All students in the Bachelor of Arts degree program must complete the following seven requirements1:
- Writing and Research Requirement
- Language Requirement
- Science Requirement
- Literature Requirement
- Outside Requirement
- Upper-level Requirement
- Arts Credit Minimum Requirement
1See also Credit Requirements and Regulations.
1. Writing and Research Requirement
The Writing and Research requirement has two components:
Writing Component
In order to begin to engage with the scholarly community at UBC and beyond, students must successfully complete 3 credits of instruction on research and writing in the disciplines through one of the following courses: Arts One, ASTU_V 100 or ASTU_V 101 (Coordinated Arts Program), ENGL_V 100, WRDS_V 150 or WRDS_V 350. This component must be satisfied prior to the student attaining Year 3 standing.
Students admitted to the Faculty of Arts directly from secondary school should attempt the Writing Component in their first 30 credits, registration permitting, and must ensure it is complete prior to reaching 54 credits. Transfer students who have not already completed the Writing Component must attempt it in their first Winter Session and ensure it is complete by the end of that Session or prior to reaching 54 credits.
Students who do not satisfy the above requirement due to a lack of attempts may have their registration restricted until the Writing Component is complete.
Students who have completed a college or university-level writing course similar in rigour, content, and learning objectives to an approved Writing Component course may appeal to apply their transfer credits towards the Writing Component of the Writing and Research requirement. For further information students should consult Arts Advising.
Research Component
In order to contribute to the development of knowledge in their chosen field(s) of study, students must also complete a research-intensive experience. Typically, they will register in a research-intensive course specified for their major1. Students are advised that research-intensive courses, normally offered at the 400-level, often have prerequisites and are frequently restricted to Majors in the discipline. Students should consult the department in question in planning their program of studies.
See below for a list of approved research-intensive courses.
| Department/Major | Research-Intensive Approved Course(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies | AMNE_V 420, 440, 441, 463, 464, 470, 471, 472, 480, 499 | |
| Anthropology | ANTH_V 317, 407, 408, 417, 418, 428, 431, 449, 452, 478; ARCL_V 306, 405, 406, 419 | |
| Art History | ARTH_V 410, 432, 436, 437, 439, 440, 442, 443, 445, 448, 450, 455, 458, 459, 464, 471, 476, 479, 480 | |
| Asian Area Studies | ASIA_V 402, 407, 408, 427, 440, 442, 445, 447, 451, 453, 468, 477, 491, 495, 498, 499, CHIN_V 482, JAPN_V 408, 453, 462, KORN_V 410 | |
| Asian Language and Culture | ASIA_V 402, 407, 408, 427, 440, 442, 445, 447, 451, 453, 468, 477, 491, 495, 498, 499, CHIN_V 482, JAPN_V 408, 453, 462, KORN_V 410 | |
| Canadian Studies | CDST_V 450 | |
| Cognitive Systems | COGS_V 402 | |
| Computer Science | CPSC_V 319, 410, 427, 444, 455, 491; also CPSC_V 448, 449 (with the approval of the Department of Computer Science) | |
| Critical Studies in Sexuality | CSIS_V 450, GRSJ_V 401, 422, 480 | |
| Economics | ECON_V 390, 490, 495, 499 | |
| English, Emphasis Literature | ENGL_V 490, 491, 492, 496, 499 | |
| English, Emphasis Language | ENGL_V 489 | |
| First Nations and Endangered Languages | FNEL_V 389, 448, 481, 482 | |
| First Nations and Indigenous Studies | FNIS_V 400 | |
| First Nations Languages and Linguistics | LING_V 431, 432, 447 | |
| French | FREN_V 495 | |
| Gender, Race, Sexuality & Social Justice Studies | GRSJ_V 401, 422, 480 | |
