Flexible Curriculum

Multidisciplinary by Design

At Bishop’s, your education is multidisciplinary by design. Most programs don’t need to stand alone. They’re strengthened when paired with others.

With 84 majors, 59 minors and 38 honours programs, you have the freedom to build a degree that reflects your interests and goals. Start with a major, add a minor, pursue an honours program or combine disciplines in ways that connect your academic interests to your future ambitions.

By the Numbers

programs across two schools and three faculties
majors
minors
honours programs

Majors, Minors and Honours Explained

Before exploring combinations, here’s how you can build a Bishop’s degree.

Major/Concentration

Your primary area of study and the focus of your degree. It’s where you complete many of your courses and build expertise in a specific field. In some cases, you can pursue a double major. Williams School of Business students choose a concentration instead of a major. If you’d like greater depth and/or research opportunities, you may want to pursue an honours instead of a major.

Minor

A secondary area of study, typically 18–24 credits, to help expand your perspective and gain knowledge in a different field. You can add any minor, regardless of your main area of study.

Honours

Take your interests further with advanced courses and the option to complete a research thesis or project in your final year of study. Most of our majors have an honours option and often require strong academic performance. An honours is ideal for students considering graduate studies.

Concentration

A focused stream of courses within a program. Some degrees, such as Arts Administration, Business, and Biology, offer different concentrations that allow you to specialize within your field.

Electives

Courses you choose outside your main area of study. Electives give you the flexibility to explore different interests or complement your academic path.

Credits

Courses are assigned credits based on workload (for example, most lecture courses are 3 credits, and labs are 1 credit).

Certificates and Micro-certificates

Highly focused programs that lead to a credential in a specific area. Certificates (30 credits) offer deeper specialization. Micro-certificates (15 credits) provide a short, flexible option that can often be taken within your degree.

I graduated from Bishop’s with a Bachelor of Arts, with a Major in Music and two Minors in Theatre and Creative Writing/Journalism—a unique offering that only Bishop’s has.

Amanda Chaval

B.A. in Music, Minors is Drama and Creative Writing/Journalism

Multiply Your Academic Experience

At Bishop’s, you build a degree that reflects your interests and goals. You can focus deeply on one field or combine areas across disciplines. Every degree includes a main area of study, with the flexibility to expand, combine or specialize.

Choose a path that reflects your interests

Major + Minor(s) + Electives

Start with a major, then build your degree around your interests. Adding another area of study broadens your perspective and helps you develop expertise across multiple fields.

Major + Major + Electives

Combine two strong interests into a more focused academic path and develop depth in both disciplines.

Honours + Minor + Electives

Go deeper in one discipline through advanced study while exploring a complementary area of interest.

There are many combinations to explore, and our academic advisors are here to help you find the one that’s right for you.

Ready to explore what you could build here?

More Than One Path to Success

Your path can evolve as your interests do.

You can change majors, add minors, pursue concentrations and discover new directions throughout your time at Bishop’s. You don’t need to have every step planned from day one. Programs at Bishop’s have been designed with flexibility in mind to give you room to explore before committing to a path.

After your first year, you’ll be better equipped to choose a direction that reflects your strengths, interests and goals.

Professors Who Know You

One of the advantages of a university our size is access. When you’re combining disciplines and exploring new directions, having direct access to professors makes a difference.

  • 21:1 student-to-faculty ratio
  • Classes taught by professors, not teaching assistants
  • Academic advising from your first semester
  • Support in combining disciplines and planning your degree

Not sure where to start?
Academic advisors can help you explore options and build a degree that fits your interests.

Bishop’s will give you room to grow in ways you can’t predict.

Mirana Iliza

B.A. in Psychology

A Campus That Broadens Your Perspective

74 countries represented. 68 languages spoken.

As an English-language university in the heart of Quebec, Bishop’s brings together students from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences. The result is a learning environment where new perspectives become part of everyday learning.

How a Multidisciplinary Education Prepares You for the Future

The challenges graduates face rarely fit neatly within a single discipline.

A multidisciplinary education helps you connect ideas, think across boundaries and approach problems from multiple perspectives. Combined with close faculty mentorship and a globally minded campus community, this multidisciplinary foundation will prepare you for a future that cannot be predicted. There is no singular path to success. Your education opens multiple paths.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Students can change majors, add minors and adjust their path as their interests evolve. Academic advisors are available from your first semester to help you explore your options.

Yes. Bishop’s programs are designed to pair with each other across faculties. You are not limited to one school or department.

A major is your primary area of study. An honours degree component is an advanced stream, often involving a research project, that is ideal for students considering graduate studies.

You do not need to have everything figured out on day one. Many students explore in their first year before committing to a combination.

Academic advisors are here to help you customize a degree that fits your goals. Get in touch once you have applied.

Build an Education That’s Yours

Whether you know exactly what you want to study or are still exploring your options, Bishop’s gives you the flexibility to create a path that reflects your interests and goals.