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Artsci
[edit]The Arts and Science Programme is an exclusive program at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. It is one of the smallest direct-entry programmes in the university, admitting only 60 first years per year, with a total size of about 250 students. The program was founded in 1981 and has a reputation for innovation. The Health Sciences undergraduate program, which began in 1999, was based on the Arts & Science program's inquiry and multidisciplinary-style learning. The degree awarded is a B. Arts Sc. Students may earn the degree in 3 years, although most students complete the degree in 4 years and earn the "Honours" appellation.
Arts & Science stresses the development of skills in writing, speaking, research, and critical and quantitative reasoning. Its curriculum also aims to provide a foundational university-level knowledge base in the natural sciences and the social thought of the Western world. The program's small size facilitates its strong sense of community and interdisciplinary learning, with students taking a diverse range of courses through their four years. Many of the students specialize in a field by completing a combined honours in addition to the Arts and Science program requirements (effectively a double major). Some combined honours require a fifth year of study, unless the student takes courses during summer school or an "overload" course complement. A large proportion of graduates go on to pursue higher learning through either graduate or professional school.
During the mid-'00s, the McMaster administration began putting pressure on the programme to increase its size from 60 to 100 students per year. This campaign is part of a University-wide expansion of all smaller programs such as Medicine and Health Sciences. The idea was met with opposition from some students and most of professors in the program. Arguments against program expansion include concerns that the current sense of community would be lost; that larger classes would reduce the quality of education; and that it would put added pressure onto professors. The last increase in class size was in 1996, with an increase in intake from 50 students to 60. This increase was met with similar resistance, and many students and faculty regarded this as the beginning of the end of the intimate learning environment that had gained the Arts and Science Programme its strong reputation. Although the issue has not been resolved with finality, the entering class in fall 2008 will have 75 students.
Students are part of the Society of Arts and Science Students (SASS). SASS is responsible for running social and community events, facilitating inter-programme communication, and making educational recommendations to the director of the program. SASS also runs a student website (SASSweb), which can be used to chat with Arts and Science students and find out about the programme.