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Classes and Programs

More than 220 credit classes this year!

Classic liberal arts education for our complex modern world.

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Study at St. Thomas More College

Discover your potential as a whole person. As an STM student, you'll have opportunities to develop intellectually, socially, and spiritually. We can’t wait for you to discover more!

Choose from over 220 credit course offerings in 19 subject areas, enrol in unique STM programming, and reap the benefits with five unique certificate opportunities!

St. Thomas More College Brochure

Fall & Winter Courses 2024-25

Official Course Offerings are listed in PAWS.

 

 

Department Brochures

Religion and Culture

The Religion and Culture programs explore the range of religions and religious experiences within particular cultural, historical, ideological, and current settings in order to promote awareness of how religions shape human experiences, societies and cultures. Students will be encouraged to understand themselves better as global citizens by exploring the lived experiences of religions and cultures that are relevant to their work and life in the social realm and collective cultural heritage. Students will develop their intellectual and practical skills including writing, critical and creative thinking, inquiry and analysis.  
 
Graduates of Religion and Culture will be equipped for further study in Religion and Culture or Religious Studies at major institutions in Canada, and/or for careers in a wide variety of professions such as law, social work, civil service, NGO service, and counseling.
 
Courses included in the Religion and Culture program are divided into three categories as described below:

A: Asian Religions in Cross-Cultural Perspectives:
Courses either focus on specific religious traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism or examine religions and cultures of geographical areas such as South, East, and Southeast Asia. Courses can also be cross-cultural, comparative, and/or thematic investigations of topics such as gender, post-colonialism, globalization, or historical, philosophical, sociological, anthropological, and literary-critical methodologies in the investigation of religions and cultures.

B: Western Religions in Cross-Cultural Perspectives:
Courses can focus on the religious traditions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam and the encounter between religious thought and modernity in the west. Courses can also be cross-cultural, comparative, and/or thematic investigations of topics such as gender, post-colonialism, globalization, or historical, philosophical, sociological, anthropological, and literary-critical methodologies in the investigation of religions and cultures.

C. Interdisciplinary Perspectives in the Study of Religions and Cultures:
Courses offered from programs other than Religion and Culture by Departments with stated content investigating the academic study of religions and cultures.

Some courses in Religious Studies are taught by faculty in the corresponding department of St. Thomas More College. These courses or sections are designated as STM section in the online Course Offerings.

Select courses at STU (St. Andrew’s College, College of Emmanuel and St. Chad and the Lutheran Theological Seminary) may be taken for transfer credit. Please consult the department for eligible courses at these affiliated institutions.

Major Average

The major average in Religion and Culture programs includes the grades earned in:

  • All RLST and all courses listed in the Major Requirement A4.

Residency Requirements in the Major

To receive a degree in Religion and Culture, students must complete at least two-thirds of the following coursework (to the nearest highest multiple of 3 credit units) from the University of Saskatchewan.

  • Minimum requirements in Major Requirement A4.

See Residency for additional details.

St. Thomas More College

Most courses in Religious Studies are taught by faculty in the Department of Religion and Culture in St. Thomas More College. These courses or sections are designated as STM sections in the online Course Offerings.

Saskatoon Theological Union (STU)

Programs

Philosophy

The St. Thomas More College (STM) philosophy program emphasizes fundamental questions about the human condition and explores the relations between humans, nature, the cosmos and the divine.  With its special emphasis on continental philosophy, philosophy of religion, ethics, and ancient/medieval philosophy, STM philosophy programs promote a dialogue between reason and faith, as well as contributes to interdisciplinary programs including Social Justice and the Common Good, Catholic Studies, and Classical, Medieval and Renaissance Studies (CMRS).

 

  • In partnership with the Sts. Benedict and Scholastica Formation Program of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon

  • Undergraduate philosophy and liberal arts education designed for those interested in Catholic priestly & religious vocation, or theological studies for lay ministry.

  • Leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Philosophy
    • Could also include the Certificate in Catholic Studies

Students in this program are required to meet with Richard Medernach for academic advising to ensure proper course selection. 

Social Justice and Common Good

The Minor in Critical Perspectives on Social Justice and the Common Good is an interdisciplinary course of study using the collected insights of various academic disciplines designed to prepare students to be responsible critics of contemporary societies and effective agents for positive social transformation. Students will reflect on the causes and structures of injustice and approaches to social change at interpersonal, communal, national and global levels. As a central concept in Catholic thought on social justice, the Minor will explore the role of the common good in the religious, ethical, philosophical and social science traditions. As part of their course of study, students will be challenged to critically examine historical and contemporary misappropriation and abuse of the constructs of social justice and common good. Through a community service-learning pedagogy, offered in a number of courses, this minor creatively engages faculty, students, and community partners in local and international responses to inequality and marginalization. Cycles of exclusion (e.g., marginalization associated with disability, age, gender, poverty, sexuality, racism, violence, colonialism, post-colonialism, class, speciesism and the environment), urban justice, globalization, and ecojustice are the areas of concentration for empirical, social analyses of social injustice. From these areas of concentration and issues of justice students gain a solid intellectual and ethical grasp of the understandings of the common good.

