Academic Calendar Archives
Academic Calendar 2023-2024

University Transfer: Bachelor of Arts - General

bachelor of arts

Credential

Bachelor's Degree

Duration

- 2 years at RDP

Location

-Main Campus

The Program

The objective in all programs is to provide you with the basis of a liberal arts education which will allow you to transfer to universities offering a Bachelor of Arts degree program.

In most cases, you will major in one of the subjects listed below. By declaring a major, you are simply stating your intent to pursue a comprehensive study of that subject area. Some university programs require you to declare a minor, which represents a second subject you will study in some depth as well.

Majors

You are required to complete a major in the Bachelor of Arts degree. A major includes a certain number of courses taken in one field of study. Generally, about half of the courses taken in a four year degree will be chosen from the major field. This number will vary according to your choice of major and the university you attend.

Majors available at RDP are Anthropology, Communications, Economics, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

Honours

Honours programs are designed to prepare students particularly well for advanced study at the Master's or Doctoral level in the major field of interest. High standards of performance are required in Honours programs. Most universities offer Honours programs in the same fields as the Majors listed above. You should consult with an Academic Advisor for details.

Course Load: Full-time or Part-time Study:

The Bachelor of Arts program is open to full-time students and part-time students. A full-time student will take at least 3 courses per term (minimum 9 credits), with 5 (15 credits) being the normal full load. Extra courses represent special burdens and may result in poor academic performance. A student will be permitted to take more than 5 courses in a term only under exceptional circumstances and with the approval of an Academic Advisor. Part-time students take 1 or 2 courses per term.

University Transfer Program

RDP offers the first two years of the Bachelor of Arts program. Students have the ability to transfer to a multitude of institutions after one or two years of study at Red Deer Polytechnic. For institutions within Alberta, transfer agreements exist and students can see how RDP courses transfer to specific universities using the Transfer Alberta website.

For students looking at transferring outside of Alberta, there are many possibilities. While no formal transfer agreements exist outside of Alberta, the Bachelor of Arts program is quite versatile and easily transferable.

Please contact the artscienceinfo [at] rdc [dot] ab [dot] ca (School of Arts & Sciences) for more information regarding transferring to other institutions within Alberta or outside of the province.

Program Cost Estimates

Admission Requirements

Related Link: Admission requirements for specific programs will often refer to Alberta Grade 12 course groups. Visit the Admissions page for detailed group descriptions.

1. Minimum average of 60% with no mark below 50% in:

a. ELA 30-1
b. 4 courses from Groups A, B, or C (Social Studies 30-1 and a 30-level Language Other than English highly recommended), with no more than one course from Group B
Note: Some universities require Math 30-1 for admission or as a prerequisite for required courses. Transfer students are responsible for learning the specific admission, progression, and prerequisite requirements of their programs.

OR

2. Mature Student
You must be 19 years of age or older, out of high school at least one full year before the program starts, and have a minimum average of 60% with no mark below 50% in:

a. ELA 30-1
b. Subject from Group A, B, or C

OR

3. Successful completion of one year of a diploma program and Associate Dean approval.

Students should be aware of the following:

whether or not Math 30-1 is required for admission or as a prerequisite varies depending on transfer destination
students without Math 30-1 may limit their eligibility to some majors or institutions
this recommendation applies only to Bachelor of Arts majors available at RDP and Math 30-1 specifically. For other 30-level admission or prerequisite requirements, or for admission to other degrees, please refer to the appropriate university calendar.

Deficiencies in High School Course Requirements
If you are eligible for admission but need high school equivalency courses, see an Academic Advisor.

Note: Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency in addition to the program admission requirements.

Graduation Requirements

You must pass 20 term university transfer courses or a minimum of 60 credit hours, and achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 to receive a RDP Diploma in University Transfer Studies.

Related Careers

Bachelor of Arts degrees are integral to and support a variety of disciplines and careers. As such, graduates play a critical role in contributing to Canada’s knowledge-based economy across numerous sectors: health, human services, business, politics, industry and education. The following list of potential occupations for students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts reflects the broad range of possible careers for graduates of the program.

Psychologist
Lawyer
Research and Analytics
Roles in Municipal, Provincial and Federal Government
Post-Secondary Professor
Economist
Human Resources
Parole/Probation Officer
Mental Health Counselor
Rehabilitation Counselor
Freelance Writer
Author