Program Overview

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Program Overview

The Public Safety program at Wilfrid Laurier University is designed to provide students with the critical thinking skills needed for a career in public safety. The program is offered fully online, allowing students to complete their degree from the convenience of their own homes.

Program Details

Degree Highlights

• Built-In Learning Flexibility: The asynchronous, online program removes barriers typically faced by those living far from campus and those with full-time work and personal obligations.
• Practical Content: Apply coursework to real-world scenarios, preparing for leadership roles in public safety.
• College Pathway: Already have a 2-year college diploma in a field related to public safety? Apply to our Advanced Standing program to complete your degree two years earlier.

Top Experiences

• Access National Security Software: Analyze dashboards using ArcGIS Pro Law Enforcement and National Security Software and construct crime maps, disaster maps, and municipal emergency incident maps using online GIS mapping software.
• Simulations and Scenario-based Learning: Develop public safety story maps, scenarios, pre-incident plans, intelligence and analytics reports, crash analysis maps, and opioid response dashboards.
• Dig into Data Mining: Incorporating the use of technology and analytics, as necessary for public safety situations, analyze social media data via analytics and data mining platforms.

Courses, Options, and Pathways

Courses

Get a glimpse of what you will study throughout your degree. See what your first-year classes will look like through sample courses and start exploring what your upper academic years can offer.

First-Year Required Courses

• Introduction to Public Safety
• Public Safety Administration and Government Relations
• Introduction to Digital Technology and Public Safety
• Leadership and Career Development in Law Enforcement
• Public Safety Policy Analysis
• Gladue Principles
• Social Science Research Methods

First-Year Sample Electives

• Leadership and Personal Development
• Introduction to the Criminal Justice System
• Foundations for Community Engagement and Service
• Introduction to Indigenous Studies

Sample Upper-Year Courses

• Principles of Fire and Emergency Services
• Theories of Correctional Justice
• Public Safety GIS and Data Analytics
• Immigration and Conflict Zones

Program Options

Explore a variety of courses, specializations, and pathway options that let you shape your degree around your unique interests and goals. Find out how you can customize your experience and prepare for what's next.

Combine Your Degree

Expand your field of expertise by pairing your Public Safety major with another major (or another whole degree) from either our Waterloo or Brantford campus. Some popular combinations include:

• Public Safety and Psychology (BA in Waterloo or Brantford)
• Public Safety and Sociology
• Public Safety and Health Studies
• Public Safety and Human Rights
• Public Safety and Indigenous Studies
• Public Safety and Game Design

Options and Minors

These are a few of the many popular academic opportunities which allow you to dive deeper into your major area of study or broaden your knowledge:

• Criminology Minor
• Leadership Minor
• User Experience Design Minor
• Health Studies Minor
• Computer Science Minor

Advanced Standing Pathway

The honours Bachelor of Arts in Public Safety (BAPS) Advanced Standing is uniquely designed for college graduates from a public safety-related program. To be considered for admission to the BAPS Advanced Standing program, you must have a minimum admission average of 75% from an approved diploma program and a minimum of 60% in 4U English (or equivalent).

Admissions

Format

• Full-time or part-time

Duration

• Four years (regular program) or two years (advanced standing)

Start

• September (fall term), January (winter term), or May (spring term)

Admission Requirements

Ontario High School Admission Requirements

• Average admission range: mid 70s
• English at 60% required

Canadian Admission Requirements (Outside Ontario)

Students applying to this program from a Canadian province outside of Ontario are encouraged to review our course equivalents by province chart.

International Admission Requirements

Students applying to this program from an international curriculum must present the following:

• Average admission range: mid 70s
• Senior or grade 12 English at 60%

English-Proficiency Requirement

Laurier's language of instruction is English, and so we may require you to provide evidence of your English proficiency to help make sure you are successful in your academic courses.

Transfer Admission Requirements

Students applying to this program from another post-secondary institution are encouraged to review our transfer-specific requirements.

Career Opportunities

Sample Career Options

• Border or customs service officer
• Cybersecurity analyst
• Emergency management officer
• Intelligence analyst
• Law enforcement personnel
• Policy administrator
• Policy analyst
• Urban planner
• Victim advocate

Tuition and Scholarships

Getting a university education is an investment in your future. At Laurier, we take financial health seriously by providing a wide variety of funding opportunities for you throughout your degree, such as scholarships and bursaries, and by equipping you with the skills to manage your finances effectively in the years to come.