Associate of Arts in Creative Writing

at Kwantlen Polytechnic University - Langley Campus Canada

All prospective music students apply to enter the Bachelor of Music in Musical Arts Degree. Those students who wish to graduate with a Diploma in Music may apply after completing one of six concentrations.

The Diplomas in Music are two-year, four-semester programs. Each concentration is designed to help students develop their abilities in both academic and applied studies. All students receive four semesters of private instruction on their chosen instrument and participate in a large ensemble each semester. The core curriculum is augmented by electives chosen by the student in consultation with a faculty advisor.

The facilities at the Langley Campus have been designed to accommodate music instruction in solo performance, orchestral, band, choral, and chamber music.

Intake occurs once a year in September for full-time program students. It is expected that most students will enroll in a full-time program, but part-time participation will be allowed subject to seat availability and the fulfillment of the course prerequisites.

Credit for courses completed at other institutions may be transferred subject to the approval of the Music Chair. As well, first time registration for some courses may be allowed in January subject to the approval of the Music Chair and fulfillment of any course prerequisites.

Diploma Concentrations

• There are six concentrations within the Diploma program:
  • Comprehensive Studies
  • Guitar Performance
  • Orchestral Instrument Performance
  • Piano Performance
  • Vocal Performance
  • General Studies

The Certificate in Criminology is a 30-credit program offering students an introduction to criminology and other disciplines as well as post-secondary training for careers in criminal justice agencies. On completion of the Certificate, students have the option of entering the Diploma in Criminology, Associate of Arts in Criminology, Bachelor of Arts in Community Criminal Justice, or Bachelor of Arts, Major or Minor in Criminology. Students who want to ensure that they do not have to make up additional coursework should choose their optional criminology courses carefully in consultation with an Academic Advisor and the University Calendar requirements for the applicable Criminology program.

The Bachelor of Applied Arts degree program is geared towards helping students gain the skills and experience necessary to be job-skills ready. The Bachelor of Applied Arts also emphasizes research skills, and gives students a bit of the grad school experience and skills, without going to graduate school. The program is more rigorous and challenging than the more flexible Bachelor of Arts, but includes courses hand-picked by faculty and employers to target hard and soft job skills. The Bachelor of Applied Arts is ideally suited for students interested in workplace expertise, tests and measurements, and UX design.

Lower-level students establish a foundation of knowledge in psychology, before concentrating on applications of psychology to modern community and workplace settings for their upper-level work. Required courses provide students with general, transferable workplace skills (e.g., Interpersonal Relations), as well as specific knowledge and skills used in a variety of public and private sector jobs such as program evaluation and technical writing. Electives provide further training in additional areas selected by the student.

Students also participate in a workplace practicum coordinated by KPU and co-supervised by faculty and employers in relevant fields of employment. This practicum placement will assist students in gaining workplace experience and in meeting potential future employers.

Those interested in further study and graduate school or who prefer more extensive research experience may augment their knowledge and skills by taking the  research-focused Honours program in Psychology. The Honours program affords students an opportunity to develop and report on a research project under the direct supervision of a faculty member within the Psychology Department.

The Bachelor of Journalism program is unique in B.C., featuring multimedia storytelling experience utilizing the most current technologies. Students use industry-standard software to produce journalism that draws on the full range of multimedia storytelling possibilities, including animation, interactivity, audio, and video. Students participate in academic studies and practical training through seminars, labs, and off-campus work experiences. The Journalism program prepares graduates for such positions as multi-media journalists, editors, researchers, and freelance writers. Our grads also work as communications professionals in such fields as media relations, corporate communications, and public relations. The Bachelor of Journalism gives students valuable transferable skills that can be put to use in many fields of endeavour, including working in a multimedia environment, using social media and journalistic research skills in professional settings, and understanding the many facets of the collection and dissemination of information via the media.

Communication Studies courses are also an important part of the program, including exploration of such issues as media law and ethics, media and diversity, and media and social change.
Faculty members in KPU's Journalism department include award-winning journalists with career experience and academic credentials. Many faculty members continue to work as journalists.

