Section 31.001 Faculty of Arts and Science

Structure

The Faculty of Arts and Science, comprised of the former Loyola Faculty of Arts and Science, the former Sir George Williams Faculty of Arts, and the former Sir George Williams Faculty of Science, was brought into being on July 1, 1977.

For administrative purposes, the Faculty consists of departments, programs, colleges, institutes, and schools.

The departments and other units of which the Faculty is comprised are as follows:

Departments

• Department of Applied Human Sciences
• Department of Biology
• Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Department of Classics, Modern Languages and Linguistics
• Department of Communication Studies
• Department of Economics
• Department of Education
• Department of English
• Département d'études françaises
• Department of Geography, Planning and Environment
• Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology
• Department of History
• Department of Journalism
• Department of Mathematics and Statistics
• Department of Philosophy
• Department of Physics
• Department of Political Science
• Department of Psychology
• Department of Religions and Cultures
• Department of Sociology and Anthropology
• Department of Theological Studies

Colleges

• Liberal Arts College
• Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability
• School of Irish Studies
• School of Community and Public Affairs
• Science College
• Simone de Beauvoir Institute and Women’s Studies

Objectives

The Faculty of Arts and Science is committed to responsible and innovative leadership in developing and disseminating knowledge and values, and encouraging constructive social criticism. The Faculty achieves these objectives through inclusive and accessible academic programs which stress a broad‑based, interdisciplinary approach to learning. We are dedicated to superior teaching and research supported by excellence in scholarship and creative activity, and a tradition of service to the community. The Faculty of Arts and Science serves many interdependent academic communities in an urban environment where students, staff, and faculty can pursue their shared commitment to lifelong learning.

Studies in Arts and Science

The Faculty of Arts and Science encourages all students to explore beyond the boundaries of their programs of concentration. This is facilitated by the program structure and graduation requirements of the undergraduate degrees (see Section 31.002 Programs and Admission Requirements and Section 31.003 Degree Requirements). Undergraduate degrees normally require 90 credits of coursework, consisting of at least one program of concentration (major at 36 to 48 credits; specialization or honours at 60 or more credits). The balance of the degree requirements may be made up of one or two minors (24 to 30 credits), one or two elective groups (15 or 18 credits), or by courses selected from a broad spectrum of disciplines. Students electing to take more than one minor may be required to surpass their regular credit requirement for graduation. Students are required to complete at least 24 credits outside their main discipline (defined in this context by the four-letter course prefix) in addition to their program requirements. Credits earned to meet the General Education requirement (see Section 31.004 General Education) may also be counted toward this 24-credit requirement. In programs leading to professional accreditation or in programs that include at least 12 credits from another discipline, the 24-credit requirement can be reduced to 18 credits.

Most major programs are relatively short, allowing maximal development of interests outside the area of concentration. Two areas of concentration can be combined in a double major. Even longer programs (specialization and honours) allow students to diversify their studies for up to one third of their degree requirements.

Program structures thus permit students to obtain a judicious balance between concentrated study and exploration of broader interests. Department and Faculty advisors are available to help students develop a plan of study which accommodates their personal interests and satisfies degree requirements.

Programs of concentration and related minors are published in the Calendar entries for each of the disciplines in the Faculty (Section 31.010 Department of Applied Human Sciences onward). To facilitate innovative exploration outside these standard disciplines, the Faculty offers many alternatives. First, the University has established six Colleges (Section 31.520 Liberal Arts College to Section 31.560 Simone de Beauvoir Institute and Women’s Studies) which foster various philosophies and methods of education on an intimate scale. Second, it has created majors which cross disciplinary boundaries (Southern Asia Studies and Women’s Studies). In addition, selected students may create their own Individually Structured Program (Section 31.170 Interdisciplinary Studies) under the direction of the Faculty advisor. Finally, the Faculty offers cross-disciplinary minors (for example, Irish Studies, Southern Asia Studies, and Women’s Studies) and a number of Interdisciplinary courses (Section 31.170 Interdisciplinary Studies) which may be chosen as electives in any program.

A good education — balancing the development of expert knowledge in a narrow domain with broader academic experience — can be obtained in the Faculty of Arts and Science. The programs outlined are best considered as models of what can be planned by imaginative students and their academic advisors.