Bachelor of Arts degree

Entrance requirements

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

1. B.C. Secondary school graduation or equivalent and,

2. A minimum of a B average in English 12 and two other grade 12 courses that offer a provincial exam (mandatory or optional).

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

Completion of a minimum of 30 Arts/Science university-level credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.33 on all credits attempted.
   or
Completion of a minimum of nine Arts/Science university-level credits with a GPA of 3.0 or better on all university-level credits attempted.
   or
A B.C. Associate of Arts degree or UFV diploma in Liberal Arts, Visual Arts or Theatre. Students must achieve an average overall grade of C (cumulative GPA of 2.0) calculated on all courses that could apply towards the diploma or Associate degree.

Applicants must satisfy English language policy. For details on how this requirement may be met, see English language policy 340.29.

When to apply

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

How to apply

1. Submit the application fee along with your UFV application for admission form to the Admissions and Records (A&R) office. Application forms are available from any A&R or Student Services office. You can also print an application form from our website at www.ufv.ca/ar, or you can apply directly through the internet at www.pas.bc.ca.

Additional documents required for a complete application:
• Official transcripts (or interim transcripts) from all post-secondary institutions you have attended showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements. If transcripts are being sent directly from the institution(s) attended, please indicate they are on order. To retain your original application date, order early so transcripts arrive within two weeks of the date your application is mailed or submitted.

2. You will be advised of an admission decision and, if accepted, will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required when you register (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.

3. In cases where course work is in progress, an admission decision may be made conditional upon completion of academic requirements. Proof of completion of entrance requirements is due the end of the first week in August for the September intake.

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.

Declaration of majors, extended minors, minors

Students who have been admitted to the Bachelor of Arts program may formally declare majors, extended minors or minors only after they have completed at least thirty credits in the program with a minimum of a 2.00 CGPA on all credits attempted, provided that they have also met the declaration requirements of the subject discipline. Formal declaration is completed by appointment with an Arts advisor. In order to have access to the discipline reserved seating, where applicable, a student must be admitted to the B.A. program and be formally declared.

Graduates wishing to complete a major, minor or extended minor

Students who have completed a bachelor's degree but wish to complete the requirements for a major, minor or extended minor in the UFV Bachelor of Arts may be able to do this through an Extended Studies certificate in Arts. Please contact the appropriate department for more information.

Fees and other costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section. Books and additional supplies cost approximately $100 per course.

Courses at other institutions

UFV students who wish to take academic work at other institutions for credit toward the degree must obtain permission in advance from an Arts advisor. A letter of permission request is available at www.ufv.ca/ar or can be obtained from the Admissions and Records office. Students must be in good standing (CGPA > 2.0) to receive a letter of permission. When approval has been granted, the Registrar’s office will issue a Letter of Permission to the student.

Except as noted below, total transfer and course challenge credits, including prior learning credit, may not exceed 60, and not more than 15 transfer credits may count toward upper-level requirements. Within these limits, transfer credit may be applied to the BA with courses passed with a grade of P or higher. Transfer credit is not used in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average.

Graduation

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure all program requirements are met. This should be done by regular consultation with an Arts advisor.

Degree candidates who qualify to receive a UFV degree must be approved by the UFV Arts division and the Board.

Students must apply for graduation by completing a request to graduate form available at www.ufv.ca/ar, or from the Admissions and Records office. We recommend this be done in the first month of the final semester. The final deadline for students who wish to attend the graduation ceremony is April 1, with all program requirements completed by April 30.

Standing required for continuance

All students at UFV are expected to maintain acceptable standards of scholarship. Specifically, they are expected to maintain a minimum 2.0 CGPA.

Course repetition

Students may not register for a course more than twice. No more than five course duplications will be permitted. Where a course has been repeated, only the higher grade is counted in the GPA calculation.

Academic warning

A student who has a CGPA lower than 2.0 will be placed on Academic Warning for the next semester. A student on Academic Warning may not register in a course overload.

