CHYS Program Information

What is Child and Youth Studies About?
The mandate of the Department of Child and Youth Studies is to provide a broadly based interdisciplinary approach that considers children and youth within the multiple contexts of culture, the economy, the law, family, school, peer group, and community. The primary goals are to provide students with the academic background and experience necessary in a variety of settings related to human development, society and culture in order to prepare students for academic and professional training. With its roots in psychology, sociology, anthropology, criminology, education, and cultural studies, education, sociology, and physical education, the academic focus provides an integration of approaches through which a comprehensive understanding of children and youth can evolve.
 

What is the difference between a Child and Youth Studies (Pass or Honours BA CHYS Student) and a Concurrent CHYS BA/BEd student?
A Child and Youth Studies student completes a three year pass, or a four year honours Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Child and Youth Studies. A concurrent CHYS BA/BEd student completes a three year pass Bachelor of Arts degree with a single major in Child and Youth Studies and a Bachelor of Education degree at the same time.

Is a combined degree possible with Child and Youth Studies and another discipline?
Students may take a combined degree in Child and Youth Studies and many other disciplines. Some popular examples are: psychology, sociology, applied language studies and community health studies.

 

What career opportunities are there with a Child and Youth Studies degree?
A Child and Youth Studies undergraduate degree can prepare a graduate with entry into a number of professional fields as well as provide access to graduate work in a wide variety of disciplines including MA and PhD work in Child and Youth Care and Psychology among others. In fact, the Child and youth Studies program at Brock offers its own interdisciplinary MA in Child and Youth Studies that can lead to both advanced and academic careers.

While there are a few entry positions, particularly in social services, open to students with relevant experience and no university degree, particularly in social services, such as, support workers or residential counsellors, most careers require an undergraduate degree followed by a professional graduate qualification. A Child and Youth Studies degree provides an academic background which can be applied to a wide variety of careers working with children.

Some examples of careers that Child and Youth Studies graduates are following are: speech-language pathologist, special-needs worker, youth worker, occupational therapist, child-life specialist, sales representative for children's products, recreational counsellor, psychometrist, community college teacher, preschool integration coordinator, elementary school teacher, social worker.

Students who graduate from the concurrent pass CHYS BA/BEd program can be recommended to the Ontario College of Teachers for certification to teach in elementary school at the primary/junior level in Ontario.

 

The admissions requirements are as follows:

Students who apply directly from high school must have a minimum requirement of six OAC credits or equivalent, with English as a required subject, mathematics is strongly recommended, and a minimum overall average of 75 percent, although the admitting average is normally above 80%.

Brock student, both full-time and part-time, may apply to Child and Youth Studies. To be considered, students must achieve a minimum over all average of 60 percent in Child and Youth Studies required courses if they are taken. Students who have other credits may be evaluated on an individual basis.

Students with university transfer credits are evaluated on an individual basis, as long as a minimum over all average of 60 percent average has been achieved in courses equivalent to Child and Youth Studies credits.

Students with college credits should refer to the section titled college transfer students.

Students who wish to change their major may apply at the second year level.
 
What other information should students know about the CHYS BA/BEd Program?
The concurrent pass CHYS BA/BEd stream is open only to students applying for their first degree. Students with a degree who wish to gain a BEd degree and an Ontario Certificate of Qualification must apply to the Faculty of Education for its one-year program. Normally, students are accepted into the CHYS BA/BEd program only on a full-time basis and are expected to follow the prescribed program outline. For admission to the BA/BEd stream, Child and Youth Studies has a policy of giving primary consideration to BA CHYS majors, secondary consideration to other Brock students, and then other students may be evaluated on an individual basis. Students are eligible if they attain a minimum 75 percent overall academic average, a minimum of 4 credits which must include CHYS 1F90, PSYC 1F90, SOCI 1F90 (a context credit is recommended as the other credit), and a maximum of 8 credits.*

*This consideration allows students with transfer credits to be eligible for the concurrent CHYS BA/BEd program. For further information on transfer, please read Brock University's College Transfer Agreement.

Because all three programs have limited enrolment, admission is not guaranteed by attainment of the minimum average requirement.

 

How do students apply to Child and Youth Studies?
Students who apply directly from high school, from another university or college, or as mature students, must do so through Ontario Universities Application Centre (UOAC). Any subsequent changes in application must be made by completing an OUAC 107 form rather than to Brock or the Child and Youth Studies program. In other words, students interested in coming to Brock, regardless of their major, must apply through the normal admissions process.

