Canadian Studies Joint Honours Component (B.A.) (36 credits)
Offered by: Institute for Study of Canada (Faculty of Arts)
Degree: Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Arts and Science
Program credit weight: 36
Program Description
The B.A.; Joint Honours - Canadian Studies Component is an interdisciplinary program focused on in-depth multidisciplinary perspectives on Canada and its key institutions, with an emphasis on public affairs as it related to social and cultural issues and debates in the Canadian context, and the responses and actions taken or needed to be taken.
Students who wish to study a the Honours level in two disciplines can combine Joint Honours components from any two Arts disciplines. Students with a minimum program GPA of 3.30 in their program courses and, in keeping with Faculty regulations, a minimum CGPA of 3.00 in general, are eligible to apply to the Joint Honours. Application deadlines are December 25 and May 15. Forms are available on the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC) website.
Joint Honours students should consult an adviser in each department to discuss their course selection and their interdisciplinary research project (if applicable).
Degree Requirements — B.A. students
To be eligible for a B.A. degree, a student must fulfil all Faculty and program requirements as indicated in Degree Requirements for the Faculty of Arts.
We recommend that students consult an Arts OASIS advisor for degree planning.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Required Courses (15 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CANS 200 | Understanding Canada. | 3 |
Understanding Canada. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Key cultural, economic, social and political institutions and their evolution over time. | ||
| CANS 306 | Topics in Indigenous Public Affairs . | 3 |
Topics in Indigenous Public Affairs . Terms offered: Summer 2025 Past and present achievements and concerns within Indigenous societies across Canada. | ||
| CANS 420 | Shaping Public Affairs in Canada. | 3 |
Shaping Public Affairs in Canada. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploration of key aspects of public affairs and leadership in Canada. | ||
| CANS 492 | Joint Honours Thesis. | 3 |
Joint Honours Thesis. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Honours thesis research to be carried out under the supervision of a faculty member. | ||
| QCST 200 | Introduction to the Study of Quebec. | 3 |
Introduction to the Study of Quebec. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the ideas and approaches that scholars have used and developed to study Quebec, including some of the foremost issues that have shaped Quebec historically and continue to influence contemporary life. The changing notions about territory, identity, language, citizenship and belonging, the complexity and diversity of Quebec (11 Aboriginal nations, multilingual, multiethnic and religious communities, minority status within Canada) will also be explored from a comparative perspective to identify characteristics that Quebec shares with other nations and those that are different. | ||
Complementary Courses (21 credits)
200 Level
6 credits chosen from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 219 | Current Economic Problems: Topics. | 3 |
Current Economic Problems: Topics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course will deal with topical issues of importance to the Canadian economy. | ||
| ENGL 228 | Canadian Literature 1. | 3 |
Canadian Literature 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A chronological survey of Canadian literature, Part 1. | ||
| ENGL 229 | Canadian Literature 2. | 3 |
Canadian Literature 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A chronological survey of Canadian literature, Part 2. A continuation of ENGL 228. | ||
| FREN 252 | Littérature québécoise. | 3 |
Littérature québécoise. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction à la littérature québécoise des origines à nos jours. | ||
| HIST 202 | Survey: Canada to 1867. | 3 |
Survey: Canada to 1867. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of early Canada, from periods known mainly through archaeological records to the Confederation era. Social, cultural, economic and political themes will be examined. | ||
| HIST 203 | Survey: Canada since 1867. | 3 |
Survey: Canada since 1867. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of the development of Canada from Confederation to the present day. Social, economic and political history will be examined in a general way. | ||
| INDG 200 | Introduction to Indigenous Studies. | 3 |
Introduction to Indigenous Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The focus is on Indigenous experience in Canada, but encourages comparative approaches. Introduction to the social, political, economic and cultural dimensions of Indigenous life in Canada. | ||
| POLI 221 | Government of Canada. | 3 |
Government of Canada. Terms offered: Summer 2025 An examination of the central governmental institutions, including parliament, federalism, and the judiciary. | ||
| POLI 222 | Political Process and Behaviour in Canada. | 3 |
Political Process and Behaviour in Canada. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to contemporary political life in Canada that examines how demands are identified and transmitted through the political systems. Emphasis will be placed on: the Canadian political culture; socialization and political participation; the electoral system; elections and voting; the role and structure of political parties; and the influence of organized interest. | ||
| SOCI 230 | Sociology of Ethnic Relations. | 3 |
