Associate of Arts in Sociology

at Kwantlen Polytechnic University - Langley Campus Canada

The Associate Degree in Philosophy at KPU is designed to foster the development of general critical reasoning and writing skills. Students pursuing the Associate Degree will experience a learning environment that is supportive and challenging. They will receive a solid introduction to the critical reasoning, writing, and problem-solving skills required for successful careers in any area.

The two-year General Business Studies Diploma is a flexible diploma option, allowing individuals to select a variety of areas of study in the School of Business once they have fulfilled the core requirements of the program.

The Bachelor of Arts, Major in Policy Studies (“POST”) is an interdisciplinary applied degree that integrates concepts from economics, environmental protection, philosophy, political science and psychology. You will learn how policy can be used to achieve sustainability goals and apply your skills to community projects with partners such as the City of Surrey.

Students are encouraged to complete a complementary minor such as economics, geography or political science in addition to the major in Policy Studies. Please meet with an Arts Degree Advisor to talk about what courses fit your interests to complete your Bachelor’s degree.

The Landscape Horticulture Systems program provides students an understanding of the landscape as an integrated network of various living and non-living systems including soil, plants, insects, fungi and the humans and animals that inhabit these landscapes.

The Landscape Horticulture Systems specialization provides students opportunities to learn basic horticulture science and develop valuable applied skills through hands on learning in the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Langley campus and local landscapes. With the knowledge gained by studying basic botany, plant identification, and soil science and plant heath, students learn how different elements and inputs interact and impact the function and sustainability of the landscape. Students learn to resolve and reduce the consequences of local landscape garden problems by applying their knowledge of landscape applications, pest management, and landscape construction, design and maintenance, including arboriculture and cost-estimating.

Graduates of the Landscape Horticulture Systems diploma program are highly valuable employees and managers in public parks and gardens, resorts, golf courses, and private landscape maintenance, design and construction companies.

The Accounting Diploma program prepares graduates for entry-level accounting positions in the work force or to continue their studies at KPU in the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Accounting.

The Diploma program includes courses in financial accounting, management accounting, finance, taxation and auditing. Graduates will also take courses in economics, business math, business statistics, Simply Accounting, information management, English and communications. The Accounting Diploma is carefully aligned with the requirements of the CPA accounting designation.

The Bachelor of Arts, Major in Asian Studies degree will allow you to develop the competencies characteristic of a traditional BA program while preparing you to respond creatively to the challenges you will encounter in an increasingly interconnected world. In this four-year interdisciplinary program, you will not only acquire practical skills that you can employ in your multicultural communities locally, you will also develop the intellectual and cultural competencies required to operate successfully in a world where the nations of East and South Asia are increasingly influential.

As an Asian Studies student you will begin your first year of studies with courses that introduce you to Asian Studies as a discipline and to the countries and cultures of East and South Asia. These courses will begin to build the critical thinking, communication, and intercultural competencies that will allow you to succeed in more advanced courses. As you progress to more narrowly defined regional and thematic courses, you will examine in greater depth the societies, cultures, political systems, economies, and histories of the peoples and nations of South and East Asia, as well as their interactions with Canada and the rest of the world.

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 Plant Health Major is an interdisciplinary program that combines plant pathology, entomology, and horticultural practices as part of a holistic approach to plant health protection. The program emphasizes sustainable integrated pest management (IPM) practices including cultural control, biological control, and surveys/scouting, as tools supporting overall management of pests such as insects, weeds and organisms that cause plant disease.

Students address the impacts of plant health issues on the local, regional, and international practice of horticulture. The recognition of plant health, the diagnosis of poor plant performance, and the analysis of plant health programs form the core educational goals. Students explore the impacts of weeds, pests, and diseases as well as the implementation of pest management tactics on the environment. A key feature of the program is the recognition of horticulture as part of international trade and the impact of moving plants, plant products and their pests or diseases globally.

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 the application of new skills to a community based issue
• Required work experience

While obtaining the benefits of study across several disciplines, students in this program concentrate on theories of crime, law, and the administration of justice in Canada. Students are immersed in a multidisciplinary approach to understanding crime in context, how different communities respond to crime in Canada, crime statistics, and different methods that can be used in researching crime and social control.

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.