Bachelor of Arts Honors

General Information

A Bachelor of Arts Honors degree provides outstanding students a challenging and rewarding research-intensive learning experience within a specialized subject. Honors degrees offer a greater depth of engagement within a discipline than is provided in the BA Program, and demand a higher standard of performance.

Admission

• General Undergraduate Admission Requirements  
• BA Honors Program Admission Requirements  

Admission to BA Honors is competitive and presentation of minimum average requirements and prerequisites does not guarantee admission. The Faculty reviews the number of spaces in all majors annually to ensure appropriate resources are available to students in each major. Enrolment in each major is limited.

Students admitted directly from High School begin the program in the Foundation Year. It is recommended that students complete a minimum of 24 units in the Foundation Year, including courses listed in the Specific Admission Requirements to BA Honors Majors   chart. Students should take a range of options in the Foundation Year.

Students in the Foundation Year must submit an internal application for their selected major by March 1 provided they will have completed a minimum of 24 units by the end of Winter term. While the minimum GPA to remain in the BA Honors program is 3.0, selection into the major(s) is a competitive process. Students must meet the GPA and course requirements in the Specific Admission Requirements to BA Honors Majors  chart.

Students are able to transfer directly into their major of choice from other programs or institutions provided they also meet the applicable admission requirements. Transfer students who meet the AGPA but do not meet the minimum 24 units will be placed into the Foundation Year.

Students who are not selected into a major by the time they have completed 60 units will be transferred to the BA program, provided they meet admission requirements.

See the Faculty of Arts Honors website for further information and links to detailed department information.

Students interested in more than one discipline may wish to consider the Combined Honors program in which two majors are declared. All normal admission, promotion and graduation requirements apply. This option is available for most majors in the Faculty of Arts.

Residence Requirement:

The BA Honors degree is a program which normally requires a minimum of 120 units (some departments may require more) of which

1. a minimum of 63 units must be in courses offered by the Faculty of Arts;
2. a minimum of 60 units must be in courses taken at the University of Alberta;
3. a minimum of 30 units must be completed while registered in the honors degree program;
4. a minimum of half the courses required in the major discipline, including any honors thesis, paper or project, must be completed with courses offered by the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta.

Course Load Requirements:

Unless otherwise noted in the BA Honors Major Requirements, there is no minimum course load requirement for the BA Honors program each year; however, all degree requirements must be completed within six academic years of admission to and initial registration in the program.

Note: The course load required for major scholarships and awards is generally 30 units (24 units for selected Faculty of Arts awards) in any given Fall/Winter term. Students who complete less than 30 units in any given Fall/Winter term may disqualify themselves from scholarship/award competition.

Program Requirements

The BA Honors degree requires the successful completion of 120 units (or more if specified by the department). Students are encouraged to discuss their course selections with their Department advisors every year.

BA Honors Major Requirements

• Anthropology
    
• Classics
    
• Combined Honors in History and Classics
     
• Creative Writing
    
• Drama
    
• East Asian Studies
    
• Economics
    
• English
    
• History
    
• History of Art, Design and Visual Culture
    
• Human Geography
    
• Linguistics
    
• Mathematics
    
• Modern Languages and Cultural Studies  
• Music
    
• Philosophy
    
• Political Science
    
• Psychology
    
• Religious Studies
    
• Sociology
    
• Women’s and Gender Studies
    

Minors

Students in BA Honors programs that do not require a minor may declare a minor if they wish. Declaration of a minor in these programs is strictly voluntary; however, when a student chooses to declare a minor they must meet the requirements for that minor as specified in the BA Minor Requirements . Students should be aware that it may not be practical to declare a minor in all Honors programs, since completion of a voluntary minor will not replace existing requirements for those programs.

Promotion and Graduation

1. Promotion Requirements (Foundation Year to Year 2): Promotion from the Foundation Year to the second year of the program requires students to submit an internal application form to select their Major(s). Promotion to Year 2 requires a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on all courses taken during the Fall/Winter (minimum 24 units). Promotion requirements for individual programs or departments may exceed the Faculty minimum. Where an individual department’s requirements vary from the Faculty minimum, this is specified in the Specific Admission Requirements to BA Honors Majors  chart.
   
   NOTES:
   1. Students will remain in the Foundation Year until they have completed a minimum of 24 units to a maximum of 60 units.
   2. Students with a GPA between 2.7 and 2.9 inclusive on Fall/Winter terms in their Foundation Year are placed on academic warning. Only one year (Fall/Winter) of attendance on academic warning will be permitted.
   3. Students with a GPA lower than 2.7 may not continue in Honors but may transfer to another program in the Faculty if they meet the requirements for that program.
2. Promotion Requirements (Year 2 – 4): Promotion from year to year requires a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on all courses taken during the Fall/Winter. Promotion requirements for individual programs or departments may exceed the Faculty minimum. Where an individual department’s requirements vary from the Faculty minimum, this will be specified in each individual department entry in BA Honors Major Requirements. Students must also meet promotion requirements as outlined in individual department entries during their final year.
   
   NOTES:
   1. Students who do not meet the promotion requirements may not continue in Honors but may transfer to another program in the Faculty if they meet the requirements for that program.
3. Graduation Requirements: In order to graduate from the BA Honors, students must have:
   1. 120 units successfully completed, which satisfy the program requirements
   2. Graduation GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 units completed at the University of Alberta.
   3. Average of 3.3 on all courses applied to the major completed at the University of Alberta.
   4. Present good academic standing and meet all promotion requirements outlined in (2) above.
   5. Graduation requirements for individual programs or departments may exceed the Faculty minimum. Where an individual department’s requirements vary from the Faculty minimum, this will be specified in each individual department entry in BA Honors Major Requirements.
4. Graduation with First-Class Honors: Departments shall choose one of the following options as their policy for determining First-Class Honors. (Refer to Departmental entries the BA Honors Major Requirements)
   1. A minimum average of 3.7 on all senior-level courses in the major completed at the University of Alberta, and an average of at least 3.5 on all courses in the last 30 units completed at the University of Alberta.
   2. A minimum average of 3.7 on all courses in the two final years in the major and an average of at least 3.5 in all courses in the two final years. The two final years shall be defined as the last 60 units.
      
      NOTES:
      In the calculation for the Graduation GPA and the Graduation with First-Class Honors GPA:
      1. Courses with non-numeric grades (CR/NC) may be included in the credit count(s), but not in the calculation of the average.
      2. Only courses used to meet specific degree requirements will be used in the calculation; failed courses and courses that are considered extra to degree are not included.
      3. If it is necessary to go back further than the last two Fall/Winter terms to reach the minimum 60 units or 30 units as required above, the full previous term will be included (not breaking up a term) until the minimum is reached.
      4. Typically only courses that are taken at the University of Alberta are used in the calculation of the Graduate GPA and/or the major course GPA; however, in some circumstances, the Faculty may choose to include courses/grades from outside of the University of Alberta, at its discretion
5. Students who are not recommended for graduation with Honors at the end of their fourth year (i.e., after successfully completing 120 units) may be granted the BA degree if they have successfully completed 120 units including the Common Requirements and the major requirements for the BA [see Bachelor of Arts ]. In no case shall more than 60 units in the major subject be counted as part of the required 120 units. Students deficient in any respect may be required to take one or more courses.