issues and Introduction to Indigenous Studies.
Take a Minor in Social Innovation and identify the values and issues that you’re passionate about, and then learn the best business practices to create sustainable solutions.
You'll take courses such as: Social and Environmental Justice in Practice; How to Change the World: Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship; Sustainability and Global Society; and Fundraising; as well as a community internship.
User experience (UX) designers are trained professionals who understand how to ensure that the entire experience a person has with a product, service, environment or message is a positive one. Laurier’s approach to UX goes beyond designing for the web and extends UX to the design of 3D and immersive environments, as well as the design of processes and services.
The UX minor is also available in Waterloo. Students in Game Design and Development are excluded from completing the UX Minor. They may complete a specialization in UX.
The Applied Digital Option prepares you to use digital methods to manage and examine information, and to present your findings in creative ways. This option builds on your ability to research, critique and analyze a variety of social, historical, political and economic issues using contemporary digital technologies (such as mapping, electronic literary analysis, digitization, analytics and advanced visualization techniques). The option also introduces you to the multimedia skills you need to succeed in an age of digital information.
The option has two pathways: Design and Application. The Design pathway focuses on the creation of multimedia projects; you are introduced to the software tools you need to express your ideas in creative and effective ways. The focus of the Application pathway is on the collection and analysis of “big data” and its rendering in ways that facilitate interpretation.
Our Applied Mathematics Option is available to honours students at the Waterloo campus in any discipline other than mathematics. The primary focus is on methods commonly used in modern mathematical models in science, especially in relation to kinesiology, physics, computer science, chemistry, biology and psychology.
This option can also be tailored to meet the needs of other areas of study, such as business and economics, where quantitative methodology is an important part of the program.
The Applied Social Research Option provides you with an opportunity to develop advanced research methods and data analysis skills.
This option is designed for non-Sociology majors interested in acquiring applied training at a level beyond what is currently required in Faculty of Arts social science disciplines.
At Laurier, we believe that learning occurs both inside and outside the classroom. This option addresses that belief by enabling you to learn through practical experience projects in the local community, and then reflect on this engagement in the classroom.
In partnership with our Centre for Community Service-Learning and The Working Centre – a non-profit, community-based venture in downtown Kitchener – you’ll work on projects such as the St. John’s Kitchen, Recycle Cycles, Job Café and Street Outreach.
Our Environmental Science Option is available to students registered in honours Bachelor of Science programs in Biology, Chemistry or Geography. You’ll be required to complete at least four full credits in biology, chemistry and physical geography courses – all contributing to understanding scientific and experimental aspects of environmental issues.
The technical skills at the basis of contemporary filmmaking — screenwriting, editing, and sound design — are common to many professional fields from film and television to journalism and advertising. Our existing Film Studies program provides a base in the theoretical, historical and stylistic analysis of film; the Film Production Option allows students who are not majoring in Film Studies to put their learning into practice and, in so doing, gain valuable and marketable skills for their postgraduate careers.
This option is designed for students who seek to combine a foundational knowledge of Film Studies with a practical understanding of the techniques of video and film production, from script to screen.
The French Option can be combined with a major from the faculties of Arts, Science and Music and the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics. By taking the French Option, you'll have the opportunity to gain a more nuanced fluency in French beyond that of our minor.
The option is designed for flexibility and you will be able to tailor your courses to suit your individual needs and interests. Once you complete the core courses, you'll be able to choose to focus on culture, literature, film or language courses.
In a bilingual country, such as Canada, the French Option will give you an essential linguistic competency combined with cultural knowledge and will increase your employability after you graduate.
The Geomatics Option will give you an understanding of cartography, geographic information systems (GIS), and geographical research methods so that you can effectively communicate geographic information through a variety of digital means.
You'll take courses such as: Thematic Cartography and Geovisualization; Spatial Analysis; Computer Applications in Geography; Introduction to Programming; Website Design; Digital Creativity; and Digital Editing and Publishing.
The Intercultural Understanding Option provides you with skills that are highly valued in the global marketplace: respect for cultural difference, tolerance for ambiguity, and critical self-reflection.
This option brings awareness to the role of culture in shaping people’s worldview and practices, fosters a complex understanding of one’s own social location and provides training in holistic analysis.
In a multicultural society such as Canada, understanding diversity helps dispel dominant stereotypes about non-normative cultures, encouraging respectful collaboration and teamwork. The option’s emphasis on ethnographic skills affords students practical, transferable research tools that are attractive to employers.
If you're interested in complex global problems such as climate change, health and disease, crime, welfare, trade and finance, Laurier's School of International Policy and Governance offers the International Policy Option.
