International and Development Studies

Associate of Arts degree - International and Development Studies option

Careers related to International and Development Studies

This program is designed to provide a sound background for students who intend to pursue careers in businesses with interests overseas, church work in the third world, teaching, journalism, community relations, translation, international development work, the travel industry, diplomacy, government, international trade and commerce, as well as for those wishing to prepare for advanced scholarly work and research. Currently the International and Development Studies option focuses on Latin America.

International and Development Studies field school

Optional field schools and study tours of three to six weeks duration are organized on a regular basis. A typical field school in Latin America of a three-week duration would cost approximately $2,000 plus meals. A field school certificate will be awarded to those students successfully completing this aspect of the program.

Work experience

It is recommended that students undertake an average of three hours per week voluntary work during at least one semester of the second year in the program. This can be fulfilled in a number of ways and might include activities involving community education, non-governmental organizations, church groups involved in international issues, etc. Students will thus be introduced to the work world as it pertains to the international sphere, blending academic studies with the realities of employment.

It may be possible to arrange employment opportunities, probably on an exchange basis, in the regions of specialization. This can only be done for individuals who have taken the appropriate language courses.

Entrance requirements

See the Associate of Arts degree section for details on entrance requirements and application procedures.

General requirements

60 credits of 100- and 200-level courses. A minimum of 15 credits must be completed at UFV.

Each course must be transferable to one of Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, University of Northern British Columbia, or University of Victoria. Transferability of courses can be found on the B.C. Transfer Guide at bctransferguide.ca. No course will be used to meet more than one of the following specific requirements.

Graduation requires a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher calculated on all courses that could apply to the program.

Specific requirements

Note 1: Recommended elective courses are ANTH 102, ECON 203 (formerly ECON 102), GEOG 140, GEOG 242, POSC 260, POSC 360, and SOC 101.

Note 2: You are responsible for prerequisite courses and may wish to use them to meet the above requirements where applicable.

Subject areas

Please see this section for a list of the subject areas which apply to Associate of Arts program categories.

Undergraduate continuance

Students enrolled in undergraduate courses (courses numbered 100 or above) 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).

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.