Join us at Laurier

Becoming a Golden Hawk means more than just cheering on our (really good) varsity teams – it means being a student who cares about your community, who works hard in the classroom, and who takes advantage of all the learning opportunities that can happen outside the classroom, too.

Steps to Apply

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Steps to Apply

Undergraduate AdmissionsGraduate Admissions

Community Health (BA)

brantford

Explore how social, biological, cultural and institutional factors affect the health and well-being of communities. Learn to identify significant health challenges in different populations and evaluate what’s creating health risks for individuals. Then find out how you can intervene by making recommendations to improve programs and policies. Concentrate in: Health Studies, Autism and Behavioural Science, or Mental Health and Addictions.

Apply Your Learning

Make the most out of your university career by taking advantage of all that Laurier has to offer you. Volunteer work, campus clubs, leadership programs, studying abroad, work experience – there are so many ways you can extend your classroom experience into the real world.

Here are just a few examples of the experiences you’ll get in the Community Health program:

  • Take one of our upper-year courses that offer a practicum component or field placement to gain hands-on experience working with the community, while earning course credit.
  • Have an idea for a new business? Join the LaunchPad Brantford program for the opportunity to launch an innovative new venture.
  • Study abroad for an academic term.
  • Join the Health Studies Student Association and create opportunities for your fellow Health Studies students to engage with other students and professors.

Check out the Community Health Experience Guide.

 

2020 graduates who secured employment or went on to postgraduate studies

 

Laurier ranks in the top 6 percent of universities worldwide*

 

students who gained hands-on learning experiences at Laurier in 2019/20

*Center for World University Rankings (CWUR)

Admissions

Format: full time or part time      Duration: four years     Start: September (fall term) or May (spring term)     OUAC code: UHB
Ontario High School Admission Requirements
  • Minimum admission range: low 70s
  • Competitive admission range based on last year’s admitted students: low 80s
  • English at 60%
Canadian Admission Requirements (Outside of Ontario)

Students applying to this program from a Canadian province outside of Ontario are encouraged to review our course equivalents by province chart. This chart will show you what courses from your province are equivalent to the admission requirements listed under Ontario High School Admission Requirements.
International Admission Requirements

Students applying to this program from an international curriculum are encouraged to review our curriculum-specific requirements; you must also meet all program-specific requirements listed under the Ontario High School Admission Requirements section.

English-Proficiency Requirement

Laurier's language of instruction is English, and so we may require you to provide evidence of your English proficiency to help make sure you experience success in your academic courses.

Your three most recent years of full-time education must be in English without taking any ESL (English as a Second Language) courses. If you do not meet this requirement, you must provide evidence of your English proficiency.

We reserve the right to request an English-language test from any applicant.

If you do not meet Laurier's English proficiency requirement but are academically qualified for your program, you may be eligible for a conditional offer of admission.

Laurier English and Academic Foundation (LEAF) Program

The Laurier English and Academic Foundation (LEAF) program is an academic English program for Laurier applicants who have to prove English proficiency. If you have received an offer to Laurier with a condition to meet our English- proficiency requirement, you can meet that condition by successfully completing the LEAF program.
College Pathways

Students enrolling in Laurier’s Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Community Health program after completing a two- or three-year health-related diploma program may earn up to 6.0 or 7.5 transfer credits (respectively).

Learn more about our college transfer agreement.

Other Admission Requirements

Visit our admission requirements section to find specific requirements for university students, indigenous applicants, mature learners, homeschooled applicants, senior citizens, refugees, and more. 

Your Next Steps

Apply Now Strengthen Your Application Important Dates

Program Details

About Community Health at Laurier

Our Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Community Health program explores and recognizes the wide range of social, biological and institutional factors that influence the health and well-being of communities defined by geography, socioeconomic status, gender, cultural makeup, ability and vulnerability.

In this program you'll learn to:

  • Identify the most significant health challenges in communities.
  • Evaluate the factors that create health risks for members of those communities.
  • Study and make recommendations for program and policy interventions that will improve the health status within your communities of concern.

