General Studies
ufv.ca/general-studiesThe General Studies diploma is UFV’s most flexible two-year program, allowing students to choose courses that are most relevant to their personal and professional goals. General Studies diploma students will demonstrate foundational skills in communication, numeracy, and science or digital literacy.
The General Studies diploma is flexible enough to allow students to:
Students successfully completing a General Studies diploma will have met several of the competency requirements for the Bachelor of Integrated Studies (BIS). Diploma students interested in continuing in the BIS with the intention of developing a theme specialization can work with an Advisor while in the diploma program to ensure that necessary prerequisites have been completed.
All 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.
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.
Students will be considered on the basis of courses equivalent to Approved Grade 12 courses. See the Admissions section of the calendar for more information on equivalents to B.C. secondary school graduation.
Students must have B.C. secondary school graduation equivalency, meet the prerequisites for ENGL 105 or CMNS 125, and have completed an equivalent of C+ (equated to the UFV grading system) in one Approved Grade 12 course.
Students who do not meet these requirements might consider Qualifying Studies.
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.
Completion of a minimum of nine credits in courses numbered at the 100 level and above, with a CGPA of 2.00 on all credits attempted.
Students who do not meet these requirements might consider Qualifying Studies and/or a meeting with an Academic Advisor.
Applications are accepted for entrance to the Fall, Winter, and Summer semesters. For application deadlines, see Specific intake application process.
If a UFV Placement Test or Upgrading and University Preparation (UUP) assessment score is required, please make arrangements to write the assessments early in the year.
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.
See the Fees and Other Costs section.
The General Studies diploma is normally completed within two years of full-time study.
The General Studies diploma requires:
Core Competency | Requirement |
Effective communication | CMNS 125 or ENGL 105 |
Additional written, oral, or visual communication | One of:
|
Use and interpretation of numerical data | One of:
|
And one of the two following competencies: | |
Scientific practice | One of:
|
Digital competency | One of:
|
Note 1: STAT 104 or STAT 106 is recommended for students planning on continuing into the Bachelor of Integrated Studies degree.
Note 2: Individual courses can be used to meet only one competency.
Advisors can assist students in developing individual educational plans. An advising appointment can help students refine their goals and objectives, understand available choices, and select courses which will apply to the intended program. Students wishing to apply to the Bachelor of Integrated Studies after completion of the General Studies diploma should familiarize themselves with additional BIS requirements. Contact Advising at advising@ufv.ca.
Note: Students may enrol in courses for which they meet the prerequisites. Some courses may be more difficult to gain access to as seats are reserved for students admitted to a particular program. General Studies students may be able to enrol in these courses if there are vacancies in courses after program students have registered. Refer to the course descriptions for prerequisite information.
Up to 45 university-level transfer credits can be used towards the completion of the General Studies diploma. Students wishing to use transfer credits to meet one or more core competency requirements will need to meet with an Academic Advisor in order to request a review. Contact Advising at advising@ufv.ca.
UFV students who wish to take course at another institution for credit toward the General Studies diploma 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.
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).
Students must complete at least 15 of the credits required (25% of the total) at UFV.
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 achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 on all courses that count toward the diploma.
Students can graduate from the program at any time if the diploma requirements have been completed. 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.
Students who are applying to graduate with the General Studies diploma while also completing additional programs at UFV should be aware than no more than 50% of credits used for the diploma can be used toward a second credential. Please refer to UFV's Credentials policy (64).
Advisors can assist students with transitioning from one program to another. Contact Advising at advising@ufv.ca.
For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.