Bachelor of Arts

This guide has been prepared with the information you need to successfully register for your first year at UFV. Please review the information provided on this page thoroughly before contacting your academic advisor with questions.

Program structure and requirements

Watch the recorded planning session or read the guide below.

The BA degree requires the completion of a minimum of 120 credits (approximately 40 classes) and is broken down into four learning areas:

Core competencies
Second language competency
Program requirements (subject-specific requirements called majors & minors)
General elective courses

Note: 1-2 are often referred to as 'general education' requirements.

You will design your degree by selecting and completing courses from each of these learning areas to meet specific requirements.

The BA does not require the completion of these credits/courses within a specific timeframe. Your pace is based on your personal schedule and goals—it needs to work for you.

Example: If you want to complete this program in four years, this means you will need to complete 30 credits or 10 courses each year.

Many students complete this degree in 5+ years, adjusting their course workload in relation to work schedules, non-academic commitments, etc.

This program planning guide focuses on the Core competencies & Program requirements as they are the most pertinent pieces in your planning at this time.

Core Competencies

Writing Foundation
Communication
Critical Thinking
Quantitative Literacy
Scientific Practice
Civic engagement, global citizenship, and pluralism
Professional practices

Note: A single course can be used to meet only one core competency requirement.

Program requirements and declaration

These terms refer to choosing a main area of study - this is called declaring a major. To complete a BA, students must declare at least one arts major.

Students may add a second major or combine their major with one or more minors or extended minors, but should consult with an Academic Advisor early in their degree (typically first or second year). Additional specializations can be from an area outside of Arts.

Each major, extended minor, and minor have a list of program requirements (i.e. required course-work for that subject) that can be found in the Academic Calendar.

The subjects (disciplines) you choose to declare will be based on a number of factors including:

personal interests
educational goals
career goals

Important note about declaring your major/minors

You do not need to make a choice now. What is most important is that you begin considering your interests and start trying out those skill/content areas in your course selection. How you choose to build your degree will develop over time, throughout the course of your education.

Declaration of major/minor(s) is not even permitted until 30 credits have been completed and not required until 60 credits have been completed — you have time to figure this out.

Where can I find a list of courses for each learning area?

You can access a list of all approved and required courses for your program in two ways:

View the program outline in the Academic Calendar

Access your program audit in MyGRADplan

First time using MyGRADplan?

Visit MyGRADplan website to get login instructions and review tutorials. Specifically, you will want to learn about the 'What if' and 'Look ahead' features as they will be most helpful in your course planning.

Workload

Given that 3 classes correspond to approximately 20+ hours/week of school work both in and out of the classroom, it is very important that you consider your workload capacity carefully.

It is much better to start with less and add more coursework in future semesters than to start out feeling overloaded in your first semester.

Ultimately, the number of courses you take each semester is up to you, but here is what we recommend for first-year students:

Pick
3-4 courses per semester

Expect
9-12 hours per week in class

And at least
9-12 hours per week
for homework

Suggested course plan (first semester)

In choosing courses, try to select a mix of what you like and what is required:

Writing Foundation requirement: ENGL 105 (English) or CMNS 125 (Communications)
Note: Students completing ENGL 12 with an A meet this requirement

Critical Thinking requirement: PHIL 100

Possible major/minor (100-level course)
What might you want to focus your studies in?

Personal interest elective (100-level course)
Yes, really – something that sounds interesting to you.

Academic Skills course: AIS 101
A course on "how to" UFV — there is a lot to learn!

Here is an example of how you may want to organize your fall and winter semesters:

Fall (Sept-Dec)	Winter (Jan-Apr)
ENGL 105	PHIL 100 (Philosophy)
AIS 101 (Fundamentals of Higher Education)	CMNS 180
100-level SOC (Sociology), or PSYC (Psychology), or HIST (History)	100-level GEOG (Geography), or GDS (Global Development Studies), or IPK (Indigenous Peoples Knowledge)
or ANTH (Anthropology), or THEA (Theatre), or VA (Visual Arts), etc.	or ECON (Economics), or BUS (Business Administration), or CYC (Child and Youth Care), etc.