Pathways to University
17
Pathways to University
Transcript of Pathways to University
Pathways to University
Dr. Mahdi Qasqas
1. Purpose and Motivation Essentialsa. Mustivation versus Wantivation
2. “Ask those who know”a. Bottom Up or Top-Inb. Trial and Error versus Evidence Based Practice
i. Ex: SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR
3. Read 1 Write 1a. Best deeds are done with consistencyb. Self Trust and Discipline c. Perfectionist versus Progressionist
4. Step 0: The applications’ (yes plural) processa. Prerequisitesb. Objective and Standardized Indicators of Success
Begin with the Best in Mind: A Psycho-Spiritual First Aid® Application to Academic Success Planning
Our Panellists
NursingHafsah Syed
EducationMariam Amin
KinesiologyTaha Butt
Biological Sciences & Psychology
Sarah Naseer
Health SciencesSadia Ahmed
EngineeringKhaled Elmalawany
Software EngineeringAbdullah Sattar
Actuarial ScienceBareerah Rab
AccountingAmena Abid
FinanceMohammed Kardar
EconomicsAhmad Khawaja
Political SciencesZarif Ahmed
Bachelor of Nursing (BN)Entrance (Competitive) Avg: 90% and above
Degree Breakdown:● Course Topics:
○ Anatomy and Physiology○ The Science of Health○ Supporting Health○ The Discipline and Profession of Nursing○ Integrating nursing roles and practices [ie.
practicum]
● Degree Requirements: ○ On-going practicum, which is already
incorporated into the curriculum ○ Preceptorship: the last semester, where you
work 388 hours alongside a nurse
Useful Extra-Curriculars:● Working / volunteering with public health (ie.
vaccinations!)● Working as an undergraduate nursing employee
(UNE) or health care aide● Research; contact your professors to do so
Next Steps:
● Career Options - You can work anywhere! ○ Acute care (in hospitals and urgent care
centres)○ Travel nursing ○ Military nursing ○ Rural nursing○ Public health (clinics, schools, home health,
long-term care, rehab centres, etc.)○ Hospital administration
● Graduate school○ Masters in Nursing → PhD → professor○ Masters in Nursing → nurse practitioner (NP)○ Masters in Nursing → hospital administration○ Medical school → doctor
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
● https://alumni.ucalgary.ca/grow-your-career● https://nursing.ucalgary.ca/nursenetwork
Contact Me: Hafsah Syed | 587 703 1116 (text only please) | [email protected] 1
Bachelor of Education (BEd)Entrance Avg: 75%-80%
Degree Breakdown:● Course Topics:
○ STEM○ Assessment○ Specialization (ie. Social Studies, Math, etc.)○ Ethics & Law in Education○ Diversity in Learning○ Indigenous Education○ Comprehensive School Health & Wellness
● Degree Requirements:○ Field Experience/Practicum – Mandatory (4 in
total)
Useful Extra-Curriculars:● Volunteering● Tutoring
Next Steps:● Graduate School● Career Options: Early Childhood Educator,
Elementary/High School Teacher, Principal, ESL/Special Education Teacher, Counsellor, Professor
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
● https://werklund.ucalgary.ca
Contact Me: Mariam Amin | 587-436-3682 | [email protected] 2
Bachelor of Kinesiology (BKin) / BSc in KinesiologyEntrance Avg: High 80s
Degree Breakdown:● Course Topics: Anatomy and physiology, biomechanics,
neuromotor behavior, fundamentals of movement, nutrition, human growth and development
● Degree Streams: BKin: Kinesiology, Mind sciences, Leadership in. Pedagogy & Coaching (practicum required) ↠ Various combined degrees. BSc: Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Exercise & Health.Physiology (practicum OR honours required), Mind Sciences
Useful Extra-Curriculars:● Volunteering (ex: Thrive Centre)● Research● Leadership (ex: Kinesiology Student Society)● Peer Tutoring Program
Contact Me: Taha Butt | (403) 401-9508 | [email protected]
Next Steps:● Graduate Options: MKin, MSc, PhD● Career Options: Physiotherapy, occupational therapy,
athletic therapy, exercise physiology, coaching/training, research
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