Sociology of Ethnic Relations. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the sociological study of minority groups in Canada. The course will explore the themes of racism, prejudice, and discrimination, ethnic and racial inequalities, cultural identities, multiculturalism, immigration. Theoretical, empirical, and policy issues will be discussed. While the focus will be primarily on Canada, comparisons will be made with the United States. | ||
300 and 400 levels
9 credits in interdisciplinary Canadian Studies (CANS) courses chosen from the following list of which at least 3 credits have to be at the 400 level:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CANS 300 | Topics in Canadian Studies 1. | 3 |
Topics in Canadian Studies 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An historical explanation of the Canadian experience of nationalism from the Patriotes to the First Nations, with reference to politics, economics, iconography, ideology and multicultural experience. | ||
| CANS 301 | Topics in Canadian Studies 2. | 3 |
Topics in Canadian Studies 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An interdisciplinary course on a Canadian Studies topic. | ||
| CANS 307 | Canada in the World. | 3 |
Canada in the World. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Canada's interaction with other countries and regions. | ||
| CANS 308 | Sex and Gender in Canada. | 3 |
Sex and Gender in Canada. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Sex and gender in Canada in the past and the present. | ||
| CANS 310 | Canadian Cultures: Context and Issues. | 3 |
Canadian Cultures: Context and Issues. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course traces the history of Canadian cultures from the middle of the 19th century to the present. It focuses on the diversity of Canadian cultural identities through literature, drama, art and the mass media. | ||
| CANS 311 | Topics in Canadian Public Affairs 1. | 3 |
Topics in Canadian Public Affairs 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An interdisciplinary selected topic dealing with Canadian public affairs. | ||
| CANS 312 | Topics in Canadian Public Affairs 2. | 3 |
Topics in Canadian Public Affairs 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An interdisciplinary selected topic dealing with Canadian public affairs. | ||
| CANS 315 | Indigenous Art and Culture. | 3 |
Indigenous Art and Culture. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of the work of selected First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists in Canada. | ||
| CANS 401 | Canadian Studies Seminar 1. | 3 |
Canadian Studies Seminar 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An interdisciplinary seminar on a Canadian Studies topic. | ||
| CANS 402 | Canadian Studies Seminar 2. | 3 |
Canadian Studies Seminar 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An interdisciplinary seminar on a Canadian Studies topic. | ||
| CANS 404 | Canadian Studies Seminar 4. | 3 |
Canadian Studies Seminar 4. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An interdisciplinary seminar on a Canadian Studies topic. | ||
| CANS 405 | Canadian Studies Seminar 5. | 3 |
Canadian Studies Seminar 5. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An interdisciplinary seminar on a Canadian Studies topic. | ||
| CANS 406 | Canadian Studies Seminar 6. | 3 |
Canadian Studies Seminar 6. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An interdisciplinary seminar on a Canadian Studies topic. | ||
| CANS 408 | Individual Reading Course. | 3 |
Individual Reading Course. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Supervised reading on an explicitly multidisciplinary topic under the direction of a professor working in the field of Canadian Studies. | ||
| CANS 412 | Canada and Americas Seminar. | 3 |
Canada and Americas Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Canada and the Americas. | ||
| CANS 413 | Canada and Quebec Seminar. | 3 |
Canada and Quebec Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Comparison of Canada and Quebec. | ||
| CANS 499 | Internship - Canadian Studies. | 3 |
Internship - Canadian Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Internship with an approved host institution or organization. | ||
6 credits chosen from the following list:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 338 | Indigenous Studies of Anthropology. | 3 |
Indigenous Studies of Anthropology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to Native American and Indigenous studies (NAIS) as a means of critically engaging with the discipline of anthropology. | ||
| ARTH 302 | Aspects of Canadian Art. | 3 |
Aspects of Canadian Art. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of selected subjects relevant to a specific period of art in Canada. | ||
| ECON 303 | Canadian Economic Policy. | 3 |
Canadian Economic Policy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Major theories of how economic policy is made and goes on to use economic tools of analysis to investigate selected policy problems of current interest. | ||
| ECON 305 | Industrial Organization. | 3 |
Industrial Organization. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The course analyzes the structure, conduct, and performance of industries, particularly but not exclusively in Canada. Topics include effects of mergers, barriers to entry, product line and promotion policies, vertical integration, and R D policies of firms. | ||
| ECON 308 | Governmental Policy Towards Business. | 3 |
Governmental Policy Towards Business. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Covers the major public policies toward business in Canada, such as competition policy, regulation, public ownership and privatization, industrial policies, and trade policies. Includes comparison with policies of other countries, especially the U.S. Readings will include some legal decisions. | ||
| ENGL 313 | Canadian Drama and Theatre. | 3 |
Canadian Drama and Theatre. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Dramatic forms and theatrical practices in Canada from beginnings to the present day. | ||
| ENGL 393 | Canadian Cinema. | 3 |