Students who do not achieve a semester GPA of at least 2.0 while they are on Academic Warning will be required to withdraw from the program.

A student on Academic Warning who achieves a single semester GPA of at least 2.0 will continue on Academic Warning until the CGPA equals or exceeds 2.0.

Required to withdraw

Students who have been required to withdraw from the BA program may have the opportunity to continue to take courses as an Arts Studies student; however, they may not register for any upper-level courses.

Appeals for readmission

A student who is required to withdraw from the BA program must submit an appeal for readmission to the Academic Standards committee if he/she wishes to resume studies in the degree 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 for which a student has applied. Readmission is not automatic.

Standing on readmission

If readmitted, students will be placed on Academic Warning again, subject to the conditions for Academic Warning as described above.

Subsequent degree

Students who have already completed a degree at the bachelor’s level may be granted an additional bachelor’s degree provided that the two degrees are different, and that the student has met the program requirements. No more than 75 percent of the credits required for the additional degree may be applied from any previous degree. At least 30 upper-level (300-400) credits for the subsequent degree must be taken at UFV.

Bachelor of Arts requirements

There are three sets of requirements to note:

1. Program requirements (below)

2. General requirements

3. Discipline requirements (see individual disciplines)

Program requirements

To receive a Bachelor of Arts degree students must complete the requirements for a major or two extended minors.

Students admitted to the degree should seek advice from an Arts advisor. A formal declaration of your program choice should be made and approved by the Bachelor of Arts advisor prior to the completion of 60 credits towards the degree.

You must complete a minimum of 120 credits of which 65 must be in Arts. At least 30 of these credits must be at the 300/400 level in Arts. For the purpose of meeting the 65 credits in Arts, students may choose courses from the following list of subjects:
• Anthropology, art history, communications (CMNS 155 and above), criminology/criminal justice (excluding CRIM 201, 202, and 203), economics, English, film, geography, history, international studies, Latin American studies, mathematics/ statistics, media and communication studies, modern languages, philosophy, political science, psychology, religious studies, sociology, SCMS, theatre, and visual arts.

All UFV courses specified for degree programs and Education and TESL are acceptable for the remaining 55 credits of elective. Of these remaining 55 credits, up to 12 credits may be chosen from any UFV course, 100 level or higher, or UFV assigned transfer credit at the 100 level or higher.

A minimum CGPA of 2.0 in the BA program, a minimum of CGPA of 2.0 in your major/extended minor(s)/minor(s), and a minimum CGPA of 2.0 in all upper-level credits required. Pre-college or preparatory courses will not satisfy program requirements.

Bachelor of Arts students must consider the following in making their course selection:
• Access to seats in some courses may be limited due to course prerequisites and/or seats reserved for students in specific programs or majors.
• Students considering a teaching career should be aware that not all disciplines or programs are recognized for professional certification. As teacher education programs are professional schools, students should seek advice regarding course selection from the educational advisors in Student Services or from the institution which they plan to attend.

Students preparing for graduate studies should seek advice from the UFV department head of their intended discipline to assist in course selection.

Honours

UFV offers honours programs in:

• English
• Geography
• Psychology

Majors

UFV offers majors in:

• English
• Geography
• History
• Mathematics
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Sociology/Anthropology

Students choosing a major have the opportunity to concentrate their studies in one subject area, preparing them for related careers or for further study following graduation.

In addition, students may choose to complete a minor or extended minor in conjunction with their major.

Note: A sociology/anthropology major cannot be combined with either a sociology minor or an anthropology minor.

Additional requirements for Arts majors

Of the 120 BA credits:

• 65 must be in Arts subjects
• 45 must be at the 300- or 400-level (upper-level)
• at least 60 credits must be completed at UFV, of which 30 must be upper level
• at least 15 upper-level credits that count towards your major must be completed at UFV
• at least 30 credits must be completed at the upper-level in the chosen major — see individual subject areas for specific major requirements.
• the lower-level (100- and 200-level) requirements for at least one Arts major must be satisfied — see discipline requirements.
• the Arts division general requirements must be satisfied. See General Requirements.

