Honours B.A. with Major in Human Relations and Spirituality

Program description

The B.A. in Human Relations and Spirituality – the only one of its kind in Ontario – is built on two major disciplines: the study of human behaviour (including interpersonal relations, cognition, emotions) and spirituality. It is a unique interdisciplinary program that integrates theoretical, practical, and reflective learning to prepare students for meaningful work and life in service of human dignity and flourishing.

Our mission is to form ethically grounded, self-aware, and relationally attuned individuals who can integrate diverse spiritual and psychotherapeutic perspectives to respond to the complexity of human experience. Through a holistic and experiential approach, the program fosters deep listening, personal transformation, and the development of caring and competent leaders committed to healing, growth, and the well-being of individuals, communities, and the world.

Holistic learning is at the core of our undergraduate programs where we nurture our students, by promoting the inner growth of the whole person—intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally—through reflective and experiential education, which is leveraged by four interrelated core values:

• Spiritual Integration, which honours the role of meaning, transcendence, and inner growth in human development;
• Openness, which encourages curiosity, humility, and receptivity to diverse worldviews, experiences, and spiritual traditions;
• Relational Integrity, which emphasizes authentic, compassionate, and ethical engagement with self and others; and
• Social Justice and Inclusion, which commits to equity, diversity, and the dignity of all people.

Throughout your studies, you will explore themes such as human development, diversity, inclusivity, openness, and humanism. You will enhance your skills in interpersonal communication, deepen your understanding of cultural and spiritual traditions, and develop your capacity to describe and compare key concepts and theories in the human and social sciences. You will also engage critically with both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, while learning to articulate how spirituality can meaningfully contribute to human growth and transformation.

Graduates of this program will be equipped to understand the breadth and complexity of the human spirit and the art of cultivating meaningful relationships—with themselves, others, the world around them, and the transcendent.

Who should apply?

This program is ideal for students who:

• Are drawn to questions of meaning, purpose, and connection
• Want to develop both academic and interpersonal competencies
• Are interested in careers or vocations in helping professions, community engagement, spiritual care, education, or human services
• Seek to understand and support the emotional, relational, and spiritual dimensions of human development across diverse contexts.

Admission details

Enrollment: full-time or part-time
Program length: 8 terms or 4 years (full-time).
Program delivery: some courses are also offered online
Languages: this program is offered in English and in French.

For more details, please click here.

With the Honours B.A. with Major in Human Relations and Spirituality, the student must choose a complementary minor or major, based on their interests and needs.

Scholarship possibilities

Students registered in this program may be eligible for a number of scholarships. For more information, please click here.

This degree is conferred jointly by the Senates of ÎçÒ¹av and the University of Ottawa.