INTERDISCIPLINARY CANADIAN STUDIES
Program Description
In a world of economic exchanges and complex policies, of intensified information, of growing migratory fluxes, and of environmental changes, a Master of Arts helps students develop critical methods of thinking about historical, cultural and social implications of these changes and about their effects on the future. Understanding Canada’s global relations, and its role as a cultural and political agent on the international scene, will allow students to ground their knowledge in a crossroads of North American and Francophone perspectives. The Master of Arts program at the Faculté Saint-Jean has four major research axes:
The Master of Arts program from the Faculté Saint-Jean allows students to continue on into doctoral programs, but also allows for advancement possibilities in other areas.
Supported by a team of nationally and internationally recognized professor-researchers, the Master of Arts is a full-time program, with part-time options. Courses are offered in various formats: online, in-person, asynchronous, allowing for better academic planning.
Concentrations and Research Orientations
For each of these concentrations, we provide a detailed description offering more information about the components, topics, and sub-themes that can be studied and can serve as research subjects.
- Bilingualism, Multilingualism, and Language Rights
Description:
This concentration takes advantage of Alberta’s and Canada’s rich linguistic environment to explore various dimensions related to languages in their social context. Research can adopt a linguistic, historical-political, educational, or multidisciplinary approach to examine issues related to language competence, sociolinguistic trends, and political and symbolic inequalities of languages in a pluralistic world.
More than half of the world’s population is bilingual or even multilingual (or polyglot); thus, bilingualism and multilingualism are the norm on an individual level. However, at the societal level, two opposing visions emerge: one of societal multilingualism composed of individuals who can express themselves in more than one language, and another of bilingualism reflecting Canada’s ‘two solitudes’ (the Anglophone majority and the Francophone minority), or multilingualism limited to the juxtaposition of languages or ethnolinguistic groups. In Canada, the Canadian Charter recognizes the language rights of Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) to ensure the vitality of their language. But what about the linguistic vitality of Indigenous languages or languages from immigration today?
Sub-themes/Research topics:
- Language rights
- Regional and minority languages
- Sociolinguistics
- Bilingualism, multilingualism, and language contact
- Language acquisition
- Language proficiency
- Languages and education
- Economy, Sustainable Development, and Social Justice
Description:
Sustainable development focuses on the harmonious management of resources (natural, human, etc.), recognizing the close links between ecological, social, and economic systems to meet the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The concept of social justice refers to equal rights for all and the possibility of a society free from discrimination. Consequently, a social justice-focused approach studies economic, social, and political inequalities, the development of societies in a globalized context, as well as the quest for recognition of various social groups.
Sub-themes/Research topics:
- Economy
- Business administration
- Sociology
- Petrocultures (Energy Humanities)
- Environment
- Migration
- Development / globalization
- Socioeconomic inequalities
- Recognition and redistribution policies
- Literatures, Cultures, and Media
Description:
Bringing together various forms of literary, cultural, and artistic expressions such as literature, cinema, media, performing arts, and comics, this concentration will explore, from an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspective and through contemporary concepts and theories, questions concerning identity, cultural diversity, the nature of representation, gender relations, diasporas, and minorities.
4. SOCIETIES, COMMUNITIES, AND HEALTH
The "Societies, Communities, and Health" research stream explores the complex interactions between individuals, social groups, and health systems in a globalized context. This field examines the social, cultural, and political dynamics that influence population health, as well as the interventions and policies aimed at promoting community well-being and social justice. By focusing on public health issues, social inequalities, health determinants, and community practices, this research stream seeks to better understand how societies organize and respond to health challenges at local, national, and international levels.
Sub-themes/Research topics:
- Health inequalities
- Community health and health promotion
- Mental health and psychosocial well-being
- Indigenous and minority population health
- Disease prevention and promotion of healthy lifestyles
- Environment, environmental and urban health
- Health and well-being of women, children, and families
These research themes allow for the exploration of various aspects of public health and the social dynamics that affect the health and well-being of populations around the world.
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Admission requires holding a recognized undergraduate degree by the 51ÁÔÆæ, with a minimum admission GPA of 3.0 on a 4-point scale, calculated over the last 60 credits of university coursework.
This calculation is performed by the specialized AGPA evaluation team only once the application has been submitted.Applications with a GPA below 3.0 will not be considered, and an email will be sent to the affected applicants after their file has been evaluated.
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An electronic copy of all official post-secondary transcripts must be provided, with a print date less than one year old for transcripts from studies completed in Canada only. A recent print date is not required for international transcripts.
Please do not include in your application:
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High school education
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Non-credit post-secondary studies or courses taken out of personal interest
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Professional development or training
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Professional designations
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Continuing education courses
3. An electronic copy of your post-secondary diplomas obtained
4. Two references
5. An updated CV
6. A letter of intent (or motivation letter), one page, explaining why you wish to pursue a master’s degree.
7. A research proposal: a letter specifying the research orientation you intend to pursue during your master’s, including the themes or topics you plan to explore.
8. A sample of a writing or research work you have completed in the past, between 5 and 15 pages maximum.
9. Candidates must have adequate French language proficiency;
Please note that for students who do not have a prior university degree completed in French, we require the following document:A TEF (Test d’Évaluation de Français) showing a French level of C1, or a French language diploma/certificate with the score to be included when applying.
Students applying to a program offered at Campus Saint-Jean are not required to take an English test nor to translate their documents into English for their application. If all documents are in French, an English translation is not necessary.
For more details, please contact csjsup@ualberta.ca.
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The program consists of two required courses (*6), four option courses (*12) and the preparation and successful defense of a thesis (*12). The student also must complete an Ethics training requirement and a Professional Development requirement within the first twelve months of study. Normally, students will be enrolled in two full-time semesters (Fall and Winter), followed by four full-time thesis-block semesters for the thesis (Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter) leading up to the thesis defense.
Two required courses:
- MA FSJ 500 - Enjeux inter- et transdisciplinaire canadiens
- MA FSJ 501 - Méthodologies de recherche en sciences sociales et humaines
The 4 elective courses are changing: please contact the department for more details on the elective courses for the academic year.