Extended minors

Students wishing to concentrate on two subject areas can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree by completing two extended minors. UFV offers extended minors in:

• Biology (applicable only to BA degree)
• Computer Information Systems
• Criminal Justice
• English
• French
• Geography
• History
• Latin American studies
• Mathematics
• Mathematics (Statistics option)
• Psychology
• Theatre
• Visual Arts

Any two of these areas can be combined except mathematics with mathematics/statistics.

An extended minor consists of the 100- and 200-level credits required for a major as well as the 300- and 400-level credits equivalent to a minor in the same discipline.

Additional requirements for Arts extended minors

Of the 120 BA credits:

• 65 must be in Arts subjects
• 45 must be at the 300- or 400-level (upper level)
• at least 60 credits must be completed at UFV, of which 30 must be upper-level
• at least seven upper-level credits counting towards each extended minor must be completed at UFV
• at least 15 credits must be completed at the upper level in each of two extended minor disciplines — see individual subject areas for specific extended minor requirements
• the lower-level (100- and 200-level) requirements for at least two Arts extended minors must be satisfied — see discipline requirements.
• the Bachelor of Arts general requirements must be satisfied. See the general requirements.

Minors

UFV offers minors in:

• Anthropology
• Applied Ethical and Political Philosophy
• Business Administration
• Communications
• Computer Information Systems
• Criminal Justice
• Economics
• English
• French
• Geography
• History
• Kinesiology
• Latin American Studies
• Mathematics
• Mathematics/Statistics
• Media and Communication Studies
• Sociology
• Theatre
• Visual Arts

You may choose to complete a minor in conjunction with your major or double extended minors. At least 15 credits of upper-level credits must be taken within a single discipline unless otherwise specified in this calendar. At least seven upper-level credits counting towards the minor must be taken at UFV.

Note: There are disciplines within Arts which have minors but do not have majors.

Bachelor of Arts general requirements

Breadth requirement

Students enrolled in a major must complete at least 30 credits in five or more subject areas outside the Arts major. No more than 12 credits from any one subject area can be used to fulfill this breadth requirement.

Students enrolled in two extended minors must complete at least 30 credits in five or more subject areas of which one can be one of their extended minors. No more than 12 credits from any one subject area can be used to fulfill this breadth requirement.

Note: These breadth requirements will be met in part by fulfilling the following requirements:

Writing requirement

Three credits from:

• ENGL 105
• ENGL 210 or CMNS 155

Reasoning requirement

• PHIL 100 or at least three credits from each of the following lists:

* This requirement may be met by PSYC 210 if previously completed.

Lab Science requirement

Four credits from:

• ASTR 103 or 104
• BIO, 100-level or higher
• CHEM, 100-level or higher
• GEOG 101 or 102
• KPE 163 or 170
• PHYS 100-level or higher
• PSYC 202*

* This requirement may be met by PSYC 210 or PSYC 220 if previously completed.

Humanities requirement

Six credits from:

• Art History
• Communications
• English 108 or higher
• Film
• French
• Halq’eméylem
• History
• Interdisciplinary courses*
• Japanese
• Linguistics
• Mandarin
• Mathematics
• Music
• Philosophy 100 or higher
• Punjabi
• Religious Studies
• Russian
• Spanish
• Theatre
• Visual Arts

Social Science requirement

Six credits from:

• Anthropology
• Criminal Justice**
• Economics
• Geography 111 or higher
• Interdisciplinary courses*
• Latin American Studies
• Media and Communication Studies
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Social, Cultural, & Media Studies
• Sociology
• Women's Studies

* Interdisciplinary courses are determined by an Arts advisor
** Please contact an Arts advisor for details regarding acceptable criminal justice courses.

Special note: Prospective elementary and secondary school teachers must, in following the above guidelines, take into account the B.C. College of Teachers and Faculty of Education admission requirements. Consult an educational advisor in Student Services for assistance.

Arts discipline requirements

See under individual disciplines.