Political Science (Associate Degree)

Graduation Requirements:

• Successful completion of 60 University Transfer (UT) credits as listed below
• A minimum program GPA of 2.00 is required
• All courses must be University Transferable - a University Transferable course is a course that transfers to one of the Research Universities - SFU, UBC (UBCV or UBCO), UNBC, or UVIC in the BC Transfer Guide
• 50% (30 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College
• Specializations are not noted on credentials but will be noted on the transcript
• Time limit to complete program graduation requirements: seven (7) years

Course Requirements:

To complete an Associate of Arts Degree with a Specialization in Political Science, students must complete:

• 18 or more credits (of the 60 credits required for their associate degree) in Political Science
• nine of those 18 credits must be considered second-year courses. To qualify as a second-year course, a course must transfer to one of the Research Universities (SFU, UBCV, UBCO, UNBC, or UVIC) at the second-year level.

The following are the general requirements for an Associate of Arts Degree at any BC college:

• 6 credits first-year English* electives
• 6 credits Humanities** electives
• 6 credits Social Sciences** electives
• 6 credits Arts** electives
• 18 credits second-year Arts** electives in 2 or more subject areas
• 3 credits Lab Science elective
• 3 credits Math, Statistics or Computing Science elective
• 3 credits Math, Statistics or Science elective
• 9 credits other University Transfer electives

* English courses include courses in written Communications and Creative Writing that transfer to one of the BC Research Universities (SFU, UBCV, UBCO, UNBC, or UVIC) as English credit. A maximum of 3 credits can come from such an equivalent; at least 3 credits must be earned in an actual ENGL course so-named. For purposes of the Associate of Arts degree, English courses cannot be counted as Humanities courses.

** Arts courses are available in the Faculty of Languages, Literature, and Performing Arts, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. To confirm whether a course is designated as "humanities" or "social sciences," check the Associate of Arts degree graduation checklist. Economics courses are Arts courses. Arts courses may also include Mathematics courses.

Definitions:

A course is defined by the subject for which it is granted transfer credit at one of the research universities (SFU, UBCV, UBCO, UNBC, or UVIC).

• An Arts course is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate of Arts Degree at one of the research universities.
• A Science course is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate of Science Degree or Baccalaureate of Applied Science Degree at one of the research universities. 
• The requirements specified above are intended to provide breadth of exposure to a variety of disciplines in both Arts and Sciences. In some instances there may be some ambiguity as to whether a course is in the Humanities or Social Sciences and is an Arts course or a Science course. Most Physical Geography and Mathematics would be designated as Science courses.
• A course in an "other" area is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate Degree other than in Arts, Science or Applied Science at one of the research universities.
• A first-year course is defined as a course that has assigned or unassigned transfer credit at the 100-level at one of the research universities.
• A second-year course is defined as a course that has assigned or unassigned transfer credit at the 200-level or higher level at one of the research universities.
• A laboratory science course is one in which a substantial component of instruction involves the study of natural phenomena, either in the laboratory or in the field.

For detailed information you should meet with a Student Success Advisor.

Co-operative Education Option:

Students enrolled in this program may be eligible for a Co-operative Education designation. Co-operative Education involves alternating full-time academic and work terms. For information contact the Co-operative Education Office.