Bachelor of Arts

at University of the Fraser Valley - Abbotsford Campus Canada

The University Foundation certificate program is an intensive, full-time academic preparation program specifically designed for students who do not meet the English language requirements for full-time academic study at UFV.

The University Foundation certificate program (UFP) is an intensive program designed to help students make the transition from English Language Studies (ELS) to full-time university-level programs. Students take core ELS courses and university-level academic courses at the same time. When you successfully complete the University Foundation certificate, you meet the English requirement for full-time academic study at UFV. The University Foundation certificate program has two levels. Students are expected to maintain a 2.33 grade point average and complete the required ELS core courses at each level with a C+ or higher in ELS EAP084.

The number of university-level courses you can choose is based on your UFP level and grade point average (GPA).

UFV’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) certificate program is an excellent foundation to purse a career working with young children.

Especially designed for students who are coming out of high school, and those already in the workforce the four-semester program takes you through basic courses in communication, interpersonal growth, human development, and the early childhood curriculum.

You explore the theories and current trends in physical, cognitive and psycho-social development, from conception to the age of eighteen. In addition, you are introduced to different recording techniques that have been developed from observing children’s social, play, language, motor, and cognitive development.

In the third and fourth semesters, you also complete a 200-hour introductory and a 200-hour advanced practicum where you put Early Childhood Education theories into practice, document your experience, and apply advanced competencies including parent interaction, self-evaluation, and peer evaluation.

Develop your artistic skill, become a creative problem solver, and learn how to flourish in the creative arts industry by earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). In your first year, you can explore a range of Fine Arts discipline while you complete the BFA general requirements in writing, logical reasoning, and science.

Before the end of your second year, you focus your degree, based on your career goals and personal interests, by choosing a major or two extended minors from the list below:

• Majors
  • Visual Arts
  • Graphic and Digital Design
• Extended Minors
  • Art History and Visual Studies
  • Creative Writing
  • Graphic and Digital Design
  • Media and Communication Studies
  • Theatre
  • Visual Arts
• Minors
  • Art History
  • Business
  • Creative Writing
  • Graphic and Digital Design
  • Media and Communication Studies
  • Theatre
  • Visual Arts

In your third and fourth years of study you deepen your knowledge by completing the requirements for your major, minor, or extended minors, and by selecting your choice of electives to meet the credential requirements of your degree.

The Associate of Arts, Media and Communication Studies option, focuses on the study of information - how it is created, packaged, distributed, and used.

You will learn about different media industries, including social networks, and how they are changing. You will learn how advertising and other commercial images affect you, how Canadians fit into the global village and what it means to be literate in the new media; in short, you will learn how your life and society are changing in response to innovations in communication.

Students seeking careers in the technical areas of media production will find these courses very valuable, but will need courses from elsewhere to provide instruction in the mechanics of production. For example, while the music industry is studied, sound recording is not.

Graduates of the Associate of Arts, Media and Communication Studies option are prepared to seek employment, to transfer to one of the many degree programs in Canada, or to ladder into the Bachelor of Arts (MACS minor or extended minor) at UFV. Graduates are also eligible to apply to enter into the third year of the Bachelor of Arts in Professional Communication at Royal Roads University.

UFV’s Early Childhood Education diploma builds on the knowledge and skills obtained through the ECE certificate program. Having established a strong foundation of professional practice with the ECE certificate, you can choose to further your knowledge and competencies to work specifically with infants or children with special needs. These two program options share a common set of three core courses and each requires a different set of three specialty courses, including a 26-hour seminar and a 200-hour practicum.

This program is designed to provide a sound background for students who intend to pursue careers in businesses with interests overseas, church work in the third world, teaching, journalism, community relations, translation, international development work, the travel industry, diplomacy, government, international trade and commerce, as well as for those wishing to prepare for advanced scholarly work and research. Currently the International and Development Studies option focuses on Latin America.

International and Development Studies field school
Optional field schools and study tours of three to six weeks duration are organized on a regular basis. A typical field school in Latin America of a three-week duration would cost approximately $2,000 plus meals. A field school certificate will be awarded to those students successfully completing this aspect of the program.

Gain the essential skills required to enter the field of information technology with a UFV Computer Information Systems (CIS) certificate. The two-semester program provides you with the knowledge and experience to work with single-user systems and meet the needs of small companies who require employees with computer experience. As part of the program's strong emphasis on practical work, you get to apply what you learn in the classroom on hands-on projects in UFV's well-equipped labs. Flexible course options allow you to graduate with a certificate focused on specific skills or a general knowledge base. Depending on your course selection, you may find yourself working in areas such as web support, user technical support, or computer support.

Gain a deeper understanding of yourself and other people by earning a Bachelor of Arts with a major, minor, or honours in Psychology.

As the scientific study of the mind, behaviours, and motivations of people, psychology is concerned with almost every aspect of our lives. In fact, this field of study has assumed an increasingly important role in understanding and addressing social and individual problems.

Psychology has developed as both a profession and a science. Its findings have applications not only in the field of clinical psychology and counselling, but also in related fields such as human resources, marketing, management, social services, and more.

Psychology major
In your first and second year, you are introduced to some of the major research areas within the field of psychology including: motivation, psychological disorders, neuropsychology, etc. You learn about research methods used in psychology and apply them yourself when you conduct your own psychological research study.

In your third and fourth year, you begin to specialize by selecting courses that inspire you such as:

• Perception
• Learning
• Music
• Memory
• Consciousness
• Health
• Child and adolescent psychology
• Language
• Neuropsychology
• Drugs and Behaviour
• and more

UFV’s Business Administration diploma is designed to provide you with the solid educational background needed to launch a business career, while also giving you the flexibility to continue your education to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

The Business Administration diploma program provides a strong foundation in principles of marketing, accounting, economics and management, supplemented by a selection of course offerings in in writing, mathematics, and computing.

Additional opportunities
Build on-the-job skills by opting for the Co-operative education option. Combine study semesters with four- eight, or twelve-month paid work terms, offered in regional, national, and global firms. Positions are available in all major/minor specialization areas and in varied industries. These opportunities provide you with valuable experience and boost your career prospects.

Students are not admitted directly to the Associate of Science, however, students in Qualifying Studies or the Bachelor of Science degree program can graduate with the Associate of Science degree once all program requirements are met.

To be eligible for an Associate of Science degree you must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 18 courses. Please note that not all science courses are offered every semester. Therefore, it is important to carefully plan your courses in a sequential manner, paying particular attention to course prerequisites. Associate of Science students should consult with an Advisor to ensure that they select the appropriate science courses for their particular career direction. Students must achieve an average overall grade of C (cumulative GPA of 2.0) calculated on all courses that apply towards the associate degree.

The following is the Associate of Science program outline. Students wishing to complete the program in four semesters should follow the suggested outline below. Students who do not follow the suggested outline will take longer to complete the program.