University Transfer vs University I’m considering doing a University Transfer year at our local college. My friends are all heading to university. I’m won ...
Living Off-Campus My parents are insisting that I stay in residence in my first year. I want to live with friends off campus. I need your ...
Competitive College Applications My counsellor says that universities are taking more stock of an applicant's well-roundedness. She says that just having ...
A major (also known as a major concentration or concentration) is a term for the specific group of courses that give you a basic knowledge of a field of study, which is in addition to your core curriculum. A major is a term most commonly applied to a program of study leading to a bachelor's degree. The Faculty of Science or natural and applied science school will define a framework for this specialized portion of your studies, including a certain number of required courses and a certain number of "elective" courses relevant to the major. The school will also define your general education or foundation education requirements. Some natural and applied science majors effectively define your full course of study; many others allow you considerable latitude both within your field of study and in their other courses.
Although many students choose their major before entering a university or college, many others will select it during their first or second year of a three- or four-year program. Typically, schools do not allow you to officially declare your major until the end of your second year so that you experience a broad range of courses that will help you choose the most appropriate major.
Some schools actually require you to list a major choice on your application for admission, but this is rare. If you are interested in a major that requires a lot of classes, or classes that are limited to students in that major, you might have to declare earlier than usual (i.e., the fall semester of your second year). As well, for some majors you will need to take specific courses (pre-requisites) during your first and second year before you can even be considered eligible for upper level courses. Some natural and applied science majors have limited enrolment, so in fact you may even be required to apply to get the major you want, including attending an interview or writing an essay.
Community and career college programs generally do not have majors as such. Their 1- to 3-year diploma and certificate programs carry a designation, for instance diploma in Chemical Technology, which is much more specific than, say, Bachelor of Science. Often, students in a community college or career college program--sometimes all the students in the department--will take a common set of core foundational courses in the first year (or term, in the case of shorter programs) which then enables them to pursue a specialized area of study. But generally the field of study at the community or career college level is job-focused to the point where students do not take "elective" courses as they do for bachelor's degrees. Hence the designation of the diploma effectively stands in for the "major."
Featured Natural and Applied Sciences Programs in Canada
Accidental Careers When you don’t know what to do with your life, an accidental encounter may just fill your prescription.
When Vancouverite Shannon Sanborn somersaulted on her rollerblades, she also crashed headlong into the health care system. Two paramedics collected her from the sidewalk, the emergency room nurse checked her out, a physician ordered X-rays, and a nurse’s aide wheeled her up so the X-ray tech... >[more]
Athletic Therapy A knee injury that benched Andrea Prieur for a basketball season also launched her career in athletic therapy. Andrea now works with the likes of Katarina Witt, Elvis Stoijko and the National Women’s Softball team, running out onto the ice or the field to set a broken bone, wrap a sprained knee or maybe even prep a spinal injury for the paramedics. The 28-year-old athletic therapist runs a highly-... >[more]
Behind the Microscope Thinking of pursuing a career in laboratory research? Campus Starter met with 4 lab techs to get a realistic view on a career in the sciences. Here are our contributors:
Pascal Desrosiers– 29, has worked as a lab technician for PROCREA BioSciences fertility clinic, for the past four years. He does everything from sperm counts and fertilising eggs to assisting doctors with embryo tran... >[more]
BRAIN DRAIN! If you are planning on becoming a nurse, research scientist, doctor or engineer, chances are you’ll think about moving to the U.S. when you graduate. A lot of people call this “brain drain” a Canadian disaster.
In the brain drain debate, the government’s statistics show there isn’t a problem. But don’t tell that to Canadian educators and professional organizations. According to their personal ... >[more]
Career Choice: Science AstronomerAre you hooked on sci-fi? Ever thought about a career studying galaxies far, far away? If you are fascinated with the night sky and the idea of exploring the universe, then a career as an astronomer may be right for you. Astronomers research the universe and the life and death of stars. A solid background in math and physics is required for those pursuing further studies in... >[more]
Career Search: Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences Agriculturist are scientists who advise farmers on soil management, breeding, animals' living conditions, crop protection, environmental sustainability, disease, and harvesting. Agriculturists are trained in general agricultural studies but usually specialize either on the job or in a master's program in one or more areas of agricultural science.
Crop specialization: crops, soil f... >[more]
Career Search: Social Services Art Therapist
Art therapists believe that there is meaning behind all works of art. Art therapy is a type of psychotherapy attempting to reconcile emotional conflict and promote personal growth. Unlike conventional methods of treatment, it emphasizes non-verbal communication utilizing simple art materials. Art therapy is designed to facilitate a line of communication between the patient an... >[more]
Environmentally Friendly Careers A lot of students often wonder how they can practically apply the skills they learn in natural and technical science areas (such as geology, chemistry, biology, etc.) to real world problems. It can seem hard to focus these skills into a meaningful area of research, but one study option that is adaptable to almost any science field is environmental science.What is environmental science? I... >[more]
Evolution of a Career in Biotechnology Everyone knows the hype that centred on Dolly, the world's first cloned sheep. But there is a huge team of scientists and technologists behind the scenes that made Dolly possible. Campus Starter sat down with Dr. Ron James, now retired former Managing Director of PPL Therapeutics (the company that cloned Dolly), to talk about how students can get started in the fascinating field of biotechnology&#... >[more]
Fill'er Up: Finding the Fuel of Tomorrow Imagine pulling up to a gas station and having a choice of gasoline, bio-diesel or electricity to fill your tank. It's not as far off as it may sound when you consider what some countries are testing as alternative fuel sources. While some may sound a little weird, the scientists and geologists of today are leaving no source unexplored in the search for the power of tomorrow.
For instance, Spa... >[more]
DeVry Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Business Operations
DeVry Institute of Technology, Calgary Campus (DeVry Calgary) offers a Bachelor of Business Operations degree (BSOP). Students who are interested in working in technology-based business careers will find this program useful as its aim is ... [read more]
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