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Bachelor of Arts, Majors and Minors

Students select at least one Major or two Minors from the following disciplines:

Majors

Minors

General Description

VIU’s Bachelor of Arts degree, with selected Majors and Minors, builds on VIU’s strong record of arts undergraduate education, dating back to 1969. Graduates of VIU have gone on to graduate schools and professional schools at major universities, while others have used their degree to enter successful careers.

At the lower-level, Vancouver Island University offers courses in some 50 disciplines and interdisciplinary studies. At the upper-level, the B.A. program offers selected Majors and Minors, and new ones are being planned.

A liberal arts education is both valuable in itself and as a foundation for a wide variety of careers. Given its range and flexibility, the B.A. degree provides a sound preparation for both employment and further education. Students who may be interested in graduate studies should arrange to write a Graduate Record Exam (GRE) after their third year for some graduate school programs. Students are advised to consult graduate school calendars for specific entrance requirements.

Admission Requirements

Notes on Admission

  • Students may enter VIU at any point prior to the beginning of their third year.
  • No more than 60 credits may be transferred from elsewhere towards a VIU B.A.
  • In their first two years, students should choose courses with their intended Major and/or Minors in mind.
  • Concurrent B.A. or B. Sc./B.Ed. students should also consider the lower-level requirements for Education when selecting courses during their first two years.

Start Date and Application Deadline

Programs start in September and applications are accepted between November 15 and March 31. For further information regarding late applications and contact information check the Program Availability List.

Degree Planning

At the end of their first year (or in the semester that they will be completing a minimum of 24 credits), students need to complete a Record of Degree Program (RDP) form in consultation with B.A. Degree Advisors and, if necessary, in cooperation with the relevant department. This Record of Degree Program form will indicate the student’s plan to satisfy the requirements for the degree, including the options (Majors/Minors) they intend to pursue. This RDP can be adjusted later to reflect changed student intent or curriculum offerings. For a list of Degree Advisors, please visit the Advising website at web.viu.ca/advising.

Institutional B.A. Degree Requirements

To be granted a VIU B.A. degree, students must meet the following requirements.

Total Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 120 credits chosen from courses that (a) are numbered 100 or higher; and (b) do not have a “T” or a “G” after the course number.

Note 1: Courses consisting primarily of field work, co-op placement, or preceptorship/internship are not normally eligible for selection within this category.

Note 2: As a complement to all institutional B.A. Degree Requirements, students are encouraged to take six credits or more of Mathematics/Science courses.

Note 3: Students who completed “T” courses should consult with the B.A. Degree Advisor regarding applicability of these courses.

Undergraduate Degree English Requirements

All students in undergraduate degree programs at VIU are required to complete 6 credits of first–year English composition and literature courses.

Undergraduate Degree English Requirement – Effective September 2009

Any two of the following courses:
ENGL 115* - (University Writing and Research)
ENGL 125 - (Literature and Culture)
ENGL 135 - (Literature and Criticism)

6

OR

LBST 111 - (Ways of Knowing I) and,
LBST 112 - (Ways of Knowing II)

12

OR

Only for programs that require ENGL 204 (Business and Technical Writing):
ENGL 115 - (University Writing and Research) and,
for programs that require Business and Technical Writing:
ENGL 204 - (Business and Technical Writing) (effective September 2012) or,
ENGL 225 - (Business and Technical Writing) (prior to September 2012)

6

Note 1: Students who have already completed ENGL 111, 112, or 116 can still use these courses to meet the Undergraduate Degree English Requirements.

Note 2: In addition to undergraduate degrees, other programs may require these requirements to be met.

Undergraduate Degree English Requirement – Prior to September 2009

ENGL 115* - (University Writing and Research)
and one of the following courses:
ENGL 116 - (Intro to Literature) (recommended)
ENGL 111 - (Literature and Writing I)
ENGL 112 - (Literature and Writing II)
ENGL 225 - (Business and Technical Writing) for programs that require ENGL 225.

6

OR

ENGL 111 - (Literature and Writing I) and,
ENGL 112 - (Literature and Writing II)

6

OR

LBST 111 - (Ways of Knowing I) and,
LBST 112 - (Ways of Knowing II)

12

* In some Bachelor of Arts, Majors and Minors, students with a minimum "B+" in ENGL 115 are granted an exemption and are not required to complete any further credit towards the English requirement.

Upper-level Requirement

A minimum of 42 VIU credits in courses numbered 300 or higher, with a minimum 2.0 (“C”) Grade Point Average calculated on all upper-level courses attempted or completed.

Residency Requirement

A minimum of 60 credits must be taken at VIU and, of these, 42 credits must be at the upper-level. In exceptional cases, for partnership programs (e.g., Liberal Studies offered at North Island College), with written permission of the relevant Dean, the minimum of 60 credits may be reduced by up to 12 credits.

Requirements for Majors and Minors

In addition to general degree requirements described above, students complete at least one Major with a minimum of 30 upper-level VIU credits specifically aligned to the area of academic inquiry, or two Minors with a minimum of 18 upper-level VIU credits from each area of academic inquiry. Departments may require additional upper-level credits for some Majors. Students must satisfy all of the requirements for their Major or Minors as listed in the description for each discipline.

Note: When selecting electives to meet departmental requirements for Majors and Minors, please see descriptions for each department.

Senior Project

A senior project is “optional” for certain Majors; students are encouraged to plan their senior project during third year and to schedule its completion during fourth year. Each senior project will have a designated project supervisor, who will assist the student to identify the resources required to complete the project successfully.

Updated March 12, 2013