Science

Associate of Science degree

The Associate of Science (ASc) degree is a program of academic study for students pursuing educational or career goals in the natural sciences. The ASc may serve as an educational goal in itself, as qualification for those who wish to pursue further education at UFV or another institution, or as a qualification for employment.

The Associate of Science degree requires satisfactory completion of a minimum of 18 courses (60 to 75 credits). Not all science courses are offered every semester. Therefore, it is important that students work with an Academic Advisor to carefully plan their courses in a sequential manner, paying particular attention to course prerequisites.

Entrance requirements

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

B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent, with a minimum C+ average calculated on:

• English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 (see Note).
• Pre-calculus 12 or Principles of Mathematics 12 with a minimum grade of B.
• One of Biology 12, BIO 093, Chemistry 12, CHEM 093, Geography 12, Geology 12, or Physics 12.

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

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

1. Nine or more university-level credits with a minimum CGPA of 2.00 calculated on all university courses attempted. (Students with less than 9 credits attempted will be evaluated based on their secondary school graduation as described above.)
2. Mathematics requirement: one of the following:
   • Pre-calculus 12 or Principles of Mathematics 12 with a minimum grade of B
   • MATH 092 and MATH 093, each with a minimum grade of B
   • MATH 095 with a minimum grade of B (discontinued)
   • MATH 096 with a minimum grade of B
   • MDPT score of 70% or better
   • MATH 110 with a minimum grade of C+
   • MATH 111 with a minimum grade of C
   • MATH 112
   • MATH 118
3. Science requirement: one of the following courses, with a minimum grade of C+:
   • Biology: Biology 12, BIO 093, or BIO 111
   • Chemistry: Chemistry 12, CHEM 093 (discontinued), CHEM 110, or CHEM 113
   • Computer Science: COMP 150, COMP 152, or COMP 155
   • Geography: Geography 12, GEOG 101 (discontinued), GEOG 102 (discontinued), GEOG 103, or GEOG 111
   • Geology: Geology 12 or GEOG 116
   • Physics: Physics 12, PHYS 093, PHYS 100, PHYS 101, PHYS 105, or PHYS 111
   • Statistics: STAT 104 or STAT 106
4. English requirement: Applicants must meet the Degree/diploma level English language proficiency requirement. For details on how this requirement may be met, see the English language proficiency requirement section of the calendar.

Attendance at a New Student Orientation or meeting with an Academic Advisor is recommended.

Students who do not meet these requirements might consider Qualifying Studies.

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

   Additional documents required for a complete application:

   • For secondary school entrance, a final official transcript (if graduated). For students currently in Grade 12, see the secondary school grades and transcripts section of the Admissions website for more information.
   • For university students, 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.
2. Proof of completion of prerequisites is required for course registration. It is essential that applicants submit an official secondary school transcript at least two weeks before registration.
3. 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.

Basis for admission decision

If the university needs to limit the number of students in the Associate of Science program, 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. 

Applicants who do not meet the minimum standard may be admitted to Qualifying Studies.

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section. Books and additional supplies may be required.

Program duration

With appropriate planning, the Associate of Science requirements can be completed in two years of full-time study. Students staying for a longer period may wish to pursue the Co-operative Education option. All graduation requirements must be completed within 10 years of initial entry to the program.

Location

First-year courses can be completed at either the Abbotsford or Chilliwack campus. Currently, most courses beyond first year are only offered at the Abbotsford campus.

Program outline

The following is the Associate of Science program outline. Students wishing to complete the program in four semesters should follow the suggested outline below. Students who do not follow the suggested outline may take longer to complete the program.

First year

Semester I (Fall)

Semester II (Winter)

Second year

Semester III (Fall)

Semester IV (Winter)

Note 1: 100-level science courses should be applicable to the Bachelor of Science. Selection should be made based on the student's area of interest and in consultation with an Academic Advisor. Applicable courses: BIO 111, BIO 112, CHEM 113, CHEM 114, COMP 125, (COMP 150 or COMP 152), COMP 155, GEOG 101, GEOG 102, GEOG 103, GEOG 116, MATH 125, PHYS 111, PHYS 112, STAT 104, and STAT 106.

