404
M. Bardecki et al.
4 EUS: Constraints to Program Structure
Two particular constraints bound the development of the configuration of the EUS
program’s curriculum. One of these existed at the level of the Faculty of Arts: the
Arts “platform.” The other was the University-wide requirement for a tri-partite
curriculum structure.
Although students in Ryerson’s Faculty of Arts are directly admitted into one
of (now) thirteen disciplinary-based programs (only a small proportion of students
are “undeclared”), the curriculum for each program within the Faculty builds on a
common foundational year of interdisciplinary study in the Humanities and Social
Sciences. In their first year, each student is required to take core courses
1 in writing,
critical thinking, and an introduction to social Science, as well as select from a broad
array of electives. Effectively, this common platform structure would allow EUS
students to select only two courses from their area of study in their first year, but
does compel selection from a wide array of subjects. The platform also requires
two courses in year two in research and qualitative methods, and statistics. This
curriculum structure still allows for a specialization made up of 20–21 courses.
Ryerson’s Tripartite Curriculum statement declares that “All programs at Ryerson
University have a tripartite curriculum structure. This structure was developed in
order to ensure that all Ryerson University students are exposed to a body of material
from within their own discipline, a body of material relevant to their own discipline
but delivered by other disciplines, and breadth in the form of material deliberately
not from their own discipline.” In practice, this means that each the curriculum in
each program is divided into three categories of courses:
• Professional Studies: core courses in the career field, which are to constitute
50–75% of the curriculum;
• Professionally-related Studies: courses that develop an understanding of the theoretical disciplines of the career field, or which develop elements of professional
study, which are to constitute 10–40% of the curriculum; and,
• Liberal Studies: courses that develop the capacity to understand society and culture
(elsewhere these might be called “general education”) which are to constitute
8–20% of the curriculum.
5 EUS Program Development
The new program underwent the mandated approval process, as follows:
1 At Ryerson University an individual “course” fits into a 12-week semester which would typically
involve 36+h of in-class time. To graduate a student would take 40 or, depending on the program,
more courses—typically at least five per semester in full-time study in each of two semesters per
year.
M. Bardecki et al.
4 EUS: Constraints to Program Structure
Two particular constraints bound the development of the configuration of the EUS
program’s curriculum. One of these existed at the level of the Faculty of Arts: the
Arts “platform.” The other was the University-wide requirement for a tri-partite
curriculum structure.
Although students in Ryerson’s Faculty of Arts are directly admitted into one
of (now) thirteen disciplinary-based programs (only a small proportion of students
are “undeclared”), the curriculum for each program within the Faculty builds on a
common foundational year of interdisciplinary study in the Humanities and Social
Sciences. In their first year, each student is required to take core courses
1 in writing,
critical thinking, and an introduction to social Science, as well as select from a broad
array of electives. Effectively, this common platform structure would allow EUS
students to select only two courses from their area of study in their first year, but
does compel selection from a wide array of subjects. The platform also requires
two courses in year two in research and qualitative methods, and statistics. This
curriculum structure still allows for a specialization made up of 20–21 courses.
Ryerson’s Tripartite Curriculum statement declares that “All programs at Ryerson
University have a tripartite curriculum structure. This structure was developed in
order to ensure that all Ryerson University students are exposed to a body of material
from within their own discipline, a body of material relevant to their own discipline
but delivered by other disciplines, and breadth in the form of material deliberately
not from their own discipline.” In practice, this means that each the curriculum in
each program is divided into three categories of courses:
• Professional Studies: core courses in the career field, which are to constitute
50–75% of the curriculum;
• Professionally-related Studies: courses that develop an understanding of the theoretical disciplines of the career field, or which develop elements of professional
study, which are to constitute 10–40% of the curriculum; and,
• Liberal Studies: courses that develop the capacity to understand society and culture
(elsewhere these might be called “general education”) which are to constitute
8–20% of the curriculum.
5 EUS Program Development
The new program underwent the mandated approval process, as follows:
1 At Ryerson University an individual “course” fits into a 12-week semester which would typically
involve 36+h of in-class time. To graduate a student would take 40 or, depending on the program,
more courses—typically at least five per semester in full-time study in each of two semesters per
year.