Core courses are in economics, international policy, and – depending what campus you're on – political science and global studies, or human rights and human diversity. Related electives are drawn from a wide variety of programs on our campuses.
Students who successfully complete the International Policy Option will possess the prerequisites needed to apply for Laurier's Master of International Public Policy degree.
Leadership skills are valued in all organizations to inspire, motivate and bring about change. In the Leadership Option you’ll learn analytical and communication skills and acquire the historical and philosophical breadth of knowledge to participate effectively in the leadership of organizations.
The Option in Leadership is a pathway to in-demand and transferable skills that will help you personally and professionally. Our courses are designed to explore who you are, how you can lead more effectively, follow, and collaborate with others, and ultimately, influence positive change in groups, organizations, and beyond.
We view Leadership as an ongoing process of building skills, developing relationships, and pursuing and accomplishing goals. We believe that leadership can and should be accessible to everyone and is not determined by the position you occupy. These principles have led us to develop a Leadership Option that:
- begins with building foundational knowledge in our first and second year required courses (i.e., OL 140 Leadership Foundations, OL/MB 200 Communication Skills for Leaders, and OL/PD 224 Organizational Leadership)
- offers choice and flexibility to select four elective courses that will further develop the knowledge and skills you need to support your goals and career trajectory (more below); and
- concludes with a choice of two capstone courses to integrate, solidify, and practice your knowledge in meaningful and exciting ways (i.e., OL 401 Leadership Skills: Practice and Application or OL 485 Expanding Leadership Potential).
You’ll develop skills in project planning, team building, communications and organizational analysis, as well as research skills linked to survey design, focus groups and statistical analysis. Here's a sneak peek at a selection of our course offerings:
- OL 101: Leadership and Personal Development
- OL/HR 251: Workplace Diversity in the 21st Century
- OL270: Leadership: Followers & Leaders
- OL 298: Entrepreneurship
- OL 300: Leadership Ethics
- OL 365: Influence, Persuasion, and Negotiation
- OL 481: Project Management
Our Legal Studies Option gives you the opportunity to study legal topics, theories and methods that are at the intersection of law, politics, business, history, philosophy, gender, justice, human rights and ethics.
This option is ideal if you’re interested in pursuing law school or other legal-related careers.
The fundamentals of business are at the heart of any organization and many careers. While you complete your degree in an Arts, Economics, Science or Music program, our Management Option will provide you with an understanding of the core principles of the business world, including accounting, marketing, human resources, operations, policy, and finance.
You can apply to the Management Option with any of our Science, Arts, Economics or Music programs for direct entry into Year 1. The minimum required average to enrol in the Management Option is low-mid 80s and you must also meet the admission requirements for your program of choice.
You'll take courses such as Understanding the Business Environment; Introduction to Financial Accounting; Introduction to Microeconomics or Macroeconomics; and Statistics.
The Music and Cultural History Option will deepen your knowledge about music’s connection to cultural history. It’s designed for both Music and non-Music majors.
For Music majors, this option is useful if you want a deeper understanding of how music is developed in its broader cultural context, and you’ll learn how changes in the visual arts, philosophy and the business of cultural production affected the evolution of music.
For non-Music majors, this option will enhance your appreciation of musical performance and deepen your understanding of musical theory.
The Music Option is a great addition to any degree at Laurier. Students (no matter their musical background) can take eight courses from three distinct musical areas of study. Courses are categorized under:
- Culture and Society;
- Performance and Production; and
- Style and Structure.
Our Music Option requires students to take courses from all three categories.
Students can audition to be part of one of our ensembles. Auditions take place during September. Email musicauditions@wlu.ca to sign-up for an audition time.
Our Muslim Studies Option offers the opportunity to study the historical, philosophical and theological development of Islamic thought and traditions. It focuses on contemporary sociological, political and cultural contexts of lived Muslim experiences from global, transnational and local perspectives.
This option takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Islam and Muslim societies, integrating methodological approaches from both the humanities and social sciences.
The Option in Practical Ethics and Society provides you with the theoretical grounding and practical skills needed for in-depth engagement with ethical and social concerns. Emphasis is on developing the critical-thinking and problem-solving capabilities crucial to examining the norms that guide our decisions and actions at all levels: individual, communal and global.
You'll engage in the analysis and critique of various approaches to ethical and social issues. The knowledge gained can be leveraged in both the personal and the professional arena; this option fosters the enhancement of individual consciousness of the values and norms that shape our world, and that understanding that can be applied in many practical spheres, including professional, decision-making, public policy, and social activism.
Our Social Entrepreneurship Option is designed for students looking to tackle the issues facing society today with sustainable business solutions.