Students who are already admitted to Brock and may be in a general studies program and wish to change, or wish to be considered for the CHYS BA/BEd stream at second-year level should apply to Child and Youth Studies using the following procedure:

Students must file a completed Child and Youth Studies application form in the Child and Youth Studies Office by May 1. Forms are available on-line and they are for both Child and Youth Studies and CHYS BA/BEd applicants.

Completed applications will be accepted between September 1 and May 1. Late applications will not be accepted. A copy of the most recent statement of standing is also required. If the official statement of fall/winter marks has not been received prior to the application deadline, students should indicate that marks are to follow as soon as possible. Files will not be evaluated until marks are received. Successful applicants will be notified by the Department of Child and Youth Studies. Students who have not been contacted by the end of July may contact the Child and Youth Studies Administrative Co-ordinator at (905) 688-5550, ext. 5242, to determine the status of their application.
 

Students with a completed two or three year college diploma must have a minimum 85 percent cumulative college average for consideration by Child and Youth Studies, and they may receive three to five full transfer credits if they are admitted to Brock. Child and Youth Studies evaluates all eligible individual student files in consultation with the Admissions Office after acceptance to Brock has been completed and transferable credits have been awarded. 

Child and Youth Studies single or combined majors who have satisfactorily completed years two and three of the program may apply to graduate with a pass CHYS BA degree or they may wish to apply to fourth year.

 

Where and how can I find more information about Child and Youth Studies?
The Brock Undergraduate Calendar publishes official information about the Department of Child and Youth Studies.

The Child and Youth Studies Handbook offers supplementary information about the department and is available for purchase in the University Bookstore.

If you are considering a degree in Child and Youth Studies and still need more information after reading the additional sources, the Child and Youth Studies Department Co-ordinator is available during office hours to answer further questions at (905) 688-5550, ext. 4299. If you book a campus tour through the office of Recruitment and Liaison Services, you may request that an appointment be arranged with the Department Co-ordinator or make the arrangement directly. Child and Youth Studies welcomes your interest in our Department!

 
Awards and Scholarships

Child and Youth Studies Book Prizes
Awarded to the graduating students with the highest major averages in the pass and honours Child and Youth Studies programs; the graduating student with the highest overall average in the CHYS BA/BEd program; and the graduating students who have made the most outstanding extracurricular contributions to Child and Youth Studies.

Fourth Year Honours Award
Awarded to the student with the highest required Child and Youth Studies average admitted to the fourth year honours program.

John W. Bean and Kathryn Bean Becker Scholarship
Awarded to one CHYS BA/BEd Child and Youth Studies concurrent student entering year four who displays diligence and industriousness, together with a high overall academic average. 
Kimberly Wells Memorial Book Prize
Awarded to a student graduating from the CHYS BA/BEd program, who displays strength in academics and participation in the University community.

Margaret A. Clifford Memorial Award
Awarded annually by application, to a student admitted to the CHYS BA/BEd Child and Youth Studies concurrent program. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and meet OSAP residency requirements. 
Diane Helmkay Memorial Bursary
Two bursaries are awarded to third or fourth year concurrent CHYS BA/BEd students in financial need. Students who think they may be eligible for consideration should apply through the Office of the Registrar. 
Dr. Udayan Rege Award
Awarded Awarded annually to the Brock University student with the highest mark in the 3P60 Autism course (or its successor course if this course ceases to exist). The recipient must demonstrate academic merit (minimum overall average 75%) and be pursuing either the Concurrent BA/Bed program Child and Youth Studies, or has completed the undergraduate degree program in Child and Youth Studies and is entering the Faculty of Education's Pre-Service year.
Note: Scholarships are based on students registering for a minimum of 4.0 credit course loads in the Fall/Winter academic session.
Concurrent CHYS BA/BEd students do not qualify for scholarships in the fourth year of the program when the majority of courses taken are Pre-Service Education courses. 
 

Teaching
The goal of the Department of Child and Youth Studies is to: 
* Encourage sound critical thinking in all our students through an awareness of bias, the analysis and synthesis of material, and critical skill development.

*Encourage creative thinking and novel integrations in order to create an atmosphere for the critical examination of research issues.
*Develop student competence in their chosen field including knowledge of the tradition of thought, awareness of contemporary issues, research developments, and current debates.
*Foster good communication skills through teaching approaches that stress careful feedback for written and oral work. This will be facilitated through seminars, student forums, placements, and presentations.  

Community
The goal of the Department of Child and Youth Studies is to: 
* Cooperate and form liaisons with community-based institutions. 
* Collaborate with professionals involved in the field of human services. 
* Strive to be in a position to implement, evaluate and advocate for policies and programs which will enhance the lives of children and youth both locally and globally.