Regular applicants have B.C. high school graduation (or equivalent) completed or are currently enrolled in Grade 12.
The Mathematics entrance requirement is a minimum of 50% in any of Pre-calculus Grade 12, Principles of Mathematics 12, or Adult Basic Education MATH 012. Students without this Mathematics entrance requirement may be granted conditional admission if they satisfy the entrance requirement with OC MATH 012 in their first year in the degree program. Conditional admission students will be unable to register for any course where MATH 012 is a prerequisite until such time as the Mathematics entrance requirement is satisfied.
Applicants shall be eligible for consideration for admission under the mature applicant category if they are at least 21 years old and have been out of full-time high school study for at least three years. The English and Mathematics entrance requirements for students admitted as mature applicants must be satisfied with successful completion of ENGL 012 concurrent to other courses in their first semester in the degree program, and successful completion of MATH 012 in the first year of study at Okanagan College. Students must satisfy these English and Math requirements to retain standing in the degree program.
Okanagan College offers a four-year Applied Bachelor of Arts degree, located at the Kelowna campus with limited course offerings at Salmon Arm, Vernon and Penticton campuses. This baccalaureate degree provides graduates with employable skills in applied research and an understanding of how the social sciences and liberal arts actively contribute to a culturally diverse sustainable society. Developed for the context of the southern interior of B.C., this program includes studies of regional Indigenous cultures and prepares graduates for direct contributions to local and regional issues. Through contextualized learning, the goal of the degree is to provide applied research skills within a context of liberal arts studies and applied social science, emphasizing an empirical orientation to understanding, to application of knowledge, and to intervention. Characterized by the strengths of a terminal degree that produces employable skills, this degree can also prepare students for admission to selective graduate studies programs. All graduates of this applied degree program will be ready for today's job market through mastery of higher-order analytical skills and techniques for applied research. Practical related field experience is a central component of the applied degree education.
This degree enables students to develop competencies in academic and professional writing, qualitative and quantitative analysis, critical thinking skills, ethics, applied research, program evaluation, multi-disciplinary world views, and languages other than English (including regional First Nations' languages). Students will complete field experience (a practicum, field placement or co-operative education program in the fourth year) as well as a capstone project that will tie academic studies to relevant local and regional issues. The degree program develops and maintains scholastic strengths in students, requiring a minimum of 55% in each course counting toward the degree and a minimum cumulative grade average of 60% for all courses taken while in the program. For students seeking direct entry into the Master of Social Work Foundational Two-Year Track graduate studies program at UBC Okanagan, in addition to these degree requirements a minimum grade average of 76% in the upper level courses counting toward the degree is required.
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Year One Course Requirements (30 credits)
Required Foundation courses (24 credits)
3 credits of Anthropology:
ANTH 121 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
6 credits of English or Communications:
ENGL 100 University Writing
ENGL 153 Critical Writing and Reading: Narrative
CMNS 112 Professional Writing I
CMNS 122 Professional Writing II
3 credits of Interdisciplinary Studies (one of):
GSWS 100 Introduction to Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies
GSWS 215 Gender and Popular Culture
3 credits of Philosophy:
PHIL 114 Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking I
6 credits of Psychology:
PSYC 111 Introduction to Psychology: Basic Processes
PSYC 121 Introduction to Psychology: Personal Functioning
3 credits of Sociology:
SOCI 111 Introduction to Sociology I
Elective Foundation Courses (6 credits)
3 credits of Science (one of):
BIOL 112 Evolution and Ecology
COSC 180 Multimedia Computing
3 credits from the following (one of):
ECON 210 Women and the Economy
GEOG 128 Human Geography: Space, Place and Community
POLI 111 The Government of Canada
SOCI 202 Introduction to Social Problems
SOCI 203 Canadian Social Issues
Year Two course requirements (30 credits)
Required Foundation courses (27 credits)
3 credits of Anthropology:
ANTH 222 Indigenous Peoples of the BC Interior
6 credits of First Nations/Indigenous Language (one of):
FNIL 110 Indigenous Regional Languages I
FNIL 120 Indigenous Regional Languages II
6 credits of Indigenous Studies:
INDG 201 Okanagan Indigenous Peoples' History
INDG 202 Okanagan Concepts and Frameworks
6 credits of research skills:
PSYC 260 Introduction to Research Methods and Design
PSYC 270 Statistics and Data Analysis
6 credits of Social Work:
SOCW 200A An Introduction to Social Work Practice
SOCW 200B An Introduction to Social Welfare in Canada
Elective Courses
3 credits from the following (one of):
ANTH 212 Indigenous Peoples of BC Coast
SOCI 202 Introduction to Social Problems
SOCI 203 Canadian Social Issues
PHIL 211 Ethics
PHIL 240 Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 241 Contemporary Moral Issues
Year Three Course Requirements (30 credits)
Required Courses (24 credits)
9 credits of Social Work:
SOCW 309 Interview & Assessment Skills
SOCW 320 Case Management and Transition to Field Placement
SOCW 321 Social Policies: Protection and Welfare of the Child and Family
3 credits of Political Science:
POLI 219 Canadian Public Administration
6 credits of Psychology:
PSYC 348 Evidence-Based Practice: Therapies
PSYC 365 Qualitative Methods & Analysis
3 credits of Professional Ethics (one of):
PHIL 411 Professional Ethics
IDST 400 Professional Codes of Ethics
3 credits of Sociology (one of):
SOCI 202 Introduction to Social Problems
SOCI 203 Canadian Social Issues
Elective Courses:
6 credits from the following (two of):
ANTH 212 Indigenous Peoples of BC Coast
IDST 200 Psychosocial Cultural Challenges Across the Lifespan
PHIL 211 Ethics
PHIL 240 Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 241 Contemporary Moral Issues
PSYC 242 Abnormal Psychology
PSYC 341 Theory of Personality
Year Four Course Requirements (30 credits)
Required Courses (21 credits):
9 credits of field experience:
ARTS 498 Field Placement
6 credits of Capstone Project:
ARTS 499 Capstone Project
3 credits of Program Evaluation
PSYC 470 Program Evaluation
3 credits of Social Work
SOCW 410 Individual and Environmental Intervention
Elective Courses (9 credits)
Upper-level electives (300 or 400-level courses in Arts)*
Up to 15 eligible graduates of the Applied Bachelor of Arts: Community Research and Evaluation program per year will earn direct entry into the Master of Social Work foundational two-year graduate studies program at UBC Okanagan. Of those spaces, some are specifically set aside for students who identify as Indigenous. Those seeking direct entry must achieve a minimum grade average of 76% in the upper level courses counting toward the degree to meet UBCO admission requirements.
Students who successfully complete the Applied Bachelor of Arts may also choose to apply for graduate studies programs at other institutions. OC strongly recommends these students consult the admissions offices of those institutions to ensure they meet eligibility requirements.
No Course!
Students will develop employable skills in applied research and competencies in academic and professional writing, qualitative and quantitative analysis, critical thinking skills, program evaluation and multi-disciplinary world views.
Students will be introduced to languages other than English, particularly Indigenous language spoken within the region.
Graduates can use their course and field experience to seek occupations such as program administrators, managers and analysts in social service agencies, non-profit organizations, community groups and various levels of government.
Graduates will be prepared to work as consultants, social policy researchers and advocates for youth, women, families, minorities and cultural diversity.
500 CAD/year
