Arts

Bachelor of Arts degree

A UFV Bachelor of Arts (BA) prepares students for engaged democratic citizenship and success in the workplaces of today and tomorrow. Students gain analytical, intellectual, and practical skills through applied learning and a program of study that focuses on critical and creative thinking; written, oral, and visual communication; and quantitative, data, scientific, digital, and technological literacies. Students can select from a wide range of majors, extended minors, and minors that equip them to create a more just and inclusive society. Graduates leave ready for personal and social responsibility, ethical reasoning and action, leadership, and with career portfolios that support their post-university goals. 

Program learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the BA, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate information competency
• Analyze critically and imaginatively
• Use knowledge and skills proficiently
• Initiate inquiries and develop solutions to problems
• Communicate effectively
• Pursue self-motivated and self-reflective learning
• Engage in collaborative leadership
• Engage in respectful and professional practice
• Contribute regionally and globally
• Integrate their learning across all facets of their lives

Entrance requirements

Option 1: Secondary school (for students with secondary school graduation only)

B.C. applicants

1. B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent.
2. A minimum grade of C+ in English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 (see Note) and a minimum of a B average in two additional Approved Grade 12 courses.

   Note: Students may also present English 12, English Literature 12, English 12 First Peoples, AP English, or IB English A (standard level or higher level), or out-of-province equivalent.

Out-of-province applicants

Students will be considered on the basis of courses equivalent to Approved B.C. Grade 12 courses. See the Admissions section of the calendar for more information on equivalents to B.C. secondary school graduation.

Out-of-country applicants

Students must have B.C. secondary school graduation equivalency, meet the prerequisites for ENGL 105 or CMNS 125, and have completed an equivalent average of B (equated to the UFV grading system) in two academic Grade 12 courses.

Alternatives to secondary school graduation

Students who have completed the International Baccalaureate diploma program, the B.C. Graduation diploma (B.C. Adult Dogwood), or the General Educational Development (GED) certificate may be considered to have the equivalent of B.C. secondary school graduation for admission purposes.

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

1. Prerequisites for ENGL 105 or CMNS 125.
2. One of the following:
   • Completion of a minimum of 30 credits in courses numbered at the 100 level and above, with a minimum CGPA of 2.00 on all credits attempted.
   • Completion of a minimum of nine credits at the 100 level and above, transferable to a degree program, with a minimum GPA of 3.00 on all credits attempted.
   • Completion of a post-secondary career or technical diploma (minimum of two years post-secondary credit) from a recognized Canadian or International post-secondary institution, with a minimum CGPA of 2.50 (equated to the UFV grading scheme), calculated on all courses taken.
   • Completion of a three- or four-year Bachelor's degree from a recognized Canadian or International institution, with a minimum GPA of 2.00 (equated to the UFV grading scheme). Students who have completed a previous degree are governed by UFV's Subsequent and Concurrent Bachelor Degree policy (98).

Option 3: Combined post-secondary/secondary school admission

Students who have attended or are currently attending a post-secondary institution, have fewer than 30 credits applicable for BA entrance at the time they apply for admission, and have a minimum GPA of 2.00 on all post-secondary courses attempted, may be considered for admission based on secondary school requirements.

Students who do not meet these requirements might consider Qualifying Studies and/or a meeting with an Academic Advisor.

When to apply

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

How to apply

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

   Additional documents required for a complete application:

   • Official transcripts (or interim transcripts) from all post-secondary institutions attended showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to UFV from the originating institution; see the Transfer Credit section for details. To retain their original application date, students should order early so transcripts arrive within two weeks of the date the application is mailed or submitted.
   • For secondary school entrance, a final official transcript (if graduated). For students currently in Grade 12, final grades are due August 3.
2. Applicants will be advised of an admission decision and, if accepted, will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required prior to registration (see the Fees and Other Costs section) and will be applied toward tuition fees.
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 by 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.

Fees and additional costs

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

Program duration

The Bachelor of Arts degree program can be completed in four years of full-time study, with students taking 10 courses per calendar year.

Program requirements

The BA is divided into six learning areas:

1. Core competencies
2. Second language competency
3. Personal and social responsibility competencies
4. Career and portfolio development courses
5. Subject specific major/minor course requirements
6. General elective courses

Students design their degree by selecting courses from within these six learning areas to meet the following requirements:

1. 120 credits, of which 60 credits must be completed at UFV.
2. One major or two extended minors/minors (minimum 24 credits each), of which 50% of the upper-level credits must be completed at UFV.
3. 65 credits in Arts subjects.
4. 55 credits in any subject at the university level (100-level and above).
5. At least 45 upper-level credits, of which 30 credits must be completed at UFV.

1. Core competencies (5 courses: 15–17 credits)

Note 1: Students may not use the same course to meet more than one core competency skill requirement.

Note 2: Students who have taken CMNS 120 prior to Fall 2021 can use that course to satisfy this requirement.

2. Second language competency (0–3 credits)

All BA students will demonstrate competency in a language other than English, equivalent to B.C. secondary school Grade 11. Students meet competency by one of the following:

• Successfully completing any Grade 11 secondary school second language course;
• Successfully completing any language immersion program, such as French Immersion;
• Graduating from a secondary school in which the language of instruction is not English;
• Graduating from a post-secondary institution in which the language of instruction is not English;
• Successfully completing any Modern Language 101 course, such as SPAN 101 or MAND 101, at UFV;
• Successfully completing a second language course at another institution which transfers to UFV and is equivalent to a Modern Languages 101 course or higher; or
• Successfully completing Levels 1, 2, and 3 of American Sign Language (ASL).

Students who have gained second language competency through other means may contact Modern Languages to inquire about an assessment.

