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Associate Degree Requirements

The Associate of Arts and Associate of Science Degrees are provincial credentials offered by many institutions in the BC Transfer System. The associate degree is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students life as an educated person, and to lay a solid foundation for further study.

The associate degree curriculum comprises two years of university level study in a variety of academic areas. Students are required to complete a broad range of course offerings balanced with in-depth study in specific disciplines. Since many students will continue their studies, the requirements are sufficiently flexible to enable students to complete the required prerequisites for upper level course work in their intended major. Students will be exposed to a program of study that seeks to develop:

an interest in and curiosity about the world around them an understanding of the global context in which they live and work an appreciation of intellectual thought and human creativity an openness to a variety of viewpoints a capacity for and interest in self directed life-long learning acceptance of the social responsibilities that come with the benefits of advanced learning.

In addition, the program of study should develop and improve those skills essential for academic success at an advanced intellectual level. They include but are not limited to:

advanced reading comprehension effective written and oral communications mathematical and scientific reasoning computer and technological literacy research and evaluative skills analysis, synthesis, and integration of knowledge critical thinking and problem solving application of theoretical understanding to practice working collaboratively.

Associate of Arts Degree

General Requirements

60 semester credits of first and second year courses. These must include a minimum of 18 credits in Arts at the second-year level taken in two or more subject areas.

Specific Requirements

A.  6 credits in first-year English; and
B.  9 credits in Science which shall include at least:

3 credits in Mathematics, or Computing Science or Statistics (Statistics courses taught in subject areas such as Business, Commerce, Economics, Psychology, etc. may also be used to meet this requirement); 3 credits in a laboratory science, and

C.  36 credits in Arts which shall include:

6 credits in the Social Sciences; 6 credits in Humanities (including the Creative and Performing Arts) other than English; 24 additional credits in Arts, and

D.  9 credits in Arts, Science, or other areas.

Associate of Science Degree

General Requirements

60 semester credits of first and second year courses. These must include a minimum of 18 credits in Science at the second-year level taken in two or more subject areas.

Specific Requirements

A.  6 credits in first-year English; and
B.  6 credits in Mathematics which shall include at least 3 credits in Calculus; and
C.  36 credits in Science, which shall include at least 3 credits in a laboratory science; and
D.  6 credits in Arts other than English (excluding Mathematics and Laboratory-based Science courses); and
E.  6 credits in Arts, Science, or other areas.

Requirements for Both Degrees

1.  All general and specific requirements must be met but an institution may set higher standards or additional requirements over and above these general and specific requirements.

2.  No course will be used to meet more than one of the specific requirements.

3.  An average overall grade of "C" (cumulative GPA of 2.0 or its equivalent) calculated on all courses counting towards the associate degree must be achieved.

4.  The number of credits awarded for any particular course will be determined by the institution granting the associate degree. Although the number of credits awarded for any particular course may vary from institution to institution, it is expected that a student will have completed the equivalent of approximately twenty 3-credit courses to fulfill the degree requirements.

Definitions

1.  A course is defined by the subject for which it is granted transfer credit at SFU or UBC or UNBC or UVic.

an Arts course is defined to be any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate of Arts degree at SFU or UBC (Vancouver or Okanagan Campus) or UNBC or UVic. a Science course is defined to be any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate of Science degree or Baccalaureate of Applied Science degree at SFU or UBC (Vancouver or Okanagan Campus) or UNBC or UVic.  The requirements specified above are intended to provide breadth of exposure to a variety of disciplines in both Arts and Sciences. In some instances there may be some ambiguity as to whether a course is in the Humanities or Social Sciences and is an Arts course or a Science course. While those determinations are left to the discretion of the institution granting the associate degree, it is expected that such courses as Human Geography and most Psychology courses would be designated as Arts courses, whereas courses in Physical Geography and Mathematics would be designated as Science courses. a course in an "other" area is defined to be any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate degree other than in Arts, Science, or Applied Science at SFU or UBC (Vancouver or Okanagan Campus) or UNBC or UVic.

2.  A first-year course is defined as a course that has assigned or unassigned transfer credit at the 100-level at SFU or UBC (Vancouver or Okanagan Campus) or UNBC or UVic.

3.  A second-year course is defined as a course that has assigned or unassigned transfer credit at the 200-level or higher level at SFU or UBC (Vancouver or Okanagan Campus) or UNBC or UVic.

4.  A laboratory science is one in which a substantial component of student instruction involves the study of natural phenomena, either in the laboratory or in the field. Each institution granting the associate degree will determine which of its courses satisfy this requirement.

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