Sociologists investigate how societies work. We critically examine the social world at every level, from personal relationships to the functioning of institutions and nations, right up to global interconnections. Our department is particularly well known for its strengths in criminology and the law; media, information, and surveillance; power, inequalities, and social justice.
Religion plays a major role in shaping and influencing various cultures and historical and political movements around the world. Understanding religious traditions and their impact on diverse modern issues is vital preparation for building a career in the global marketplace. At Queen’s, our approach to the study of religion is multicultural, diverse, and interdisciplinary.
Psychology is the study of mental processes and behaviour. Psychologists study relationships between brain function, behaviour, and environment. As a discipline, psychology explores a wide range of topics, including cognition, neuroscience, social influence, mental health, development, relationships, sensation, and perception, as well as the influence of factors such as gender and culture on these areas. Home to 35 labs, psychology students have the opportunity to work alongside faculty researchers to gain valuable research training.
Politics is about power – who has it and how it is exercised by nation-states, individuals, groups, classes, or political parties, and how different interests are reconciled in and between communities. Political Studies is also concerned with the institutions created to govern communities, as well as with political practices such as voting habits or protests, and how rules, behaviours, and cultures are created in societies. Since power in society is often dependent upon material resources, political scientists also study the distribution of wealth, both within and between nations.
The only Engineering program in North America primarily offered by a mathematics department, Mathematics and Engineering blends engineering with advanced mathematics and provides a rigorous treatment of engineering concepts and ideas. You will learn to analyze and solve engineering problems requiring sophisticated mathematical skills, such as those involving modern communications, control, and mechatronic systems, as well as emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and data science.
The Department of History at Queen’s offers a challenging and innovative program in established and new fields of historical inquiry, spanning from the pre-modern past to the contemporary era and geographically circling the globe. Consider a degree in History for all it has to offer: well-developed skills in critical reading, writing, and research and, perhaps even more importantly, engagement with oneself and the world we all inhabit. We are a mid-sized university and department and are, therefore, able to create for our students a rich, supportive learning community.
With dynamic courses and dedicated instructors, Global Development Studies (DEVS) empowers students to engage the pressing global challenges that define our age. Our unique interdisciplinary program connects big-picture thinking with problem-solving approaches to open a wide range of career choices. Upon completing their DEVS degree, our students have gained the specialist knowledge and tangible skills they need to realize their commitment to making the world a better place.
Among academic disciplines, Geography is unique in combining the social sciences and humanities with the physical sciences. In physical geography, or earth system science, we study natural processes, their interactions, as well as natural and human-generated environmental issues, such as climate change. Explore critical questions about our environment and our society as you develop research skills. Study with award-winning faculty in an interdisciplinary department that combines fundamental analysis and research with practical, applied approaches to planning and implementation.
Gender Studies opens doors for students to address growing concerns about inequity, equity and justice across national and global societies. Gender affects everyone, making Gender Studies a space where our theory and our practice attend to the differences and connections among diverse peoples worldwide. As an interdisciplinary field, Gender Studies helps students connect social science, humanities, arts, and natural science methods to produce innovative new knowledge.
The Earth’s environment is under stress, and the search for solutions is anything but simple. It requires an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving and education. Our program emphasizes the diverse contributions of the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences to understanding and solving environmental problems.