BA (Honors)

Residence Requirement:

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

1. a minimum of ★63 must be in courses offered by the Faculty of Arts;
2. a minimum of ★60 must be in courses taken at the University of Alberta;
3. a minimum of ★30 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 Anthropology  to Women’s and Gender Studies , there is no minimum course load requirement for the BA Honors program each year; however, all degree requirements must be completed within five academic years of admission to and initial registration in the program.

Note: The course load required for major scholarships and awards is generally ★30 (★24 for selected Faculty of Arts awards) in any given Fall/Winter term. Students who complete less than ★30 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 (or more if specified by the department). In each year, Honors students’ programs, and every change of registration, must be approved by the Departmental Advisor signifying the approval of the Department.

1. Basic Requirements common to all Honors Programs: ★6 Junior English, or ★3 Junior English and ★3 WRS 101 ; ★6 in one Language other than English; ★6 Study of Science; ★6 chosen from Group 1; ★6 chosen from Group 2; and ★6 chosen from Group 3. See Arts Chart 1  for subjects and courses which meet these requirements. No one course may meet more than one basic requirement; however, courses in the major(s) or voluntary minor that meet basic requirements must also be counted toward the major(s) or minor (if declared).
2. Junior Courses: No more than ★48 at the junior level are permitted for credit in the program.
3. Non-Arts or Non-Science Courses: A maximum of ★18 in non-Arts or non-Science courses may be taken outside the Faculties of Arts or Science, as long as the courses do not duplicate courses already offered by these two Faculties.
4. Requirements in the Major Subject: An Honors program in a single discipline will normally require a minimum of ★48 in the major subject, as defined by the Department. A minimum of ★6 must be at the 400-level; however, some departments may require more. Normally, no more than ★60 may be presented in the major subject unless otherwise specified by the Department. Where a maximum has been specified, it may not be exceeded (i.e., additional courses in the subject of concentration may not be taken as options).
5. Requirements in Combined Honors: For Combined Honors programs, the minimum number of courses in each subject of concentration will be decided through consultation with the Departments concerned in planning the total program; however, a minimum of ★36 at the junior and senior level in each discipline will be required in all Combined Honors programs. At least ★30 in each discipline must be at the senior level. More than this may be required in some disciplines to meet specific program requirements. For further information on the requirements of a particular program, see the appropriate Department Calendar statement in BA Honors and BA Major/Minor Requirements .
   Students should be aware that a Combined Honors program may not qualify them for direct admission to a graduate program in one of the disciplines. Further coursework in one of the disciplines may be required for Graduate Studies.
6. Minor Subject: Most Honors programs do not require a minor subject; however, where a minor or related subjects are required, these will be specified in the individual department requirements in Anthropology  to Women’s and Gender Studies . 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 Anthropology  to Women’s and Gender Studies . 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.
7. Honors Essay: Some departments require the completion of an Honors Essay in addition to specific course requirements. In the case of Combined Honors programs, students may be required to complete an Honors Essay in one or both disciplines, depending on specific departmental requirements. Where both departments require an Honors Essay, students will complete one for each department or may, on special request, be permitted to write a Combined Essay INT D 520  (★6) which will meet the requirements of both departments. Students should refer to the specific department entries in BA Honors and BA Major/Minor Requirements  to determine which departments offer combined honors programs and require an Honors Essay. Where a Combined Essay is permitted, this will be noted in the Department Calendar entry, and in such cases the following conditions will apply:
   1. A combined essay is applicable only to students in combined honors programs.
   2. It is applicable only when both departments require an essay and only when both departments agree to a combined essay.
   3. The combined essay INT D 520  (★6) will meet the essay requirements of both departments.
   4. The combined essay will be supervised by, and graded jointly by, the cooperating departments; a single final grade will be submitted.
   5. The essay will address the subject matter in both departments equally and in a way that emphasizes the interaction between the two disciplines.
8. Cooperative Work Option Within Honors Programs: Cooperative education is based on the principle that, for some students, periods of appropriate employment outside the University, when integrated with their academic studies, enhance the benefits students obtain from their academic programs. The work should be of a type that students can reasonably hope to obtain after they graduate, or be suitably related to the content of their academic programs. Cooperative work experience will be wholly additional to and not a substitute for academic courses; it is a valuable enrichment for some students but is not an alternative to normal course work. Accordingly, the existing requirement for ★120 will be maintained, with a no-credit course number for the evaluation of a report or project resulting from the work experience.
   Students should be aware that under the Protection for Persons in Care Act, all new employees, volunteers and other people engaged for services by designated agencies (hospitals, nursing homes, group homes, social service agencies, etc.) must complete a Police Information Check (also known as a Criminal Record Check, Security Clearance Check, or Police Clearance), which must include a Vulnerable Sector Check. In addition, certain other agencies, organizations, and educational facilities may require students to present a Police Information Check prior to entering a practicum, work placement term, internship, or field experience placement.
   Students who have concerns related to their ability to provide a clear Police Information Check should consult with the Associate Dean, Student Programs. Students will be informed of the need for a Police Information Check prior to specific internship/practicum/work experience placement. See Requirement for Police Information Checks  for more information on the general requirements concerning Police Information Checks and the fees associated with them.
   1. Admission Requirements: See Faculty of Arts .
   2. Program Selection: Two forms of cooperative work are available:
      1. Full-time employment for not less than three months and not more than one year. Such periods, integrated into the normal academic program, are “work terms.”
      2. Part-time employment equivalent in working hours to no less than ★3; such employment is a “work assignment.”
   3. Registration: Work terms and work assignments must be approved in advance by the Department concerned and the Undergraduate Student Services office. Retroactive approval will not be granted.
   4. Withdrawal: Students may withdraw from a cooperative program on completion of a work term or work assignment, or at any time during a normal academic term, and may continue in the academic Honors program of their department without penalty if the requirements of these programs have been met. Further information may be obtained from departments offering such programs.