| Geography, Environment and Sustainability | GEOG_V 312, 315, 345, 371, 379, 395, 410, 412, 419, 424, 429, 446, 447, 448, 450, 453, 495, 498, GEOB_V/GEOS_V 309, 405, 406, 407, 472, 479, URST_V 400 | |
| Geography, Human | GEOG_V 312, 315, 345, 371, 379, 395, 410, 412, 419, 424, 429, 446, 447, 448, 450, 453, 495, 498, GEOB_V/GEOS_V 309, 405, 406, 407, 472, 479, URST_V 400 | |
| German Studies | GMST_V 420, 424, 440, 448, 475, 490, 492 | |
| History | HIST_V 403, 449, 466, 467, 468, 479, 490 | |
| History and Philosophy of Science | PHIL_V 491, HIST_V 490 | |
| History with International Relations | HIST_V 403, 449, 466, 467, 468 | |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | Any research-intensive approved course for which the student qualifies to register, normally in the student’s primary-category discipline | |
| International Relations | HIST_V 403, ECON_V 457, POLI_V 464, or other Faculty Approved Research-Intensive courses approved for IR | |
| Italian/Italian Studies | ITAL_V 495, ITST_V 495 | |
| Latin American Studies | LAST_V 303 | |
| Linguistics | LING_V 431, 432, 447, 449 | |
| Mathematics | MATH_V 437, 441, 444, 445, 448, 462 | |
| Medieval Studies | MDVL_V 440, 449, 490 | |
| Modern European Studies | CENS_V 404, GERM_V 403, RUSS_V 410 | |
| Music | MUSC_V 207, 320, 402, 403, 409, 412, 413, 449, 469 | |
| Philosophy | PHIL_V 418, 426, 431, 432, 440, 450, 452, 455, 469,490, 491 | |
| Political Science | All POLI_V courses at the 400-level | |
| Psychology | PSYC_V 217 | |
| Religion, Study of | RGST_V 400 | |
| Romance Studies | RMST_V 495, 499 | |
| Russian | RUSS_V 410 | |
| Sociology | SOCI_V 380, 381, 382, 383, 449 | |
| Spanish | SPAN_V 411, 495 | |
| Speech Sciences | LING_V 431, 432, 447, 449 | |
| Theatre | THTR_V 417, 439, 445, 449 | |
| United States Studies | HIST_V 467 or other Research-Intensive courses, including POLI_V courses at the 400-level, with the approval of the USST Chair | |
| Visual Arts | VISA_V 401, 410, 411, 430, 431, 440, 441, 450, 451, 470, 471, 479, 480, 481 |
1In order to consider all research-intensive course options available to them, students completing a second major in a subject falling within the B.F.A. program are advised to consult both the B.A. Research Component table, above, and the B.F.A. Research Component table.
2. Language Requirement
There are three ways to satisfy the Language Requirement:
- Prior to admission, and while still in secondary school, complete a language course (excluding English) at a level equivalent to BC Grade 12.
- Pass a proficiency test. This option is particularly recommended for students who have knowledge of a language but no secondary school or university transcript to prove competency. No course credit is awarded for passing a proficiency test. Students must consult Arts Academic Advising.
- If the language is taught at UBC, students may be able to prove competency through examination. Arrangements for such examination must first be sought from the academic department providing instruction in the language. If departmental examination or an acceptable alternative is not available, students should consult Arts Advising.
- If the language is not taught at UBC, students may be permitted to prove competency through a proficiency examination. Only languages for which the Faculty of Arts can access an appropriate language expert to mark the examination, and in which a newspaper of acceptable circulation and quality is available online, may be considered for proficiency examination. Students must consult Arts Academic Advising.
- Reach or exceed the level specified in any of the languages taught at UBC, as listed below. Note that most of these courses have prerequisites. Students with some language background wishing to register in language courses must check with the department teaching the language for placement prior to the beginning of classes. Note that there is no credit assignment to the Language Requirement, only a level of proficiency to be obtained.
