 | |
| Established | 1981 |
|---|---|
| Director | Peter G. Sutherland |
| Undergraduates | ~250 |
| Location | , , |
| Mascot | SASSquatch |
| Website | http://www.mcmaster.ca/artsci/index.html |
Old version archived here edit
The Arts and Science Programme is an exclusive interdisciplinary undergraduate program at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. It is one of the smallest direct-entry programmes in the university, admitting only 60 first years per year, with a total size of about 250 students.
History edit
- Chancellor Howard Whidden, inaugural address 1923.
"The chief business of the smaller univeresity is to furnish a liberal education...Liberal education should seek to relate the individual to his universe. ... It is not through science, nor through literature that human nature is made whole, but through a fusion of both."
After the Second World War, McMaster University, like many other universities around the world, saw dramatic increases in student enrollment and degrees granted in the newly developing sciences. Initiatives to revive the liberal arts in the university were proposed in the ensuing years but did not leave the drawing board.
In the mid-1970's, there was a growing sense at McMaster that although 4 year honours degrees were exceeding expectations, the 3 year bachelor degrees did not. In 1977, a university report recommended that McMaster explore the formation of an interdisciplinary program. In the spring of 1979, an ad hoc committee formed to investigate the recommendations, chaired by Dr. Dugal Campbell, reported to the university Senate. The Campbell Committee report was then endorsed by the university Senate in late June, 1979.
In the late summer of 1979, the Vice President (Academic) at the time, Leslie J. King, asked Dr. Herb Jenkins, a professor in McMaster's psychology department, to form a council to discuss, and serve as the director of a new baccalaureate programme in general studies. The Planning Council presented the "Outline of a New Baccalaureate Degree Programme in Arts and Science" in mid-March of 1980. After criticisms were heard at the general faculty meeting on March 27th of that year, the Council revised the outline and presented it to the university Senate in May 1980. In September 1981, the Arts & Science Programme welcomed its first year of students.
The Arts & Science Programme awards its students with a B. ArtsSc. Students may earn the degree in 3 years, although most students complete the degree in 4 years and earn the "Honours" appellation. At the general faculty meeting of March 1980, the professors from the faculty of Health Sciences were particularly enthusiastic about the outline presented. This led to the formation of the small, inquiry and interdisciplinary-based Health Sciences undergraduate program in 1999. After Dr. Herb Jenkins retired as the first director of the Arts & Science Programme, he, along with Dr. Bob Hudspith went on to found the Engineering and Society program at the Faculty of Engineering. In September 2009, McMaster plans to admit the first year of Integrated Science (iSci) students, who, in the tradition of McMaster's small, interdisciplinary programs, will have capped enrollment (cap at 60), high admission criteria (high admission average and supplementary application), and a dedicated student home base.
Curriculum/Structure edit
| Humanities & Social Sciences | Mathematics & Physical Sciences | Interdisciplinary | Electives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Civilization | Biology/Chemistry | Inquiry (3rd World Devlopment Issues & elective(s)) | |
| Modern Western Civilization | Calculus | Writing & Informal Logic | |
| Literature | Physics | Technology & Society | |
| Eastern Studies | Statistics | Individual Study/Thesis | |
| 4 courses, 20% of total | 4 courses, 20% of total | 5 or 6 courses, 25 or 30% of total | 6 or 7 Elective courses, 30 or 35% of total |
Arts & Science stresses the development of skills in writing, speaking, research, and critical and quantitative reasoning. Its curriculum also aims to provide a foundational university-level knowledge base in the natural sciences and the social thought of the Western world. The program's small size facilitates its strong sense of community and interdisciplinary learning, with students taking a diverse range of courses through their four years. Many of the students specialize in a field by completing a combined honours in addition to the Arts and Science program requirements (effectively a double major). Some combined honours require a fifth year of study, unless the student takes courses during summer school or an "overload" course complement. A large proportion of graduates go on to pursue higher learning through either graduate or professional school.
Expansion edit
During the mid-'00s, the McMaster administration began putting pressure on the programme to increase its size from 60 to 100 students per year. This campaign is part of a University-wide expansion of all smaller programs such as Medicine and Health Sciences. The idea was met with opposition from some students and most of professors in the program. Arguments against program expansion include concerns that the current sense of community would be lost; that larger classes would reduce the quality of education; and that it would put added pressure onto professors. The last increase in class size was in 1996, with an increase in intake from 50 students to 60. This increase was met with similar resistance, and many students and faculty regarded this as the beginning of the end of the intimate learning environment that had gained the Arts and Science Programme its strong reputation. Although the issue has not been resolved with finality, the entering class in fall 2008 will have 69 students.
Community edit
Students are part of the Society of Arts and Science Students (SASS). SASS is responsible for running social and community events, facilitating inter-programme communication, and making educational recommendations to the director of the program. SASS also runs a student website (SASSweb), which can be used to chat with Arts and Science students and find out about the programme.
Directors edit
| Director | Term |
|---|---|
| Prof. Peter Sutherland | 2005- |
| Prof. Gary Warner | 2000-2005 |
| Prof. Barbara Ferrier | 1990-2000 |
| Prof. Herb Jenkins | 1981-1990 |