A number of universities offer programs, degrees and courses that are designed to expose students to a range of disciplines. some examples:

ARTS & SCIENCE COMBINATIONS

These programs are generally geared to high achievers who can hold their own in both calculus and poetry class. Established programs include Hamilton's McMaster University, McGill University in Montreal and the University of Guelph.

Many programs include specialized required classes such as the Inquiry course at McMaster University, where the 60-member class is broken into three groups to study issues in a particular region of the developing world. Variations on this theme include the new Knowledge Integration program at the University of Waterloo.

CROSS-DISCIPLINARY DEGREES

An increasing number of established faculties are joining forces to create new degrees that span traditional disciplines. Some of the most popular areas include the environment and international development. Other combinations pair science with business or science with social sciences.

DO IT YOURSELF

Some universities do their best to help students who want to combine majors that traditionally do not go together. York University, for example, allows students to combine any majors. Administrators caution that this route can take longer and often requires planning of timetables and courses—not to mention some sprints across campus.

FOUNDATION COURSES

A popular way to introduce incoming students to a range of subjects. Often these courses take a look at one topic from a variety of perspectives, such as the Humanities courses at York University or first-year seminars offered at other schools. The University of King's College in Halifax offers the granddaddy of such programs in Canada. Its foundation year program is a single course that fills most of the timetable and exposes students to great works and ideas starting with the Ancient Greeks and ending with the postmoderns.