Associate of Arts in International and Development Studies Option

at University of the Fraser Valley - Abbotsford Campus Canada

The Bachelor of Arts in Global Development Studies (GDS) is a broadly interdisciplinary program designed to equip students with the critical academic knowledge, skills and experience required to function effectively as development professionals in Canada or abroad or to continue on to graduate or other professional studies.

In addition to learning history and theory of development processes, and analyzing current global practices, international or domestic internships provide opportunities to make contacts and build skills.

The program:

• Equips you with strong advocacy, problem-solving, research, and writing skills.
• Promotes intercultural dialogue locally and abroad by drawing on topics in economics, political science, anthropology, sociology and communications.
• Presents unique internship opportunities with development organizations in Canada and internationally so you can apply what you learn in a global context.
• Develops focused disciplinary knowledge and skills by fulfilling requirements for a minor or an interdisciplinary concentration.
• Grounds you in the history and theory of global development processes and examines current debates in development practice.

UFV offers the first year of the Bachelor of Applied Science (Engineering) degree program for students wishing to transfer to the University of British Columbia or the University of Victoria. Upon completion of the UFV program, students may be allowed to enter the second-year Engineering programs at UBC and UVic without any additional qualifying courses, providing they meet the entrance requirements for the program at these institutions.

Students transferring to UBC or UVic from the UFV program with the minimum required GPA may be admitted to the UBC/UVic second-year program. Once admitted, all students, regardless of their first-year institution, then compete for seats in different specialties based on their GPA; popular specialties have higher GPA requirements than the entrance GPA. UBC also allows admission from General Sciences, but may require a higher entrance GPA.

The UFV Marketing and Sales certificate is a part-time program suitable for people who wish to launch a career in the field or for those already employed who want to move their career forward.
The UFV Marketing and Sales certificate provides essential grounding in math, business, marketing, professional selling, advertising, retail management, and public speaking to prepare you to make your mark in the workplace or ladder into a Bachelor of Business Administration with a solid foundation of applied knowledge and skills.

In as little as three semesters, you could complete your certificate and be on your way to a rewarding career with excellent potential for growth. Or if you already work full-time, you may take up to seven years to complete your requirements.

Gain an excellent grounding in modern biology and obtain the working skills of a professional biologist with a UFV Bachelor of Science in Biology.

In your first and second year, you gain a foundational understanding of cell biology, biochemistry, and ecology/organism interactions. In your third and fourth year, you expand your knowledge through a wide range of upper-level courses. 

You may also choose to take advantage of extra-curricular learning opportunities through field trips, study tours, and directed studies. The UFV Biology faculty will support you every step of your academic journey — even in your own research undertakings.  

Customize your degree to your interests by choosing one of the following concentrations:

• Pre-medicine/Pre-veterinary
• Cellular, Molecular, and Genetics
• Ecology and Biology of Organisms

The program:

• offers you a rich lab-intensive experience for interactive, hands-on practice in laboratory and research skills.
• encourages you to develop your own biology research, either with individual faculty guidance or as part of regular course material.
• facilitates co-op placements and summer work experience with local companies and organizations.
• prepares you for graduate or professional schools with concentrations in varied fields such as genetics, ecology, or pre-medicine.

Do you have a passion for social justice? Have you always been interested in social issues? 

UFV's Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree prepares you to collaborate with individuals, families, groups and communities in diverse envronments and cultural settings. Upon graduation you can apply to register with the British Columbia College of Social Workers (RSW). Or, opt to pursue further studies and complete a Master of Social Work degree at UFV.

You enter the BSW when you are in third year after you've completed 60 credits. Once admitted to the program, you will complete two field placements with one of UFV's community partners. The program offers flexibility so you can carry on with other commitments in your life while earning your degree. 

View the Bachelor of Social Work's program outline in the UFV Academic Calendar

Child Welfare specialization
Choose to specialize your Bachelor of Social Work in the area of child welfare where you may complete a practicum with the Ministry of Children and Family Development or a Delegated Aboriginal Agency.

