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FASS Forward one credit courses
Whether you're finishing your undergraduate degree, planning grad school or looking for work鈥擫earn valuable, lifelong skills with FASS Forward. Courses are generally only for one month and are open to all students.
Summer 2025 courses
Classes run for five weeks, from May 12 to June 13, 2025. The first session is one hour, the rest of four sessions are three hours each. Grading is Pass/Fail.
FASS 222 - Critical Research Skills
Wednesday, 10:30am - 1:20pm
Hope Power
Introduces to the basic knowledge and skills required for producing accurate, responsible and effective written and verbal academic communication in the arts and social sciences.
FASS 223 - Creating Effective Teams
Thursday, 1:30 - 4:20pm
Matt Martell
Introduces the basic concepts and skills of team work and negotiating ideas with others.
FASS 224 - Meditation in Multicultural Contexts
Wednesday, 1:30 - 4:20pm
Luke Clossey
Introduces the basic concepts of equity, diversity and inclusion as subjects of study, normative framework and set of methodological practices in the arts and social sciences. Explores options for continuous work to remove barriers to equity-seeking groups.
FASS 225 - Personal Finance for Students
Tuesday, 10:30am - 1:20pm
Mark Ting
Introduction to real-world cases of research problem identification and data analysis in the arts and social sciences. No previous experience required.
FASS 305/805 - Centring Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) in Practical Life Settings
Tuesday, 1:30 - 4:20pm
Roselene Dhaliwal
Explore topics in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) and their application in workplace, educational, and social settings. The primary objective will be to present the scholarship that has informed JEDI principles in an accessible way and to have you envision applying these in practical life settings. Students will have opportunities to reflect on core JEDI and adjacent concepts.
*Note: FASS 305 is for undergraduate students while FASS 805 is for graduate students. Both are running concurrently as one class.
Questions?
How much do FASS Forward courses cost?
Tuition is based on a per credit basis, not by course. Regular student fees still apply, and potential course-specific expenses may apply.
For more information, visit /students/calendar/fees-and-regulations/tuition-fees/undergraduate.html
How long is a 1-credit course?
13 hours of class time once a week for 5 weeks. The first week is a one hour orientation to skills-based learning.
How do FASS Forward courses count towards my degree completion?
They count as elective credits for your degree completion.
When are FASS Forward courses offered?
FASS Forward courses are typically offered in the Summer intersession term.
Can I do more than one course?
Yes! The courses are structured so that you can take more than one in a day. They will also finish before the workload demands increase for regular summer session courses.
What are skills-based courses?
Rather than mastering academic content to be successful in the course, you will be practicing a skill. For example, in order to become a better writer, you need to practice writing. You will have lots of opportunities to practice, get feedback and practice some more. The readings will be chosen as a reference for the skill development rather than for their argument or academic contribution to the understanding of the content.
Why were these courses developed?
FASS Forward courses were designed in response to a national survey by in February 2018. This report argued that graduates from the social sciences and humanities needed more support to be able to articulate how their degree has value to potential employers.
FASS conducted two surveys of 16,186 students in order to understand current work lives and future career aspirations (FASSFutures by Monica Petek, July 2019).
Of the 2,848 responses,
58% of undergraduates taking FASS courses felt that 鈥淔ASS students do not receive the same guidance on skill development and career planning as students in other faculties.鈥�
and
89.6% of students felt that a 1 credit course option was a good or very good idea.
Who can take FASS Forward courses?
Anyone across the university who has finished 15 units. You do not need to be in FASS to enroll.
How is grading done?
A FASS Forward course is designed to improve your skills for future success and work in this class is expected to be of high quality. A competency-based grading system will be used to assess your academic performance and active participation in all learning activities. That means only a P (pass) or F (fail) will appear on your transcript.
- P (pass) means that you have demonstrated your competency in relation to the learning objectives, met all the criteria for the course, and demonstrated the skills you have acquired. The 1 credit/unit from this course will count towards your total 丁香园AV units.
- F (fail) means that you do not receive credit for the course.
How is my GPA affected?
There is no numerical equivalent for the final grade (Pass/Fail), therefore your (cumulative) GPA will not be affected.
How do I enroll?
Just like in any other course, through go丁香园AV. We have increased the number of seats for this year. There is a reserve for FASS students, which comes off at open enrollment time.
For further questions, please contact the FASS Forward Coordinator at fass_forward@sfu.ca.
FASS Forward in the news
BC Business wrote a feature on one credit courses at B.C. colleges and universities. about the incredible FASS Forward courses at 丁香园AV!