| Subject | Course |
|---|---|
| Classical Arabic (ARBC_V) | 400 or 202 |
| Modern Arabic (ARBM_V) | 202 |
| Asian Languages (ASLA_V) | 400 |
| Cantonese (CNTO_V) | 301 or 311 |
| Chinese (CHIN_V) | 117 or 118; 243 or 244 (heritage students); 107 or 108; 233 or 234 (non-heritage students) |
| Danish (DANI_V) | 210 |
| First Nations and Endangered Languages (FNEL_V) | 202 Salish |
| First Nations and Endangered Languages (FNEL_V) | 212 Algonquian |
| First Nations and Endangered Languages (FNEL_V) | 222 Dene (Athabaskan) |
| First Nations and Endangered Languages (FNEL_V) | 232 Tsimshanic |
| First Nations and Endangered Languages (FNEL_V) | 242 Wakashan |
| First Nations and Endangered Languages (FNEL_V) | 252 Haida |
| First Nations and Endangered Languages (FNEL_V) | 262 Ktunaxa (Kootenay) |
| First Nations and Endangered Languages (FNEL_V) | 292 Other indigenous languages |
| French (FREN_V) | 112 or 202 |
| German (GERN_V) | 202 |
| Greek (GREK_V) | 200 or 202 |
| Hebrew (HEBR_V) | 405 or 202 |
| Hindi-Urdu (HINU_V) | 200 or 202 |
| Indonesian (INDO_V) | 200 or 202 |
| Italian (ITAL_V | 202, 203 or 206 |
| Japanese (JAPN_V) | 103 or 151; 201 or 260 |
| Korean (KORN_V) | 200 or 202 |
| Latin (LATN_V) | 200 or 202 |
| Persian (PERS_V) | 104 or 201 |
| Polish (POLS_V) | 300 |
| Portuguese (PORT_V) | 202 or 210 |
| Punjabi (PUNJ_V) | 200 or 202 |
| Russian (RUSS_V) | 200, 202 |
| Sanskrit (SANS_V) | 200 or 202; 400 or 401 |
| Spanish (SPAN_V) | 112, 202, or 203 |
| Swedish (SWED_V) | 210 |
| Ukrainian (UKRN_V) | 225 |
3. Science Requirement
In order to ensure the development of an understanding and appreciation of scientific methods, applications and reasoning, students must complete 6 credits chosen from any combination of:
- All courses taught by the Faculty of Science except: SCIE_V 113, 300; CHEM_V 300
- Specific courses taught by the Faculty of Arts:
- ARCL_V 140, 203, 228, 235, 325, 326, 345
- ASIC_V 200, 220
- all GEOB_V/GEOS_V courses
- GRSJ_V 201 (cross-listed with CPSC_V 101)
- LING_V 209
- PSYC_V 263, 270, 360, 361, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367, 368, 370, 371, 460, 461, 462, 463, 465, 466, 467, 469, 472
- Specific courses taught by the Faculty of Applied Science: APSC_V 366
- Specific courses taught by the Faculty of Forestry: CONS_V 127, FRST_V 303, 304
- Specific courses taught by the Faculty of Land and Food Systems: APBI_V 100, 200, 244, 260, 311, 327, 328; FNH_V 200, 250; LFS_V 340
- Specific courses taught by the Faculty of Medicine: CAPS_V 210, 390, 391, SPPH_V 200, 301
Important Note: Students may not earn credit for two courses with significant and pre-defined content overlap. Students are fully responsible for their registration, and are advised to check the Course Schedule for course equivalencies and to review the Science Credit Exclusion Lists to avoid unnecessary registration. Note that credit exclusion does not imply that courses are interchangeable, and meeting specialization requirements may necessitate the completion of a specific course. Students registering in courses dealing with probability and statistics should exercise particular caution.
