Bachelor of Arts in Geography (Co-op)

at University of the Fraser Valley - Abbotsford Campus Canada

UFV's two-year Aboriginal Culture and Language Support (ACLS) diploma is designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives required for employment as an Aboriginal support worker in both public or First Nation-operated band schools.

As an Aboriginal support worker, your unique understanding of — and sensitivity to — the values, beliefs, and needs of students' Indigenous communities and heritage, as well as the needs of the education system, makes you a valuable asset to the school in which you work.

As part of the program, you develop the skills necessary to help Aboriginal youth succeed. You get to:

• Learn Halq'eméylem, the language of the Stó:l? people
• Explore the culture and history the Stó:l? people
• Gain counseling skills
• Examine contemporary issues and policies in Indigenous education
• Learn to support learner development

Personalize your studies by choosing studio courses from six disciplines: introductory studio, new media, painting and drawing, photography, print media, and sculpture and extended media.

The hands-on curriculum and ample studio time helps you build up your core artistic skills. The Visual Arts diploma also integrates art history and critical theory to inform your studio practice and put your art in perspective within contemporary culture.

UFV’s small class sizes and well-designed studios enhance your learning experience, providing regular engagement with supportive faculty and fellow students. Gallery and studio tours, exhibition and performance opportunities, and lectures from visiting artists further enhance your education.

When you graduate, you have the industry-related knowledge necessary to succeed in a variety of sectors including art and culture, business, entertainment, and tourism. You may also choose to continue your studies to earn a UFV’s Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

To prepare you for today's multi-disciplinary creative industry, UFV's Graphic and Digital Design diploma program (GDD) provides you with a solid foundation in four fields of professional practice:  brand identity, graphic/communication design, dynamic media, and interactive design.

As a student, you are immersed in design practice through project-based learning in collaborative Mac studio spaces. You’ll build a strong foundation in design process, resourcefulness, and conceptual development, as well as skills in critical thinking, typography, image making, content creation, and industry standard Adobe software.

The Graphic and Digital Design diploma (GDD) is a full-time 60-credit cohort program offered on the Mission campus (fall intake), and the Abbotsford campus (winter intake).

As a GDD diploma student, you’ll be part of a cohort that moves together through the entire two-year program. You must register for five courses in each semester and each individual graphic design course is only offered once per academic year on each campus. Courses in the GDD diploma are raught by dynamic faculty engaged in design practice, professional communities, and academic research.

Expect at least four hours of homework each week for each course. GDD is both demanding and rewarding, requiring that you put in the time and commitment to build a strong professional practice portfolio.

FEATURES:

• Field trips enhance classroom learning
• Engage with the design industry through special events, guest lectures, study tours, design conferences, workshops, practicums, and mentorship opportunities.
• Coursework emphasizes professional standards of practice through real-world projects, special events, and workshops.
• Program eligible for financial aid

Take UFV's Community Support Worker Certificate to work in a variety of roles with children and adults with mental and/or physical disabilities. Acquire skills and knowledge needed to work on the front-lines in school and community settings. Learn professional ethics and standards, the history of service delivery, philosophies of helping, adaptive technologies, communications, and how to create inclusive communities. 

Earn your Community Support Worker certifiate from UFV on a full or part-time basis as you complete 31 credits, including a 200-hour supervised field experience in a social service or school setting.

View Community Support Worker's program outline in the UFV Academic Calendar

When you graduate you can apply to earn a Social Services diploma, entering in the second year, The diploma would qualify you for employment in program management and administration. 

The Library and Information Technology diploma program prepares graduates to work in a wide range of libraries and other information centres. The program is recognized by the Canadian Library Association (CLA) and was developed according to its Guidelines for the Education of Library Technicians.

The program includes technical courses and computer labs that help students to develop the complex skills necessary to work in today's information centres. Students graduate with a Diploma in Library and Information Technology and may choose to complete an additional, six credit concentration in Systems Technology, Youth Services, or Records Management.

The most effective library technicians are interested in both books and non-print materials, especially electronic resources accessed via licensed databases and the Internet. They are committed to serving the needs of customers, clients, and patrons who seek accurate and timely information for any purpose. It is essential that technicians possess excellent interpersonal, communications, computer, and information management skills. In addition, they must have an ongoing interest in developing customer service and technology-related skills in order to keep up with changes in the industry and to help further their careers.

