Diploma in General Studies

at University of the Fraser Valley - Abbotsford Campus Canada

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.

UFV's Administration certificate is a part-time program that gives you a solid understanding of the fundamentals of business administration. 

The UFV Administration certificate provides essential grounding in business law, accounting, microeconomics, and industry-leading productivity software. A selection of electives allows you the freedom to explore your own areas of interest or specialize in one key field. You may also complete courses in public or municipal administration at other institutions or by correspondence, and transfer your credits to UFV. 

Students are not admitted directly to the Associate of Science, however, students in Qualifying Studies or the Bachelor of Science degree program can graduate with the Associate of Science degree once all program requirements are met.

To be eligible for an Associate of Science degree you must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 18 courses. Please note that not all science courses are offered every semester. Therefore, it is important to carefully plan your courses in a sequential manner, paying particular attention to course prerequisites. Associate of Science students should consult with an Advisor to ensure that they select the appropriate science courses for their particular career direction. Students must achieve an average overall grade of C (cumulative GPA of 2.0) calculated on all courses that apply towards the associate degree.

The following is the Associate of Science program outline. Students wishing to complete the program in four semesters should follow the suggested outline below. Students who do not follow the suggested outline will take longer to complete the program.

Get a broad, high-quality foundation in the Arts and add a valuable credential to your résumé by earning an Associate of Arts degree at UFV.

Within the degree, you can choose from the following options:

• General option
• International and Development Studies option
• Media and Communication Studies option
• Theatre option

This program includes a breadth of intellectual and academic experience worthwhile if your educational or career goals lie in the humanities, the creative and performing arts, or the social sciences.

In addition, practicum opportunities and optional paid co-op work placements throughout your studies allow you to gain valuable work experience.

The Associate of Arts degree may serve as a stepping stone if you plan to continue your studies to earn a Bachelor of Arts at UFV or elsewhere.

UFV’s Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care (BA CYC) is a four-year program that prepares you to become a skilled child and youth care professional, ready to provide guidance, support and help children, youth, and families overcome emotional and physical challenges.

Starting with a focus on development and social competence for therapeutic intervention through relationships, you examine and address the issues that affect children and youth who are facing social and developmental difficulties.

With core courses offered in the afternoon and the evening, the BA CYC can accommodate your work schedule if you are currently employed in the human services field and wish to grow your career and gain skills you can apply in your work setting.

In the third and fourth year, the program culminates in two 300-hour practica that provide you with opportunities to gain direct experience working with one of UFV’s learning partners. Through both practica, you benefit from the structured supervision of experienced professionals, who can provide valuable guidance and feedback.

After you graduate from the Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care, you have acquired the skills to take on consultations, case assessments and interventions, counselling, advocacy, policy development, and to become a well-rounded practitioner in any agency or program. 

You may also pursue further studies in child and youth care, public administration, criminal justice, social work, or any related field.

UFV offers the first year of the Bachelor of Applied Science (Engineering) degree program for students wishing to transfer to the University of British Columbia or the University of Victoria. Upon completion of the UFV program, students may be allowed to enter the second-year Engineering programs at UBC and UVic without any additional qualifying courses, providing they meet the entrance requirements for the program at these institutions.

Students transferring to UBC or UVic from the UFV program with the minimum required GPA may be admitted to the UBC/UVic second-year program. Once admitted, all students, regardless of their first-year institution, then compete for seats in different specialties based on their GPA; popular specialties have higher GPA requirements than the entrance GPA. UBC also allows admission from General Sciences, but may require a higher entrance GPA.

Learn about the criminal justice system and delve into the complex issues surrounding it such as the causes, prevention, and law enforcement responses to criminal behaviour.

In your first and second year, you examine the historical evolution of criminological thought and learn to view criminology as both a science and profession. You learn to identify the psychological and sociological factors that drives an individual to crime and how the criminal justice system is applied.

In your third and fourth year, you develop your analytical and critical thinking skills by designing your own research project. This is an opportunity to use various qualitative and quantitative research methods to prepare for graduate studies and advanced career opportunities within the criminal justice field.

After you graduate from UFV’s Criminal Justice Bachelor program, you have gained the vocabulary and critical discernment to apply criminological and criminal justice principles to effect individual, community, and organizational challenges.

Develop your thinking, reading, and writing skills — skills that are highly sought after by employers and applicable in a wide range of fields from marketing and business administration to education, journalism, and research with UFV's Bachelor of Arts in English.

UFV’s English program provides you with the ability to articulate complex ideas and research findings and the skills to analyze various texts and interpret iconic written works throughout history.

English major
There are four concentrations on which to focus your English major: Literature, Creative Writing, Drama, and Writing and Rhetoric.

• Literature courses provide grounding in major authors, genres, and periods as well as a broad understanding of socio-cultural processes that shape Indigenous, national, and transnational literatures.
• Creative writing courses integrate literary study with writing workshops in which you discuss your work with your peers and instructors. Learn various creative processes and techniques for poetry, playwriting, and fiction.
• Drama courses enhance your understanding of how language functions in theatre. You explore a range of dramatic genres, consider how dramatic texts document and archive past performance practices, and contextualize the significance of theatre in historical and social movements.
• Writing and rhetoric courses teach you how writing and language are used as tools by examining issues of meaning and usage of the English language. Learn how language serves as a call to action and how language acts — in itself, on the user, and on the community.

In your first and second year, you study and critique a variety of literature from the cultures and time periods that interest you. You can choose to delve into the challenging craft of creative writing, explore the evolution of theatre and drama throughout history, or analyze the structure and usage of the English language.

In your third and fourth year, you sharpen your critical analysis, writing, and research skills. You are able to establish richer relationships with your professors and peers as you participate in classroom discussions and analyze each other's writing.

By the end of the program, you have developed an appreciation and in-depth understanding of the major genres, periods, movements, and authors throughout literary history. You have gained the transferrable skills — such as critical inquiry, evidence evaluation, and the ability to explore different perspectives and develop arguments — that make you qualified and confident to establish yourself in a variety of fields.

View course requirements in the Academic Calendar:

• Literature concentration
• Creative Writing concentration
• Drama concentration
• Writing and Rhetoric concentration

Develop your skills as an adult educator through UFV’s Bachelor of Arts in Adult Education — a mid-career professional development program.
Tailor your studies to fit your busy schedule. All courses are online with the exception of a few classroom sessions, with video conference access if you are a distance student. The Bachelor of Arts in Adult Education program is completely flexible and allows you to:

• Study part-time or full time
• Choose online courses on a rotating schedule
• Take evening and Saturday classes
• Earn credit for prior learning, including from non-traditional settings

The Bachelor of Science in Physics allows you to explore the nature of matter, energy, and their interactions, both theoretically and experimentally. 

In this program, you learn early on about fundamental topics like electromagnetism, wave physics, thermodynamics, and relativity. Upper level courses then give you the opportunity to discuss advanced topics like quantum theory and fluid mechanics, applying principles of mathematics to the material world around you.

The Physics program also includes options for Engineering and Mechatronics, if applied sciences piques your interest.

The program:

• integrates classroom theory with a variety of potential lab experiments and hands-on projects.
• encourages exploration of new and current ideas, and challenges you to learn and enquire about the universe in new and complex ways.