Welcome to Health & Society I – start your journey into how health, aging, community, and well-being are shaped by social forces, policy, and lived experience.

Health & Society I is your entry point into understanding health through a social-science lens. If you’re curious about how culture, community, inequality, and public policy influence health outcomes – and how lived experience shapes well-being – this is where your path begins. You’ll explore big questions about aging, mental health, social systems, and community care, supported by experiential learning and opportunities to engage with real-world issues.

You won’t be navigating this alone. You’ll learn alongside classmates who share your passion for making a difference, supported by professors who challenge your thinking and advisors who help you shape your academic direction.

What Health & Society I Really Means

Health & Society I is a social-science–based pathway – not a clinical or medical program. Instead of focusing on diagnosis or treatment, you’ll study how health is shaped by:

• Social structures and inequalities
• Cultural beliefs and community contexts
• Public policy and systems of care
• Lived experience across the lifespan

It’s the ideal starting point if you’re interested in health, aging, mental health, social policy, or community well-being – and want to understand these issues through research, critical thinking, and real-world engagement.

At the end of your first year, you’ll apply to the upper-year Health & Society programs that best match your interests and goals.

Your first year in Health & Society I introduces you to the social forces that shape health, aging, mental health, and community well-being. You’ll build a strong foundation in core themes while still having the flexibility to explore other areas across the Social Sciences and beyond.

Core Level I Required Courses (9 units)

These three courses form the heart of your first-year experience, grounding you in the social dimensions of health and lived experience:

• HLTHAGE 1BB3 – Introduction to Aging and Society
• HLTHAGE 1CC3 – Introduction to Mental Health and Illness
• HLTHAGE 1ZZ3 – Inquiry: Introduction to Health and Society (exclusive to Health & Society I students)

Together, these courses help you understand how aging, mental health, and social systems intersect – and how personal experiences and structural factors shape health outcomes.

Additional Level I Course Requirements

To round out your first-year program, you’ll also complete:

• 9 units from the Social Sciences Required Course List – courses such as Indigenous Studies, Sociology, Political Science, Social Psychology, and more
• 12 units of electives – which may come from Social Sciences or other Faculties (as long as prerequisites are met)

This structure gives you both foundational knowledge in health and society and room to explore other interests – whether you’re curious about community health, social policy, psychology, culture, or interdisciplinary topics.

A Balanced, Exploratory First Year

Health & Society I is intentionally designed to give you:

• Core grounding in aging, mental health, and social inquiry
• Breadth across the Social Sciences
• Flexibility through electives

This balance helps you discover what resonates most – and prepares you for upper-year pathways in Health & Society, Aging & Society, or combined programs.

At the end of your first year in Health & Society I, you will not need to apply into the standard Honours B.A. Health & Society program.

Students in this gateway are automatically placed into Honours Health & Society unless they choose to apply to a different upper-year option.

If you’re interested in a specialization, a different major, or a combined degree, you’ll submit an application during the Level II Program Selection period – the same time all Social Sciences students choose their upper-year programs.

Upper-Year Health, Aging & Society Degree Options You Can Apply To

You can apply to any of the following programs at the end of your first year:

• Honours B.A. – Aging & Society
• Honours B.A. – Aging & Society (Specialization in Mental Health & Addiction)
• Honours B.A. – Health & Society (Specialization in Mental Health & Addiction)
• Combined Honours B.A. – Aging & Society & Another Subject
• Combined Honours B.A. – Health & Society & Another Subject

These pathways let you tailor your degree toward aging, mental health, social policy, community well-being, or interdisciplinary study across the Social Sciences.