Purpose

The Associate of Arts degree comprises two years of undergraduate university study in the Arts and Sciences, equivalent to the first two years of a four-year bachelor’s degree. While the goal is to provide students with an academic foundation for further university studies, an associate degree is also a stand-alone credential. The Associate of Arts degree is widely recognized by post-secondary institutions in the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT).

Students who successfully complete the Associate of Arts degree have an increased likelihood of transferring to a university and entering the third year of a four-year bachelor's degree program. 

Students are strongly advised to check the admissions policies of their desired transfer institution, specifically to ensure that they meet any additional criteria for specific program areas, such as majors and minors. A minimum Associate of Arts degree GPA may be required.

Duration

The expected length of the program is 24 months. Most courses are offered during the VCC Academic Year, from September to April. Courses are also offered in the Summer Term, from May to August. There is the option of part-time studies, which would result in a longer time frame for completion of the credential. The maximum allowable time for students to complete the program is four years.

Learning Outcomes

 Upon successful completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

1. Analyze, evaluate, and interpret written, spoken, and/or visual texts from a variety of academic disciplines

2. Analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information collected through classroom presentations and individual research

3. Construct effective essays, reports, and oral presentations that demonstrate an understanding of appropriate academic rhetorical strategies and research documentation

4. Integrate knowledge from a variety of academic disciplines

5. Apply general and specific disciplinary knowledge to solving problems in a classroom environment

6. Work well independently and in teams

7. Demonstrate effective computer skills to successfully complete academic projects

8. Apply the knowledge and skills gained in the associate degree to higher-level study in third and fourth-year courses at a university or related institution

Admission Requirements

• Grade 12 graduation or equivalent
• Knowledge of English demonstrated by one of the following:
  • English 12 with a minimum 'C+' grade or equivalent, or
  • English Language Proficiency at a minimum Grade 12 'C+' level

Notes:

1. Students are required to have successfully completed prerequisite courses leading to courses in the Associate degree (for example: prerequisite course Pre-calculus 11 or equivalent needs to be successfully completed in order to take ECON 1100 Microeconomics). See the requirements for each course.
2. Specific post-secondary courses may be used to substitute for secondary school courses at the discretion of the appropriate departments.

Program Requirements

University transfer courses can be taken as stand-alone credits. Students do not have to declare their intention of completing the Associate of Arts degree to register in courses. Courses are open to any student who meets the general and specific requirements for each course.

However, students must meet the Associate of Arts program admissions requirements before courses can be used to satisfy the Associate of Arts degree.

Note: New courses will be developed to meet the needs of the program and react to ongoing changes in higher education. Please speak to Advising or the Department for support in selecting courses. 

For detailed course descriptions, consult the course outlines available on the main VCC website.

The Associate of Arts Degree requires the successful completion of a minimum 60 credits that have assigned or unassigned credit at Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria, or the University of Northern British Columbia.

For further details about how a course is defined (e.g. arts/science/other, first-year/second-year, lab science/non-lab science etc.) please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca/learn-more-about/associate-degrees/

Students must complete:

A. 6 credits in first-year English  

B. 9 credits in Science which shall include at least: 

B1. 3 credits in Mathematics, Computing Science or Statistics 

B2. 3 credits in a laboratory Science

C. 36 credits in Arts which shall include:

C1. A minimum of 18 credits in second-year Arts taken in two or more subject areas

C2. 6 credits in the Social Sciences

C3. 6 credits in Humanities (including the Creative and Performing Arts) other than English

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

Total Program Credits: 60.0 (minimum)

Evaluation of Student Learning

Student evaluation is determined by the specific evaluation plan listed in each course outline, and may include a combination of the following methods, depending on the academic discipline and course objectives: assignments and projects, such as essays, reports, and oral presentations; quizzes and tests; theoretical and/or practical mid and/or final exams, or other appropriate methods in line with the current scholarship on teaching and learning in higher education.

A minimum overall GPA of 2.0 ('C' average) is required, with a minimum passing grade of 'D' in each course counting towards the Associate of Arts.

Upon successful completion of the program, the student will receive an Associate of Arts Degree. 

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)

PLAR is available for the following courses:

• MATH 1100 Calculus 1
• MATH 1200 Calculus 2
• MATH 1111 Introduction to Statistics

Students may complete up to nine (9) program credits through PLAR. Tuition and fees may still apply to PLAR candidates. 

Methods of PLAR vary by course, and may include exams, portfolios, interviews, and other evaluations. To request PLAR, please contact the appropriate Department directly.

Transcript of Achievement

The evaluation of learning outcomes for each student is prepared by the instructor and reported to the Student Records Department at the completion of semesters.

The transcript typically shows a letter grade for each course. The grade point equivalent for a course is obtained from letter grades as follows:

Grading Standard

Transcript of Achievement

Grade	Percentage	Description	Grade Point Equivalency
A+	90-100		4.33
A	85-89		4.00
A-	80-84		3.67
B+	76-79		3.33
B	72-75		3.00
B-	68-71		2.67
C+	64-67		2.33
C	60-63		2.00
C-	55-59		1.67
D	50-54	Minimum Pass	1.00
F	0-49	Failing Grade	0.00
S	70 or greater	Satisfactory – student has met and mastered a clearly defined body of skills and performances to required standards	N/A
U		Unsatisfactory – student has not met and mastered a clearly defined body of skills and performances to required standards	N/A
I		Incomplete	N/A
IP		Course in Progress	N/A
W		Withdrawal	N/A
Course Standings
R		Audit. No Credits	N/A
EX		Exempt. Credit Granted	N/A
TC		Transfer Credit	N/A

Grade Point Average (GPA)

1. The course grade points shall be calculated as the product of the course credit value and the grade value.

2. The GPA shall be calculated by dividing the total number of achieved course grade points by the total number of assigned course credit values. This cumulative GPA shall be determined and stated on the Transcript at the end of each Program level or semester.

3. Grades shall be assigned to repeated courses in the same manner as courses taken only once. For the purpose of GPA calculation of grades for repeated courses, they will be included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA.