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Academic Advising Centre

Liberal Arts diploma

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.

 

Overview

A Liberal Arts diploma is an excellent choice if you want to explore broadly before you choose a discipline in the arts. It is designed to provide you with a breadth of intellectual and academic experience while recognizing the importance of concentrated study in a specific field or discipline.

 

Program structure and requirements

The Liberal Arts diploma (LAD) requires the completion of a minimum of 60 credits. This is approximately 20 classes.

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

The LAD 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.

Where can I find a list of courses for the program?

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.

 

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)

How you choose to build your diploma will develop over time, throughout the course of your education. What is most important at this time, is that you simply begin thinking about your interests and start trying out these areas of interest.

Here is an example of what a fall and winter semester might look like:

Fall (Sep-Dec)Winter (Jan-Apr)
ENGL 105 (English) PHIL 100 (Philosophy)
UNIV 101 (University Studies) CMNS 180 (Communications)
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.

 

Next steps

Prepare for registration

Watch tutorials, review information on fee payment, important dates, and more.

Explore courses of interest

Find official course descriptions and outlines in the Academic Calendar.

Track your degree progress

Access your program audit & identify the requirements that are needed for graduation.

 

 
Still have questions?

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).

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