Canadian Studies is an integral part of the David M. Kennedy Center's international and area studies offerings. The existence of these international and area studies programs is vitally important both in terms of the mission of the university and of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Among institutions of higher learning in the United States, Brigham Young University ranks number one in the number of Canadian students enrolled each year. In addition, several hundred other students have spent significant time in Canada, predominantly as LDS missionaries. These groups constitute the major target audiences for the Canadian Studies program.
The program is designed to provide students with a broad range of courses dealing with Canada in the social sciences and humanities ranging from literature and theater to foreign policy and geography. Special conferences, film presentations, visiting lectureships, publications, and Canadian study and internship programs supplement classroom experience. For example, conferences sponsored by Canadian Studies have resulted in the publication of many books. Canadian Studies also sponsors the annual Asael E. and Maydell C. Palmer Lecture Series which features prominent Canadian experts, including two former prime ministers and the Canadian ambassador to the United States. These types of activities attract students from across campus and also contribute to the overall development of Canadian Studies in the United States.
Program GoalsThe chief goal of the Canadian Studies program, which was created in 1980, is to acquaint as many students as possible with Canada and its citizens. Above all, U.S. students need to recognize the degree of interdependence that exists between their country and their neighbor to the north. Canada is the largest trading partner of the United States and has joined with the United States in the creation of the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA). Over three million American jobs are linked to trade, investment, and tourism ties with Canada.
Approximately 300 students now enroll in Canadian content courses each academic year. Beginning in 1982, Canadian students and others interested in Canada have been able to enroll in a special section of American Heritage which focuses both on the United States and Canada. Several Canadian content courses are also available in political science, with additional courses currently available annually or biannually in anthropology, art, Church history and doctrine, communications, economics, elementary education, English, French, geography, history, humanities, management, managerial economics, Native American studies, secondary education, sociology, and theater and film.
Some students may also desire to minor in Canadian Studies. These students are encouraged to major in a functional area that will improve their marketability upon graduating. Many businesses have linkages to Canada and may appreciate the Canadian Studies background of a prospective employee, but they also want their new hires to possess other marketable skills. On the other hand, many students minoring in Canadian Studies will pursue MA, PhD, or advanced professional degrees.
Two dozen faculty and staff now participate in the interdisciplinary Canadian Studies program. This includes librarians in charge of developing both BYU's English Canadian and French Canadian collections. As a result of funding from the university and generous book acquisition grants from the Canadian government and Quebec's provincial government, BYU has developed one of the finest Canadian collections in the United States. In addition, BYU has been selected by the Canadian government as a partial repository for Canadian government documents. The Canadian Studies program also has a special arrangement with the State University of New York at Plattsburg to secure on a regular basis Canadian-produced media programs for use in our classrooms.
Classroom preparation in Canadian Studies may be supplemented by the Kennedy Center's International Study Program at the Université Laval in Quebec City, which involves intensive French language instruction. In addition, students may pursue internship opportunities in Canada or at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
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All content copyright 2007 David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies.
