Academic Calendar Winter/Summer 2017

School of Business
ufv.ca/business

Bachelor of Business Administration

UFV offers a program leading to a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree. The objective of this program is to produce graduates who are well-equipped to function in and adapt to the rapidly changing business environment. The program provides students with the opportunity to obtain a general background in business. Students are also expected to gain a strong general educational background and are required to meet breadth requirements in the areas of English, social science, science, and the humanities. The overall emphasis in the program is on developing management and analytical skills.

Students complete several categories of business and business-related courses. These include lower-level foundation courses (such as human resource management, marketing, accounting, finance, mathematics, economics, and computing) that provide students with the tools they need for more advanced courses at the upper level. A set of core courses in business, mathematics, communications, and economics is required of all students at the upper and lower levels to ensure that they have a solid understanding of all the key functional areas in business.

The BBA degree consists of a minimum of 120 credits.

Students must choose between a general BBA or a major in Accounting, Finance, Human Resource Management, or Marketing. Students normally declare their intention to pursue a major between 45 and 60 program credits. Students that do not declare will remain in the general BBA program.

Minors are available in Financial Management, Operations Management/Management Information Systems, and Organization Studies.

Entrance requirements

The Bachelor of Business Administration degree is a four-year program. Students may enter the program directly from high school, or they may ladder into the program after completing some university study.

Option 1: High school (for students with high school graduation only)

  1. B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent.
  2. Prerequisites for ENGL 105.
  3. Prerequisites for MATH 141.
  4. One other Approved Grade 12 course with a minimum B grade.

Option 2: University students

This option is available to students who have completed one or more university courses at a recognized institution and have met the following requirements:

  1. One of the following:
    • a minimum GPA of 2.67 on all university-level credits attempted, or
    • all credits transferrable to the BBA, with a minimum GPA of 2.67 calculated on those credits.
  2. Prerequisites for ENGL 105.
  3. Prerequisites for MATH 141.

Option 3: Departmental discretionary admission

The School of Business will also consider applications from Business Administration diploma graduates with at least five years of significant and relevant business experience after completion of the diploma, even though they may not possess the required GPA, course grades, or course currency necessary for entry into the degree program. The School of Business will exercise its discretion in such cases and, where warranted, accept students on a conditional basis.

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 accepted to the program under this applicant category may be required by the School of Business to refresh their academic background by completing one or more lower-level business courses in addition to satisfying any course deficiencies.

Students applying under this category must contact the School of Business prior to submitting a formal application in order to obtain a written statement of permission to apply.

When to apply

Applications are accepted for entrance to the Fall semester only. For application deadlines, see Specific intake application process.

How to apply

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

Additional documents required for a complete application:

  • For university students, official transcripts of all post-secondary institutions attended (other than UFV) showing grade/course achievement as per program 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 high school entrance, a final official transcript (if you have graduated).
  • For students currently in Grade 12, final grades due by August 3.

The following must be included:

  • Official transcript from high school
  • B.C. English 12 or equivalent with a minimum C+ (see Note)
  • B.C. Principles of Math 12 or equivalent with a minimum C+
  • B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent

Note: English 12 equivalent courses include English 12 First Peoples, English Literature 12, AP English, and IB English A (standard level or higher level).

2. In April or May, an orientation will be offered for all School of Business programs. Attendance at the orientation is mandatory.

3. Upon admission, you will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required prior to registration (see the Fees and Other Costs section). This money will be applied toward your tuition fees. Final payment of all course fees is due the end of the second week of classes.

4. In cases where interim transcripts are submitted, an admission decision may be made conditional upon completion of academic requirements. Proof of completion of entrance requirements must be submitted by the date stated on your acceptance letter.

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.

Residency requirements

At least 50% of the course work must be completed at UFV, including at least 10 of the business courses numbered 300-499. Courses taken at partnering universities through an approved Study Abroad student exchange may be used to meet residency requirements.

Transfer credits

The School of Business follows the UFV's Transfer Credit policy (107). See the Transfer credit section for details.

