Arts

Associate of Arts degree

The Associate of Arts degree recognizes the successful completion of a two-year academic program in the humanities and social sciences. It is designed to provide a broad educational experience that lays a solid foundation for further study, in particular in the Bachelor of Arts at UFV or other educational institutions

The Associate of Arts degree is a provincially articulated program and meets the criteria set out by the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.

Because transfer credit and degree requirements are broad, students planning to transfer to another university should consult an Academic Advisor to ensure they meet the requirements for their field of study at their chosen institution.

Entrance requirements

Option 1: Secondary school (for students with secondary school graduation only)

1. B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent.
2. A minimum grade of C+ in English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 (see Note).

   Note: Students may also present English 12, English Literature 12, English 12 First Peoples, AP English, IB English A (standard level or higher level), or out-of-province equivalent.

3. A minimum grade of C+ in one other Approved Grade 12 course.

Out-of-province applicants

Students will be considered on the basis of courses equivalent to Approved B.C. Grade 12 courses. See the Admissions section of the calendar for more information on equivalents to B.C. secondary school graduation.

Out-of-country applicants

Students must have B.C. secondary school graduation equivalency, meet the prerequisites for ENGL 105 or CMNS 125, and have completed an equivalent average of C+ (equated to the UFV grading system) in two academic Grade 12 courses.

Option 2: University entrance (for students who have attended some post-secondary school)

1. Minimum of nine university-level credits completed with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 based on all university-level credits attempted.
2. Applicants must meet the Degree/diploma level English language proficiency requirement. For details on how this requirement may be met, see the English language proficiency requirement section of the calendar.

Students who do not meet these requirements might consider Qualifying Studies.

When to apply

Applications are accepted for entrance to the Fall, Winter, and Summer semesters. For application deadlines, see Specific intake application process.

How to apply

1. Apply online at ufv.ca/admissions/apply.

   Additional documents required for a complete application:

   • For university entrance, students must submit Official transcripts (or interim transcripts) from all post-secondary institutions attended (excluding UFV) showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to UFV from the originating institution; see the Transfer Credit section for details.
   • For secondary school entrance, students must submit an official secondary school transcript if they have graduated. For students currently in Grade 12, final grades are required by August 3. To retain their original application date, students should order early so transcripts arrive within two weeks of the date the application is mailed or submitted.
2. Applicants will be advised of an admission decision and, if accepted, will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required prior to registration (see the Fees and Other Costs section) and will be applied toward tuition fees.

Basis for admission decision

Applicants who meet the entrance requirements will be admitted in order of their application date. This date is set when an application, all required documentation, and the application fee have been submitted.

Program duration

The Associate of Arts degree is normally completed within two years of full-time study.

Program definitions

Courses numbered 100- or 200-level at UFV may not transfer at the same level at UBC, SFU, UNBC, or UVic. When planning courses, students should refer to the B.C. Transfer Guide.

Please refer to the subject areas below or consult with an Academic Advisor to determine whether a course is in humanities (and the creative/performing arts), social sciences or sciences at UFV.

1. A course in an "other" area is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a bachelor's degree other than in Arts, Science, or Applied Science at SFU, UBC, UNBC, or UVic.
2. A first-year course is defined as a course that has assigned or unassigned transfer credit at the 100 level at SFU, UBC, UNBC, or UVic.
3. A second-year course is defined as a course that has assigned or unassigned transfer credit at the 200 level or higher at SFU, UBC, UNBC, or UVic.
4. A laboratory science course is one in which a substantial component of student instruction involves the study of natural phenomena, either in the laboratory or in the field. Each institution granting the associate degree will determine which of its courses satisfy this requirement.

Program requirements

1. 60 credits of 100- and 200-level courses. A minimum of 15 credits must be completed at UFV.
2. Each course must be transferable to one of Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, University of Northern British Columbia, or University of Victoria. Transferability of courses can be found on the B.C. Transfer Guide at bctransferguide.ca. No course will be used to meet more than one of the following specific requirements.
3. Graduation requires a minimum GPA of 2.00, calculated on all courses that could apply to the program.