Note: Students may not use the same course to meet additional requirements such as the second language competency or the personal and social responsibility competencies. Students are welcome to take additional second language courses to meet those requirements.

3. Personal and social responsibility competencies (2 courses, 6-8 credits)

Students must demonstrate and apply learning in two areas of personal and social responsibility: civic engagement and intercultural engagement. Through civic engagement, students apply classroom learning to their communities and reflect on the personal and social benefits of active citizenship. Through intercultural engagement, students gain insight into respectful intercultural practices, which includes understanding one's cultural norms and biases and respecting and honouring cultural differences, and apply what they have learned.

Note 1: Students may not use a course applied to other learning areas to meet their personal and social responsibility competencies.

Note 2: Students may use IPK 402 (9 credits) to meet both the civic engagement and the intercultural engagement competencies. Students in the Indigenous Studies major or minor cannot apply IPK 402 to the BA requirements without approval from Academic Advising.

4. Career and portfolio development courses (2 courses, 6 credits)

5. Subject specific major/minor course requirements

To plan and/or declare a major, extended minors, or minors, students should book an appointment with an Academic Advisor at ufv.ca/advising.

When to declare

• Between 30 and 60 credits
• Failure to declare by 60 credits: registration in further courses is blocked

Declaration requirements

• Minimum CGPA of 2.00 on all credits attempted
• Minimum grade of C in each of the three required courses for the subject discipline, unless otherwise stated

What to declare (minimum)

• One major, or
• Two extended minors/minors of a minimum of 24 credits each

Available declaration options

6. General elective courses

To plan and/or explore elective course options please book an appointment with an Academic Advisor at ufv.ca/advising. For complete details on course offerings see the course descriptions section.

Important notes

• The number of students wanting to enter any Arts Honours, major, extended minor, or minor program may exceed capacity. Departments reserve the right to select competitively if necessary. The basis for selection is applicant GPA on required lower-level prerequisites; students in the BA will have priority. UFV cannot guarantee available seats in required program courses on demand.

• Arts students completing a major or double extended minor/minor from the above list may also combine either of those programs with any UFV major, extended minor, or minor. This may, however, require students to complete more than 120 credits. Students may not, however, combine the following:
• A Geography major with a Physical Geography major or minor
• A Mathematics major, extended minor, or minor with a Mathematics (Statistics option) minor
• A Mathematics major, extended minor, or minor in Arts with a Mathematics major or minor in Science
• A Sociology/Anthropology major with extended minors or minors in Sociology or Anthropology
• An English major, Creative Writing concentration or an English Honours, Creative Writing with a Creative Writing extended minor or minor
• Two extended minors/minors in creative practice disciplines: Creative Writing, Graphic Design, Theatre, and Visual Arts (students interested in combining study in two such areas are encouraged to explore the Bachelor of Fine Arts)

Co-operative Education option

The Co-operative Education option provides students with the opportunity to acquire paid, career-related work experience in conjunction with their studies in the Bachelor of Arts degree program. See the Co-operative Education section for more details.

Courses at other institutions

UFV students who wish to take course at another institution for credit toward the Bachelor of Arts must obtain permission in advance from an Academic Advisor. A Letter of Permission request is available at ufv.ca/registrar/forms or can be obtained from the Office of the Registrar. Students must be in good standing (CGPA > 2.00) to receive a Letter of Permission. When approval has been granted, the Office of the Registrar will issue a Letter of Permission to the student. Residency and transfer credit policies apply.

Policies relevant to the BA

Course Repeat policy (86): Students may not register for a course more than twice without the permission of the department head/director for the discipline or their designate. All attempts will be recorded on the transcript, but only the highest grade will be included in the GPA. Transfer courses are considered in the number of attempts. A “W” or “AU” course is not counted as a duplication. Multiple repeats of the same course count as a single duplication.

Undergraduate Continuance policy (92): Students must have a CGPA of at least 2.00 to remain in good academic standing. Failure to meet or maintain a 2.00 will result in restrictions on registration and may lead to academic suspension.

Subsequent and Concurrent Bachelor Degree policy (98): 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. Students will complete at least one third of the total credits required for the additional degree, including at least 30 additional upper-level credits, beyond the credits taken in the first or concurrent degree. All 30 upper-level credits must be obtained through completion of UFV courses.

Transfer Credit policy (107) and Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) policy (94): Students who successfully complete academic course work at another post-secondary institution can transfer this credit to UFV to satisfy BA degree requirements. They can also earn academic credit through an assessment of prior learning.

Residency

To meet the residency requirement of the BA, the following restrictions apply:

1. Of the 120 credits for the BA, 60 must be completed at UFV.
2. Of the 45 upper-level credits for the BA, 30 must be completed at UFV.
3. For an honours, major, extended minor, or minor program, at least 50% of the required upper-level credits in the specific Arts discipline must be completed at UFV.

Graduation requirements

Students are responsible for ensuring they are eligible to graduate, and should regularly consult with an Academic Advisor. To be eligible to graduate, students must have:

• Completed the BA program with a minimum program GPA of 2.00 on all courses applicable to the degree.
• Completed all the requirements of their majors/extended minors/minors with a minimum program GPA of 2.00.
• Earned a minimum CGPA of 2.00 in all upper-level courses required for graduation.
• Earned a minimum CGPA of 2.00, calculated on all 100-level or higher UFV courses attempted.
• No more than five course duplications (with the exception of THEA 199 and THEA 299 when a grade of D or better is achieved).

Students must apply for graduation in the first month of their final semester. Visit the Graduation webpage for more information. The final deadline for students who wish to attend the June Convocation ceremony is April 1 of each year, with all program requirements completed by April 30.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.