Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing

at Kwantlen Polytechnic University - Surrey Campus Canada

Advanced 3D Animation and 3D Modelling is a full-time, two-year, cohort program focused on the fundamentals of 3D Animation and 3D Modelling. Students will study various department specializations, such as 3D animation (character and creature), rigging, 3D modelling and sculpting, and texturing and surfacing. The program also touches on the fundamentals of storytelling through acting and visual composition, look development and the basics compositing. The program also teaches students the fundamentals of pre- and postproduction, critical analysis and review, realistic production schedules, team work, soft skills and how to interact with other departments within the postproduction pipeline. A wide range of industry standard software and tools, processes, and workflows are taught to the students. Students will create and compile a portfolio of shots or still life images in the form of a demo reel.

The 3D animation courses focus on animation principles, while integrating rigging, basic scripting, cloth simulation, body mechanics and animation for characters, inanimate objects and creatures.

In the 3D modelling courses students will learn the latest industry techniques in the fields of hard surface modelling, sculpting, texturing and surfacing.

While starting with the observation of traditional drawing and sculpting techniques, students will take these skills into their 3D models, environments and 3D animations. The integration of look development, shading and compositing fundamentals helps bring both 3D models and animations together for polished, final compositions.

The Advanced 3D Animation and 3D Modelling program is best suited for students that display an artistic or creative background. A foundation in technical and/or software skills is also beneficial.

Marketing emphasizes competitive advantages of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations and examines the inter-relationships that exist among their customers or members, the competition, and internal resources. A key part of marketing consists of gaining insights into customer needs and then developing effective marketing strategies to serve those needs.

The Marketing Management Diploma is a comprehensive program designed to provide a solid, general foundation in this exciting field. Study begins with emphasis on basic business knowledge and skills, and then intensively explores the discipline of Marketing, with emphasis on the job skills and experience that business demands. Projects with local businesses and organizations are also included in order to provide real world experience.

Graduates of this program may also be eligible to continue their business study by pursuing one of KPU's Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degrees in Entrepreneurial Leadership, Human Resources Management, and Marketing Managements many of the courses required for the Marketing Management Diploma are also requirements for these BBA programs, it is important that students wishing to progress to one of the School of Business BBA degrees  see a School of Business advisor once they have completed between 36-45 credits of their diploma study.

The Philosophy Major at KPU provides students a broad-based, general education in the principal areas of Western Philosophy. Philosophy majors will complete courses in logic, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and history of philosophy. The program is expressly set up to satisfy a variety of additional pedagogical and intellectual objectives, chief among these being the development of critical reasoning and writing skills, both in general and with regard to specialized research in the discipline. Philosophy majors at KPU will experience a learning environment that is supportive and challenging. It is one that prepares students for graduate work in philosophy. It develops effective citizenship, community leadership, and the critical reasoning, writing, and problem-solving skills required for successful careers in any area.

The Bachelor of Arts Major in Philosophy provides students the opportunity to build a sturdy educational foundation in one of the core areas of the Humanities. All Philosophy majors take a course in formal logic at the 1000-level. At the 2000-level, five courses in philosophy are obligatory: Moral Theory (the study of the nature of right and wrong), Metaphysics (the study of the nature of reality), Epistemology (the study of the nature and limits of knowledge), Ancient Greek Philosophy, and Modern Philosophy.

Upper-level students will have the following options: to take smaller, more participatory courses in Special Topics in Philosophy; to pursue an Applied Ethics Stream by taking specially designed courses in Business, Environmental, and Biomedical Ethics; to participate in a Practicum course where research and work skills are enhanced; and to apply to a selective sequence of honours courses with a focus on researching and writing an honours thesis.

Graduates work with Kindergarten through Grade 12 students and assist teachers in providing personal care and behavioural and learning support to a variety of students in public and independent schools.

There is a high demand for Education Assistants and they are employed by every school district throughout the province. The graduates work in a variety of settings, including regular classrooms, resource rooms, work experience sites, and in life-skills activities.

To integrate the knowledge and skills learned in the program, all students complete two four-week, full-time practicums in the schools over the course of their studies, one in an elementary school and one in a secondary school. During this time, a student will observe, assist, and work with children and adolescents with diverse needs under the guidance and supervision of professional staff. This certificate transfers to the BA at KPU. 

