Careers where your studies could lead
An Arts education - Explore your possibilities
Below, a listing of the programs of study offered through the Faculty of Arts at Memorial University, St. John's campus. Each is followed by "What you can become"- but please remember that this is a sampling of what our graduates have gone on to do, and not an exhaustive list. Imagine your possibilities!
Memorial offers MAJORS programs in
ANTHROPOLOGY (SOCIO-CULTURAL) is the study of origins of human beings and their cultures worldwide. In addition to documenting a particular culture, anthropologists are interested in how and why human culture changes.
What you can become: Exhibit designer, museum administrator, international trade or relief worker, United Nations worker.
ARCHAEOLOGY is the study of past human cultures through
the material they left behind. This material can include: physical
objects or artifacts; ecofacts such as bones and plant remains;
features such as building foundations; and even landscapes such as
entire settlement systems and battlefields.
What you can become: Archaeologist, archaeology surveyor, excavator, forensic worker. Biological anthropologists specialize in the study of human remains, including the cause of death (also known as forensic anthropology).
CLASSICS is the study of the literary works of ancient
Greece and Rome, exposing you to cultures from which western
civilization developed.
What you can become: Advertising executive, film consultant, financial consultant, foreign service worker, historical society staff. FYI Memorial's Department of Classics is the largest in Canada east of Quebec.
ECONOMICS is the branch of social science that deals with
the analysis and management of production, distribution and
consumption of goods and services.
What you can become: Auditor, bank officer,
financial reporter, healthcare administrator, statistician,
teacher, technical writer, labour relations specialist.
FYI Students who study economics at Memorial can
choose to complete their studies as part of a bachelor of arts or
bachelor of science degree and may choose to complete the Economics
Co-operative Education Option (ECEO).
ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE program introduces you
to the study of classical and contemporary literature at the
university level. You will learn to read critically and interpret
texts, and to write in a thoughtful, analytical and responsive way.
On the St. John's Campus, students can specialize in language;
theatre and drama; communications media; professional and creative
writing.
What you can become: Actor/actress, advertising copywriter, biographer, public relations officer, book publisher, journalist, foreign correspondent, editor, columnist, communications professional, filmmaker, web writer.
FOLKLORE is the study of the oral and written traditions,
beliefs, myths, tales, crafts and practices of a people. To study
folklore means to comparatively study folk knowledge and culture.
Ethnographic field research is fundamental to folklore studies.
Training in folklore studies offers valuable preparation for
careers in a variety of cultural enterprises. Memorial is the only
English-language university in Canada offering undergraduate,
master's and PhD studies in Folklore.
What you can become: Museum curator, tourism guide, cultural worker, folklorist, teacher, health worker, broadcaster, public relations officer, researcher, storyteller, community advocate, writer, journalist.
FRENCH is one of the most useful second languages you can
acquire, and is the second most frequently taught language in the
world after English. The Department of French and Spanish offers
opportunities to study abroad including two programs in
Saint-Pierre: the Frecker program and the exchange program with the
Lycée d'État, both intended for students completing a
first degree.
What you can become: Teacher, translator, interpreter, civil servant, diplomatic service worker; a professional in business, communications, media, law, journalism, politics, art aviation or medicine.
GEOGRAPHY is the study of the earth's surface. It also
explores how the world's cultures influence and are influenced by
its topography and climate - and how changes in climate may affect
nature and populations. Geographers at Memorial learn to
investigate environmental systems from human and physical
perspectives, benefiting from the largest and one of the most
productive geography departments east of Quebec.
What you can become: Site researcher, land economist, map analyst, coastal zone manager, weather forecaster, industrial developer, ecologist, resource management professional.
GERMAN: If you are planning for a profession or
career that might involve the European context, German is an
excellent language to learn. It is the language of many great
thinkers, artists and scientists, it also plays a central role in
many contemporary economic, political, and cultural developments.
Memorial regularly holds a field school in Germany (Heidelberg),
offering study abroad opportunities for students of German.
What you can become: Interpreter, translator, linguist, librarian, journalist, foreign correspondent, foreign exchange officer, guide, travel agent.
HISTORY: A study of history fosters a critical
understanding of the past and relates it to our own present-day
experience. From the depths of recorded history, this program
constructs a timeline of human events that teaches us from where we
came and illuminates where we are going. History teaches you to
think critically and analytically, to assess and digest
information, and to interpret complex issues and events.
What you can become: Archivist, TV journalist, land claims officer, journal editor, book publisher, lawyer, museums expert, advocacy group director, career development officer.
LINGUISTICS is the scientific study of human
language, from childhood acquisition of language to the sounds of
language and the ways that different social groups use language.
Our linguistics research is strongly committed to the local region:
areas of specialization include aboriginal languages of Canada
(Algonquian, Inuktitut, Cree and Innu-Ammun), language acquisition
and local varieties of English and French and their European
origins.