Program outline

Note: Arts electives must be in two or more subject areas

Subject areas

The following list contains the subject areas which apply to Associate of Arts program categories. English is a requirement of the Associate of Arts degree, but cannot be used to meet the Humanities requirements. Not all courses in each subject area have university-level credit. Use the B.C. Transfer Guide to check that course choices are transferable to at least one of UBC, UNBC, UVic, or SFU.

Note: Students should contact an Academic Advisor to confirm additional courses that may count toward these subject areas.

Arts courses

• Humanities: AH, CMNS (see Note), FILM, FREN, GD, GERM, HALQ, HIST, JAPN, LING, MAND, MATH, PHIL, PUNJ, RLST, RUSS, SPAN, THEA, VA
• Social sciences: ANTH, CRIM, ECON, GEOG, GDS, IPK, LAS, MACS, PACS, POSC, PSYC, SOC, WMST

Note: The following CMNS courses are applicable to the Humanities requirement: CMNS 140, CMNS 145, CMNS 175, CMNS 180, CMNS 212, CMNS 235, CMNS 257, and CMNS 280.

Science courses

• MATH, STAT, COMP: CIS (see Note 1), COMP, MATH, PSYC 110, STAT
• Lab science: ASTR 103, ASTR 104, BIO, CHEM, GEOG 103, GEOG 116, KIN 163, KIN 170, PHYS
• Science elective: BIO, CHEM, ENV 111, GEOG 105, GEOG 117 (discontinued), GEOG 201, GEOG 202, GEOG 251 (discontinued), GEOG 253, KIN (see Note 2), MATH, PHYS, STAT, or any course from the above science lists not already used to meet a requirement

Note 1: This includes CIS 100, CIS 110, CIS 145, CIS 190, CIS 192, CIS 221, CIS 224, CIS 245, CIS 270, CIS 285, CIS 292, and discontinued courses CIS 104, CIS 115, CIS 124, CIS 141, CIS 146, CIS 160, CIS 185, CIS 193, CIS 262, CIS 280, CIS 293, CIS 294, CIS 297, and CIS 298.

Note 2: This includes KIN 103, KIN 160, KIN 161, KIN 163, KIN 170, KIN 215, KIN 220C–F (discontinued), KIN 221, KIN 260, KIN 261, KIN 266, KIN 268, KIN 270, 271, KIN 365, and KIN 371.

Co-operative Education option

The Co-operative Education option provides students with the opportunity to acquire paid, career-related experience in conjunction with their studies in the Associate of Arts degree program. See the Co-operative Education section for more details.

Program continuance

All students accepted into the Associate of Arts degree program at UFV are expected to maintain acceptable standards of scholarship. Specifically, they are expected to maintain a minimum CGPA of 2.00 on all courses.

Undergraduate continuance

Students enrolled in undergraduate courses (courses numbered 100 or higher) must maintain an undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.00 to remain enrolled in Good Academic Standing at UFV. Students in Good Academic Standing will have no registration limits placed on them. Failure to meet the minimum CGPA requirement will result in restrictions on registration and may eventually lead to academic suspension from undergraduate studies at UFV. Students on Academic Warning or Academic Probation are limited to registering in 10 credits. For further details, see the Academic standing and undergraduate continuance section of the academic calendar. Academic standing is governed by UFV’s Undergraduate Continuance policy (92).

Readmission

Students who have been required to withdraw from UFV under the Undergraduate Continuance policy (92) are subject to readmission and continuance requirements as listed in the UFV academic calendar. Students are normally only readmitted once to the same program.

Residency

Students must complete at least 15 of the credits required at UFV.

Graduation requirements

It is the student's responsibility to ensure all program requirements are met. This should be done by regular consultation with an Academic Advisor. Degree candidates who qualify to receive a UFV Associate of Arts degree must be approved by an Academic Advisor and the Senate.

Students must apply for graduation in the first month of their final semester. Visit the Graduation webpage for more information. The final deadline for students who wish to attend the June Convocation ceremony is April 1 of each year, with all program requirements completed by April 30.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.