Arts Undergraduate Program Guides

When we refer to “units”, we mean “units of course weight” which are a measurement of how much a course you complete will contribute to your overall degree program. A degree is made up of a cumulative 120 units earned.

• A course that runs for only one term (i.e., Fall Term from September to December, or Winter Term from January through April) is usually weighted 3 units.
• A course which runs throughout both the Fall and Winter Terms (i.e., from September through April) is usually weighted 6 units.
• Certain niche courses are offered over Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer, or in one term, with weights of 1, 2, and 4 unit, but these are rare.

• 120 units of course weight total are required to complete any full Bachelor degree program. Most regular undergraduate courses reward 3 units upon successful completion, meaning that most students must complete 40 credit courses to receive a degree.
• Students must declare one major,
• In the 120 units required to complete the degree, the following must be included:
  1. a minimum of 63 units offered by the Faculty of Arts;
  2. 60 units successfully completed at the University of Alberta;
  3. a minimum of 30 units taken while registered in the Faculty of Arts; and
  4. 6 units in non-Arts disciplines offered by Faculties other than Arts
  5. a minimum of 15 units at the senior level applied to the major and a minimum of 6 units at the senior level applied to any minor must be completed with courses offered by the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta (except Science minors and the minor in Business, see below).
• 3 units in 100-level ENGL (except ENGL 150) OR 3 units in 100-level WRS
• The Common Requirement of a Language other than English (LOE) consists of 6 units at the 100-level or above in one LOE. This can be waived for students who have successfully completed a Language Other than English at the 30-level (or equivalent), or been required to take an English Language Proficiency test for admission.
• Students must complete 6 units in courses offered by Faculties other than Arts. The courses can be in different disciplines, and/or from different Faculties.
• A maximum of 48 units at the junior level is permitted for credit to the program. Students should complete 30 units at the junior level before registering for senior-level courses.
• No more than 48 units at the senior level applicable to any one major is permitted, whether or not a major in that discipline has been declared.

Option or elective courses are those which are taken as part of your degree program but are not required to meet your major or minor requirements. The units you gain from completing them are applied to the unit total needed for you graduate from your program, and usually are from subjects that aren’t your major(s) of choice.

Students looking to branch out into new subjects for their options/electives may be interested in Exploration Credits.

A double major at the University of Alberta allows a student to pursue two main areas of study simultaneously, resulting in one degree with two majors. This option is recommended for students who have more than one primary subject in mind for their studies, allowing them to apply more units from these areas to their overall degree program.

We recommend that Arts students interested in applying for double majors consider it as early in their degree as possible so they have enough time to meet the requirements for both of their chosen majors (as well as any optional minors and certificates they have declared). If you aren’t sure where to begin or what options are available to you, we recommend speaking to an Arts Undergraduate Student Services advisor.

You can use this Google form to declare your major(s) and/or minor(s) in the Faculty of Arts BA program if you are already a current University of Alberta student, EXCEPT for the Economics and Planning majors, as well as Business minor, all of which are competitive programs that require a higher GPA.

DO NOT use this form to apply to change your degree program (e.g. BA to BA Honors). To do this, submit an Application and pay the required fee in accordance with published deadlines.    

• For Business Minor, click here.
• For Economics Major, click here.

• Admission to BA Honors is competitive and presentation of minimum average requirements and prerequisites does not guarantee admission. The Faculty reviews the number of spaces in all majors annually to ensure appropriate resources are available to students in each major. Enrolment in each major is limited.
• Students admitted directly from High School begin the program in the Foundation Year. It is recommended that students complete a minimum of 24 units in the Foundation Year, including courses listed in the Specific Admission Requirements to BA Honors Majors chart. Students should take a range of options in the Foundation Year.
  • Students in the Foundation Year must submit an internal application for their selected major by March 1 provided they will have completed a minimum of 24 units by the end of Winter term. While the minimum GPA to remain in the BA Honors program is 3.0, selection into the major(s) is a competitive process. Students must meet the GPA and course requirements in the Specific Admission Requirements to BA Honors Majors chart.
  • Students who are not selected into a major by the time they have completed 60 units will be transferred to the BA program, provided they meet admission requirements.

• BA Honors programs are different from regular BA degrees as they allow for more credits to be taken in your chosen subject, open the door for undergraduate research and thesis projects in many disciplines, and usually set you up well for graduate studies after finishing your degree. They do, however, require higher GPAs to be maintained from year-to-year and have more competitive admissions.
• 120 units units of course weight total are required to complete any full Bachelor’s Degree program. Most regular undergraduate courses reward 3 units upon successful completion, meaning that most students need to complete a total of 40 credit courses to receive a degree.
• Students must declare one major
• The BA Honors degree is a program which normally requires a minimum of 120 units (some departments may require more) of which
  1. a minimum of 63 units must be in courses offered by the Faculty of Arts;
  2. a minimum of 60 units must be in courses taken at the University of Alberta;
  3. a minimum of 30 units must be completed while registered in the honors degree program;
  4. a minimum of half the courses required in the major discipline, including any honors thesis, paper or project, must be completed with courses offered by the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta.
• 3 units in 100-level ENGL (except ENGL 150) OR 3 units in 100-level WRS
• The Common Requirement of a Language other than English (LOE) consists of 6 units at the 100-level or above in one LOE. This can be waived for students who have successfully completed a Language Other than English at the 30-level (or equivalent), or been required to take an English Language Proficiency test for admission.
• Students must complete 6 units in courses offered by Faculties other than Arts. The courses can be in different disciplines, and/or from different Faculties.
• No more than 48 units at the junior level (courses numbered 100-199) are permitted for credit in the program.
• Normally, no more than 60 units may be presented in the major subject unless otherwise specified by the Department.
• Some departments require the completion of an Honors Essay in addition to specific course requirements. In the case of Combined Honors programs, students may be required to complete an Honors Essay in one or both disciplines, depending on specific departmental requirements.

Similarly to declaring a double major when Bachelor of Arts (BA) students decide to focus in on 2 particular areas of studies, combined BA Honors programs allow students to pursue two 

For Combined Honors programs, the minimum number of courses in each subject of concentration will be decided through consultation with the Departments concerned in planning the total program; however, a minimum of 36 units at the junior and senior level in each discipline will be required in all Combined Honors programs. At least 30 units in each discipline must be at the senior level. More than this may be required in some disciplines to meet specific program requirements.