Associate of Arts in Philosophy

at Kwantlen Polytechnic University - Surrey Campus Canada

Advanced 3D Animation and 3D Modelling is a full-time, two-year, cohort program focused on the fundamentals of 3D Animation and 3D Modelling. Students will study various department specializations, such as 3D animation (character and creature), rigging, 3D modelling and sculpting, and texturing and surfacing. The program also touches on the fundamentals of storytelling through acting and visual composition, look development and the basics compositing. The program also teaches students the fundamentals of pre- and postproduction, critical analysis and review, realistic production schedules, team work, soft skills and how to interact with other departments within the postproduction pipeline. A wide range of industry standard software and tools, processes, and workflows are taught to the students. Students will create and compile a portfolio of shots or still life images in the form of a demo reel.

The 3D animation courses focus on animation principles, while integrating rigging, basic scripting, cloth simulation, body mechanics and animation for characters, inanimate objects and creatures.

In the 3D modelling courses students will learn the latest industry techniques in the fields of hard surface modelling, sculpting, texturing and surfacing.

While starting with the observation of traditional drawing and sculpting techniques, students will take these skills into their 3D models, environments and 3D animations. The integration of look development, shading and compositing fundamentals helps bring both 3D models and animations together for polished, final compositions.

The Advanced 3D Animation and 3D Modelling program is best suited for students that display an artistic or creative background. A foundation in technical and/or software skills is also beneficial.

The Bachelor of Arts, Major in Applied Geography is a unique, four-year Human Geography degree with an emphasis on the urban setting of human activity. The program is distinguished by the scope and sequencing of its skills development coursework. Required skills courses include those in qualitative methods, quantitative methods, geographic thought, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and research design.

These skills-development courses are woven into a lively and relevant topical curriculum featuring introductory lab-science courses in: physical geography; introductory and advanced human geography; economic, social, political, and urban geography; options for focused study of a variety of regions; and courses in natural hazards and environmental geography. Having established a foundation of information-handling skills early in the program, students are equipped to apply their knowledge to service and research projects incorporated into their third and fourth year courses.

Graduates who complete the Bachelor of Arts, Major in Applied Geography program are able to comprehensively understand a range of contemporary urban issues and problems, and possess the practical skills to address them. They are engaged citizens, well-positioned for employment in occupations requiring knowledgeable people capable of working with diverse types of information, or for further, graduate study in Geography and related fields.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts, Visual Arts degree program provides students with comprehensive knowledge and practice in the field of visual arts. The core of the degree is a strong studio curriculum focusing on the ideas and technical processes of producing contemporary art. The Fine Arts curriculum is complemented through access to a broad liberal arts education emphasizing the development of effective academic writing, verbal communication, and presentation skills. Grounded in theory and practice, students develop aesthetic judgment, professional knowledge, disciplinary expertise, and the collaborative critical thinking skills required to prepare them for direct entry into today's creative economy.

The diverse needs of visual arts students are met in a vibrant environment with outstanding facilities, studios, exhibition spaces, visiting artists, student exchange programs, and opportunities for working with the community. Personal and professional development is encouraged as the degree prepares students to be practicing artists and contributing global citizens.

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.

The Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology (BTech in IT) program allows students to earn a bachelor degree that prepares them for employment in the IT industry in Canada or for graduate school. Courses are offered so that students can focus on network administration and security or mobile and web application development based on their interests and career goals.

Co-operative Education

The Bachelor of Technology – Information Technology degree 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. Degree students can complete a minimum of three work terms while completing their degree.   Work terms generally occur full-time in separate 4 month work semesters. Work semesters alternate with academic study.

The Associate Degree is designed to provide an educational 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 Sociology. 

If you have an Associate of Arts Degree in Sociology and you are interested in continuing your degree studies at KPU, you can apply for the Bachelor of Arts, Major in Sociology degree or a Minor in Sociology when combined with another BA program. Admission to this program requires specific courses and GPA. For more information, please see the BA Major or Minor in Sociology program description.

The Associate of Arts Degree in Sociology is a provincially recognized two-year academic credential program. The aims of this program are to provide students with an entry point into a Bachelor of Arts degree program, to create greater ease in transferring credits to other post-secondary institutions, to enrich students’ intellectual lives, and prepare them with academic knowledge and skills applicable to various work contexts. Students are exposed to an overview of central topics in sociology, fundamental sociological theories and concepts, studies in Canadian society and specialized subject areas in sociology.

Explore different disciplines of an Arts Degree in one of our Arts Courses. Through courses that explore a different topic each semester from a multidiscipline perspective (ARTS 1100), or an intensive interdisciplinary field school in the Amazon rain forest (ARTS 3000) students gain knowledge that spans multiple areas of study. For more information about how these exciting courses fit within your degree

ARTS 1100: Experiencing the Arts
Students will explore a broad and compelling theme through the lens of different Arts disciplines. The theme will change each semester. The course will be run by an instructor who is passionate about the theme, with class sessions taught by visiting instructors from areas such as History, Psychology, Geography, Fine Arts, Political Science, and other fields. This will help students realize how different fields within Arts are connected, as well as suggest directions for further study. They will learn to view their world through multiple, and sometimes contrasting, perspectives and develop intellectual skills which are essential for learning in various disciplines and for continued learning in life beyond the University.

