Academic Advising Centre
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.
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 six learning areas:
Note: 1-3 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 Foundational Skills & Program requirements as they are the most pertinent pieces in your planning at this time.
To meet the requirement for each core competency, you will need to choose and complete one course from a list of options.
These terms refer to choosing major and/or minor areas of study within your BA degree. The subjects (disciplines) you choose to declare as your major or minor(s) will be based on a number of factors including:
To earn your BA, you must choose to complete at least one of the following declaration options:
120 credits total
In this option, about half of the degree credits will come from one major subject area. The electives section will be comprised of personal interest courses and other course options that relate to your career and educational goals.
120 credits total
In this option, about half of the degree credits will come from two minor subject areas. The electives and core competencies etc remain the same as in the major option.
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.
You can access a list of all approved and required courses for your program in two ways:
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.
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
In choosing courses, try to select a mix of what you like and what is required:
or
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) |
| UNIV 101 (University Studies) | CMNS 180 |
| 100-level SOC (Sociology), or PSYC (Psychology), or HIST (History) | 100-level GEOG (Geography), or GDS (Global Development Studies), or FNST (First Nations Studies) |
| 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. |
Book an appointment with an academic advisor or email your questions to advising@ufv.ca.
If you are starting in the fall, book your next appointment prior to the winter registration (October).