The Minor average in Critical Perspectives on Social Justice and the Common Good will be calculated using the grades earned in all courses eligible to be included in the Minor program requirements. Students must complete at least two-thirds of the program requirements (rounded to the nearest highest multiple of 3 credit units) using courses offered by the University of Saskatchewan to meet the Residency requirement.

The Minor, consisting of 21 credit units of courses, may be completed in conjunction with any degree in the College of Arts & Science.

This program is coordinated by St. Thomas More College, under the academic authority of the College of Arts & Science. Interested students should contact sjcgminor@stmcollege.ca for additional information.

Requirements

Critical Perspectives on Social Justice and the Common Good - Minor

Ukrainian

The Ukrainian Langauge Recognition program promotes study of the Ukrainian language. The study of second languages is fundamental to an education in the liberal arts, to citizenship in a multicultural nation, and to understanding an increasingly close-knit world. It is an important element in the study of linguistics. Knowledge of a second language is important in many undergraduate and graduate programs and is an advantage or necessity in a wide range of careers. The ability to read and communicate in a second language also opens doors, otherwise closed, to gratifying personal and cultural experiences.

Requirements

Certificate Options at STM

Graduate with an added advantage! Explore STM Certificate Programs.

Certificates offer a way for students to demonstrate unique combinations of expertise. You can create your own educational journey while attaining multiple credentials that will help set you apart when pursuing career goals.

Certificates can be completed before, during or after a degree, and the courses required can be used toward degree requirements, often as electives. With careful planning, you could graduate with a degree and a certificate without taking any extra classes!

Catholic Studies Certificate

The certificate in Catholic Studies provides an interdisciplinary approach to the academic study of Catholicism from the beginnings of Christianity in the ancient world to the presence of Catholicism as the largest Christian community in the world today. Catholic Studies is intended to provide students with an interdisciplinary understanding of Catholicism and its history, artistic and literary culture, philosophical and theological thought, and role in contemporary society.

Labour Studies Certificate

This certificate is designed to give students valuable knowledge they can use as they enter the workforce, including an understanding of collective bargaining, labour law, labour policy, and the economics of work. In so doing, the certificate provides students a greater level of knowledge and respect for the collective organizations of workers in Saskatchewan, Canada, and internationally.

As an interdisciplinary program that has program offerings in Political Studies, Sociology, History and Economics, the Certificate requirements will expose students to multiple theories of work, unionization, collective bargaining, and labour market issues.

Peace Studies Certificate

The certificate in Peace Studies cultivates an interdisciplinary approach to the academic study of peace, conflict, (re)conciliation, the nature of substantive justice, and the practice of nonviolent resistance. Peace Studies is concerned with both the analysis and creative transformation of conflict and injustice. Within the field, peace is defined as not only the absence of war but also by positive conditions such as socialjustice, gender and racial equality, and ecological health. As an interdisciplinary field, Peace Studies purposefully and critically draws upon insights from multiple disciplines including Political Science, Religious Studies, History, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Sociology, Psychology, Economics, English, Philosophy, and International Studies.

Religious Literacy Certificate

The Certificate in Religious Literacy equips students pursuing degrees in Law, Business, Healthcare, Social Services, Education, and Public Policy with a working knowledge of the beliefs and practices within a variety of religious traditions. Core competencies will include a clear understanding of and appreciation for each religion’s internal diversity—intramural distinctions that arise due to intersectional forces shaping believers' interpretation of their faith and its institutions; e.g., forces of gender, race and class, colonial histories, and neocolonial/global economies.

Current research in civic education and public life indicates that religiously literate professionals play crucial roles in fostering faith-friendly workplaces and social organisations. The Certificate in Religious Literacy offers vital credentials for creating ‘global’ cultures of inclusivity that sustain robust democracies and peaceful coexistence in our globalised context.

Ukrainian Studies Certificate

The Certificate in Ukrainian Studies is intended for current students and educators/individuals who wish to be immersed in the study of Ukrainian culture, language, history, religion, politics, and second language teaching from historical and cross-cultural perspectives.

Students in this program will have the opportunity to engage in the multidisciplinary nature of Ukrainian studies, selecting from courses in Ukrainian language, culture, and history. The Certificate program will allow individuals to acquire a well-rounded proficiency in this field, providing a foundation in the subject area to complement a variety of careers.

This program is also recommended for students interested in Ukrainian bilingual education.