Associate of Arts

The Associate of Arts (AA) degree prepares students for life as an educated person and lays a solid foundation for further study.

This two-year, 60-credit (20 courses) undergraduate program is equivalent to the first two years of a four-year degree in the Arts. It prepares students to transfer to research or teaching universities to complete a bachelor’s degree or serves as a credential to enter the labour market. The AA degree is accepted for transfer into bachelor’s degree programs at University Canada West (UCW) and all British Columbia degree-granting institutions, provided other admission requirements are met.

At the end of the AA degree, you may transfer into a bachelor’s degree program at UCW or any British Columbia degree-granting institution. Alternatively, you may continue in the Associate of Arts degree and complete the program with an additional 30-credit hours of study as per provincial Associate of Arts degree guidelines.

Graduates of the AA program will develop these skills:

• Workplace problem solving.
• An ability to work in teams.
• Leadership in the workplace.
• Communications and soft skills for employability.

Admission Requirements

• Secondary School Applicants who have graduated from a British Columbia secondary school (high school) or equivalent are required to have, at minimum, the equivalent of a BC high school (Grade 12) diploma, with an overall average of C.
• If you have graduated from high school but do not meet the minimum grade levels, you may still be considered for admission if you have successfully completed at least 30 academic post-secondary credits at a recognized institution.

And (if applicable)

• Students whose first language is not English must submit an IELTS score of at least 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in the writing band) or equivalent (TOEFL, PTE, etc.)
• OR successfully complete UCW’s University Access Program (UAP) by earning an average of at least 70% in their UAP courses.
• If a student can demonstrate that they graduated from a recognized degree program in an English-speaking country, the English IELTS score or equivalent requirement may be waived.

Special Admission

The Admissions Committee may consider an applicant for special admission if the applicant does not otherwise qualify for admission but demonstrates a combination of education and work experience that indicates the ability to be successful in their program of study. Generally, such applicants must:

• Be over 21 years of age on or before the first day of classes.
• Have been out of high school for at least two years.
• Receive approval from the Admissions Committee.