As the first of its kind in Canada, this option focuses on providing you with a deeper appreciation of the world’s urgent problems, with an understanding of your individual strengths and motivations for impacting change, and with entrepreneurial expertise such as financial management, strategic planning, market analysis and fundraising.
Preserving Earth’s natural and social systems is amongst the most important challenges currently facing the global community. Although global in scale, issues of climate change, population growth and economic instability have immediate concerns for us at the local level, as we strive to maintain the integrity of our resources – clean and accessible air, water, food, etc.
The Sustainability Option will allow you to critically examine these issues from a variety of perspectives and disciplines.
Are you interested in making teaching a career? The Teaching Option is designed to provide you with a variety of courses and experiential learning to prepare you for K-12 teaching. You will have the opportunity to explore foundational teaching-skill courses to help you understand what it means to be a teacher today.
You’ll get hands-on experience with a placement in a school setting and take courses related to Indigenous education, foundations of teaching, and experiential learning.
The option also prepares you for further studies in our Bachelor of Education program.
The fundamentals of business are at the heart of any organization and many careers. While you complete your degree in any of our Brantford campus programs, the Business Technology Management Option will provide you with an understanding of the core principles of the business world, including accounting, marketing, human resources, operations, policy and finance.
Game Design works well in combination with other fields at Laurier because of our focus on meaningful and transformative games. Students interested in communicating to others in a game-based way will learn game design skills through this minor. Game-based learning and gamification are focused on helping people convey something that is not a game in a playful manner. Students will learn the basics of creating meaningful games, the ethics of implementing games for change, and how to create analog, 2D digital games, and HTML-based games for the web.
Our International Development Option provides you with a firm understanding of development, global governance, and the institutions of the global economy.
This option will prepare you to compete in our increasingly globalized world by enhancing your capacity to implement programs and policies in non-governmental organizations, public organizations, educational institutions and international organizations.
Our Issue Advocacy Option is a unique opportunity to take courses in journalism, leadership and business to increase your understanding of organizational life and improve your critical written and oral communication skills.
You’ll develop strong and persuasive writing techniques, and learn to critically analyze how public relations impacts our understanding of events and news stories.
The Law Option provides students on Laurier’s Brantford campus with the opportunity to study the legal and social dimensions of law in Canada. You'll critically engage with legal doctrine, jurisprudence, statutes and regulations, and processes and practices in Canada’s legal systems.
This option is for students who are interested in pursuing postgraduate studies in law or employment opportunities in law-related careers, such as working in the justice system (policing, corrections, legal services), government policy, or in Canadian or international advocacy organizations.
Leadership skills are valued in all organizations to inspire, motivate and bring about change. In the Leadership Option you’ll learn analytical and communication skills and acquire the historical and philosophical breadth of knowledge to participate effectively in the leadership of organizations.
The Option in Leadership is a pathway to in-demand and transferable skills that will help you personally and professionally. Our courses are designed to explore who you are, how you can lead more effectively, follow, and collaborate with others, and ultimately, influence positive change in groups, organizations, and beyond.
We view Leadership as an ongoing process of building skills, developing relationships, and pursuing and accomplishing goals. We believe that leadership can and should be accessible to everyone and is not determined by the position you occupy. These principles have led us to develop a Leadership Option that:
- begins with building foundational knowledge in our first and second year required courses (i.e., OL 140 Leadership Foundations, OL/MB 200 Communication Skills for Leaders, and OL/PD 224 Organizational Leadership)
- offers choice and flexibility to select four elective courses that will further develop the knowledge and skills you need to support your goals and career trajectory (more below); and
- concludes with a choice of two capstone courses to integrate, solidify, and practice your knowledge in meaningful and exciting ways (i.e., OL 401 Leadership Skills: Practice and Application or OL 485 Expanding Leadership Potential).
You’ll develop skills in project planning, team building, communications and organizational analysis, as well as research skills linked to survey design, focus groups and statistical analysis. Here's a sneak peek at a selection of our course offerings:
- OL 101: Leadership and Personal Development
- OL/HR 251: Workplace Diversity in the 21st Century
- OL270: Leadership: Followers & Leaders
- OL 298: Entrepreneurship
- OL 300: Leadership Ethics
- OL 365: Influence, Persuasion, and Negotiation
- OL 481: Project Management
Through reflections, projects, and experiential exercises, our courses will challenge you to build the skills you need to succeed in your undergraduate degree and prepare you for a career that will make a difference.
Technology has quickly become a large part of our everyday lives. Our conversations, our friends, and even our careers have become increasingly mediated. Our Media Studies Option will help you develop increased media literacy, including critical thinking about the validity of information.
This option provides a framework to access, analyze, evaluate and create messages in a variety of forms in a world where “wikis” and user-generated content allow for a collaborative approach to information creation and distribution.
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