Programs of Study

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Programs and Certificates

Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Arts (Honors)

Your minor can be chosen from the Faculty of Arts as listed above, or from the Faculty of Science. See Minor .

Certificate Programs - granted at the time of convocation only
Civil-Military Leadership: available to undergraduate students, regardless of program or Faculty, who are also engaged in Canadian Armed Forces basic Officer or Non-Commissioned Reserve Officer training (see Certificate in Civil - Military Leadership ).
Community Engagement and Service-Learning: available to all students, regardless of program or Faculty (see Community Engagement and Service-Learning )
Computer Game Development: available to all undergraduate students regardless of program or Faculty (see Certificate in Computer Game Development )
Economics and the Management of Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment: available to students with a major in Economics in the Faculty of Arts.
Engaged Leadership and Citizenship in Arts and Science: available to all undergraduate students, regardless of program or Faculty (see Certificate in Engaged Leadership and Citizenship in Arts and Science )
European Studies: available to all undergraduate students, regardless of program or Faculty (see Certificate in European Studies ).
Finance: available to students with a major in Economics in the Faculty of Arts.
Globalization and Governance: available to students with a major or minor in Political Science in the Faculties of Arts or Science (see Certificate in Globalization and Governance ). 
International Learning: available to all undergraduate students, regardless of program or Faculty (see Certificate in International Learning ).
Peace and Post Conflict Studies: available to all students, regardless of program or Faculty (see Certificate in Peace and Post-Conflict Studies ).
Research Certificate in Arts (Psychology): available to students in the Faculty of Arts with a major or minor in Psychology [Research Certificate in Arts (Psychology) ]
Translation Studies: available to students in the Faculties of Arts or Science with a major or minor in East Asian Studies, French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Ukrainian, and students in the Faculty of Education, BEd (Elementary or Secondary) program. (see Certificate in Translation Studies in Japanese  or MLCS Certificate in Translation Studies ).
World Sound Arts: available to all students, regardless of program or Faculty (see Certificate in World Sound Arts ).

Certificate available outside a degree
Community Linguist Certificate: available to participants in CILLDI (Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute) (see Community Linguist Certificate ).

General Program Information

Courses that are requirements of one program only are listed under the particular degree or certificate program in Bachelor of Arts (BA) -Cooperative Education (Work Experience) Program and BA Honors and BA Major/Minor Requirements .

1. Course Definitions
   1. Units of Course Weight: A unit of course weight indicates the instructional credit assigned to a course and is designated by the ★ symbol after the course number and name. Units of course weight form a part of the degree requirements and are also used in calculating a student’s Grade Point Average (GPA).
   2. Two-term Course: A two-term course is a course with a course weight of ★6 that normally extends over two consecutive University terms.
   3. Term Course: A term course is a course with a course weight of ★3 that normally extends over one University term.
   4. Junior Course: Effective September 1990, all courses offered by the Faculty of Arts numbered 199 or lower are junior-level courses. Before that, all courses offered by Arts numbered 299 or lower were junior-level courses. For courses in all other Faculties, the course numbering in effect in that Faculty at the time the course was taken will apply.
   5. Senior Courses: Those courses numbered 200 to 599.
   6. Normal Course Load: A normal full academic course load is ★30 during the Fall/Winter.
   7. Courses Extra to the Degree: Courses successfully completed while registered in a program in the Faculty of Arts which are not being used for degree credit are known as courses extra to the degree. Such courses are, however, included in the assessment of academic standing (see Academic Standing and Graduation ).
   8. Minimum Passing Grade: The minimum passing grade in University of Alberta undergraduate courses is a D. The minimum final grade for transfer of courses from other postsecondary institutions is C-.
2. Options
   1. Arts or Science Options: The term “option” where it appears in programs means an Arts or Science course chosen by the student if the necessary prerequisite requirements have been met. An “approved option” in all programs is an option approved by the department directing the program of the students concerned. Also refer to point b.
   2. Non-Arts or Non-Science Options (i.e., courses not offered by the Faculties of Arts or Science): Students registered in programs in the Faculty of Arts will normally select their courses from those offered by the Faculties of Arts or Science, including the Arts and Science courses offered by Faculté Saint-Jean, the Faculty of Native Studies or Augustana Faculty. Students registered in any program other than the BFA or BMus may take up to ★18 (as options) in Faculties other than Arts and Science. These courses, when taken for credit toward the Arts degree, are subject to the following restrictions:
      1. The courses may not be used to satisfy the requirements of a junior English course.
      2. Their inclusion in a program is subject to Faculty limitations on the number of junior courses and non-Arts courses that may be offered for credit.
      3. The courses must, in each case, carry a minimum unit of course weight of three (★3). Two courses in the same Faculty, each with a weight of ★1.5, will be accepted as the equivalent of one course with a weight of ★3.
         Students in the BDes, BFA or BMus programs should refer to the specific program requirements in Bachelor of Design (BDes) , BFA in Art and Design , BFA in Drama , and Bachelor of Music (BMus)  for regulations regarding non-Arts or non-Science options permitted (if any) in those programs.
   3. Courses in Christian Theology offered by St Joseph’s College (CHRTC) and St Stephen’s College (CHRTP) may be taken as Arts options in all Arts programs.
   4. Selected courses offered by the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences are applied as Faculty of Arts options rather than non-Arts or Science options. See Registration Information .
3. Restricted Enrolment Courses: The Faculty of Arts strives to accommodate all students wishing to enrol in a given course when it is appropriate to their program: however, classes in some courses must, for academic reasons, be restricted in size. If such a course is found to be oversubscribed, priority in registration will be given to those students whose programs may require it (e.g., majors and/or minors) and then to other students as space permits.
4. Junior Courses: No more than ★48 may be taken at the junior level except for the BMus program for which the maximum permitted junior level courses are outlined in Bachelor of Music (BMus) .
5. Junior English Requirement: Normally, no more than ★6 in junior English may be offered for credit in an undergraduate program.