Consideration is also given to the Canadian and Ontario healthcare systems, and the policy framework that underpins the provision of health and social services to specific communities and the broader population.

Degree and Certificate in Only Four Years

If you choose the Autism and Behavioural Science concentration or the Mental Health and Addictions concentration, you'll also earn a graduate certificate in Autism and Behavioural Science or Mental Health and Substance Use from Conestoga College.

You'll take courses from Conestoga College in your third year. This enables you to earn an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Community Health from Laurier and a graduate certificate from Conestoga College in only four years, a pairing that normally takes five to complete.

Program Options and Courses

Concentrations

You can focus your studies in one of three areas to best meet your educational and career goals.

  • The Health Studies concentration is well suited to students wishing to pursue a broad array of potential career paths in the health and social services sector, including those requiring further education or training at the graduate level.
  • The Autism and Behavioural Science concentration provides you with the knowledge and experience necessary to provide services and support to children with autism and their families.
  • The Mental Health and Addictions concentration is designed for students to develop a depth of understanding of issues around the single-biggest health issue of our time.

Options and Minors

In addition to one of our concentrations, consider adding any of these popular options or minors, which allow you to dive deeper into your major area of study or broaden your knowledge:

  • Criminology Minor
  • Human Rights and Human Diversity Minor
  • Leadership Option
  • Physical Forensics Minor
  • Psychology Minor

Check out other options to enhance your degree.

First-Year Courses

Common first-year courses:

  • Academic Literacy: Social Sciences
  • Introduction to Public Health
  • Modernity and the Contemporary World
  • Physical Determinants of Health
  • Social Determinants of Health

In addition to the common courses, students in the Health Studies concentration will take:

  • Aging: Realities and Myths
  • Disease and Society
  • three electives courses

In addition to the common courses, students in the Autism and Behavioural Science concentration will take:

  • Introduction to Psychology I
  • Introduction to Psychology II
  • three elective courses

In addition to the common courses, students in the Mental Health and Addictions concentration will take:

  • Introduction to Psychology I
  • Introduction to Psychology II
  • Introduction to Social Welfare
  • two elective courses

Similar Programs

Community Service-Learning

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Community Service-Learning (CSL) courses at Laurier integrate service in the community with what you are learning in your classes. Placements are approximately 10 weeks and take place on a weekly basis from the second week of classes to the final week, typically for two hours per week.

CSL placements consist of volunteering at a local community service, such as a soup kitchen or a children's treatment centre. It’s a great way to apply classroom knowledge and gain practical experience in your field of study. Build your resume, develop your network, and graduate with experience.

Interested? Learn more about Community Service-Learning.

Tuition and Scholarships

Getting a university education is an investment in your future.

At Laurier, we take financial health seriously by providing a wide variety of funding opportunities for you throughout your degree, such as scholarships and bursaries, and by equipping you with the skills to manage your finances effectively in the years to come.

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"The best part of this program is that you learn the social aspects regarding health and well-being, as well as the nitty gritty science of how certain pathologies develop. There is so much knowledge and power in understanding that these two play a huge role in this thing we call health!"

Anna Graczyk, Community Health graduate

Your Career Awaits

It’s not only about the journey; it’s about the destination. Let us help you get to where you’re going.

Here are just some examples of our graduates' destinations. What’s yours?

Sample Career Options

Note: Additional training and education may be required.

  • autism therapist
  • addictions counsellor
  • community health educator
  • epidemiologist
  • health care administrator
  • medical claims adjudicator
  • mental health worker
  • social worker

Explore more careers.

Support After Graduation

Alumni for life means that you have access to Career and Employment Support offered at Laurier for your entire career.

Brantford Campus

The Brantford campus is woven into the downtown core of the City of Brantford and is home to more than 3,000 students. Close to great walking and biking trails, you get the best of both worlds.

There are many ways to tour our Brantford campus, whether that's on a guided tour with one of our Laurier student ambassadors, on your own using virtual reality, or even on-demand through one of our pre-recorded tours. See our campus spaces and start to picture yourself at Laurier.

Interested in More Info?

Email chooselaurier@wlu.ca, call 519.884.0710 x3385 or see all contact information.

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