Recognition of previously completed business courses

Former UFV business students who finished their studies more than 10 years ago and students who completed courses in other programs and/or at other post-secondary institutions prior to starting a UFV business program should contact the School of Business to determine whether any courses/credits can be recognized for or transferred to the desired UFV business program. Applicability of courses and/or transfer credits is determined on an individual student basis.

The following criteria are used:

  • Relevance and suitability of the course to the program as determined by the School of Business
  • Generally, courses taken more than 10 years ago will not be considered applicable; courses taken more recently may not be considered applicable if there has been significant change in the course subject matter since the course was taken.
  • Courses taken at other institutions may not be used to meet the program residency requirements.

Transferring courses to other institutions and associations

Students intending to pursue commerce or business administration studies at another institution are advised to study those institutions' calendars carefully before enrolling in any UFV courses which have a BUS designation. Students should consult a School of Business program advisor or contact an advisor at the institution to which they intend to transfer, or refer to the Provincial Transfer Guide at bctransferguide.ca for transfer details.

A number of the School of Business's courses have transferability with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada), allowing a student graduating with a BBA Accounting major to meet the prerequisite requirements (PREP) of the CPA program. A number of courses are also recognized by a variety of other professional accrediting associations such as CHRP (Certified Human Resource Professional). (See information on transferability in the Business course descriptions section.)

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section.

Textbooks and supplies cost approximately $1,000–1,500 per year. Textbooks should be considered an investment and become part of your business library. You may be required to purchase one or more computer software packages. You should also consider purchasing or arranging access to an industry-compatible computer.

Program requirements

Bachelor of Business Administration degree students are required to complete a minimum of 40 three- or four-credit courses with a cumulative value of at least 120 credits (in most cases the credit value of courses will exceed this total). BBA program requirements consist of a minimum of 15 courses at the 300/400 level in business and economics.

General requirements consist of four general education electives at the 100/200 level (including one natural science lab, one social science, and one humanities); plus a variety of other required courses in math, English, and communications. Students should consult with the Director or a School of Business program advisor for eligible courses that meet the general education elective requirements.

Standing required for continuance

Students in the Bachelor of Business Administration degree program must maintain a program GPA and semester average of 2.67 (B- average) or above. Students are also expected to maintain a minimum 2.0 CGPA on all courses. For further details, see the Academic standing and undergraduate continuance section of the academic calendar.

Program warning

Students whose program GPA or semester GPA falls below 2.67 during their program are subject to program warning for the next semester. A student on program warning may not register in a course overload. Students who do not achieve a semester GPA of at least 2.67 while they are on program warning will be required to withdraw from the program.

A student on program warning who achieves a single semester GPA of at least 2.67 will continue on program warning until the minimum program GPA of 2.67 is achieved.

Required to withdraw

Students who have been required to withdraw from the BBA program may have the opportunity to continue as General Studies students, but may not register for any upper-level courses that require admission to the BBA program.

Appeals for re-admission

Students who are required to withdraw from the program must submit an appeal for re-admission if they wish to resume studies in the program.

In general, students who have been required to withdraw will be advised to complete a further nine credits of academic work, or to repeat a similar amount of academic work taken previously, in order to demonstrate their academic abilities. Appeals must be received at least three months before the start of the semester applied for. Re-admission is not automatic.

Graduation requirements

  1. A program GPA of 2.67 or above in years one to four of the BBA.
  2. Successful completion of all core and elective courses of the BBA.

Students who complete the first two years of the BBA and meet the GPA and program requirements for the Business Administration diploma may apply for that credential.

Length and location

Students can complete the BBA degree program in four years if five courses are taken each fall and winter semester. A reduced course load is permitted, but a longer period of time will be needed to complete the program. The department requires years one to four to be completed within 10 years if the program is taken on a part-time basis. Students returning to the School of Business at UFV after an absence will be allowed seven years to complete years three and four of the degree.

All business courses are offered at the Abbotsford campus. Most first and second-year courses are also offered at the Chilliwack and Mission campuses. Some of the non-business courses are available only in Abbotsford. All students should expect to travel between campuses during their program.

Course withdrawal deadlines

Course withdrawal deadlines follow UFV's Course Withdrawal policy (81).