After Degree Programs

BA After Another Undergraduate Degree (other than Bachelor of Arts)

Applicants having a first undergraduate degree other than a Bachelor of Arts may be admitted to the BA After Degree programs. All requirements for the degree must be met (see Bachelor of Arts (BA) ). The total number of required units of course weight in the After Degree program will vary depending on the degree held and the BA program sought; however, a minimum of ★60 will always be required. In some cases, more than ★60 may be required depending on the number and applicability of Arts and Science courses completed as part of the first degree.

Notes

1. Any deficiency in a matriculation requirement or a prerequisite to a program requirement must be cleared before admission to the degree program.
2. Courses in other Faculties (non-Arts or non-Science options) open to students in the BA program (Non-Arts or Non-Science Options and Non-Arts or Non-Science Options) are not permitted for credit in a BA after a previous degree.
3. The major and minor or double major selected for the After Degree program may be in disciplines already included in the first degree if they are approved major or minor subjects [see Programs and Certificates or Minor ] and if no more than ★30 at the senior level have already been completed in the discipline(s) in question. Where ★30 or less in the discipline have been completed, those disciplines may be designated as a major, minor, or double major, and it is expected that additional courses will be taken in those subjects to the maximum allowed as part of the After Degree program. Where more than ★30 have already been completed in a discipline, that subject may not be selected as a major, minor or part of a double major for the BA after a previous degree [see point (3) below].
4. A minor from a previous degree may be declared as a major in a BA After Degree program if it is an approved discipline and fewer than ★30 have been completed; however, the major(s) declared must be different than the major(s) completed in the previous degree.
5. Students who wish to pursue additional studies in a discipline which cannot be selected as a major or minor may apply for admission as a Special Student (see Special Students ) or to a BA Honors After Degree Program (see Academic Performance for Graduation) if the academic admission requirements for those programs are met. Alternatively, these areas may be pursued as options in a BA After Degree program to the extent possible within the requirements of the program.

Residence Requirements

1. A minimum of ★63 must be in courses offered by the Faculty of Arts, including courses in Arts disciplines taken as part of the first degree, as well as those completed as part of the After Degree program.
2. A minimum of ★60 must be completed at the University of Alberta.
3. At least ★30 credited to the After Degree program must be completed while registered as a student in the Faculty of Arts.

Academic Performance for Graduation

Students must achieve a minimum University of Alberta grade of D (or equivalent) in all courses credited to the After Degree program; present a graduation average of at least 2.0; present an average of at least 2.0 on all courses applied to the major; and present “Satisfactory” academic standing. For a BA major in Economics students must present a graduation average of at least 2.3 and an average of at least 2.3 on all courses applied to the major. The graduation average is the quotient of (a) the total number of grade points earned in courses credited to the After Degree program and (b) the total weight of those courses. Academic Standing regulations are described in Academic Standing and Graduation . In the case of students who attempted, as part of the program, courses at an institution for which the grades are not precisely the equivalent to those of the University of Alberta, the degree will be awarded at the discretion of the Faculty. Courses with final grades less than C- are not transferred from other postsecondary institutions.

Graduation “With Distinction”: Degrees With Distinction are awarded in an After Degree program to students who achieve a grade point average of 3.5 or better on the last ★60 of their programs completed at the University of Alberta, including failed courses but excluding any courses not credited to the degree.