● https://kinesiology.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/Kinesiology%20careers%20paths.pdf
● https://alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/occupations-in-alberta/?s=kinesiology
- ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Sport Science and Departments
3
Bachelor of Science - Biological Sciences (BSc)Entrance Avg: High 80sDegree Breakdown:
● Course Topics○ Chemistry (2) → Foundations of Chemistry &
General Chemistry ○ Biology (2) → Energy Flow in Biological Systems &
DNA, Inheritance, Evolution○ Math (2) → Introductory Calculus & Linear Methods I○ Either Computer Science (2), Physics (2) or Geology
(2)○ 2 non-science options ○ OChem, Genetics, Comp. Bio of Plants & Animals,
Ecology, Cell & Molecular Bio, Biochemistry● Degree Specialization
○ Biochemistry○ CMMB (cellular, molecular, micro biology)○ Ecology○ Plant biology○ Zoology○ Biology
● Optional: Honours / Thesis, Internship, double majors, minors Useful Extra-Curriculars:
● Research ● Science Internship Program ● Volunteering & club involvement (CCR hours)
Next Steps:● Graduate school:
○ Masters ○ PhD
● Professional degrees:○ Medical school○ Dentistry ○ Veterinary school
● Career Options:○ Environmental management○ Conservation○ Biotechnology○ Scientific research ○ Lab/research technician○ Academia
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
● https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/biological-sciences-msc-thesis
● https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/biological-sciences-phd
● https://www.ucalgary.ca/student-services/careers
Contact Me: Sarah Naseer | [email protected] | 4
Bachelor of Science - Psychology (BSc)Entrance Avg: Mid 80s
Degree Breakdown:● 2 streams
○ Bachelor of Arts○ Bachelor of Science
● Course Topics○ Intro (2) → Principles of Psychology I & II○ Research (2) → Research Methods & Data Analysis I & II○ Foundation (5) → Social Psych, Brain & Behavior, 3 of
Industrial Psych, Language Development, Developmental Psych, Aging Psych, Cognitive Psych, Sensation & Perception, Motivation & Emotion, Personality, Abnormal Psych
○ Applying research methods (1)○ Bio (2)○ Chem (2)○ Math (2)○ Physics (2)
● Optional: Honours, double majors, minors ,combined Bachelor of Community Rehabilitation (BCR)
Useful Extra-Curriculars:● Research ● Co-operative education internship ● Volunteering & club involvement (CCR hours)
Next Steps:● Graduate school:
○ Thesis-based Masters○ Thesis-based Phd
● Professional degrees:○ Law ○ Medicine○ Education○ Social work
● Career Options:○ Clinical psychologist○ Academia/professors○ Applied researchers○ Organizational consultants ○ Addictions counsellor
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
● https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/understanding-graduate-studies
● https://arts.ucalgary.ca/psychology/future-students/graduate/programs/psychology
● https://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/grad/current/psychology-psyc-program.html
Contact Me: Sarah Naseer | [email protected] | 5
Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc)Entrance Avg (mid-high 80’s)
Degree Breakdown:● Course Topics: health research literacy, biology, research
methods/approaches, statistics & research design (required for all streams)
● Degree Streams:○ Biomedical Science: chemistry, math, physics,
immunology, genetics, ○ Health and Society: determinants of health, health
services & health systems, health research methods, global health
○ Bioinformatics: chemistry, calculus, computer science, human genetics, software engineering
● Degree Requirements: Honors Thesis (minimum 3.3 GPA)
Useful Extra-Curriculars:● Volunteering (e.g Hospital, Animal Shelter, Community
Organizations like Duhaa Foundation)● Joining clubs on campus (e.g University of Calgary Red
Cross Club)● Research (e.g Wolbpack)
Next Steps:● Graduate School: Community Health Sciences, Public
Health, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience, Public Policy, Social Work, and many more!
