North American Studies is an interdisciplinary program that aims to study “North America” as a distinct historical, cultural, political and economic entity, and, within North America, borders as cultural and policy spaces. North American Studies students will take courses in history, geography, English and film studies, political science, anthropology, languages and religion and culture, among others.
You can do an Honours BA North American Studies in combination with another Honours BA program. While completing the North American Studies program, students will take a set of required courses that focus on interactions within and between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Students will also complete a primary concentration in the “Canadian Studies Stream” or the “American Studies Stream.” Students also have the option of obtaining a North American Studies Minor, a Canadian Studies Minor or an American Studies Minor.
As a complement to the North American Studies Program, Laurier is an active participant in the NAFTA Mobility Exchange Program, which provides funding for our students to study for one term on our partner campuses in the U.S. and Mexico. For example, a student who is majoring in North American Studies and History could supplement their WLU studies with courses on the American South and Civil War History at Georgia Southern University. Or, a student enrolled in North American Studies and Anthropology might find it interesting to take courses in regional anthropology at Universidad Veracruzana.
Janice Carere is a 4th year History and North American Studies major. Learning how Canada and the continent came to be has allowed her to have a better understanding of why things are the way they are. “My classes overlap and are complementary to one another, which contributes to my learning and comprehension of the subjects.” With her degree, Janice hopes to one day work for the government, in the area of security and defence. 