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.
Explore the creative arts part-time or full-time in this flexible 60-credit program. Requirements include a breadth of studio exploration, a strong foundation in Art History, a writing course, and room for option courses to customize the program according to individual interests and goals.
Early studio courses in drawing, material process, digital production, and space, form and time helps students build a repertoire of techniques to support more advanced studio practice.
Further studio courses are offered in six studio disciplines:
A Visual Arts diploma can lead to entry-level positions with art organizations, galleries, museums, or community organizations. Graduates may also seek employment in other related industries such as business, entertainment, or tourism. Alternatively, students may go on to pursue further education to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts at UFV or elsewhere.
Watch the recorded planning session or read the guide below.
The Visual Arts diploma requires the completion of 60 credits (20 courses) and can be completed full- or part-time. The program is balanced between 10 required studio courses, five Art History courses, a writing course, and four “elective” courses. See calendar for current requirements.
View a sample program plan outline for Fall 2023
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.
Studying full time at 10 courses per calendar year, students can complete the program in two years. There is no deadline to complete, and credits don’t expire, so attendance can be customized to suit your lifestyle. Note, it is not possible to complete this program online or outside of typical work hours exclusively. Graduates can ladder all 60 credits of this program into the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
A typical approach for a first-year arts student is to take 3-4 courses to start, equalling about 9-12 hours per week in class. Students should expect to spend the same number of hours on homework as they spend in class weekly. For example, three classes will be approximately 20+ hours/week of schoolwork both in and out of the classroom. If you are planning on getting a student loan, you must take at least 3 courses or nine credits of coursework in a semester.
Pick
3-4 courses per semester
Expect
9-12 hours per week in class
And at least
9-12 hours per week
for homework
Here’s a sample plan based on the requirements in place for the fall 2022 intake. This traditional model includes taking five courses per semester and is studying only fall and winter, with no summer courses. There are many other approaches.
Tips for course selection:
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).