Program of Study

The Bachelor of Arts degree at MacEwan requires the completion of 120 non-duplicative credits, made up of: core requirements, a major subject of concentration, a minor subject of concentration, and options.

Planning your Bachelor of Arts Degree

To plan your Bachelor of Arts degree you will need to refer to the BA program planner as well as the planning sheet for your Major and Minor. Major and minor planning sheets are listed under each discipline.

• BA program planner

Students are strongly encouraged to seek advice from the advisors in Program Services about program planning.

Program of Study 2012 - 2013

The BA Honours degree provides eligible students with the opportunity to pursue more intensive study in their chosen field; this may be of benefit to students considering graduate studies. Honours programs have limited enrollment, and individual disciplines may have additional selection requirements. MacEwan currently offers BA Honours degrees in English, psychology and sociology.

Planning your BA Honours Degree

To plan your Bachelor of Arts Honours degree you will need to refer to the BA Honours Program Planner. Honours Subject planning sheets and information on requirements and admission to the honours degree program are available from the English, psychology and sociology discipline pages.

• BA Honours Program Planner

If you are considering an Honours degree, we encourage you to talk with the Honours Advisor for your discipline early in your academic career.

Program of Study 2012 - 2013

Majors

A major is an area of specialized study within your Arts degree and requires completion of 42 senior-level credits in an approved subject. You may choose your major from the following disciplines: anthropology, economics, English, history, philosophy, political science, psychology and sociology.

Minors

A minor is a second area of specialized study within your Arts degree and requires completion of 18 senior-level credits in an approved subject. Minors are offered in anthropology, business studies, classics, economics, English, history, philosophy, political science, psychology and sociology. Students in the BA program are eligible to declare any minor offered through the Bachelor of Science degree.

Planning Your Major and Minor

Major and minor planning sheets can be found under each discipline. They list the specific course requirements for each major and minor in a particular academic year. These requirements can change. The courses you must take to graduate will be determined by the requirements in effect in the year you declare your major or minor.

We encourage you to meet with a discipline advisor to discuss your intended major and minor. Discipline advisors can provide useful information on required courses, career options and graduate school.

Use the planning sheets in conjunction with the BA program planner.

Declaring Your Major and Minor

You must officially declare your major and minor after you are admitted to the program and prior to the completion of 45 credits towards your degree.

Academic Residency  – Credit Requirements

As part of the Academic Residency regulation within Institutional Graduation Regulations, Bachelor of Arts students must complete:

• A minimum of 15 credits in a major at the senior level, with six of those credits completed at the 400-level, AND
• A minimum of six credits in a Bachelor of Arts minor at the senior level, with three of those credits completed at the 300- or 400-level, OR
• A minimum of nine credits in a Bachelor of Science minor at the senior level, with three of those credits at the 300- or 400-level.

Canadian Content Requirement

Students must take three credits of Canadian content selected from a list of approved courses to fulfil program graduation requirements. Some courses used to satisfy the degree requirements can also be counted toward the Canadian content requirement. Please refer to the BA program planner for a list of courses that will meet the Canadian content requirement.

Core Requirements

Courses that satisfy the core requirements are normally taken at the junior level with the exception of the Language other than English (LOE) requirement. Students are advised to complete their core requirements in the first and second years of their program.

Declaration of a Major and Minor

Students are required to declare a major and minor by the time they have completed 45 credits. The major and minor cannot be in the same discipline. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with an advisor in the BA program and a discipline advisor in their major and minor prior to this declaration.

Graduation Grade Point Average

As part of the Graduation Grade Point Average regulation within Institutional Graduation Requirements, Bachelor of Arts students must obtain an overall GGPA of 2.0 or higher, with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all courses credited toward the major and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all courses credited toward the minor.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation requirements are governed by the date on which a student declares their Major and Minor. Students who declare their Major and Minor up to and including the last day to withdraw from Winter term courses without academic penalty are bound by the requirements of the current academic year. Those students who declare after this date are bound by the programs of study and degree requirements of the upcoming academic year as published in the MacEwan calendar.

International Content Requirement

Students must take three credits of international content selected from a list of approved courses to fulfil program graduation requirements. Some courses used to satisfy the degree requirements can also be counted toward the international content requirement. Please refer to the BA program planner for a list of courses that will meet the international content requirement.

Junior- and Senior-Level Courses

Courses numbered from 100 to 199 are considered junior level and courses numbered from 200 to 499 are considered senior level.

Junior Credits in English

A maximum of nine credits of 100-level English are permitted in the completion of the BA degree.

Maximum Junior-Level Courses

A maximum of 48 credits at the 100-level are permitted in completion of the BA degree. Additional courses at the 100-level will be declared extra to the 120 credits required to complete the BA degree and will not be counted toward fulfilment of graduation requirements.

Minimum Passing Grade Limitation  – Major

A maximum of 6 credits with a final grade of D or D+ is permitted in courses credited toward the major.

Options Requirements

Students are permitted to take a maximum of 24 credits of degree options. Courses in the degree options may include additional major and/or minor coursework within the discipline of study to a maximum of six senior-level credits. Subject to written approval by the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, degree options may include a maximum of 15 credits from courses offered by a faculty other than Arts and Science.
Note: Non-arts and non-science courses in art history, music and drama offered by the BA degree program for the benefit of its transfer students are considered to be arts and science courses for the purpose of fulfilling option requirements of MacEwan’s BA degree.

Progression of Studies

Students are responsible for ensuring they meet the prerequisite and/or co-requisite requirements as noted on all courses that may fulfill Bachelor of Arts or Arts Honours program requirements.

Bachelor of Arts Honours
(Additional degree regulations for Bachelor of Arts Honours students)

Academic Standing

Further to the Academic Standing Policy above, students accepted and enrolled in the Arts Honours program must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.3 in all courses within the Honours discipline of study for the period of review. Failure to do so will result in the student’s program status reverting to BA Undeclared.

Graduation Grade Point Average

In order to graduate, students must obtain an overall GGPA of 3.0 or higher, with a minimum GPA of 3.3 on all courses credited toward the Honours discipline of study.

Honours: Other Requirements

Students accepted into an Honours program are permitted to take 42 credits designated as other requirements that are made up of topic-related coursework. A minimum of 18 credits of that coursework must be completed outside the Honours discipline of study, and excludes any credits used to satisfy the core requirements. Subject to written approval by the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, other requirements may include a maximum of 15 credits from courses offered by a faculty other than Arts and Science. 

Subsequent Baccalaureate

In addition to meeting the degree regulations listed above, students who already hold a baccalaureate degree must satisfy the provisions of Policy C2000, Subsequent Baccalaureate Credential.

Institutional Graduation Regulations

Students in all programs must also adhere to and complete the institutional graduation regulations.