BA After Another Bachelor of Arts

Applicants having a first Bachelor of Arts (from this or any other University) may be admitted to a BA After Degree program. All requirements for the BA degree must be met (see Bachelor of Arts (BA) ). The total number of required units of course weight in the After Degree program will vary depending on the BA held and the BA program sought; however, a minimum of ★60 will always be required. More than ★60 may be required depending on the number and applicability of courses completed as part of the first degree. See BA After Another Undergraduate Degree (other than Bachelor of Arts) for regulations pertaining to Residence Requirements, Academic Performance for Graduation, Graduation “With Distinction” and Notes (1) - (5) which are also applicable to this degree.

BA (Honors) After Another Undergraduate Degree

General Information

The total number of required units of course weight in the After Degree program will vary depending on the degree held and the Honors program sought; however, a minimum of ★60 will always be required. In some cases, more than ★60 may be required depending on the number and applicability of Arts and Science courses completed as part of the first degree.

No more than ★48 at the junior level may be recognized and/or credited toward the requirements of the Honors After Degree program. In all cases, minimum admission and promotion requirements must be met (see Faculty of Arts  and BA (Honors) ) and departmental recommendation and Faculty approval for admission must be secured. All common program requirements and all specified departmental requirements must be fulfilled, either through courses recognized from the first degree, or through courses taken as part of the After Degree program. For detailed information, applicants should contact the Departmental Honors Advisor concerned and the Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Student Services Office.

Graduation

To qualify for a BA (Honors) After Degree, students must meet the promotion and graduation requirements specified for each Department (Anthropology  to Women’s and Gender Studies ). The graduation average will be calculated on all courses credited to the After Degree program, as well as those courses recognized from the first degree which fulfil program requirements. An Honors After Degree may be awarded with “First-Class Honors” if an average of at least 3.7 is achieved on all courses beyond the junior level in the subject of concentration (including those completed as part of the first degree as well as those credited to the After Degree program), and if an overall average of at least 3.5 is achieved on all courses credited to the After Degree program.

Notes

1. Any deficiency in a matriculation requirement or a prerequisite to a program requirement must be cleared before admission to the Honors program.
2. Courses outside the Faculties of Arts or Science are not normally permitted in a BA Honors after a previous degree.
3. The major subject of concentration may be the same as in the first degree if it is an Arts subject. Where a department has indicated a maximum total units of course weight permitted in the major, courses in that subject taken as part of the first degree will be included. However, depending on the remaining program requirements, not all courses in the major subject will necessarily be recognized from the previous program if doing so will exceed the maximum.

BFA, BDesign, or BMus After Another Undergraduate Degree

Applicants having a first undergraduate degree may be admitted to the BFA, BDesign, or BMus After Degree programs. All requirements for the degree, as detailed in Bachelor of Design (BDes) , BFA in Art and Design , BFA in Drama , and Bachelor of Music (BMus) , must be met. The total number of units of course weight in the After Degree program will vary depending on the previous degree held and the After Degree sought. The total required in a BFA (Art and Design) or BDesign After Degree program will normally be ★90, but in no case will less than ★60 be required. The required number of units of course weight in a BFA (Drama-Acting) program will normally be ★97, but in no case will less than ★85 be required. The required number of units of course weight in a BFA (Drama-Design) program will normally be ★123, but in no case will less than ★117 be required. The required number of units of course weight in a BFA (Drama-Technical Theatre - Stage Management or a Technical Production) program will normally be ★120, but in no case will less than ★60 be required. The required number of units of course weight in a BMus After Degree program will normally consist of either ★90 in the World Music route, or ★93 in all other routes, but in no case will less than ★66 be required.

