International Studies Option in Social Science

Description: What is research? What is science? How do the disciplines of Anthropology, Economics, Geography,
History, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology contribute to our understanding of human life? To answer these
questions, students explore the process of scientific research and communication in the social sciences. Specifically,
they learn to carry out a literature search, evaluate the relevance and reliability of varied information sources, summarize these sources using scientific conventions and communicate their ideas clearly, both orally and in written form.
Throughout, students also learn about, and experience, the role of teamwork and feedback in the research process.

Description: What connects humans throughout history? Discover fascinating people and events that changed
the world and tie it together. After setting the scene with premodern global history, dive into the state of the
world in the 1500s, including colonialism, imperialism, slavery, and cultural assimilation. In the Modern Era,
juxtapose Enlightenment ideals and global revolutions with the slow and difficult application of human rights
and creeping industrialization. Conclude your journey with the past century, its conflicts, authoritarianism,
nationalism, decolonization, technological revolutions, globalization, and fights for the environment and civil
rights. Along the way, add to your historical, research, and writing skills.

Description: Learn the principles and tools of macroeconomic analysis and apply them to understand real world
economic events and policies. Topics include: economics systems, economic incentives, macroeconomic indicators (such as inflation, unemployment, and gross domestic product), business cycles, economic growth, fiscal and
monetary policies, and the aggregate demand and aggregate supply model.

Description: Every day we interact with the world around us and we unknowingly leave a trace. These patterns can be explored in global, regional, and local contexts to better understand our role in the world, both as
individuals and collectively within society. Geographic perspectives on cultural, socio-economic and physical
landscapes enable us to address contemporary issues in society and to prepare ourselves for environmental
challenges. Through active learning, the unique aspects of geographic spatial relationships and human-environment interactions are experienced.

Description: How do we distinguish between scientific and non-scientific knowledge? What are the ethical guidelines that direct research in the social sciences? What are the theories and techniques used by social scientists to
obtain and analyze qualitative data? Investigate the social world using qualitative research methods such as interviews, participant observation and thematic analysis. Apply your critical thinking skills to contextualize research
results and produce scientific research papers.

Description: Politics determine who gets what, when, and how in society. Explore the institutions and processes of
political life. Learn not only about basic concepts and theories of political science at the local, regional, national,
and international levels, but also about current political events and issues. Topics include: democratic vs. nondemocratic governments; rights and freedoms; political knowledge and political participation; and constitutions, laws,
and legal systems.

Description: How do people learn? What is memory and why do we forget? How does the brain work? You get to
answer these and many more questions in Introduction to Psychology. The topics discussed help you understand
how various factors can influence your behaviour and brain processes in different situations and give you a new
perspective on some of your own experiences. Strategies to help with your memory, study habits, and learning
methods are discussed, which will help you apply course topics to your own life.

Description: Learning about the global history of the Twentieth Century helps to better understand the major
changes and issues confronting the world today. Beginning with the ‘Belle Époque’ period, examine the tensions that led to the catastrophe of the First World War. Focus on the defining events of the World Wars, the
Great Depression, totalitarianism, the Holocaust, decolonization, and the Cold War. Additionally, learn about
the emergence of important ideologies including nationalism, imperialism, fascism, communism, and globalism. Finally, trace the development of major 20th Century themes such as modern warfare, nuclear disarmament, human and civil rights movements, AIDS, and the role of the United Nations.

Description: How do we collect and quantify data? How does the data we gather help us understand the social
world? In Quantitative Methods, we learn descriptive and inferential statistical operations, and how to analyse
statistics in popular media and scholarly texts. Summarizing, interpreting and critically evaluating quantitative information, we become familiar with the fundamental concepts and basic techniques of the quantitative methods
in the Social Sciences.

Description: The world around us is continually changing. Each year, we see the emergence of issues that require our
immediate attention, including wars, environmental degradation, economic crises, the spread of disease, humanitarian
crises, and many more. Yet despite the urgent need for action, it is often difficult to understand these complex issues. Students first learn to evaluate news and social media sources in order to gain the ability to critically analyze
emerging issues. Students then actively apply concepts and theories from Economics, Geography, History, and
Political Science in seminar discussions to gain a better understanding of contemporary issues of their choosing.

One of the following (Student Choice):
383-S03-LA International Economics
320-S03-LA Urban Geography and Development
330-S06-LA History of the United States
385-S02-LA World Politics

One of the following (Student Choice):
Level 1 Concentration Course (Student choice) Varies
Level 2 Concentration Course (Student choice)
360-QM2-LA Quantitative Methods 2
101-SHB-LA Human Biology

Description: Scholarly conventions of the social sciences dictate how we plan, carry out and evaluate academic
work, including following ethical guidelines and expressing ideas clearly. The final integrative research project
is a guided multidisciplinary comprehensive assessment of the knowledge and skills acquired through the social
science program. It offers a broadened understanding of the social world and the chance to evaluate one’s own
learning journey in the Social Sciences.

Description: The United Nations (UN) and other global International Organizations are the primary forums for
countries to solve global challenges, including military conflict, human rights violations, climate change, trade
disputes, and breaches of international law. Using concepts from Political Science, History, Geography, and Economics, students learn the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to understand the functioning of international
organizations and the types of issues they address. Students then gain practical experience in managing global issues
through simulated negotiations as they represent a country, advance its interests, and work to find solutions to the
problems that affect the world today.

Two of the following (Student Choice):
383-S04-LA Law and the Underground Economy
320-S04-LA Geography aof Migration and Settlement
330-S10-LA History of Drugs
385-S06-LA War Games: Simulating Military Strategy