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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

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Undergraduates

As an undergraduate in the Liberal Studies program, you will be able to deepen your capacity for effective communication, analysis, creative thinking, and critical self-reflection. Preparing you to flourish in your personal and professional lives informs the holistic, interdisciplinary approach of the Liberal Studies program. Building on the disciplinary strengths of the university as a whole—and the Faculty of Social Science & Humanities in particular—Liberal Studies will enable you to pursue your academic interests and professional aspirations beyond the disciplinary confines of other programs. Consisting of an introductory and capstone course, plus continuous opportunities for personalized institutional guidance and support, the Liberal Studies honours degree program grants you the flexibility to decide which courses to take among the fascinating array of offerings at our university!

Learning outcomes

The Liberal Studies program will enable you to:

  • Identify what distinguishes the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences as approaches to academic study.
  • Discuss the meaning and value of contemporary liberal education.
  • Evaluate normative justifications in light of social, political, economic, legal, cultural and moral considerations.
  • Practice critical self-reflection in the production of creative, synthetic work.
  • Analyze the respective strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research methods. 
  • Answer questions such as, "What does it mean today for a human being to be free?" and "What relationship do large-scale global challenges such as climate change, poverty and armed conflict bear to local decision-making?"

 

Contact your advising team:

Faculty of Social Science and Humanities
Charles Hall
61 Charles Street, Rooms 330 A and B
905.721.8668 ext. 3838
sshadvising@ontariotechu.ca

Drop-in hours:

Visit the Academic Advising page on the FSSH website for additional information.

Year 1

  • COMM 1100U Introduction to Communication Studies
  • CRMN 1000U Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • LGLS 1000U Foundations of Legal Studies
  • POSC 1000U Introduction to Political Science
  • PSYC 1000U Introductory Psychology
  • SOCI 1000U Introductory Sociology
  • SSCI 1910U Writing for the Social Sciences
  • 3 electives

Year 2

  • LBAT 2000U Introduction to Liberal Studies
  • PSYC 2010U Developmental Psychology
  • INDG 2000U Introduction to Indigenous Studies
  • LGLS 2940U Legal Research Methods
  • LGLS 2200U Legal Theory
  • POSC 2200U Fundamentals of Policy Theory
  • COMM 2410 History of Communication Technology
  • SSCI 2900U Research Methods
  • CRMN 2030U Social Control
  • CRMN 2831U Critical Race Theory

Year 3

  • POSC 3600U Politics of Education in Canada
  • POSC 3100U Political Economy of Global Development
  • LGLS 3310U Indigenous Peoples, Law and the State in Canada
  • LGLS 3300U Disability and the Law
  • LGLS 3700 Law & Power
  • CRMN 3010U Social Justice and Conflict
  • CRMN 3040U Restorative Justice
  • CRMN 3035U Representations of Crime and Justice
  • COMM 3110 Communication Ethics
  • COMM 3710 Intercultural Communication

Year 4

  • LBAT 4000U Liberal Studies Capstone
  • SSCI 4020U Leadership and Administration
  • LGLS 4200U Law and Social Change
  • LGLS 4100 Law, Justice and Education
  • CRMN 4000U Advanced Justice Studies
  • COMM 4420 Digital Media, Politics and Democracy
  • SSCI 4101U Honours Thesis I
  • SSCI 4102U Honours Thesis II
  • SSCI 3098U Pre-Practicum
  • SSCI 4098U Practicum

Year 1

  • ALSU 1101U Foundations for Academic Learning and Success
  • COMM 1100U Introduction to Communication Studies
  • COMM 1420 Living Digitally
  • CRMN 1000U Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • LGLS 1000U Foundations of Legal Studies
  • POSC 1000U Introduction to Political Science
  • PSYC 1000U Introductory Psychology
  • SOCI 1000U Introductory Sociology
  • SSCI 1910U Writing for the Social Sciences
  • One general elective

Year 2

  • LBAT 2000U Introduction to Liberal Studies
  • COMM 2110U Communication Theory: Keyworks
  • COMM 2410 History of Communication Technology
  • PSYC 2010U Developmental Psychology
  • INDG 2000U Introduction to Indigenous Studies
  • LGLS 2940U Legal Research Methods
  • LGLS 2200U Legal Theory
  • LGLS 2500U Information and Privacy Law
  • POSC 2200U Fundamentals of Policy Theory
  • CRMN 2030U Social Control

Year 3

  • COMM 3410 Digital Media Storytelling
  • COMM 3740 From Pong to Pokemon Go: Digital Games Studies
  • COMM 3110 Communication Ethics
  • POSC 3700U Social Theory and Technology
  • POSC 3750U Technology and Popular Culture
  • POSC 3751U Technology and Conflict
  • POSC 3600U Politics of Education in Canada
  • CRMN 3021U Cybercrime
  • LGLS 3520U Law and Technology
  • LGLS 3510 Freedom of Expression & Censorship

Year 4

  • LBAT 4000U Liberal Studies Capstone
  • COMM 4420 Digital Media, Politics and Democracy
  • COMM 4261 Tweet, Friend and Follow Media: Understanding Social Media
  • COMM 4140 Visual Rhetoric
  • SSCI 4020U Leadership and Administration
  • LGLS 4200U Law and Social Change
  • SSCI 4101U Honours Thesis I
  • SSCI 4102U Honours Thesis II
  • SSCI 3098U Pre-Practicum
  • SSCI 4098U Practicum
Students registered in a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) program within the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities are permitted to pursue any combination of two majors within the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities concurrently as a double major. Double-major program maps have been approved by the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities and are available through the Academic Advising Office. Students undertaking a double major within the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities will, in most cases, be required to complete more than 120 credit hours. Students wishing to declare a double major must consult with the Academic Advising office.

The Honours Thesis is an independent research project on a subject of your own choosing that presents you with the opportunity to further develop your critical thinking and analytical skills. Under the guidance and support of a supervisor, you are responsible for conceiving and executing your particular research project. 

Benefits of pursuing an Honours Thesis:

  • Enhance your research and writing skills
  • Seek the opportunity to work one-on-one with a supervisor 
  • Preparation for graduate studies

Apply for the course

In order to be considered for the Honours Thesis I, you must apply during your sixth semester to begin your Honours Thesis I in semester seven. Your course application must include a detailed statement of intent outlining the methodology, theoretical significance and the projected timelines for completion of the project. To proceed to Honours Thesis II, you must have successfully completed Honours Thesis I with a minimum A- and prepare a written statement outlining the projected timelines for completion of the project.

For more information, please contact Academic Advising.

Experiential Learning

The FSSH Experiential Learning office serves students from all BA programs, arranging placements and internships for students in a wide variety of workplace environments. The office therefore has experience and an established network of contacts for catering to students enrolled in the Liberal Studies program. For more information, please visit the Experiential Learning Office page. 

Previous placement organizations include:

Graduates from the Liberal Studies program will have a wide and solid academic foundation, preparing them for a range of professions and employment opportunities, as well as further education in areas including:

  • college instructor
  • community and social service worker
  • correctional officer
  • educational counsellor
  • entrepreneur
  • fundraiser
  • mediator
  • lawyer
  • librarian 
  • retail manager
  • sales and purchasing agent
  • social worker
  • police officer
  • public relations officer
  • elementary school teacher
  • writer/editor

Current Ontario secondary school students must complete the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with six 4U or 4M courses, including English (ENG4U).

For more information, please see the Liberal Studies admissions page.