COURSE CURRICULUM

The four-year Bachelor of Arts Community Studies (BACS) in Sociology at Cape Breton University is designed to provide a progressive and applied understanding of society, social structures, and human interaction through a community-focused academic framework. In the first year, students take introductory sociology courses along with core community studies and general arts electives, focusing on foundational concepts such as social interaction, culture, socialization, and basic sociological theory, while also developing academic writing and research skills. In the second year, students move into core areas including classical and contemporary sociological theory, research methods, statistics, social inequality, family studies, gender studies, and deviance, gaining a stronger understanding of how societies are structured and how social forces influence behaviour. In the third year, the curriculum becomes more advanced and applied, with courses in globalization, race and ethnicity, social justice, criminology, environmental sociology, identity, and qualitative research methods, often supported by seminar discussions and community-based learning experiences. In the fourth year, students complete senior seminars, advanced electives, and a capstone or independent research project that focuses on real-world social issues such as inequality, policy, and community development. Across all four years, students build strong skills in critical thinking, data analysis, communication, and research design. The BACS structure also allows interdisciplinary electives, preparing graduates for careers in social services, policy, education, community work, and related fields.