Note 2: 200-level science courses should be applicable to the Bachelor of Science and cover two or more subjects. Selection should be made based on the student's area of interest and in consultation with an Academic Advisor. Applicable courses: BIO 201, BIO 202, BIO 210, BIO 220, CHEM 213, CHEM 214, CHEM 221, CHEM 224, CHEM 241, COMP 230, COMP 251, COMP 256, GEOG 201, GEOG 202, GEOG 211, GEOG 219, GEOG 250, GEOG 252, GEOG 253, GEOG 257, MATH 211, MATH 221, MATH 225, MATH 255, MATH 265, MATH 270, PHYS 221, PHYS 225, PHYS 231, PHYS 232, and STAT 270. Students must have a minimum of 36 lower-level science credits.

Note 3: The Arts electives must be in a subject other than English and Communications, and excludes mathematics and laboratory-based science courses. Arts electives can be either Humanities or Social Sciences (see the Table of Subject Areas).

Note 4: An eligible transferable course is defined as one that is part of a recognized BSc minor, major, or Honours program at one of the following five universities: UBC-V, UBC-O, SFU, UVic, or UNBC. Consult an Academic Advisor for specific courses.

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 Science and Associate of Science degree programs. See the Co-operative Education section for more details.

Transfer credit

Students who have completed university-level courses at other post-secondary institutions can apply for the ASc at UFV. A maximum of 30 credits may be transferred to UFV for the degree. However, not all courses may be applicable to specific science programs; please check with an Academic Advisor. Applicants with significantly more than 30 credits might consider the Bachelor of Science.

Most of the courses offered as part of the ASc program are transferable to all B.C. post-secondary academic institutions.

Courses at other institutions

UFV students who wish to take academic work at other institutions for credit toward the UFV Associate of Science degree must obtain permission in advance from an Academic Advisor. A request for a Letter of Permission form may be obtained from the UFV Office of the Registrar. When approval has been granted, the Office of the Registrar will issue a Letter of Permission to the student. (Also see Visiting students in the Transfer Credit section of the calendar.)

Program continuance

All students accepted into the Associate of Science program at UFV are expected to maintain acceptable standards of scholarship. Specifically, they are expected to maintain a minimum CGPA of 2.00 on all courses.

Undergraduate continuance

Students enrolled in undergraduate courses (courses numbered 100 or higher) must maintain an undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.00 to remain enrolled in Good Academic Standing at UFV. Students in Good Academic Standing will have no registration limits placed on them. Failure to meet the minimum CGPA requirement will result in restrictions on registration and may eventually lead to academic suspension from undergraduate studies at UFV. Students on Academic Warning or Academic Probation are limited to registering in 10 credits. For further details, see the Academic standing and undergraduate continuance section of the academic calendar. Academic standing is governed by UFV's Undergraduate Continuance policy (92).

The academic standing of all students covered under this policy for courses where letter grades are assigned will be determined at intervals of nine credits at the start of students' academic careers and then at the end of every term after 27 credits have been completed. Students will be assessed after every term enrolled, but Academic Standing will only change at the intervals noted above. Students’ academic standing will be permanently reflected on their student record and will appear on official and unofficial transcripts.

After each semester, students put on Academic Warning, Academic Probation, or Required to Withdraw status or who are continued on Warning or Probation will be notified by the Registrar.

Course repetition

Students may not register for a course more than twice without permission from the appropriate department head. Before granting permission for a third attempt, the department head may require that the student re-establishes a prerequisite for the course. Where a course has been repeated, only the higher grade is counted in the GPA calculation.

Auditing courses

Students may register as audit students or change to audit status only during the first three weeks of the semester. See the Audit section of the calendar for more information. Audited courses are not acceptable for meeting requirements for the ASc degree.

Course challenge

Course challenge is a method by which students may obtain credit for course material learned elsewhere (i.e., outside UFV). A maximum of 30 university-level credits used toward ASc requirements may be obtained by the combined mechanism of course challenge and transfer credit. See the Course challenge section for more information.

Readmission

Students who have been required to withdraw from UFV under the Undergraduate Continuance policy (92) are subject to readmission and continuance requirements as listed in the UFV academic calendar. Students are normally only readmitted once to the same program.

Residency

A maximum of 30 credits may be transferred to UFV for the ASc degree.

Graduation requirements

It is the student's responsibility to ensure that all program requirements are met. This should be done by regular consultation with an Academic Advisor.

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.