Diploma in Public Relations (Co-op Optional)

at Kwantlen Polytechnic University - Surrey Campus Canada

The B.Sc. Major in Biology is a foundational degree program strongly grounded in scientific methodology and practical skills. The structure and breadth of courses offered is designed to equip graduates with a high level of competency in the knowledge, skills and experience necessary for competitive entry into the workforce in a wide range of fields. Graduates will also be well prepared for entry into a professional school or graduate studies program.

Central to this program is the provision of a lab intensive experience where students learn first-hand, the appropriate use of equipment and techniques to investigate living organisms and how they function. Upper level courses build upon the core knowledge and skills developed in 1st and 2nd Year, allowing the exploration of more advanced biological concepts and practical techniques. This culminates in a community focused research or directed studies project which requires students to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned.

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Entrepreneurial Leadership program prepares graduates to fill a variety of management and leadership positions that drive small and medium-sized business growth. The program also prepares graduates with the skills and knowledge to develop and manage their own business enterprise.

Co-operative Education
The BBA in Entrepreneurial Leadership 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. 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 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 KPU Creative Writing Department offers students a community of creativity in which writers discover a purposeful craft and explore the gifts of the imagination. We offer award-winning faculty, small class sizes, and a rigorous approach to the craft of writing.

Teaching in the Creative Writing Department is based on foundational principles of mentorship, humility, discovery, purposefulness, and learner autonomy. Faculty demonstrate an authentic spirit of inquiry intended as a model for learners. In turn, learners engage with a teaching environment that is collaborative, innovative, creative, and respectful. We embrace emerging and experimental teaching methods and research-driven pedagogy in support of a dynamic educational community that is innovative, interdisciplinary, and socially and culturally responsible. In the Creative Writing Department, learner engagement extends beyond the classroom to encompass community and industry partners and peers.

The Legal Administrative Assistant Program is a full-time, cohort program. Your cohort has no more than 35 students, ensuring a supportive environment that allows you to transition into university studies and connect one-on-one with our expert faculty.

We'll introduce you to a number of different areas of law, including family law, corporate law, civil litigation, and wills and estates, and teach you general office procedures, corporate records, and conveyancing.

You'll work with our experienced instructors, who are or have been practicing lawyers. You’ll get hands-on experience, preparing legal documents and court forms using client simulations so you'll feel like you're already working at a law firm. In addition, you'll become knowledgeable in your word processing skills.

The program also features a built-in practicum where you’ll gain real experience and make valuable industry connections. Plus, you can use courses in this program as electives in a number of degree programs, should you wish to further your studies.

The Bachelor of Arts Major in Psychology is a traditional degree focusing on core areas in psychology including biopsychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social/personality psychology, and clinical/abnormal psychology. As KPU’s flagship Psychology degree program, the BA is a flexible degree that allows students to explore many different content areas of psychology as well as other areas within the social sciences and humanities. Because of the flexibility of the program, BA students have the opportunity to consult with advisors, faculty and peers to determine their own degree specialization. The emphasis is on transferrable skills, including critical thinking, writing, group work, and oral presentations. Students also have the option of completing a workplace practicum coordinated by KPU and co-supervised by faculty and employers in relevant fields of employment.

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 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.

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 Arts, Major in Criminology program provides students with a broad, liberal education in social science, criminal justice, and law. Students learn scientific research methods, legal, philosophical and theoretical approaches to aid in understanding crime and related social problems, and social responses to crime. The BA degree program builds on the central core of method and theory and affords students opportunities to hone abstract, logical thinking, and critical understanding of the issues, arguments, and debates that shape the discipline's character and aims.

Contemporary criminology courses developed especially for this degree expose students to cutting-edge theory and research. This program integrates opportunities to engage in undergraduate research, service learning, and practicum placements that provide students with highly transferable and marketable knowledge and skills.

Students who graduate with a BA degree may apply to law school or pursue a graduate degree in criminology or other disciplines. Those who are interested in applying to graduate school, or who prefer a more extensive research experience, are encouraged to undertake a structured program leading to a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Major in Criminology.

Co-operative Education
The Bachelor of Arts, Major in Criminology 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 in the Co-op option are expected to complete a minimum of three work terms while completing their degree. Work terms generally occur full-time in separate 4 month work semesters but may also be available part-time over an 8 month continuous (parallel) placement. Work semesters alternate with academic study.

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.