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Atlantic Canada Studies is an interdisciplinary major, minor, honours, concentration, and certificate option in the Arts Faculty which has developed out of an increasing demand by students, faculty and the community generally, for a more organized study of this region.
Students who complete a major, minor, honours, concentration, or certificate in Atlantic Canada Studies will have helped to prepare themselves for a fuller and more meaningful participation in the life of Atlantic Canada, and will have acquired a useful background for careers in teaching, law, trade and industry, and the provincial and federal civil services. Their attention is particularly drawn to the advantages, from a career point of view, of taking Atlantic Canada Studies as part of a double major or honours.
Graduate Studies
For detailed information on the Master of Arts in Atlantic Canada Studies, refer to the Graduate Academic Calendar.
The Certificate in Atlantic Canada Studies requires a formal application for admission and the official approval of the Undergraduate Coordinator for Atlantic Canada Studies. Students applying for admission to the program must have completed thirty (30) credit hours of undergraduate study at an accredited university or must show a demonstrated interest in the field. Students majoring in Atlantic Canada Studies at Saint Mary’s University are not eligible for this program.
Students admitted to the program must complete at least eighteen (18) credit hours at Saint Mary’s University. The official approval of the Undergraduate Coordinator for Atlantic Canada Studies is required for credit hours completed at another institution to be included in the certificate program.
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is a well-established, foundational degree and requires the requirements listed below alongside general graduation requirements.
To complete a major in Atlantic Canada Studies, a student must meet the usual University requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, and in particular, obtain forty-eight (48) credit hours from the courses listed below with a minimum GPA of 2.00 out of 4.3. At least 24 credit hours must be at the 2000 level or above.
To complete a concentration in Atlantic Canada Studies, a student must meet the usual University requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, and in particular, obtain twenty-four (24) credit hours from the courses listed below with a minimum GPA of 2.00 out of 4.3. At least 18 credit hours must be at the 2000 level or above.
To complete an honours program in Atlantic Canada Studies, a student must meet the usual University requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree, and in particular, obtain sixty (60) credit hours from the courses listed below with a minimum GPA of 3.00 out of 4.3. At least 48 credit hours must be at the 2000 level or above.
To complete a minor in Atlantic Canada Studies, a student must obtain twenty-four (24) credit hours from the courses listed below with a minimum GPA of 2.00 out of 4.3. At least 12 credit hours must be at the 2000 level and above.
The Certificate in Atlantic Canada Studies is designed to meet the needs of students who wish to develop a more nuanced understanding of the region. It will be attractive for students from within Atlantic Canada who wish to improve their knowledge of the local culture that shapes and surrounds them. As well, it provides a valuable educational option for international students travelling abroad who may wish to follow an intense, but carefully planned curriculum that combines a variety of different academic opportunities into a one-year program of study. By creating a classroom environment where local and international students share their different perspectives on the region, the certificate stimulates a useful exchange of ideas and fully integrates the study of Atlantic Canada into a broader national and global analytical framework.
By striking this balance between courses that are tightly focused on the study of the region, and supplementary classes designed to provide a broader Canadian context, the certificate provides students with a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of Atlantic Canada’s historical, political, economic and cultural life, as well as the region’s natural environment.
To complete the Certificate, students are required to complete the following twenty-four (24) credit hours.
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