● Career Options: Medicine, Law, Optometry, Dentistry, Business Administration, Pharmacy, and many more!
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
● Careers of Health & Society Alumni● Careers of Biomedical Sciences Alumni● Careers of Bioinformatics Alumni
Contact Me: Sadia Ahmed | [email protected] 6
Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and Biomedical Minor (BEng)Entrance Avg: Mid 80s (with Math 30-1)
Mid 90s (without Math 30-1)
Degree Breakdown:● Course Topics: Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, Signal
Analysis, High-level hardware design, Bioengineering, and Biology
● Degree Requirements: Internship (optional but highly recommended)
Useful Extra-Curriculars:● Executive positions in Clubs on Campus● Engineering Representative at the SU● Research at the University● Tutoring Education Centre president
Next Steps:● Graduate with Honours● Biomedical Engineering Career● Research at the University
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
● Job Bank Canada - Electrical Engineer● U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Contact Me: Khaled Elmalawany | (403) 970-1499 | [email protected] 7
Bachelor of Engineering - Software Engineering (BEng) Entrance Avg: Mid 80s (with Math 30-1)
Mid 90s (without Math 30-1)
Degree Breakdown:● Course Topics: Calculus, Physics, Coding,
Algorithms, Logic, Software Testing/Design● Degree Requirements: Internship is encouraged but
not mandatory
Useful Extra-Curriculars:● Hackathons, Coding Competitions, Technical Clubs,
Bootcamps.
Next Steps:● Software Engineer, Software QA, UI/UX Designer,
Project Management, Systems Architect, App Development, Web Development, Game Development
● Masters Software Engineering - Academia
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
● https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/software-engineering
Contact Me: Abdullah Sattar | +1(587) 581-1194 | [email protected] 8
Bachelor of Science - Actuarial Science (BSc)Entrance Requirements:
● Overall GPA: 80% +● Required subjects: Mathematics & 3 Additional
Sciences (Biology, Physics, Calculus, Chemistry, etc.)
● Mathematics and Calculus: ~85% +
Degree Breakdown:● Course Topics:
○ Statistics: 213, 321, 323, 429, 505, 507, 533, 543
○ Actuarial Science: 325, 327, 427, 527○ Computer Science: 217
● Degree Requirements: ○ Co-ops: At least two terms (8 months total)○ Board exams: SOA (if pursuing life/health
insurance, employee benefits & pensions, quantitative finance), CAS (is pursuing technology, property/casualty insurance, quantitative finance, etc.)
Recommended Extracurricular Activities:● Join the University of Calgary’s Actuarial Society
(UCAS)!● Be true to yourself! Join clubs that cultivate your
passion -- regardless of whether they directly correlate to your career.
Next Steps:● Continuing the boards to exams to achieve your
ASA/ACAS (Associate path)● Different Career Outlooks (besides Actuary):
Management Consultant, Quantitative Finance Analyst, Wealth/Asset Management, Commercial/Investment Banking, etc.
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
1. https://www.soa.org/education/exam-req/edu-asa-req2. https://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/current/sc-4-5
-3.html3. https://www.beanactuary.org/
Contact Me: Bareerah Rab | 587-225-9695 | [email protected] 9
Bachelor of Commerce - Accounting (BComm)Entrance Avg (general) - Mid 80s (with Math 30-1)
Degree Breakdown:● Course Topics: financial accounting, personal and
corporate tax, managerial accounting, statistics, economics,
● Degree Requirements: Co-ops and Internships - not mandatory but very helpful to secure full-time work upon graduation
Useful Extra-Curriculars:● Accounting Student Association (ASA)● Women in Business (WIB)
Next Steps:● CPA● Career Options - Internal/External Auditor, Financial
Accountant, Compliance Analyst, Tax Accountant, Consultant, Treasury Analyst
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
● https://www.cpaalberta.ca/Services/Career-Centre/Job-Board
● https://jobs.cpaalberta.ca/
Contact Me: Amena Abid | [email protected] 10
Bachelor of Commerce - Finance (BComm)Entrance Avg: Mid 80's
Degree Breakdown:● Course Topics: Financial Management, Personal
Financial Management, Security Analysis and Investments, Futures and Options, Corporate Finance.