What you can become: Advertising executive,
editor, journalist, public relations officer, researcher, writer,
teacher, speech language pathologist, script authenticator,
television producer, linguist.
PHILOSOPHY studies develop your intellectual abilities. Beyond the knowledge and skills required for any particular profession, a good philosophical education enhances the capacity to participate responsibly and intelligently in public life. Major employers of university graduates are finding that philosophy majors have finely honed analytical skills and problem-solving abilities that make them extremely effective in a variety of fields.
What you can become: Arts consultant, lobbyist, journalist, editor, writer, commentator, public policy manager, psychologist, systems analyst.
POLITICAL SCIENCE is the systematic study of politics.
Political scientists consider not only the structure and operations
of government, but also public opinion, political parties and
elections, and the ways in which they interact with governments and
shape the policies they make. Memorial offers courses in Canadian
and Newfoundland politics, as well as courses in Latin American and
European politics and international relations. Memorial's
undergraduate political science students have the opportunity to
study in Ireland, Sweden and the Netherlands. Some courses deal
with individual countries or geographic areas. Others focus on
political behaviour, political processes and political theory.
What you can become: Lawyer, journalist, government service worker, teacher, consultant, politician, writer, editor, policy analyst, researcher.
PSYCHOLOGY is the study of behaviour and the mind. It
seeks, by careful investigation, to understand behaviour, thinking
and experience. The profession of psychologist applies this
information to promote human welfare. The combination of writing,
research and statistical analysis acquired in an undergraduate
psychology degree is a sound preparation for many careers. An
external review of our Psychology Department in 2002 described the
undergraduate program as "unparalleled in Canada." Students have
the opportunity to participate in "hands-on" laboratory courses,
such as the observations of children in the on-campus daycare for
developmental psychology, and of sea birds at a bird sanctuary in
the field of animal learning and behaviour.
What you can become: Crisis intervention counsellor, international student advisor, labour relations specialist, child psychologist, group home worker.
PURE MATHEMATICS involves the study of the
traditional core areas of mathematics such as calculus, number
theory, geometry, real and complex analysis. The Department of
Mathematics and Statistics employs students from the Memorial
University Career Experience Program (MUCEP) for the Math Help
Centre, senior undergraduates to mark assignments and some students
may qualify for funded summer projects.
What you can become: Accountant, air traffic controller, investment banker, demographer, teacher.
RELIGIOUS STUDIES is the exploration of the expression of
religion in human culture. It examines human ideas about the
divine, as well as the way religious concepts are expressed in
texts, rituals and belief systems. The study of religion helps you
to develop many skills that will serve you well in any career,
including critical thinking, textual analysis, debating skills,
curiosity, open-mindedness, ethics, decision making, and
understanding other cultures, belief systems and ways of life.
What you can become: Counsellor, religious education teacher, religious researcher, lobbyist, pastor, priest, professor, psychologist, social worker, technical writer, journalist, international relief worker.
RUSSIAN: A Russian major combines learning the Russian
language and developing a specialization in various aspects of
Russian culture, literature and contemporary issues, relevant to
the importance of Russia as a world power in the 21st century. Our
students have the opportunity to study in St. Petersburg while
fulfilling requirements for a Russian major.
What you can become: Art dealer, consultant, filmmaker, foreign diplomat, overseas personnel manager, cultural officer, police officer, radio/TV announcer.
SOCIOLOGY aims to understand patterns and diversity of
human life from both contemporary and historical perspectives.
Sociologists seek to understand how people live, think, feel and
believe, comparing their own society with others. Sociology can
enable you to understand and explain the world you live in and your
situation in it.
What you can become: Admissions counsellor, adoption agent, child welfare officer, corrections officer, social worker, teacher, family guidance clinic worker, data analyst, researcher, claims representative, civil servant.
SPANISH: If you speak Spanish you can communicate with
nearly 500 million people in the world! This means you will have
greater job opportunities in the labour market. Spanish is the
mother tongue of approximately 350 million people in 21 countries.
Students taking language courses use the Multimedia Language Centre
to complete assignments and to have additional practice reading,
writing and listening in their language of study. There is an
intensive Spanish Summer Program in La Coruña, Spain every
few years.
What you can become: Filmmaker, advertising manager, media specialist, banking correspondent, journalist, importer/exporter, foreign exchange trader, negotiator, court interpreter.
SOCIOLOGY/ANTHROPOLOGY (Interdepartmental program): The
Sociology/Anthropology program examines the origin and evolution of
the physical, social and cultural development of humans and
explores the activities, behaviour and social institutions to which
they belong. Sociology and anthropology provide distinctive ways of
looking at the world, generating new ideas and assessing the
old.
What you can become: Teacher, researcher, administrator, consultant, counsellor, museum worker, journalist, writer, cultural consultant.
