General Arts and Science – Arts Program Focuses on Humanities and Social Sciences

Not everyone who wants to get a post-secondary education has the academic requirements to attend the program of his or her choice, or knows for sure what he or she wants to study. That’s why academic arts colleges and programs exist. These undertakings, such as Centennial College’s General Arts and Science – Arts Program, are designed to offer students an overview of humanities, social sciences and communications. As a result, they are beneficial to those who:

• know their college area of interest lies in programs such as Communication Arts, Child Studies, Community Services, or Hospitality and Tourism Administration but do no have the academic requirements for application to those programs

• wish to apply to a university arts degree program but must first upgrade their credentials

• aren’t exactly sure what the right career path for them is and wish to explore their ultimate career goals and various educational opportunities

• must obtain the academic admission credentials needed to enter university

Because of the varied amount of people who benefit from an Arts program like the one at Centennial College, the format of the offering is extremely flexible and student-centered. Students attend one to four semesters, depending on their future goals. After one year (with at least a 3.0 GPA) students may proceed directly into the first year of a university-level arts program.

Making the transition from Centennial College to a university-level offering is made even easier thanks to the institution’s educational partnerships. That’s because qualified graduates may be eligible to participate in an articulated program with select universities. These partnerships allow graduates to apply academic credits towards further study and include: York, Athabasca, Ryerson and Griffith universities.

But just what topics are covered in this offering? Here is a look at a

few that demonstrate the program’s range.

• Concepts in Social Science: The title of this course doesn’t reveal its depth, as it is designed to help students to develop their ability to think conceptually (grasp abstract ideas and to relate these various ideas to each other and to everyday reality). It is called Concepts in Social Science because the ideas and theories are drawn from the social sciences; mainly psychology, sociology and political science.

• Logical Self-Defense: No, this isn’t a physical self-defense class. In this course, students learn to distinguish types of language, such as descriptive, explanation, and argument, to see how arguments are used to persuade and convince. They then develop their skills by practicing with the three conditions of good argument: acceptability, relevance, and good grounds.

• Math in a Digital Age: Although this course doesn’t fall into the realm of humanities or social sciences, it helps students to not only focus on content, but also to develop the thinking process that underlies mathematics. Students solve problems based upon relevant real life situations and learn to use new mathematical technology.