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

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Health Studies (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. 

This program was previously named Community Health (BA). 

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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 Health Studies 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.
  • 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.
  • Have an idea for a new business? Join the LaunchPad Brantford program for the opportunity to launch an innovative new venture.

Check out the Health Studies Experience Guide.

 

2022 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 2022

*Center for World University Rankings (CWUR)

Admissions

Format: full time or part time      Duration: four years     Start: September (fall term) or January (winter term) or May (spring term)     OUAC code: UHB

Your Next Steps

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Program Details

About Health Studies at Laurier

Our Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Health Studies 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.
  • Prepare for post-graduate and graduate degrees in a variety of health-related fields.
  • Describe health and illness as complex social and physical phenomena.
  • 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.

Your Path to Medical School

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Get one step closer to your medical school dreams at Laurier!

Our pathway agreement with American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) means you’re automatically granted an admissions interview to the AUC School of Medicine if you meet all academic requirements. Upon graduation, you’ll have the opportunity to write exams to practice medicine in Canada, the UK or the United States.

Program Options and Courses

Options and Minors

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:

  • Introduction to Public Health
  • Canadian Health Care Systems
  • Disease and Society
  • Epidemiology
  • Physical Determinants of Health
  • Social Determinants of Health

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
  • nurse/nurse practitioner
  • midwifery
  • 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 548.889.8888 or see all contact information.

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