The Bachelor of Arts, Major in General Studies degree program provides students with the opportunity to develop a degree program in thematic areas across disciplines. Working with an Arts Degree Advisor, the student creates a personal program of study in concert with specific career and personal goals, or simply develops a broad interdisciplinary liberal arts education. Such a program of study will normally involve a selection of courses from a number of departments that form around a coherent theme.

The program includes:-

• The development of knowledge, core competencies, and skills characteristic of traditional Bachelor of Arts programs
• The preparation of students for entry into the labour market by incorporating essential and employability skills in all courses
• The preparation of students to respond innovatively to emerging trends in society
• Clear benefits to students and to the community by providing an opportunity for them to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree at KPU where there is established emphasis on teaching, emerging emphasis on undergraduate research, long-standing connections to South Fraser communities, and accessibility to students in the expanding South Fraser region.

The Bachelor of Arts, Major in English program focuses on the diverse literatures of the English-speaking world, including the full range of British, Canadian, and American literary traditions, diasporic literature and literature in translation, oral and written Indigenous narratives, and classic and contemporary film. This degree will allow students to develop the knowledge, core competencies, and skills characteristic of a traditional Bachelor of Arts program, while preparing them to respond critically and creatively to a wide range of issues and challenges in our community and in society in general. In addition to critical reading, writing and thinking skills, students who complete a Bachelor of Arts in English will be prepared for entry into the labour market through the incorporation of essential employability skills into all of our courses. They will also benefit from the expertise and the commitment to teaching excellence of our faculty, as well as from the small class sizes that characterize undergraduate study at KPU. Arts degrees have high levels of student satisfaction, and the literacy and analytical skills developed in such programs will prepare students to become constructive members of society and to fit well into the workplace.

The Mechatronics and Advanced Manufacturing Technology program prepares graduates for careers in the manufacturing industry. With growing reliance on automated technology in the manufacturing sector, technicians are being challenged to perform higher-level tasks that involve diagnostics, analytics, trouble-shooting and hands-on maintenance and repair. Students will acquire critical theoretical and technical knowledge, and hands-on practical experience in applied trades areas such as machining, welding, metal fabrication and electrical. In addition to these skills, students in this program will acquire the knowledge to enable them to prepare technical reports pertaining to the operation and management of an automated manufacturing facility.

The program supports applied research, product development and commercialization solutions.The program also includes the most current technology in computer numerical control (CNC) programming, renewable energy, and computer controlled autonomous systems; hydraulic, pneumatic, electronic and robotic.

Semesters 1 and 2 are aligned to the internationally recognized Siemens Mechatronic Systems Certification (SMSC) program and provide certificate graduates with the opportunity to obtain Siemens Mechatronic Systems Certification Levels 1 and 2. Certificate graduates from the Mechatronics and Advanced Manufacturing Technology program will be equipped with the knowledge, expertise and skills to operate, maintain, and conduct diagnostics on mechatronic systems at a technician level.

Semesters 3 and 4 incorporate advanced manufacturing principles; sustainability practices, engineering resource planning, lean manufacturing practices, communications and business operations. These principles are augmented by experiential skill development in machining, metal fabrication, welding and electrical which will prepare graduates to meet the demands of the emerging trend known as “Industry 4.0”. Graduates from the Mechatronics and Advanced Manufacturing Technology program will be well prepared to work in numerous occupations in the engineering technician/technologist fields.

The general objective of a B.A. Major in Anthropology is to prepare students for life, the workforce, and advanced study in this or other fields. Anthropology students find employment in such areas as: governmental and non-governmental organizations; archaeology; law enforcement and forensic work; social work; counselling; public administration; education; urban planning; public relations; broadcasting and journalism. In a globalizing and increasingly multi-cultural world, an employee capable of working alongside persons from diverse cultural backgrounds is vital. Anthropology provides students with both the practical experience and the necessary tools to apply cross-cultural and cross-historical understanding to problem-solving strategies within the workplace.

The Associate of Science in General Science is tailored for students who are uncertain of the major they wish to complete and offers a broad range of science courses balanced with in-depth study in specific disciplines.

The Accounting Diploma program prepares graduates for entry-level accounting positions in the work force or to continue their studies at KPU in the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Accounting.
The Diploma program includes courses in financial accounting, management accounting, finance, taxation and auditing. Graduates will also take courses in economics, business math, business statistics, Simply Accounting, information management, English and communications. The Accounting Diploma is carefully aligned with the requirements of the CPA accounting designation.