Thompson Rivers University’s faculty of arts will be offering a new Major in Politics and International Studies after the proposed programs received approval earlier this month. It will also offer a post-baccalaureate diploma in the same discipline.
Students in the new programs will examine themes of Canadian issues, international politics and Indigenous studies, as well as methods and theory.
Together, these themes shape students’ learning about the historical, social, political and policy context to explore 21st-century issues between Western Canada and the Asia-Pacific region. Possible topics of study are immigration, temporary migrant labour, colonial and anti-colonial politics, international education, investment, municipal twinning and trade.
“Understanding the implications of these ongoing tensions and established relationships for Canada’s prosperity and global social responsibility is the primary focus of the Politics and International Studies post-baccalaureate Diploma,” according to the report to the Senate, who recently approved the new programs.
The new major is projected to see about 40 full-time domestic students and 10 full-time international students within four to five years. The new programs will be run by the department of philosophy, history and politics and are anticipated to start in the fall of 2024.