The Bachelor of Arts, Major in General Studies degree program provides students with the opportunity to develop a degree program in thematic areas not addressed by other, more traditional programs in the Arts disciplines. Working with an advisor, the student may create an individual program of study in concert with his/her specific career goals, or simply develop a broad liberal arts education. Such a program of study will normally involve a selection of courses from within and between departments that most interest students and best meet their needs for a coherent program. Building on Kwantlen University College’s existing two-year arts and science university transfer programs, the new curriculum adds third- and fourth-year courses in the social science and humanities disciplines.

The program includes:

Graduates with a BA, Major in General Studies degree will be well prepared for a range of potential occupations. The versatility of the BA, Major in General Studies degree will allow students to design programs of study that will prepare them for careers or further study in areas such as the following:

Students may be admitted into the BA program at year one or three. In order to enter the BA program at year one and enroll in required writing and quantitative courses, students must have a grade of ‘B’ in English 12 (or equivalent) and a grade of ‘C’ in Principles of Math 11 (or equivalent). Students who do not qualify upon initial registration at Kwantlen will be able to apply for entry to the BA Qualifying Year and then enter the BA program after they have successfully completed appropriate qualifying courses. Students can transfer into the BA program at any time provided seats are available and they meet entrance requirements. Full-time BA program students receive registration priority over part-time and non-program students. In addition to Kwantlen’s standard application start date, students will be considered for admission based on the date of qualification.

The program structure for each student in the BA, Major in General Studies program will vary depending upon the focus and concentration of courses developed in consultation with the Degree advisor and may include 15-credit minor and 18-credit extended minor options for students, particularly those who want to prepare for teacher education programs upon graduation. Detailed descriptions of the courses, credits, prerequisites and program progression for each of the minors in Criminology, English, History and Psychology are provided in the program information for the Bachelor of Arts, Double Minor option.

The following core requirements are to be completed within the first 60 credits:

Students must also complete the following:

As a requirement for graduation, students must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, as well as a minimum grade of C in all required courses.

In addition to completing the core requirements of all Kwantlen Bachelor of Arts degree programs indicated above, students will have to complete course and program prerequisites as necessary in order to enroll in upper levels courses in the various departments within the Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and the Faculty of Arts, Humanities.

The flexibility of the BA, Major in General Studies degree allows students to customize their programs to reflect more directly their personal interests and facilitates their preparation for future career and educational goals. A sample four-year BA, Major in General Studies program for a student who wants to focus on the themes of culture, society and government is offered below:

Upon successful completion of this program, students are awarded a Bachelor of Arts, Major in General Studies.