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Bachelor of Arts Program

Bachelor of Arts Program | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Calendar 2012 Spring

Students can meet the bachelor of arts (BA) requirements through one of the following five options: a major program, a joint major program, two extended minor programs, an extended minor and a minor program, or two minor programs. In addition to the following degree requirements, students may also fulfil the requirements for one or more additional extended minor(s) or minor(s).

Program Declaration

Prior to or upon enrolling for the term in which the 61st unit is completed, students in the bachelor of arts program must formally declare and be accepted into a major program, a joint major program, two extended minor programs, an extended minor and a minor program, or two minor programs, and may apply for an honours program, subject to the regulations below. Program declaration establishes the exact major, extended minor, minor and honours requirements for graduation as they appear in the Calendar in effect at the time of declaration. Students are urged to keep a copy of this Calendar, known as the graduating Calendar, for reference.

Program requirements may be changed any time prior to graduation. A new formal declaration must be approved by the new program department and the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences if a faculty change is involved. The Calendar then in effect becomes the new graduating Calendar, and the requirements it specifies for the program must be fulfilled.

Course Duplication

University regulations governing the duplication of courses are rigorously applied in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. No more than five course duplications will be allowed.

Graduation GPA Requirements

Grade point averages (GPAs) used for graduation are the minimum GPAs that must be achieved to satisfy the requirements for a degree or other credential. The graduation GPA must be obtained both on the overall course work (CGPA) as well as on the upper division subset of that work (UDGPA).

In addition, program GPAs are the required minimum to satisfy the requirements of an honours, major, extended minor or minor program. In each case, the program GPA must be obtained both on the overall course work (CGPA) as well as on the upper division subset of that work (UDGPA) in the program area.
The graduation and program GPAs specified are University minimum requirements; individual faculties and departments may, with senate approval, have higher requirements.

In the event of repeated courses, only the higher grade is used in these GPA calculations.

Individual departments may have additional GPA requirements for graduation. Please check individual department Calendar listings for further information.

Please note that the minimum GPA requirements for graduation differed during the following time periods: September 1965 to August 1991; September 1991 to August 2003. Please consult the appropriate Calendar(s)* for information about GPA requirements during these time periods.

*Calendar in effect at the time of entry to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV and the Calendar that was in effect at the time of approval to credential and/or program.

For further information, see Grade Point Averages Needed for Graduation.

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Program Requirements

For all bachelor of arts (BA) programs (except the honours program), students complete 120 units, which includes

  • at least 60 units that must be completed at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV
  • at least 45 upper division units, of which at least 30 upper division units must be completed at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV
  • at least 65 units (including 21 upper division units) in Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences courses
  • satisfaction of the writing, quantitative, and breadth requirements
  • an overall cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and upper division CGPA of at least 2.0, and a program (major, joint major, extended minor, minor) CGPA and upper division CGPA of at least 2.0

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Honors Program Requirements

For all bachelor of arts (BA) honours programs, students complete 132 units, which includes

  • at least 60 units that must be completed at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV
  • satisfaction of the writing, quantitative, and breadth requirements
  • students complete at least 60 upper division units, which must include at least 50 units in upper division courses in a Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences honours program; no more than 15 upper division units that have been transferred from another institution can be used toward this requirement
  • at least 65 units (including 21 upper division units) in Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences courses
  • Students complete lower division requirements for at least one Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences honors program
  • students are required to achieve an overall cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and upper division CGPA of at least 3.0, and an honors program CGPA and upper division CGPA of at least 3.0

Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements

Students admitted to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements for university-wide information.

WQB Graduation Requirements
A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit.
Requirement
Units
Notes
W - Writing
6
Must include at least one upper division course, taken at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV within the student’s major subject
Q - Quantitative
6
Q courses may be lower or upper division
B - Breadth
18
Designated Breadth Must be outside the student’s major subject, and may be lower or upper division
6 units Social Sciences: B-Soc
6 units Humanities: B-Hum
6 units Sciences: B-Sci
6
Additional Breadth

6 units outside the student’s major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements)
Additional breadth units must be from outside the student's major and may be B-designated (B-Hum, B-Soc, B-Sci courses). Students choosing to complete a joint major, joint honors, double major, two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors may satisfy the breadth requirements (designated or not designated) with courses completed in either one or both program areas.

 

Major Program

To concentrate in a program area, students may complete a major consisting of at least 30 upper division units in that program area. The major program is the most common option chosen by students pursuing a BA degree.

The following requirements are in addition to those listed in the Program Requirements section above.

  • students complete lower division requirements for at least one Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences major
  • at least 30 upper division units must be in a Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences major
  • no more than 15 upper division units that have been transferred from another institution may be used toward a major

A department may designate up to eight units of program-related upper division courses offered by other departments as being acceptable in fulfilling part of the required units in a major program.

Joint Major Program

A joint major is a combination of two program areas. Students complete at least 20 upper division units in each of the two joint major program areas. Students are advised to check individual department listings for possible additional requirements.

The following requirements are in addition to those listed in the Program Requirements section above.

  • students complete lower division requirements for both joint major programs
  • students complete at least 20 upper division units in each of the two joint major programs, of which at least 10 upper division units must be completed at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV in each program area
  • no more than 15 upper division units that have been transferred from another institution may be used toward a joint major

Note: Students choosing to complete two separate majors (double major) will complete two major programs, with at least one major subject in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Therefore, students will complete at least 30 units of upper division courses in each of the two major subjects. Students completing two majors will graduate with one BA degree.

Minor and Extended Minor Programs

Students wishing to prepare themselves in two program areas, but not desiring to undertake a major or a joint major program, may complete a program consisting of two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors for the BA degree, at least one of which must be in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Students who are interested in this option must meet with a faculty advisor in Arts Central (located in AQ 3020) to receive academic advising and program approval.

A minor program requires at least 15 upper division units within a single program area unless otherwise specified in the Calendar. An extended minor consists of the lower division requirements for a major, and the upper division requirements for a minor.

The following requirements are in addition to those listed in the Program Requirements section above.

  • students complete lower division requirements for each extended minor and/or minor programs
  • students complete at least 21 upper division units completed in Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences courses, of which at least 12 must be completed at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV
  • no more than eight upper division units that have been transferred from another institution may be used toward an extended minor or minor

Honours and Joint Honours Programs

The following requirements are in addition to those listed in the Program Requirements section above.

  • students complete an additional 12 units (132 units total)
  • students complete at least 60 upper division units, which must include at least 50 units in upper division courses in a Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences honours program; no more than 15 upper division units that have been transferred from another institution can be used toward this requirement
  • students complete lower division requirements for at least one Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences honours program
  • students are required to achieve an overall CGPA and upper division CGPA of at least 3.0, and an honours program CGPA and upper division CGPA of at least 3.0

Honours students who obtain an overall CGPA and upper division CGPA of at least 3.5 and an honours program CGPA and upper division CGPA of at least 3.5 will receive the designation of honours first class at the time of graduation.

Joint honours students must also complete the lower division requirements for both honours programs, and must maintain a 3.0 CGPA and upper division CGPA in each program area of the joint honours program.

A department may designate up to 12 units of program related upper division courses offered by other departments as being acceptable in fulfilling part of the required upper division units in the honours program.

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