ARTS 3000: Interdisciplinary Amazon Field School
Learners will engage in an intensive interdisciplinary field school in the Amazon rain forest. They will take part in cultural and creative immersion activities, participate in community engagement projects, and contextualize their field learning by classroom-based analysis and critical reflection before and after their field experiences. They will develop interdisciplinary skills in creativity, academic inquiry, ecology and conservation, cultural awareness, environmental design, design thinking, and community development. Learners will become familiar with various expressive modalities of the Amazon region (e.g. design, writing, music, movement, expressive arts, materiality, storytelling, etc.) and will explore the application of those modalities in an integrative learning environment. Note: Students will spend two weeks at the Field School site in addition to class sessions on campus before and after travel. Students must be nineteen years or older at the start of the course

ARTS 3200: Inside-Out Prison Exchange
The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program works with equal numbers of learners from KPU and from inside the prison in a transformative, collaborative learning community. Students will address issues of violence, alternatives to violence and transformation through an experiential learning process.

This course takes place within a provincial corrections institution in Surrey, BC (Surrey Pretrial Services Centre located at 14323 57 Ave, Surrey, BC.) There will be an equal number of inside (incarcerated) students and outside (KPU) students enrolled in this course. Classes will be held on Wednesdays from 9:30 - 3:20 pm. The topic for this iteration of Arts 3200 will be Violence, Alternatives to Violence & Transformation. The first half of the course will explore the roots of both interpersonal and structural violence and its impacts on people, relationships and society. The second half of the course will introduce students to alternatives to violence including conflict resolution and peacemaking practices such as restorative justice. We will conclude with reflections on what it will take to transform ourselves and society in order to lower levels of violence.

ARTS 4800: Arts Practicum
The ARTS practicum course introduces students to the workplace and degree-relevant entry-level work through placement in an employment setting. During the term, students complete 48 to 64 workplace hours (approximately 4-6 hours per week). The course is for senior students with a declared Major or Minor in Geography, History, Philosophy, Policy Studies, or Political Science. For more information visit the Arts Practicum website.

The Bachelor of Arts, Major in English program focuses on the diverse literatures of the English-speaking world, including the full range of British, Canadian, and American literary traditions, diasporic literature and literature in translation, oral and written Indigenous narratives, and classic and contemporary film. This degree will allow students to develop the knowledge, core competencies, and skills characteristic of a traditional Bachelor of Arts program, while preparing them to respond critically and creatively to a wide range of issues and challenges in our community and in society in general. In addition to critical reading, writing and thinking skills, students who complete a Bachelor of Arts in English will be prepared for entry into the labour market through the incorporation of essential employability skills into all of our courses. They will also benefit from the expertise and the commitment to teaching excellence of our faculty, as well as from the small class sizes that characterize undergraduate study at KPU. Arts degrees have high levels of student satisfaction, and the literacy and analytical skills developed in such programs will prepare students to become constructive members of society and to fit well into the workplace.

The B.Sc. in Health Science program is designed to prepare students for public and private sector careers in health research, health practice, health product production and distribution, and health management. It also prepares students for entry into schools of health or graduate studies.

The objectives of the degree are as follows:

• To provide students with a strong foundation in the basic sciences together with writing and critical thinking skills.
• To provide students with a broad knowledge of the various health professions involved in the Canadian health system.
• To equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary for employment in health service delivery, health research, production and distribution of health products, and other health-related fields.
• To provide students with the educational prerequisites necessary for entry into a) post graduate degrees in the sciences, and b) qualified health professional programs (e.g. medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, medical technical programs, pharmacy).
• To provide students with the opportunity to integrate an understanding of complementary medicine (e.g., naturopathy, traditional Asian medicine) with the basic sciences.

The B.Sc. in Health Science is designed around a core of required basic science and health science courses, complemented by health science and open electives that provide graduates with a solid science foundation but also with critical health research, communication, and management skills for future success.

This is a comprehensive program including courses in English and Mandarin language, communication, Ancient Chinese philosophy, and Western biomedical sciences which are necessary for the critical understanding and development of complex Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts. The curriculum has been designed to offer an education of significant breadth and rigour within the contexts of TCM/Acupuncture fundamental theory, diagnosis, treatment, and clinical practice. The program includes 460 hours of practice. Through these experiential learning activities, students will actively engage with the community.

Note: To be eligible to write the licensing exam with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia (CTCMA), 60 university credits are required in addition to the credits attained within the Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture Diploma. These credits may be attained before, during, or after the Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture Diploma.