Addition of Arts and Science extended minor and minor

Students who choose to combine their BBA with a minor or extended minor in an Arts or Science discipline must complete all the requirements of the BBA and all the discipline requirements of the minor or extended minor. If you are interested in pursuing this option, contact a School of Business program advisor to discuss your program plan.

Co-operative Education option

The Co-operative Education option offers students in the BBA degree program the opportunity to obtain paid, career-related work experience in their field of study during their education at UFV. After completing their first year of study, Co-op students alternate between semesters of full-time study and full-time paid employment. See the Co-operative Education section of the calendar for further details.

Program outline

First year

Semester I

Course Title Credits
BUS 100 Introduction to Business 3
BUS 160/CIS 110 Computerized Business Applications and MIS 3
ENGL 105 Academic Writing 3
ECON 100 Principles of Microeconomics 3
MATH 141 Calculus for Business 3

Semester II

Course Title Credits
BUS 120 Essentials of Marketing 3
BUS 143 Introductory Financial Accounting I 3
STAT 106 Statistics I 4
CMNS 125 Introduction to Workplace Communication 3
ECON 101 Principles of Macroeconomics 3

Second year

Semester III

Course Title Credits
BUS 144 Introductory Financial Accounting II 3
BUS 203 Organizational Behaviour 3
BUS 221 Professional Selling 3
BUS 249 Introduction to Finance (formerly BUS 149, 162) 3
CMNS 251 Professional Report Writing 3

Semester IV

Course Title Credits
BUS 201 Human Resource Management 3
BUS 226/
ECON 226
Economic and Business Statistics (formerly BUS 301) 3
BUS 227 New Business Development 3
BUS 247 Introductory Management Accounting 3
BUS 261 Business Law 3

Third year

Semester V

Course Title Credits
BUS 320 Business Research Methods 3
ECON 307 Managerial Microeconomics 3
Elective Lower or upper-level Business elective (see Note 1) 3
Elective Upper-level Business elective (see Note 1) 3
Elective General education requirement (see Note 2) 3

Semester VI

Course Title Credits
BUS 349 Financial Management I 3
Elective Upper-level Business elective (see Note 1) 3
Elective Upper-level Business elective (see Note 1) 3
Elective Upper-level Business elective (see Note 1) 3
Elective General education requirement (see Note 2) 3

Fourth year

Semester VII

Course Title Credits
BUS 403 Strategic Management 3
BUS 404 Management Science 3
Elective Upper-level Business elective (see Note 1) 3
Elective Upper-level Business elective (see Note 1) 3
Elective General education requirement (see Note 2) 3

Semester VIII

Course Title Credits
BUS 405 Strategic Management Simulation 3
Elective Upper-level Business elective (see Note 1) 3
Elective Upper-level Business elective (see Note 1) 3
Elective Upper-level Business elective (see Note 1) 3
Elective General education requirement (see Note 2) 3

Note 1: One upper-level economics elective may be taken in place of one upper-level business elective.

Note 2: Students in the BBA program must meet the following general education requirements:
• One natural science (lab) course.
• One humanities course.
• One social science course.
• One other general education elective other than business. (Any university-level course of three credits or more.)

Majors and minors

The following majors and minors are available in the BBA program:

See this section for major and minor requirements.

Bachelor of Business Administration Honours degree

Students in the Bachelor of Business Administration program have the option of completing a Bachelor of Business Administration Honours degree. The following conditions apply to this program:

  • Students must formally apply for entry to the program, by declaration, after completing no fewer than 60 credits and no more than 90 credits applicable to the BBA. Applications after completion of more than 90 credits will only be considered under extenuating circumstances.
  • A minimum CGPA of 3.5 on all courses applicable to the degree is required for admission, continuance and graduation.
  • Students must complete an additional 12 credits beyond the 120 credits required for the BBA degree. These credits must come from upper-level (numbered 300-400) Business courses; upper-level courses from other areas may be counted toward this total with the Director's approval.
  • Students must also complete the requirements of at least one of the Business majors or minors listed in the UFV calendar.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.

Current Students

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