Bachelor of Arts in Policy Studies

at Kwantlen Polytechnic University - Langley Campus Canada

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

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.

You have a passion for communication and connecting with people, and a desire to make a positive impact on society. In our two-year, hands-on diploma program, you will learn the theory and practice of public relations, and will develop the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully manage relationships on behalf of businesses and other organizations through the use of creative and strategic communication.

Upon graduation, you will be prepared for careers in PR and communications, social media, publicity, media and influencer relations, public affairs, organizational communications, special events and fundraising, or continuing your studies in a Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree program at KPU.

The PR Diploma curriculum is carefully aligned with the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management’s Global Capabilities Framework and Global Body of Knowledge, and was developed in consultation with an advisory committee consisting of senior PR and communication practitioners from industry, government and the nonprofit sector.

Co-operative Education
The Public Relations diploma is offered with a Co-operative Education option. Co-operative Education gives a student the opportunity to apply the skills gained during academic study in paid, practical work experience semesters. Students can complete two work semesters while completing their diploma. Work semesters alternate with academic study.

Students wishing to enter and participate in the Co-op Option must meet the following requirements:

• Declaration and Entrance Requirements
• Currently admitted to the Diploma in Public Relations program.
• Good Academic Standing
• Maximum of 30 credits completed

The Associate Degree is designed to provide an education experience that prepares students for work, citizenship, and an enriched life as an educated person, and to lay a solid foundation for further study in the field of Political Science.

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 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. 

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 Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology is ideal for students interested in pursuing a health sciences career. This is also the Psychology degree program most suited for students who have an interest in neuroscience, particularly at the graduate level. The BSc is the most interdisciplinary of our psychology degrees, exposing students to biology, chemistry, math, and physics in addition to a broad array of psychology courses. This degree is also very “hands-on” with students being exposed to lab and research experiences as well as developing technical writing skills and workplace expertise.

The degree was developed in close connection with employers in the field and community partners, and has an applied focus that prepares students for employment upon graduation, for research-focused graduate studies, or for entry into professional programs of study. Many courses within this program have a lab component. The program takes a systems/ecological approach, recognizing the interrelationships between humans and their environments.

As part of their upper-level coursework, students will take courses across three main topical areas within Psychology:

• Research skills;
• Biological psychology; and
• Health psychology.

The degree will be embedded throughout with psychological application, including hands-on lab experience and courses focusing on human interaction with and use of modern technology, professional business practices, and technical writing. 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.

Students interested in applying to graduate school or who prefer a more extensive research experience are encouraged to apply to the Honours program. 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. B.Sc. in Applied Psychology students can complete the Honours program within the 40 courses required for the degree.

The one-year General Business Studies Certificate Program is designed to provide students with a broad range of fundamental business skills and an understanding of the business environment. Many classes are offered in the evening to accommodate part-time students.  The Certificate program requires completion of 10 courses and emphasizes real world business applications in key functional areas.

Students may select their elective courses according to the following guidelines for specialization in Business Management or Marketing and have the specialization documented on their transcript.

Courses in the certificate program may also be applied towards the Business Management Diploma program at KPU.

Concentration in English at the Associate level is an excellent foundation for a variety of careers and further studies. Those who wish to pursue a B.A. Major or Minor in English are encouraged to take a variety of English courses within an Associate of Arts degree.

Transfer to a Bachelor of Arts Program:-
Students who complete the Associate of Arts degree in English are eligible for admission to KPU's Bachelor of Arts, Major or Minor in English programs, as well as to KPU's Bachelor of Arts programs in other areas, as long as other third year entry requirements are met.
Students who receive an Associate of Arts degree in English from KPU will also have appropriate course coverage to be eligible to enter the English Major program at any other university in British Columbia. (UBC has additional requirements that students will need to complete, and UVic strongly recommends that students also have reading knowledge of a second language; however, direct entry is available into the B.A. English programs at most other institutions, including SFU.)