Associate Degrees

What's an Associate Degree?

An Associate Degree is a credential you earn upon successful completion of 60 university-transferable credits. In most cases, an Associate Degree will allow you to transfer to a university and enter the third year of a four-year bachelor's degree program. Douglas offers Associate Degrees in both Arts and Science disciplines.

What are the benefits of an Associate Degree?

• Completing your Douglas College Associate Degree makes you a preferred candidate at some BC universities
• Many universities (eg. SFU) will accept students with an Associate of Arts Degree at a lower grade point average than students without such a degree
• Admission into certain Associate of Arts Degree programs (eg. Limited Enrolment Program, Future Teachers) provide you with priority registration at Douglas College
• Completing an Associate Degree may enhance your employability - it looks great on a resume!
• College class sizes are much smaller than university, allowing for more interaction

How do I earn an Associate Degree?

Associate Degrees require completion of a minimum of 60 university transfer credits. These must include credits from designated courses in each specialty (Arts, Science, Creative Writing, etc). You must also maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0. For detailed admission requirements, please see the Program and Course Catalogue.

What are the benefits of Open and Limited Enrolment?

Open Enrolment

If you want to work at your own pace and, ultimately, transfer to university to complete a bachelor's degree in a particular discipline within Arts (eg, Anthropology, English, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, etc), Open Enrolment is the best choice for you.

Limited Enrolment

If you are planning on starting your studies immediately in the Fall semester following high school graduation, Limited Enrolment is the best choice for you. If you are admitted into an Associate of Arts Degree program with Limited Enrolment, you will get priority registration for your courses - which means you'll have a greater chance of getting the courses you want.

What Associate Degrees are offered at Douglas?

Associate of Arts Degrees

These degrees offer you the opportunity to "specialize" in a theme of interest to them; some are career related. Specialized Associate of Arts degree can lead into a Major or Minor Bachelor of Arts Degree program at a university. Specialty Associate of Arts Degree options include:

• Asian Studies
• Anthropology
• Communications
• Creative Writing
• Criminology
• Economics
• Environmental Studies
• English
• Future Professional Pilots
• Future Teachers
• Geography and the Environment
• History
• Modern Languages
• Music
• Performing Arts
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Theatre

Associate of Arts Degrees - Thematic

You can also choose an Associate of Arts Degree with a thematic focus. You'll complete the same set of 60 credits required for an Associate of Arts Degree, but select from an array of courses that share a similar theme. Thematic Associate of Arts Degree options:

• Environmental Science
• Intercultural and International Studies
• Gender, Sexualities and Women's Studies

Associate of Science Degrees

If you're planning to complete a Bachelor of Science degree at a B.C. university, Douglas College's Associate of Science Degree is an excellent way to get started. It allows you to complete two years (60 credits) of first and second-year university-level courses, including the credits in Math, Sciences and electives you'll need. Associate of Science options include:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computing Science
• Earth and Environmental Sciences
• Mathematics