If you are ready to start studying towards your Bachelor's degree, then Selkirk College's School of University Arts and Sciences (UAS) is for you.
A university degree typically consists of a total of 120 credits or 40 courses, and you will be required to take 20 courses at the first- and second-year level (Course 1xx and Course 2XX) and the other 20 courses at the third- and fourth-year level (Course 3xx and Course 4xx) from a degree-granting university. For example, you could take two academic years (eg. Sept-April) here at Selkirk (earning either a liberal arts diploma or an associate degree) and then the final two years at UBC; your Bachelor's degree would then be from UBC and you would have two credentials instead of just one.
A Bachelor's degree is usually required for entry into professional university degree programs, such as those in education (B.Ed, M.Ed, Ph.D), law (LLB, LLM, LLD, Ph.D), medicine (MD, MDPhD), business (MBA, PhD), counselling (MA, MC, PhD), engineering (BEng, BE, BSc, BASc; ME, MEng, MSc, MTech; PhD), pharmacy (BSc, PharmD) and more. A Bachelor's degree is also typically required to enter master's and doctoral degree programs within any one particular discipline, such as English, biology, anthropology, and sociology
To get started on your academic plan, choose your first 20 courses from over 100 possibilities in over 20 different discipline areas within the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
If you also wish to earn an associate degree, diploma, advanced certificate, or certificate, please ensure that your choices fulfill the requirements for the program of your choice. Review your plan with a Selkirk College counsellor.
If you are someone who has wondered what it means to be human and why humans behave the way they do, then anthropology is for you. Anthropology is such a broad discipline, that it also has a broad appeal. All human activities are covered by anthropology. If you find humans curious, if you enjoy travelling or hope to travel, and most importantly, if you have ever wondered "why", anthropology is for you.
This program is for you if you’re fascinated by living organisms and how their biological molecules contribute to the functioning of their entire beings. Take this program if you’re fascinated by life in general and want to understand its complex scientific inner workings and play an active role in discovering more about living beings’ interconnectedness. You'll learn about cell biology, microbiology, genetics and organic chemistry as you gain two years of credit toward a university degree.
You’ll get one-on-one attention from our skilled instructors and learn in our state-of-the-art biology teaching lab. Plus, you’ll have plenty of time to explore our natural outdoor region and get great hands-on field lab experiences.
You can get started on your biology major and work towards your bachelor of nursing, medicine, physical education and more. Study in class and apply your knowledge in labs, as you learn about subjects including cell biology, genetics and biochemistry.
Combining in class theory with hands-on chemical labs, you’ll get the experience you need to set you up for success. Our program gives you chemistry fundamentals so you’ll be ready for further education in areas like engineering, nutrition, pharmacy and science degrees, as you learn the basics of equipment usage, measurement of physical and chemical properties and chemical syntheses. Basic chemical principles are vital in all areas of science. Understanding how chemicals are structured, operate independently, and interact together, can take you a long way in your chosen science career.
Selkirk College offers elective courses in computer science.
These elective courses are transferable to a variety of post-secondary institutions. Course requirements vary among post-secondary institutions. We advise that you plan your program with a Selkirk College counsellor or contact the UAS School Chair for information on transferability.
Every organization today needs and wants creative and competent writers and thinkers. Our creative writing program enables students to focus on strengths and cultivate strategies for learning both the art and craft of writing in all four genres, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama. In this two year program, students write and produce imaginative work on multiple platforms including travel writing, digital stories and radio plays. Students also gain publishing and editorial experience with our literary magazine, and participate in building a supportive community with monthly open-mic public readings.
Economics will be of interest to students who intend to transfer to a full economics program at another university, business students and those looking for a well-rounded education.
With two years of courses from your associate degree, you’ll be well on your way to completing your bachelor with most or all of the admission requirements for entry into third year at BC universities. After you graduate with your bachelor degree, you can come back to the West Kootenay and complete your bachelor of education in the West Kootenay Teacher Education Program (WKTEP) delivered by the University of British Columbia.
