Special Programs & Pathways

In addition to degree programs, students can take advantage of a range of special programs and opportunities.

Co-op

Trent offers a number of academic programs with competitive co-op designations that allow students to gain to gain 12 months of invaluable hands-on, paid work experience.

Diploma programs accommodate students who wish to undertake focused study in an area over a one- or two-year period. The diploma is awarded upon successful completion of the program. With it is included a Trent University transcript identifying all courses undertaken and grades received. Credits earned in the diploma program are transferable to the bachelor’s program.

Students at Trent have a wide variety of opportunities for experiential learning, including paid co-op, internships, placements, practica, undergraduate research opportunities, community-based research projects, global work experiences, creative, performance or exhibit opportunities, and on-campus work experience.

The Individualized Studies program is available to students whose academic interests cannot be met by majors in any of the existing programs.

Trent University, in collaboration with other post-secondary institutions, offers a number of joint programs which extend educational opportunities by combining theory and practice in a number of professional and career fields. These include the Journalism & Creative Writing degree/diploma program with Durham College, the Bachelor or Science in Nursing program with Fleming College, and dual degree programs with Swansea University in Chemical Engineering, Law, and Arts & Science (Medical).

A Minor is a prescribed set of at least 5.0 credits providing a secondary area of focus different from a student’s major. A minor may only be completed as part of an Honours degree. A minor will be notated on the academic transcript but does not appear on the degree parchment. Students who have fulfilled the requirements for a single-major or joint-major Honours degree may apply to the Office of the Registrar for a minor in a different subject.

Options, consisting of groups of courses with a particular focus, are available as a complement to regular programs. To be eligible, students must successfully complete the requirements of both the option and the Honours or General program in which they are enrolled. An option appears on the academic transcript but does not appear on the degree parchment.

Postgraduate Certificate programs are available to students who hold an undergraduate degree from any accredited university. Some certificates may not be available to graduates of programs with substantial overlap in subject matter.

Specializations provide additional focus within individual programs. To be eligible, students must successfully complete the requirements of both the Specialization and the Honours or General program in which they are enrolled. The transcripts of students who have done so will contain the notation “with a Specialization in [the appropriate Specialization].”

The Medical Professional Stream (MPS) is a unique four-year support program designed for students seeking to pursue a professional medical program and career after graduating from Trent University.
The Teacher Education Stream is designed for students planning to teach at the elementary or secondary level. The program will provide students with academic and non-academic foundations for entrance into a Consecutive Teacher Education program and, ultimately, the teaching profession.

Trent students are encouraged to spend a summer, a term, or a full academic year of their undergraduate degree studying in another country. Through the Trent Study Abroad Program, students in all disciplines can participate in an exchange with universities in many countries.
Trent University offers a range of Year Abroad programs which enable students to broaden their educational horizons and to add new perspectives to their academic interests, whatever the subject matter.

Trent University offers degree completion pathways for graduates of partner institutions who have successfully completed specific programs.

Undergraduate Certificates may be used to bridge into undergraduate degree programs, for professional upgrading, or may be complementary to degree studies. Undergraduate Certificate programs are offered in American Sign Language, Democratic Leadership, French, Political Leadership, and Spanish.