● Degree Requirements: ○ High School Requirements:
■ English Language Art 30-1, ■ Mathematics 30-1■ Two Approved Courses; Aboriginal
Studies 30, Social Studies 30-1, Biology 30, Mathematics 31, etc.
○ Co-op not required but highly recommended
Useful Extra-Curriculars:● Calgary Portfolio Management Trust (CPMT) ● Haskayne Finance Club● Finesse Finance Club
Next Steps:● Graduate School
○ Master of Business Administration (MBA) ○ Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
● Career Options○ Corporate Finance ○ Portfolio Management ○ Financial Planning ○ Commercial Banking
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
● https://haskayne.ucalgary.ca/future-students/bcomm/concentrations/fnce
Contact Me: Mohammed Kardar | 587-700-9690 | [email protected] 11
Entrance Avg: High 70s to Low 80s
Degree Breakdown:● Course Topics: Microeconomics, macroeconomics, Econometrics
(heavily stats based), computational and data methods in economics (Excel), business applications, industrial organization, health economics, economic analysis of the law, and many more!
● Degree Requirements: High school requirements: English 30-1, Math 30-1, 2 Approved Courses, and 1 Approved Option.Co-ops are not mandatory for the completion of your degree.
○ UofC Cumming School of Medicine, Student Researcher○ Vecova, Marketing Team Lead
Useful Extra-Curriculars:● EUS: Economics Undergraduate Society
○ Will provide guidance on how to approach courses most economics students find difficult, hold networking events, and hold mock exams for various courses.
● Bank of Canada Challenge (Governor’s Challenge): Teams must analyze and forecast economic developments and recommend whether to raise the Bank’s key interest rate, lower it, or leave it unchanged.
Next Steps:● Graduate Options:
○ Masters of Economics (MA)○ Public Health (MPH)○ Masters of Business Administration (MBA)
● Career Options:○ Analyst (Economic, financial, business development,
data, etc.)○ Consultant ○ Supply Chain/Procurement
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
● https://arts.ucalgary.ca/economics
Contact Me: Ahmad Khawaja | (587)-700-8282 | [email protected]
Bachelor of Arts - Economics (BA)
12
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science (BA)Entrance Avg: Mid 70s
Degree Breakdown:● Course Topics: political philosophy, comparative
politics, international relations, public policy● Degree Streams: Co-op/Internships (optional);
Honours (optional)
Useful Extra-Curriculars:● Model UN/Debate ● Volunteering (politics, NPOs, etc.) ● Writing (school newspaper, journals, etc.)
Next Steps:● Postgraduate Education: Master’s, PhD, law● Career Options: government, journalism,
international organizations/NGOs, politics, law, teaching, consulting, lobbying, public relations
Resources participants can access to learn about post-degree career opportunities
● What can you do with a political science degree?● Top jobs for political science majors ● What can I do with a degree in political science?
Contact Me: Zarif Ahmed | [email protected] 13
More Resources
The University of Calgary: Career Services
The University of Calgary: Degree Program Requirements and Expectations
The University of Calgary: Enrollment Services
The University of Calgary: High School Counsellors and Advisors
Mount Royal University: Offered Programs List
The University of Alberta: Undergraduate Programs’
The University of Lethbridge: Undergraduate Programs and Degrees
Click the links to Explore!
