Bachelor of Design

General Information

The Department of Art and Design offers four program routes leading to the degree of Bachelor of Design: the General Route (120 units), the Business/Marketing Route (120 units), the Engineering Route (120 units), and the Social Sciences Route (120 units).

The required courses in the various routes as well as the recommended sequencing are detailed in the following chart. Departmental approval is required for all courses selected to fulfil unspecified requirements or options.

Admission

• General Undergraduate Admission Requirements  
• Bachelor of Design Program Admission Requirements  .

Program Regulations

1. Students proceeding toward the Bachelor of Design degree must meet residence requirements of the Faculty of Arts (Admission and Transfer ).
2. A minimum of 30 units must be completed while registered in the Bachelor of Design degree program;
3. When enrolled in the Design program, students are required to take a minimum of 24 units during Fall/Winter. The Department may recommend to the Dean exemption from this regulation.
4. The 500-level DES (12 units) and fourth year 300- or 400-level HADVC (3 units) program requirements must be taken at the University of Alberta.
5. Students may substitute for an Arts or Science option in Year 2 or 3 or 4, up to 6 units of Non-Arts or Non-Science options in the BDes program except for the Business/Marketing or Engineering routes.

Program Requirements

Arts or Science options exclude courses offered by the Department of Art and Design.

Promotion

1. To be promoted to the next year students will need a grade point average of at least 2.7 in Fall/Winter, and Departmental recommendation.
2. A grade of either D or D+ in a central subject may normally be credited only once in a BDes student’s program. For any subsequent 3 units or 6 units in which either D or D+ is received, an alternate 3 units or 6 units approved by the Department must be substituted.
3. Final-year requirements include a minimum GPA of 2.7 on the last 27 units taken toward the degree in the General, and Social Sciences Routes, and on the last 30 units taken toward the degree in the Business/Marketing, and Engineering Routes, and Departmental recommendation.
4. For students undertaking the Social Sciences Route, Social Science Option courses must be chosen from the following disciplines:
   Anthropology (ANTHR)
   Community Service-Learning (CSL)
   Earth and Atmospheric Studies (EAS- only those courses designated as Arts EAS X9X)
   Economics (ECON)
   History (HIST)
   Human Geography (HGEO)
   Interdisciplinary Undergraduate (INT D) - subject to approval by the advisor
   Linguistics (LING)
   Middle Eastern and African Studies (MEAS)
   Planning (PLAN)
   Political Science (POL S)
   Psychology (PSYCH- only those courses designated as Arts courses)
   Science, Technology and Society (STS)
   Sociology (SOC)
   Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS)
5. Students who are not recommended to continue in the program at the end of the first, second, or third year of study must withdraw from the program. Such students may transfer to another program in the Faculty of Arts, except the BFA (Art and Design) program, if the entrance and promotion requirements for such a program are met. After transfer, all requirements for the new program must be completed. Readmission to the BDes or BFA program will only be considered following completion of 24 units in coursework that will meet program requirements in one Fall/Winter with a GPA of 2.7 and a successful portfolio submission. Only one readmission to the BDes or BFA program following a recommendation not to continue will be considered.
6. Students who fail to meet the final-year requirements for the program will be permitted to fulfil those requirements only with the approval of the Department and the Dean of Arts.
7. A Bachelor of Design program may be interrupted only with Departmental consent.

Graduation

1. To qualify for the Bachelor of Design, students must successfully complete all program requirements. Students must also meet all promotion, final-year and residence requirements, and have Departmental recommendation.
2. Degrees “With Distinction” shall be awarded to students who achieve a grade point average of 3.5 or more, on all units of course weight credited to the program and on all units of course weight in Art and Design credited to the program. Students who have taken part of their program at another university may be granted a degree “With Distinction” at the discretion of the Faculty.