DESCRIPTION
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'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:
- The development of knowledge, core competencies, and skills characteristic of traditional Bachelor of Arts programs
- The preparation of students for entry into the labour market by incorporating essential and employability skills in all courses
- The preparation of students to respond innovatively to emerging trends in society
- Clear benefits to students and to the community by providing an opportunity for them to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree at Kwantlen where there is established emphasis on teaching, emerging emphasis on undergraduate research, long-standing connections to South Fraser communities, and accessibility to students in the expanding South Fraser region
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
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:
- Business
- Community Service
- Law
- Policing
- Primary and Secondary Education
- Professional Writing
- Public Administration
- Public Planning
- Religious Studies
- Social Work
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
Students may be admitted into the BA program at year one or three. In order to enter the BA program at year one and enrol 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.
To be eligible to apply for or continue to third-year level studies, students must have completed 60 credits with the required GPA including the English writing requirement, 2 Quantitative courses, 12 credits of breadth courses, the language requirement, Principles of Math 11 (or its equivalent), and all first and second year course requirements for their Major and/or Minor program(s).
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.
CONTENT
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 for all Bachelor of Arts Degree Programs:
- Complete a total of 120 credits with a minimum of 65 total credits in Arts courses (Humanities and/or Social Sciences), and minimum of 45 of the total credits with courses numbered 3000 or higher.
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 with a minimum grade of "C" in all of the following required courses within the degree program (except where stated):
- 6-credit English writing requirement which includes ENGL 1100 and one of either ENGL 1202 or 1204.
- Minimum 9-credit quantitative requirement that must include a minimum of 3 approved quantitative courses, and of which one approved course must be taken from the Faculty of Science, Mathematics and Applied Sciences or the School of Horticulture.
- 24-credit breadth requirement consisting of a minimum of one course in at least four separate Social Science or Humanities disciplines outside of the major program area, one of which must be at the 3000-level or higher. CMNS 3100, UNIV 1100, and UNIV 4100 may also be credited towards the breadth requirement.
- Second language at the Grade 11 level (Beginner's or Introductory Language 11 courses are ineligible to meet this requirement), or 6-credits of post-secondary language courses (in the same language). Students need only achieve a passing grade to fulfill this requirement. Students who can demonstrate competency in a second language may request an assessment to have this requirement waived.
- Required courses for the Major and/or Minor program(s).
Other completed courses may qualify to meet degree requirements. Students are encouraged to contact the BA Degree Advisor with questions about eligibility for program application or graduation.
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 enrol 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.
Below are three sample four-year BA, Major in General Studies programs, one with a focus on themes of culture, society and government, one with a focus on admission to an Elementary Teaching Program in BC, and one with BA Minor and enough coursework to meet the degree requirements for admission to a Secondary Teaching program in Math and Social Studies in BC:
Sample 1: Culture, Society and Government
YEAR ONE
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
- ENGL 1202 Reading and Writing about Selected Topics: An Intro. to Literature(Writing Requirement)
- HIST 1130 Twentieth Century World I: 1900-1945
- ANTH 2120 Cross-Cultural Perspective Women's Studies
- SOCI 2240 Women in Canada
- PHIL 1150 Basic Logic
YEAR TWO
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
- PHIL 1110 Confronting Moral Issues: Ethics
- SOCI 2225 Canadian Society: Conflicts and Consensus
- ANTH 1260 First Nations Peoples and Cultures of Canada
- POLI 2121 Charter Politics in Canada
- POLI 2420 Canadian Government and Politics
YEAR THREE
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
YEAR FOUR
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Sample 2: Elementary Teaching Preparation in BC
Note: Students are strongly encouraged to do research into admission requirements for teaching programs in BC and work with the BA Degree Advisor to ensure all requirements are being met within the degree program.
YEAR ONE
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
YEAR TWO
Fall Semester
- GEOG 2140 Regional Geography of Canada
- FREN 1100 Introductory French I (Language Requirement)
- PSYC 1100 Introduction to Psychology: Basic Processes
- FINA 1120 History of Western Art: Prehistoric to Early Renaissance
- SOCI 2250 Families in Canada
Spring Semester
- PSYC 1200 Introduction to Psychology: Areas and Applications
- PHIL 1100 Introduction to Philosophy
- SOCI 1270 Education & Society: Sociological Perspectives
- FREN 1101 Introductory French II (Language Requirement)
- POLI 1120 Canadian Government & Politics
YEAR THREE
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
YEAR FOUR
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Sample 3: Secondary Teaching Preparation in Mathematics and Social Studies in BC
Note: Students are strongly encouraged to do research into admission requirements for teaching programs in BC and work with the BA Degree Advisor to ensure all requirements are being met within the degree program.
YEAR ONE
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
YEAR TWO
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
YEAR THREE
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
YEAR FOUR
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
GRADUATION
Upon successful completion of this program, students are awarded a Bachelor of Arts, Major in General Studies. Students may have the option of adding a Minor to their credential by completing any of the BA Minor options at Kwantlen.