Advanced VFX (Virtual Production) is a full-time, two-year, cohort program focused on the fundamentals of Visual Effects and the integration of Virtual Production workflows and pipelines. Students will study numerous specializations in VFX, such as modeling, sculpting, texturing/surfacing, lighting, compositing, and FX. The program also integrates virtual production workflows into these departments and courses by introducing the Unreal Engine. Unreal and other virtual production software and tools are used in the preparation, modification, and filming of VFX assets, in-camera. By replicating real-world fundamentals of virtual production and its fast-paced work environment of real-time rendering, artists are trained to be equipped both artistically and technically in the realm of quick problem solving, teamwork and collaboration. The fundamentals of cinematography, data acquisition, matchmove, photography and real-world lighting are also explored before they are taken into the 3D, virtual space. In advanced studies, 3D matte painting is introduced as a hybrid of 2D and 3D images for set extensions, for use in both traditional VFX and VFX for virtual production. Basic scripting is used in various software packages, such as Unreal, Nuke, Houdini and other industry leading software to optimize artists’ workflows. The program also teaches students the fundamentals of pre- and post-production, critical analysis and review, realistic production schedules, team work and soft skills. It also teaches students how to interact with other VFX departments, both on set and in studio.

A wide range of industry standard software and tools, processes, and workflows are taught to the students for both traditional VFX and VFX for virtual production. Students will create a portfolio of VFX shots in the form of a demo reel. Demo reel shots may be solely the student’s own creations, or the result of a collaborative group project(s).

The Advanced VFX (Virtual Production) program is best suited for students that display an artistic or creative background. A foundation in technical and or software skills is also beneficial. These artistic, creative and technical skills serve as a foundation for challenging roles in the VFX and game development industries.

The two-year diploma in Business Administration will provide graduates with foundational business and professional skills, a solid grounding in economics, and a foundation in calculus appropriate for advanced studies and/or research in economics, finance and operations. The program is designed to give graduates a developed portfolio of job-ready skills and a wide range of business principles and concepts to expand the graduate's career options.

The Bachelor of Music in Musical Arts degree is a fusion of Western art music traditions with contemporary music practices. In addition to private lessons, music theory and history, aural musicianship and keyboard skills, and ensemble experience, practical courses such as Music Video Production, the Business of Music, Approaches to Music Education, and Psychophysiology of Music Performance, give this program an experiential dimension rarely found in traditional music programs. The program fosters students' creativity and versatility, equipping them to adapt to changing market demands and to apply learned theory and practice in a variety of cultural and service sectors.

The Bachelor of Horticulture Science Urban Ecosystems Major is the only undergraduate degree in North America dedicated to the study of urban ecosystems.  At KPU, the Urban Ecosystems Major is an interdisciplinary program that combines horticulture, ecology, design, biology, chemistry, mathematics, business, and student-selected electives from the breadth of courses offered throughout KPU. Students synthesize the science and practice of horticulture to resolve community, industry, and research-related problems in urban environments. Innovation and creative critical thinking are important essential skills that students gain through applied research projects.

The Urban Ecosystems program puts theory into practice through student-led projects. We are testing and adapting ideas about urban ecosystems in real time, on the KPU Langley Campus through protection, design, and management of a living landscape. We have a 550 m2 dedicated Roof Ecosystem Research Lab where we test plants, grow food, and manage a permanent grassland habitat. On the ground, we have a 65-metre rain garden and a vertical living wall rain garden. We are actively repairing, re-indigenizing and managing 1.5 hectares of floodplain habitat alongside Logan Creek, which flows through the campus.

The Bachelor of Horticulture Science program has the following strengths:

• Customized education through the selection of electives that support learner educational goals
• Emphasis on the economic, environmental, and social components of sustainability
• Strong connections with horticulture industry and community groups
• Development of essential skills such as teamwork, creative thinking, problem solving, and communication
• Capstone research courses which include business planning and the application of new skills to a community based issue
• Required work experience in horticulture

The Bachelor of Arts Major in Sociology provides students with critical, practical and transformative studies that aim to prepare them for life and work in a diverse and globalized world. It is a flexible and well-rounded program, offering academic rigor and a solid grounding in sociology theory and research methods, and the study of societies in local and global contexts. Opportunities for engaging in applied, experiential and community-based learning are provided throughout the program.

Students may choose to gain a broad understanding of the discipline by taking courses in a wide range of sub-fields in sociology or streamline their programs by concentrating on particular subjects of interest to them such as gender and sexuality, racialized and ethnic minority groups, Indigenous studies, media and cultural studies, education, global social problems and social justice. In their final year, students may opt to hone their research skills by taking courses in Canadian and global studies with a primary research component. Or they may choose to take one of the community services courses to gain practical work experience by volunteering in an organization within the local community or participating in a field-school overseas in a developing nation. 

The Associate of Arts Degree (AA) in Asian Studies will introduce you to the discipline and prepare you for further study. By completing the AA Degree you will gain a broader understanding of the world in which you live and will become a more informed and engaged citizen. You can choose to focus on a particular geographic region; however, we recommend that you complete as broad a range of courses as possible.

Asian Studies courses involve a significant amount of reading and writing; therefore, it is strongly recommended that you complete your English requirements within your first two semesters.