4. Literature Requirement
Students must complete 6 credits of literary study, chosen from:
| Subject | Course |
|---|---|
| African Studies (AFST_V) | 351, 370 |
| Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies (AMNE_V) | 251, 260, 261, 341, 345, 346, 347, 348, 392, 440, 441 |
| Arabic (ARBC_V) | 400, 420 |
| ARTS_V | 001* |
| |
| Asian Studies (ASIA_V) | 212, 213, 254, 308, 324, 326, 334, 336, 341, 342, 347-352, 357-360, 361, 363, 364, 368, 380, 392, 395, 398, 412, 413, 431, 441, 444, 447, 452, 451, 453, 454, 455, 457, 460, 461, 464 |
| Arts Studies (ASTU_V) | 100* |
| |
| Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies (CENS_V) | 202, 303, 304, 307 |
| Chinese (CHIN_V) | 411, 413, 421, 431, 433, 434, 451, 453, 455, 457, 461, 463, 464, 465, 466, 467, 468, 470, 471, 473, 474, 481, 483, 484, 485, 486, 489, 491, 493, 494 |
| English (ENGL_V) | 110-121*; 200, 220-228, 230-249; 332-397 |
| |
| First Nations and Indigenous Studies (FNIS_V) | 454 |
| French (FREN_V) | 220, 221, 280, 311, 328-331, 341, 371, and all 400-level courses except 401, 402, 427, 451-477, 499 |
| French, Hispanic & Italian Studies (FHIS_V) | 333 |
| Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice Studies (GRSJ_V) | 224 |
| German (GERM_V / GERN_V) | GERM_V 206, 301-305, 360, 370, 380, 390, 301, 402, 404-407, 426; GERN_V 344, 347 |
| German Studies (GMST_V) | 229, 325, 335, 341, 342, 343, 346, 347, 433, 440, 445, 448 |
| Greek (GREK_V) | 301, 351, 352, 401, 402 |
| Hebrew (HEBR_V) | 479 |
| Hindi-Urdu (HINU_V) | 400 |
| Italian (ITAL_V) | 231, 232, 303, 304, 333, 345, 380, 403-409, 414-418, 420, 421 |
| Japanese (JAPN_V) | 311, 312, 342, 406, 408, 422, 423, 452, 453 |
| Korean (KORN_V) | 410 |
| Latin (LATN_V) | 301, 350, 351, 401, 402 |
| Medieval Studies (MDVL_V) | 301, 302 |
| Nordic Studies (NORD_V) | 333-336, 338, 339, 411-415 |
| Persian (PERS_V) | 451 |
| Philosophy (PHIL_V) | 375 |
| Polish (POLS_V) | 345, 424, 426 |
| Portuguese (PORT_V) | 392, 405 |
| Punjabi (PUNJ_V) | 300, 400, 401, 402, 403, 404 |
| Romance Studies (RMST_V) | 201, 202, 280, 301, 302, 303, 304, 321, 322, 324, 341, 342, 343, 345, 355, 361, 372, 373, 402, 420, 453, 454, 455, 456, 457, 458, 459, 460 |
| Russian (RUSS_V) | 206, 207, 305, 306, 321, 323, 407-412 |
| Sanskrit (SANS_V) | 300, 450 |
| Slavic Studies (SLAV_V) | 307 |
| South Asian Languages (SOAL_V) | 4401 |
| Spanish (SPAN_V) | 221, 222, 280, 312, 357, 358, 364, 365, 406, 410, 420, 430, 470, 490 |
| Theatre (THTR_V) | 210, 211, 245, 310, 311, 410 |
| 1 With the permission of the Department of Asian Studies. | |
5. Outside Requirement
Students must complete a minimum number of credits outside the field of study of their specialization(s).1
| Major2 | Honours or Combined Major3 | Double Major, Double Honours or Adding a Minor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outside credits required: | 60 | 48 | 24 |
1 All courses normally accepted or designated as applicable towards a specialization in a field of study, including cross-listed courses, are deemed to be within that field of study. This remains true even when the course credit is not actually applied to that specialization (i.e. is taken as elective credit).
2 The Interdisciplinary Studies program satisfies the outside requirement; students are not required to complete further credits outside their program.
3 Outside credits must be outside both fields of study.
6. Upper-level Requirement
Students must complete a minimum number of upper-level credits (courses numbered 300 and above). The number of upper-level credits varies according to the degree program option chosen, as summarized in the table below. Note that the addition of a Minor to any degree program does not increase the Upper-Level requirement.
| Major, Combined Major or IDST | Honours | Double Major | Major/Honours | Double Honours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper-level credits required: | 48 | 54 | 60 | 66 | 84 |
7. Arts Credit Minimum Requirement
Arts Credit is defined by subject area. Credit completed in subject areas identified in the UBC Calendar course descriptions as being offered by the Faculty of Arts, as well as transfer credit in those subjects, is considered Arts Credit.
A minimum of 72 of the 120 credits required for the Bachelor of Arts degree program must be Arts credit, except when the completion of the student’s specialization(s) requires more than 48 credits outside of Arts. See Credit Requirements and Regulations.