News & Events

If Jean-Paul Boudreau has anything to do with it, there is going to be a new buzz about Ryerson University’s Faculty of Arts.

Boudreau, who assumed the role of dean on Aug. 1 after eight years as chair of the Department of Psychology, firmly believes in building on the distinction of the faculty while exploring new directions and innovations.

“The Faculty of Arts at Ryerson is built upon an extraordinary platform of excellence from which new dreams and aspirations can be explored,” said Boudreau. “My vision is about honouring the intellectual and scholarly traditions of the faculty, preserving and nurturing the momentum of the last decade’s unprecedented growth, and innovating new ideas and collaborations.”

On Boudreau’s agenda is an extensive and impressive number of items: from inspiring a world-class research program and designing smart research partnerships to attracting and retaining the best faculty, students and staff, and re-thinking the 21st-century curriculum and classroom. Reaching out to Ryerson’s other faculties and programs, and fostering a national and international profile will play a key role in continuing to enhance the reputation of the faculty and its students, faculty, staff and alumni.

The evolution of the arts at Ryerson is sure to be supported by the three new bachelor degree programs approved by the Ryerson University Senate in spring 2011: History, Philosophy, and Environment and Urban Sustainability.

The programs are anticipated to continue to break the mould of what is considered elsewhere to be a very traditional university degree, adding to the faculty’s existing eight full-time undergraduate programs. Over the last 10 years, the Faculty of Arts has garnered a reputation for delivering liberal studies while blending in Ryerson’s brand of relevant, career-based learning that provides students with experiential learning opportunities and skills demanded by today’s employers: critical thinking, communication and hands-on practical skills.

The three new programs will share a feature unique to Ryerson’s arts degrees: the first-year common platform. Available to students enrolling in arts programs in fall 2012, this curricular innovation allows students to transfer seamlessly between any of the arts programs after their first year while providing them the opportunity to explore a wide range of course selection and curricular pathways.

Here’s an overview of the three new programs.

Bachelor of Arts degree in History
Offered by: The Department of History
Launches: BA in History, Fall 2012

History has been taught at Ryerson for decades, and a formal Department of History dates back almost 30 years. However, the new BA program will occupy a distinctive place within a comparable range of undergraduate opportunities in Ontario as it will provide students with career-focused components. Students who pursue the 20-course specialist option will take foundational, historian’s craft and seminar courses to develop research, analytical and communication skills. They can also take advantage of the degree’s distinctive options: heritage management courses for those thinking of museums, historic sites and related fields as career choices; experiential learning opportunities to allow them to perform real-world work; or a thesis course for those considering graduate school or wishing to conduct in-depth investigations. Students may also take the new six-course minor or enrol in the existing 12-course History option within the popular Arts and Contemporary Studies program.

Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy
Offered by: The Department of Philosophy
Launches: BA in Philosophy, Fall 2013

Ryerson currently offers a two-year MA degree in philosophy, as well as a 12-course option within its Arts and Contemporary Studies program. Commencing in 2013, Ryerson will offer a four-year specialization. Unlike most other Canadian programs, Ryerson’s Department of Philosophy will provide students with applied and experiential components, as well as a focus on critical issues in professional and applied ethics. It will offer students professional experience, and a career focus that will allow them to distinguish themselves from other philosophy graduates. In addition to its focus on applied ethics and the history of philosophy, the philosophy curriculum will be combined with programming from other Ryerson schools and departments to give students interdisciplinary insight. A six-course minor will also be available.

Bachelor of Arts degree in Environment and Urban Sustainability
Offered by: The Department of Geography
Launches: BA in Environment and Urban Sustainability, Fall 2012

With Ryerson’s downtown Toronto campus, students wishing to pursue the Environment and Urban Sustainability BA will have access to an excellent laboratory for investigating the issues and challenges associated with urban environmental sustainability. The program reflects an extension of the department’s commitment to environmental education developed over the last three decades, and continues the success of the environmental stream within the Geographical Analysis program. The program’s curriculum provides students with a broad perspective by drawing on expertise from a variety of other disciplines including economics, history, politics and governance, philosophy, psychology and sociology.

Listen to the podcast of Boudreau speaking with Ryerson Today about the changes in the Faculty of Arts.