Queen's University Faculty of Arts and Science

Queen's University Faculty of Arts and Science
Name	Faculty of Arts and Science
Established	1841
Type	Faculty
City	Kingston
Province	Ontario
Country	Canada
Parent	Queen's University

Queen's University Faculty of Arts and Science is the liberal arts and basic sciences faculty at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It forms the core of undergraduate and many graduate offerings, linking programmes across humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and interdisciplinary studies while interacting with institutions such as Royal Military College of Canada, University of Toronto, McGill University, University of Ottawa, and Carleton University. The faculty contributes to provincial and national initiatives associated with Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, Canada Research Chairs, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

History

The faculty traces its origins to the founding of Queen's University at Kingston in 1841 by the Reverend Thomas Liddell, during a period shaped by figures like Sir John A. Macdonald and institutions such as Kingston General Hospital. Early curricular influences included models from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Princeton University, and pedagogical reforms linked to the University of Toronto Act 1906 and later developments after World War I, World War II, and the postwar expansion associated with the Massey Commission. Notable historical moments involved collaboration with scholars influenced by Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, John Maynard Keynes, and exchanges with visiting lecturers from Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, and University of Chicago. The faculty evolved through eras marked by figures such as Alexander Graham Bell's contemporaries, curricular shifts during the 1960s, and research growth tied to programs funded after the Royal Commission on University Education.

Academic Programs

Programs span undergraduate majors, honours degrees, minors, and graduate certificates with links to professional pathways connected to Law Society of Ontario, Royal Society of Canada, and accreditation bodies like Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. Typical offerings include joint degrees with faculties such as Smith School of Business, combined programmes interacting with Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, and interdisciplinary streams reflecting approaches from Comparative Literature, Political Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Biology, and Chemistry. Graduate training includes master's and doctoral supervision aligned with Canada Graduate Scholarships, fellowships comparable to Rhodes Scholarship, Trudeau Foundation, and postdoctoral placements at institutions such as National Research Council (Canada), NIH, and European Research Council. Continuing education and professional development tie into initiatives with UNESCO, OECD, and regional partnerships with Kingston Economic Development Corporation.

Departments and Schools

The faculty comprises departments and schools including models akin to Department of English, Department of History, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Department of Political Studies, Department of Sociology, School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, and units similar to School of Languages and Cultures. These departments collaborate with external entities such as Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, and cultural partners like Agnes Etherington Art Centre and Bellevue House National Historic Site.

Research and Centres

Research centres and institutes reflect multidisciplinary priorities, including centres comparable to Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Centre for Studies in Primary Care, and research clusters affiliated with Canadian Light Source, SNOLAB, and TeraGrid. Grant-supported research intersects with programs from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and international collaborations with European Commission, Wellcome Trust, and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The faculty hosts thematic research groups addressing topics related to frameworks introduced by Michel Foucault, methodologies influenced by Claude Lévi-Strauss, and computational work linked to projects with IBM Research, Google Research, and Microsoft Research.

Student Life and Services

Student life integrates services from offices analogous to Career Services, Student Wellness Services, Accessibility Resources, and student government bodies such as Queen's Alma Mater Society. Extracurricular opportunities include student societies patterned after Debating Society, Model United Nations, Canadian Federation of Students, and cultural clubs that partner with organizations like Canadian Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and United Way. Co-curricular programming aligns with experiential learning initiatives connected to Ontario Volunteer Service and international exchanges with universities including University of Edinburgh, University of Melbourne, University of Hong Kong, and National University of Singapore.

Facilities and Campus

Key facilities on the Kingston campus include heritage and modern buildings comparable to Jeffery Hall, Stauffer Library, Miller Hall, and science centres similar to Beamish-Munro Hall and Tindall Hall. Laboratory infrastructure meets standards for partnerships with Canadian Synchrotron Facility and cultivation of collaborations with Kingston General Hospital, Providence Care Hospital, and local archives such as Kingston Public Library and Queen's University Archives. Public-facing venues include lecture theatres, galleries akin to Agnes Etherington Art Centre, and performance spaces used for conferences together with organizations like Canadian Research Knowledge Network.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni and faculty have held roles in arenas involving figures and organisations such as Sir John A. Macdonald, Ruth Grier, Harold Innis, Marshall McLuhan, Norman Bethune, Adrienne Clarkson, Stephen Lewis, Kim Campbell, David Milgaard, Mordecai Richler, P.K. Page, Alice Munro, Thomas Hobbes-era scholars’ influence, and cross-appointments with visiting academics from University of Oxford, Princeton University, Yale University, and Sorbonne University. Many have received honours including Order of Canada, Giller Prize, Governor General's Award, Pulitzer Prize, and appointments to bodies such as Supreme Court of Canada and international organizations like United Nations.

Category:Queen's University Kingston