Human Relations (BA)
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Why study Human Relations?
Train the leaders of the future. Help people fulfill their potential. When you study human relations, your passion for people shapes you into an agent for social change. Expertise in human relationships in the community and the workplace sets you on a path towards the helping professions. Whether you want to build strong teams in the corporate world or get organized at a grassroots level, our Human Relations program gives you the tools to become a next-generation leader.
Newly admitted students will enter the department in the Human Relations Major or Specialization program. The student will be able to select a concentration at the end of their first semester after having successfully completed the course AHSC 270 (Introduction to Human Relations Theory and Research). AHSC 270 will give a broad perspective on the various systems upon which the Human Relations concentrations will focus. Transfers to one of the concentrations will be done by way of an internal transfer process available in the department.
Our department offers four concentrations in which to focus:
Good facilitation can power a change in how people think and act in their personal and professional lives, as well as support larger positive social change. The Individual and Small Group Processes concentration focuses on working with individuals, small groups, and teams, grounded in an understanding of individual and group developmental tasks, issues, and process. It allows you to acquire a fundamental set of skills, knowledge, and behaviours, as outlined by the International Association of Facilitators (IAF), that support effective facilitation in a wide variety of contexts.
Community Development is a discipline that involves identifying and building on the strengths and needs of communities. This concentration will provide students with both the practical and analytical skills needed to work with communities to engage and enact change by developing their capacity to identify concerns and solutions. Students will learn how to create opportunities for communities to act together, to make changes that foster social inclusion and equality. Our program will prepare students to work with a defined geographical area (cities, suburbs or rural areas), and/or with specific groups of people (e.g. persons with disabilities, youth, children, families, newcomers, the unemployed, and the homeless).
The world is changing fast, and so are the places—the public, private and nonprofit sector organizations—where people work. Our ODC concentration prepares you to influence the evolution of 21st century workplaces. ODC is the planned effort to enhance an organization’s effectiveness through an approach, both relational and analytic, to understand the challenges and opportunities facing an organization and then to design and implement interventions to bring about change. Drawing on decades of behavioural science research and expert practice, you will learn how to help organizations to understand and solve the tough problems that they are facing.
Most of us grew up in families, so we have a pretty good idea about how families work. But not all families work well and not all families work well all the time. Family Science is a discipline that emphasizes the scientific study of families. Family Science attracts practitioners, educators, and researchers who focus on different aspects of family life at different stages of family development—with the overall goal of strengthening and empowering families.
Program Details
A Bachelor of Arts degree takes a minimum of three or four years (90 – 120 credits) of full-time study, depending on your academic background.
Program options:
- Specialization in Human Relations (60 credits)
The concentrations in Individual & Small Group Processes; Family Science; Community Development; and, Organization Development and Change have specialization options. The Specialization is intended to develop a high level of skill and knowledge in the specific concentration and its applications in practical settings.
The Specialization includes a research component and an internship in the final year, culminating and focusing on the student's emphasis of study.
- Major in Human Relations (42 credits)
The concentrations in Individual & Small Group Processes; Community Development; and, Organization Development and Change have major options.
The Major is intended to develop human relations skills and a good grounding in the specific concentration. The Major includes a fieldwork component in the final year, which gives the students an opportunity to apply the skills, and knowledge derived from the classroom. The Major gives the students the flexibility to take a variety of elective courses in other areas in addition to Applied Human Sciences, or for those with specific needs or interests, to select a double Major or Minor in another department to fulfill their degree requirements.
- Minor in Human Relations (30 credits)
This program gives the student an opportunity to obtain knowledge and practice in group dynamics, group leadership, interpersonal relations and communications, design skills and simulated class practice in facilitation. The Minor is designed to provide a basic understanding of group and/or teamwork which is an increasingly important aspect in today's work environment.
See requirements for each option in the Undergraduate Calendar.
We consider complete applications year round and we give priority to applicants who apply by official deadlines. Late applications will be considered if places are still available for the fall term only.
| You've sent your application from: | Fall term deadline | Winter term deadline |
| Inside Canada | March 1 Certain programs have extended their deadlines. Please check program availability. |
November 1 Not all programs are available for this term. Please check program availability. |
| Outside Canada (International) | February 1 | September 1 |
We reserve the right to close admission to a program at any time after the official deadline without prior notice.
- Interpersonal Communication and Relationships
- Respecting Diversity in Human Relations
- Leadership in Small Groups
- Organizational Development
Consult the undergraduate calendar for a complete list of current courses.
Human Relations alumni have sound knowledge in group dynamics and process, change management, interpersonal communications and how people learn. These are all transferable skills that are useful in a variety of areas that include:
- Social service agencies
- Youth service organizations
- Corporations
- Government administration or management