Humanities & Social Sciences (Arts)

In a world where industries change overnight and new opportunities emerge every day, staying competitive means continually growing your skills. Trent University’s micro-credentials offer a fast, focused way to do just that. Shorter and more affordable than traditional degrees or diplomas, these targeted programs are designed with industry input so that what you learn directly matches employer needs. Most micro-credentials can be completed online in as little as 6 to 30 hours.

Step confidently into arts leadership through a professional master’s that combines focused coursework with applied learning and engagement in professional practice. Explore Canadian and international policy and management practices in the arts while examining current issues and trends in cultural creation, production and distribution. Whether you're an emerging or established professional, this program will develop the critical thinking, problem-solving and leadership capabilities needed to navigate the evolving arts and culture sector.

Building on Trent’s world-class reputation in interdisciplinary scholarship, this innovative Ph.D. program emphasizes social inquiry, interdisciplinary research, and professional scholarship as the foundation for addressing complex social issues. With a holistic approach to professional scholarship and skills development, the program provides theoretical, methodological, and experiential training to develop leading scholarship and build understanding of key social, material, and environmental issues facing societies, both historically and in the present day.

Explore your interest in the intersections between arts and science through hands-on learning in interactive labs and engaging discussions with faculty experts and fellow students. Pair Biology with History, Psychology with Sociology, or Philosophy with Physics to examine complex issues including healthcare, climate change, human rights and law.  

Develop the communication skills employers value while discovering where your interests can take you. At Trent Durham GTA, you’ll learn alongside faculty experts in a supportive, close-knit community where you can explore your goals and shape your studies around them. Build practical skills in strategic communication, professional writing, digital storytelling, public speaking, research and project management, preparing you to communicate effectively across industries and career paths.

How do we understand humanity from our earliest origins to the complex societies of today? At Trent, you’ll investigate the human story from our earliest ancestors to modern global communities through all four fields of anthropology: archaeological, biological, cultural, and linguistics.  

Consider questions about reality, knowledge, ethics and human existence while learning to analyze complex ideas, challenge assumptions, and build persuasive arguments. Put your thinking into practice through paid work experience, research, conferences, and student-led events. Along the way, build connections with faculty, professionals and a successful alumni network that includes international bestselling author Yann Martel, while preparing for diverse careers or further study.

Explore history from ancient Rome to modern Vietnam, immersing yourself in the political, social and cultural forces that have shaped societies across time and place. With the freedom to focus your studies by theme, time period, or location and make connections across disciplines, you’ll develop valuable research, analytical and communication skills that prepare you for a wide range of careers.

From Homer and Julius Caesar to archaeology, mythology, and philosophy, you will explore the people, ideas, and events that shaped the foundations of the modern world, making connections between ancient ideas and modern challenges through theory and practice.  

Unearth the past through hands-on research and fieldwork, investigating human cultures through artifacts, architecture, and ancient environments. Drawing on environmental science, biology, geography, economics and material science, you'll build the interdisciplinary expertise to understand and interpret the past.