Promotion and Graduation

1. Promotion Requirements: Promotion from year to year requires a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on all courses taken during the Fall/Winter and the recommendation of the department concerned whose required grade point average for promotion 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 and BA Major/Minor Requirements . Students must also meet promotion requirements as outlined in individual department entries during their final year.
2. Graduation Requirements: In most departments, graduation with Honors requires a graduation average of at least 3.0 with an average of at least 3.3 in all courses in the major subject; however, individual Department recommendations for graduation with Honors may exceed these minimum Faculty requirements. Where an individual department’s requirements vary from the Faculty minimum, this will be specified in each individual department entry in BA Honors and BA Major/Minor Requirements . To be eligible to graduate, students must also meet promotion requirements as specified in point (1) above. The graduation average is the quotient of a) the total number of grade points earned by students in courses credited to the degree, and b) the total weight of those courses.
3. 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 Anthropology  to Women’s and Gender Studies .)
   1. A minimum average of 3.7 on all senior-level courses in the major, and an average of at least 3.5 on all courses in the final year. The final year shall be defined as the last ★30.
   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.
      If the last ★30 or ★60 (whichever is applicable) does not fall exactly within a given Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer, a weighted average is used. Please contact the Undergraduate Student Services Office for further information (1-17 Humanities, (780) 492-4295, e-mail: arts.undergrad@ualberta.ca).
4. Students who fail to attain the standard necessary to continue in Honors will be required to withdraw from Honors but may transfer to another program in the Faculty if they meet the requirements for that program. After such transfer, they must complete all requirements.
5. Students who are not recommended for graduation with Honors at the end of their fourth year (i.e., after successfully completing ★120) may be granted the BA degree if they have successfully completed ★120 including the basic requirements and the required minor subject for the BA (see Bachelor of Arts (BA) ). In no case shall more than ★60 in the major subject be counted as part of the required ★120. Students deficient in any respect may be required to take one or more courses.