Canadian Cinema. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of Canadian cinema. | ||
| FREN 315 | Cinéma québécois. | 3 |
Cinéma québécois. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Étude thématique du cinéma québécois à travers ses principaux films. | ||
| HIST 303 | History of Quebec. | 3 |
History of Quebec. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Covering Quebec history from New France to contemporary times, this course will include themes like ethnic relations, citizenship, gender and material culture. It is of particular interest to students in Education who foresee teaching about Quebec. | ||
| HIST 342 | Canada and the World. | 3 |
Canada and the World. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Explores the relationships between the societies of Northern North America,including what is now Canada, and the wider world, from the pre-contact Indigenous age to the present. Key themes include migration, diplomacy, empire, colonialism, business, trade, war, international development, and the circulation of culture and ideas. | ||
| HIST 343 | Women in Post-Confederation Canada. | 3 |
Women in Post-Confederation Canada. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course examines women's contribution to the economic and social development of Canada as well as the changes in the image and status of women. Special emphasis will be on the relationship between women's roles in the private sphere and the public domain. | ||
| HIST 364 | Canada 1914-1945. | 3 |
Canada 1914-1945. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course will examine Canada and Canadian society between 1914 and 1945. It will focus on the social, political, economic and cultural impact of the two World Wars and the economic crisis of the 1930s. Among the topics will be Canadian external relations, political and social protest, popular culture, demographic changes and prohibition. | ||
| HIST 367 | Canada since 1945. | 3 |
Canada since 1945. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Elements of Canada's political, social, economic, and cultural history since World War II. Topics will include constitutional questions, gender and class issues, the role of the state, regionalism, consumer society, the Quiet Revolution, and nationalism in Canada. | ||
| LING 325 | Canadian English. | 3 |
Canadian English. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A diverse, interdisciplinary set of perspectives on the English language in Canada, including its status as one of many Canadian languages and as the expressive medium of English-Canadian culture, the history of English-speaking settlement in Canada, and linguistic analysis of its main distinguishing features, regional variation and changes in progress. | ||
| POLI 336 | Le Québec et le Canada. | 3 |
Le Québec et le Canada. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Comment les Canadiens anglais et les Québécois se perçoivent-ils? Les différences culturelles entre les deux groupes. Les relations politiques et économiques entre les deux groupes. L'impact de la Révolution Tranquille. La place des francophones et des anglophones dans la vie collective. Les projets de réaménagement du cadre politique. | ||
| POLI 372 | Indigenous Peoples and the Canadian State. | 3 |
Indigenous Peoples and the Canadian State. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The relationship of Indigenous politics to larger debates and literatures within political science, such as citizenship theory, federalism, and collective action. Subjects covered include Canada's treaty history, constitutional changes, key policy frameworks, and Indigenous political development. | ||
| POLI 417 | Health Care in Canada. | 3 |
Health Care in Canada. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course analyzes the theory and politics of health policy and institutions, comparing provincial models and contextualizing Canadian systems with international perspectives from the U.S. and Europe. Current health reform debates will be explored, particularly those involving federal-provincial relations, sustainable financing and the role of the state in social protection. | ||
| POLI 426 | Partis politiques et comportements électoraux au Québec. | 3 |
Partis politiques et comportements électoraux au Québec. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. | ||
| POLI 478 | The Canadian Constitution. | 3 |
The Canadian Constitution. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of legislative and judicial protection of rights and liberties in Canada. Topics to be covered include civil rights and the division of powers; the implied bill of rights theory; the 1960 Bill of Rights; establishment and enforcement of human rights legislation; and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. | ||
| QCST 300 | Quebec Culture and Society. | 3 |
Quebec Culture and Society. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A multidisciplinary course that looks at Quebec's key social, economic, cultural, political and historical aspects. | ||
| SOCI 375 | Suspect Minorities in Canada. | 3 |
Suspect Minorities in Canada. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course will address the challenge of diverse, liberal societies like Canada, of dealing with "suspect" minorities of various types --racial, ethnic, religious, linguistic -- from the perspective of the minority group, and majority group, and the society and polity at large. | ||
| SOCI 475 | Canadian Ethnic Studies Seminar. | 3 |
Canadian Ethnic Studies Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An interdisciplinary seminar focusing on current social sciences research and public policies in areas relating to Canadian ethnic studies. Topics will include ethnic and racial inequalities, prejudice and discrimination, ethnic identities and cultural expressions, the structure and organization of minority groups. | ||