9 Unique Degree Programs In Canada You Can Take If You Don't Want To Go The Traditional Route
If you're getting ready to go to university or are thinking of heading back to school, figuring out which degrees you might want to get is an important step in the process.
Even though there are tried and true classics like English, history, engineering, finance and more, there are also so many unique degree programs at Canadian universities.
You might not even know these kinds of programs exist if you aren't looking for them specifically!
That means you can get a university degree while studying something that's not so traditional and more in line with your interests.
Some of the unique programs include Computing and the Creative Arts, Gender and Social Justice, Cinema Studies, Speech Sciences, and more.
You can find these programs being offered at post-secondary institutions across Canada, including the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, Queen's University, and the University of British Columbia.
Here are nine degree programs at Canadian universities that are more interesting than the typical English degree!
Computing and the Creative Arts
School: Queen's University
Description: This program is for students who are interested in both computing and the fine arts.
It offers courses in art, drama, film or music along with a concentration in computer science and mathematics.
According to Queen's University, graduates can expect to work in the entertainment industry, art galleries and museums, multimedia design and production, and in the development of the next generation of software for the arts.
Speech Sciences
School: University of B.C.
Description: This is an interdisciplinary program with courses from linguistics, psychology, and the school of audiology and speech sciences. Students will cover research methods, language structure, child development and language acquisition, anatomy and physiology, experimental psychology, and instrumental phonetics.
Some of the career paths include art or music therapist, AI designer, audiologist, communication disorders assistant, communications manager, education consultant, English-as-a-second-language teacher, human resources specialist and speech pathologist.
Cinema Studies
School: University of Toronto
Description: The Cinema Studies program at the University of Toronto offers courses that reflect the cinematic experience, including film analysis, history, social practice, and theory.
Other topics that are covered throughout the program are types of film, film genres, media cultures, and new media.
It is designed to develop abilities to understand cinema through a wide range of contexts like critical, economic, cultural, technological, and aesthetic.
Graduates are "well-equipped" to apply their knowledge to various media-related careers, according to the university. Those include arts and entertainment journalists, film programmers, and image archivists.
Horticulture Science
School: University of Saskatchewan
Description: If you don't know what horticulture is, it's the study of the biology, improvement, production and utilization of fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and more.
With the Horticultural Science program, students learn how to design and maintain an urban forest, community garden or golf course, manage a greenhouse, beautify the environment while reducing energy use and pollution, help grow food crops sustainably, and more.
Career opportunities in horticulture include greenhouse and crop production, landscape construction and management, marketing and sales, private and public research, design and maintenance of private and public plant collections and botanical gardens, crop and food inspection, plant breeding industries, and tree nurseries.
United States Studies
School: University of B.C.
Description: The U.S. Studies program at the University of B.C. is a collaboration between the political science, economics and history departments.
In the program, students will work to gain an in-depth understanding of politics, economics and history in the U.S. through courses about the presidency, African-American history and American foreign policy.
It is meant to provide the Canadian government, corporations, and other institutions with graduates who have an understanding of the U.S. and Canada-U.S. relations.
Career opportunities can be found across a range of fields, including government, non-profit, business, law, journalism, tourism, and education.
Sexuality, Marriage and Family Studies
School: University of Waterloo
Description: This program is touted by the University of Waterloo as being "the only one of its kind in Canada."
It goes beyond basic anatomical knowledge and sexual health by using different perspectives to explore relationships, communication, parenting, and media effects on gender, sex, and relationships, the impact of culture on sexual values, and more.
Some of the career paths with this degree are teaching, counselling, social services, and community engagement.
View the Sexuality, Marriage and Family Studies program here
Medieval Studies
School: University of B.C.
Description: By studying the medieval period with this program, students are meant to come away with an understanding of civilization as a whole through its unity and diversity.
Also, students will learn how to critically evaluate the use of the past in the present and correct our misconceptions about the medieval and pre-modern world.
There are a lot of career paths for graduates of this program, including archivist, auctioneer, biographer, charitable organization director, communications specialist, museum educator and records technician.
Translation
School: University of Ottawa
Description: With the Translation program at the University of Ottawa, students learn about writing, editing, terminology and computer-assisted translation.
This is meant to provide people with professional training in general, specialized and technical translation.
Career opportunities include a translator, terminologist, language advisor, and bilingual or trilingual writer.
Also, since Canada is a bilingual country, federal government agencies like Canada Revenue Agency, Parks Canada, Public Safety Canada, and Statistics Canada are potential employers for graduates of this translation program.
Gender and Social Justice
School: University of Waterloo
Description: This program explores the ways that society is shaped by gender and teaches students how to be advocates for equity, justice, and positive change.
Students will also learn about the role gender and sex play in all aspects of life and develop expertise in issues relating to gender, diversity, equality, and social justice.
While a university degree is a must-have to get hired for a lot of jobs, there are still positions in Canada that don't require a post-secondary education.
Some of the highest-paying jobs you can get without a degree are receptionists, accounting clerks, landscape technicians, maintenance managers, sales executives, and more.
The salaries for these positions can be close to or even over $100,000 a year!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
Queen's students wearing tams.