Notes

1. Any deficiency in a matriculation requirement or a prerequisite to a program requirement must be cleared before admission to the program.
2. Courses outside the Faculties of Arts or Science are not normally permitted in a BFA, BDesign, or BMus after a previous degree, with the exception of specified degree requirements.
3. Promotion Requirements: In an After Degree program, students are required to meet the same promotion standards as specified for the respective program in Bachelor of Design (BDes) , BFA in Art and Design , BFA in Drama , and Bachelor of Music (BMus) .
4. Graduation Requirements
   1. BFA (Art and Design) After Degree: To qualify for the BFA (Art and Design) After Degree, students must successfully complete the required units of course weight specified for the program; meet all promotion, continuation, final year, and residence requirements described in BFA in Art and Design ; and receive Departmental recommendation.
   2. BDesign After Degree: To qualify for the BDesign After Degree, students must successfully complete the required units of course weight specified for the program; meet all promotion, continuation, final year, and residence requirements described in Bachelor of Design (BDes) ; and receive Departmental recommendation.
   3. BFA (Drama) After Degree: In the After Degree program, students must meet the same graduation requirements as specified for the respective program in BFA in Drama .
   4. BMus After Degree: To qualify for the BMus After Degree, students must successfully complete the curriculum for the chosen Route and meet all promotion, continuation, final year, and residence requirements (Bachelor of Music (BMus) ).
5. Degrees With Distinction
   1. BFA (Art and Design) After Degree: Degrees With Distinction are awarded to students who achieve an average of 3.5 or more, on all units of course weight credited to the After Degree program and on all units of course weight in Art and Design credited to the After Degree program. When transfer or other students have attempted, as part of their program, courses at another institution, the Degree “With Distinction” are awarded at the discretion of the Faculty.
   2. BDesign After Degree: Degrees With Distinction are awarded to students who achieve an average of 3.5 or more, on all units of course weight credited to the After Degree program and on all units of course weight in Art and Design credited to the After Degree program. When transfer or other students have attempted, as part of their program, courses at another institution, the Degree “With Distinction” are awarded at the discretion of the Faculty.
   3. BFA (Drama) After Degree: In the After Degree program, students are required to meet the same requirements for graduation “With Distinction” as specified in BFA in Drama .
   4. BMus After Degree: Degrees With Distinction are awarded to students who achieve an average of 3.5 or more, on all units of course weight credited to the After Degree program and on all units of course weight in Music credited to the After Degree program. When transfer or other students have attempted, as part of their program, courses at another institution, the Degree “With Distinction” is awarded at the discretion of the Faculty.

Arts Co-operative Education (Work Experience) Program

The Faculty of Arts offers a flexible range of options for students in Arts undergraduate degree programs to add career-related work experience to their degree. These work experience opportunities are normally paid, though alternative forms of compensation may be considered and approved on an individual basis. Any questions should be directed to the Arts Work Experience (AWE) office (artscareers@ualberta.ca or www.arts.ualberta.ca/careers). Specific questions related to students’ academic programs will be referred to an Academic Advisor in Arts Undergraduate Student Services.

Arts Co-operative Education Program - The Arts Co-op Program is structured so that students integrate study with periods of paid, skill-building work experience in cooperating employer organizations. Work terms are typically 4 to 8 months in duration. To graduate with the designation of “Arts Co-operative Education Program,” students must successfully complete the following requirements:

1. WKEXP 801, 802, 803 (with a minimum of one work term during the Fall or Winter Terms).
2. Required pre- and post-employment career education. 
3. All degree program requirements. 
4. Degree requirements must be completed in a term following the final work term. 
5. A minimum cumulative total of 12 months of work experience, and not more than 16 months. 

Individual Work Terms - Students may also add paid work experience to their degree by registering in individual WKEXP courses. This option allows students to take on single 4- or 8-month work term(s). A student who completes one or more Arts WKEXP course(s) successfully, as well as the required pre- and postemployment career education, but does not complete all the requirements of the Co-op program, will have completion of the courses noted on their transcript, but will receive no other designation.

Note that WKEXP courses require the submission of a report by the student on their work experience and are graded on a CR/NC basis. WKEXP courses do not carry any associated course weight towards degree requirements. 

To participate in the Arts Co-op program or individual work terms, apply to the Arts Work Experience office. For more information please visit: www.arts.ualberta.ca/careers.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Be a continuing student in a Faculty of Arts undergraduate degree program.
• Normally have completed between ★30 and ★105 at the time of entry.
• Have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.3. Admission is competitive and presentation of the minimum GPA may not be sufficient to qualify for participation.

Notes:

• Some Arts disciplines (e.g. Psychology, Planning) run Department Specific Internships. More information about these Internship Programs is available by referencing the associated Department’s Calendar entry or by contacting the Arts Work Experience office (see contact information above).
• Student participation in all Arts Work Experience options is voluntary. It is not possible to guarantee that all students wishing to participate will be able to do so.
• All job opportunities secured by AWE staff are posted. Students who are interested in developing their own job opportunity must have it approved by staff of the Arts Work Experience office. Students may not find a suitable job opportunity, or might not be successful in the job application process. Every effort will be made to assist students in finding suitable job opportunities; however, students who wish to participate are ultimately responsible for securing employment.
• The Work Experience Coordinator maintains contact with the student and the employer designate to ensure the experience for both parties is progressing satisfactorily. If the placement is not satisfactory for either the student or the employer, the internship may be terminated and the student would then return to classes at the next available opportunity.
• Students should not register in academic credit courses for the period(s) during which they participate in work experience. Students are considered to be full-time students at the University of Alberta when enrolled in WKEXP courses.
• Participating students should be aware that adding work experience to their degree may result in challenges enrolling in required courses which may not be available every term.
• Students should be aware that under the Protection of Persons in Care Act, students can be required to satisfy a criminal records check before being allowed to serve a period of work experience. Refer to Requirement for Police Information Checks .