The UFV Bachelor of Science (BSc) is a program of academic study for students pursuing educational or career goals in the natural sciences. The program requirements encourage a breadth of intellectual and academic experience, and at the same time, recognize the importance of concentrated study in a specific field or discipline. The BSc may serve as an educational goal in itself, as qualification for those who wish to pursue advanced degrees at other educational institutions, or as a qualification for employment.

The BSc consists of a minimum of 120 credits. To receive a Bachelor of Science degree, students must, at a minimum, complete the requirements for at least one of a science honours, science major, or double science minor, in addition to the General BSc requirements.

A UFV Bachelor of Arts provides you with an opportunity to discover your passion and gain valuable skills in writing, communications, critical thinking, research, problem solving, and more. With 29 disciplines ready for you to explore, you get to build a breadth of knowledge that prepares you to succeed in a wide range of careers.

In your first and second year, you explore your interest through a range of elective credits  You also create the initial entries of a comprehensive ePortfolio that enables you to document the skills and knowledge you’ve acquired for your résumé or graduate application. After you complete 30 credits, you chart the course for the rest of your degree by selecting from a combination of major(s), extended minors, and minors in the following disciplines:

• Anthropology (extended minor, minor)
• Applied Ethical and Political Philosophy (minor)
• Applied Statistics (minor)
• Art History (extended minor, minor)
• Biology (extended minor)           
• Business (minor)
• Communications (minor)
• Computer Information Systems (extended minor, minor)
• Criminal Justice (extended minor, minor)
• Economics (major, minor)
• English (honours, major, extended minor, minor)
• English — Creative Writing (honours)
• French (major, extended minor, minor)
• Geography (honours, major, extended minor, minor)
• Global development studies (minor and extended minor)
• Graphic + Digital Design (minor and extended minor)
• History (honours, major, extended minor, minor)
• Indigenous Studies (major, minor)
• Kinesiology (minor)
• Latin American Studies (extended minor, minor)
• Mathematics (major, extended minor, minor)
• Mathematics (Statistics option) (minor)
• Media and Communication Studies (extended minor, minor)
• Peace and Conflict Studies (major, minor)
• Philosophy (major, extended minor, minor)
• Political Science (major, extended minor, minor)
• Psychology (honours, major, extended minor)
• Sociology (major, extended minor, minor)
• Sociology/Anthropology (major)
• Theatre (major, extended minor, minor)
• Visual Arts (extended minor, minor)

No matter your choice of major, extended minor, or minor, a Bachelor of Arts prepares you to remain competitive and adaptable in an ever-changing job market.

Careers in the trades often lead to managerial and/or ownership positions, yet few trades people have the opportunity to academically prepare themselves with the skills required to own and operate their own business. This program provides individuals with the ability to leverage their prior learning (Trade certificate) and to augment prior learning with the fundamentals of business management theories and practices. The objective is to produce graduate students who are equipped to successfully function as managers and owners of a trade-related business in today's rapidly changing global environment.

The Theatre diploma is a 60-credit program that introduces students to all areas of theatre, including acting, stagecraft, and performance studies. All students enrolled in the diploma gain applied, practical experience by working on UFV Theatre productions.

The Theatre diploma is for anyone interested in learning more about theatre, the performing arts, or performance studies. It is suitable for people from a wide range of backgrounds, including direct-entry from high school, international students, mature students, adults who wish to access life-long learning opportunities, and Indigenous students. Applicants do not need to have theatre experience.

Students graduate from the Theatre diploma with enhanced performance and stagecraft skills, a deep appreciation of theatre and performance, and the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively. Students can ladder into the BA Theatre Major, extended minor, or minor.

FEATURES:

• Practicum provides work experience and industry contacts
• Participate in professional UFV theatre productions and gain hands on experience
• Program eligible for financial aid

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computerized data management system that allows us to visualize, investigate, and interpret information related to our world. GIS has become increasingly prevalent in industry, research and academia within a wide variety of fields. Applications of GIS range from creating maps displaying information of interest to using spatial analyses to detect relationships, patterns, and trends in location-based data. As such, GIS can be an essential tool for mapping, research, and decision making.

The GIS certificate program is designed to provide students with the core concepts underlying the use of location-based GIS data as well as the essential software skills necessary for work in both public and private sectors.

This program combines courses in the Geography, Computer Information Systems and Mathematics departments into a certificate. The program consists of a minimum of 31 credits.