Take UFV's Community Support Worker Certificate to work in a variety of roles with children and adults with mental and/or physical disabilities. Acquire skills and knowledge needed to work on the front-lines in school and community settings. Learn professional ethics and standards, the history of service delivery, philosophies of helping, adaptive technologies, communications, and how to create inclusive communities. 

Earn your Community Support Worker certifiate from UFV on a full or part-time basis as you complete 31 credits, including a 200-hour supervised field experience in a social service or school setting.

View Community Support Worker's program outline in the UFV Academic Calendar

When you graduate you can apply to earn a Social Services diploma, entering in the second year, The diploma would qualify you for employment in program management and administration. 

To prepare you for today's multi-disciplinary creative industry, UFV's Graphic and Digital Design diploma program (GDD) provides you with a solid foundation in four fields of professional practice:  brand identity, graphic/communication design, dynamic media, and interactive design.

As a student, you are immersed in design practice through project-based learning in collaborative Mac studio spaces. You’ll build a strong foundation in design process, resourcefulness, and conceptual development, as well as skills in critical thinking, typography, image making, content creation, and industry standard Adobe software.

The Graphic and Digital Design diploma (GDD) is a full-time 60-credit cohort program offered on the Mission campus (fall intake), and the Abbotsford campus (winter intake).

As a GDD diploma student, you’ll be part of a cohort that moves together through the entire two-year program. You must register for five courses in each semester and each individual graphic design course is only offered once per academic year on each campus. Courses in the GDD diploma are raught by dynamic faculty engaged in design practice, professional communities, and academic research.

Expect at least four hours of homework each week for each course. GDD is both demanding and rewarding, requiring that you put in the time and commitment to build a strong professional practice portfolio.

FEATURES:

• Field trips enhance classroom learning
• Engage with the design industry through special events, guest lectures, study tours, design conferences, workshops, practicums, and mentorship opportunities.
• Coursework emphasizes professional standards of practice through real-world projects, special events, and workshops.
• Program eligible for financial aid

UFV’s Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care (BA CYC) is a four-year program that prepares you to become a skilled child and youth care professional, ready to provide guidance, support and help children, youth, and families overcome emotional and physical challenges.

Starting with a focus on development and social competence for therapeutic intervention through relationships, you examine and address the issues that affect children and youth who are facing social and developmental difficulties.

With core courses offered in the afternoon and the evening, the BA CYC can accommodate your work schedule if you are currently employed in the human services field and wish to grow your career and gain skills you can apply in your work setting.

In the third and fourth year, the program culminates in two 300-hour practica that provide you with opportunities to gain direct experience working with one of UFV’s learning partners. Through both practica, you benefit from the structured supervision of experienced professionals, who can provide valuable guidance and feedback.

After you graduate from the Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care, you have acquired the skills to take on consultations, case assessments and interventions, counselling, advocacy, policy development, and to become a well-rounded practitioner in any agency or program. 

You may also pursue further studies in child and youth care, public administration, criminal justice, social work, or any related field.

The UFV Bachelor of Science (BSc) is a program of academic study for students pursuing educational or career goals in the natural sciences. The program requirements encourage a breadth of intellectual and academic experience, and at the same time, recognize the importance of concentrated study in a specific field or discipline. The BSc may serve as an educational goal in itself, as qualification for those who wish to pursue advanced degrees at other educational institutions, or as a qualification for employment.

The BSc consists of a minimum of 120 credits. To receive a Bachelor of Science degree, students must, at a minimum, complete the requirements for at least one of a science honours, science major, or double science minor, in addition to the General BSc requirements.

The Engineering Physics Diploma in Mechatronics is designed to teach you how to connect mechanical, electrical, electronic, and software systems to create smart technologies and drive innovation. The program is self-contained, enabling you to enter the workplace immediately, but gives you a background in math and science that is adaptable for completion of a full BSc degree in Physics at UFV, or an Engineering degree from another institution. You learn topics such as mechanics, circuit analysis, sensors and actuators, and optics, and acquire a strong theoretical grounding in physics.

FEATURES:-

• Program eligible for financial aid.