Engineers are thinkers and builders who apply science and math to every aspect of modern life. They design and develop the products and processes that we use every day. Let your imagination run free as you learn how to successfully design and create lasting structures from the ground up. Engineering is a solid career path leading to high-paying jobs and satisfying work. You’ll learn how to make your mark in physical structures in our first-year Engineering Transfer (Applied Science) program.
Do you love words and stories? Literature invites you to participate in experiences and ideas beyond your own and grants you access to some of history's and today's most imaginative minds. Studying English is a great place to start if you are interested in exploring philosophy, history, psychology, religion, anthropology, sociology or politics. You can also continue towards an associate of arts degree in English at Selkirk (two years) and then a bachelor of arts degree in English (two more years at a university).
Our program will get you started on your way to becoming a successful professional pharmacist and having a fulfilling career in medicine arts. Fulfill the admissions requirements for an entry-to-practice PharmD degree in the beautiful West Kootenay region.
Giving you a full two years of study, the general associate of arts degree fulfills most, if not all, course requirements for third-year entry into BC approved bachelor of arts university degree programs. Mix and match your courses to suit your needs and interests. If you are not quite sure what you want to major in yet, but know you want to get your bachelor’s degree eventually, the associate of arts general degree is right for you. It gives you a well-rounded blend of arts courses designed to let you see some of the options you will have later, once you decide on a specialty to focus on.
Get freedom of choice with your General Associate of Science degree. You won’t have to decide on which specialty you’d like right away, but you will open the doors of possibility and have plenty of career options, plus be prepped for further education. Choose this program if you love figuring out how things work and want to give yourself time to decide on the future path that’s right for you.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a highly valued workplace asset with industries increasingly needing GIS experts. With our Advanced Certificate and Advanced Diploma, that can continue into Bachelor's Degree, we provide you with top quality GIS training and education to prepare you with essential skills to succeed in today's ever-changing Geomatics industry.
A Geography degree will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to begin a variety of rewarding careers. Geographers work as urban planners, GIS technicians and analysts, disaster preparedness planners, teachers, environmental scientists, remote sensing analysts, transportation planners, demographers, hydrologists and in a variety of other areas.
Selkirk College offers a great start to an undergraduate degree in geology. After completing your first year at Selkirk, you can go on to most universities and continue into the second year of a geology degree program. If science isn’t your passion, but you need science credit for another program or degree, geology is a great option for students coming from a wide variety of backgrounds. Geology provides an integrated perspective because it is a synthesis of chemistry, physics, geography, biology and mathematics.
Take this program for the simple love of history—or to get started on years one and two of your bachelor’s degree in history. You’ll get two years of university level, fully transferable courses that fulfill most, if not all, of the requirements for third-year entry into a history major or honours program. Apply your knowledge to your future career through being able to identify and address historical problems in any given situation. History is more relevant than you may think—let us show you why.
Learning to understand and speak more than one language is considered an important part of a broad liberal arts and sciences education. We offer beginner and intermediate French and Spanish courses.
Pursue a number of passions and develop a strong academic foundation in the Liberal Arts program. A Liberal Arts education allows you to learn across a diverse field of subjects in the humanities, social sciences and hard sciences. You will develop the broad base of knowledge and skills that employers are looking for, including critical thinking, analytical reasoning, problem solving, effective communication and ethical judgment. Your courses are also all fully transferable into three- and four-year university degree programs within BC, Canada and abroad.
Take this program if you have a strong desire to not only understand human conflict, but to help put an end to the world’s needless suffering through viable peace-based methods and practices. Emphasizing peace in a cultural and international context, this program combines courses in humanities, social sciences and applied sciences, and gives you opportunities to engage in various service learning experiences or in directed peace studies related academic research.
Philosophy prepares you for a broad range of professional careers where success relies on the ability to read carefully, think critically and write persuasively.
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior and psychologists seek to understand all aspects of human thought, experience and action. For example, psychologists interested in decision making might investigate the roles of reason or superstition in the choices people make. Other psychologists might focus on factors that influence emotions ranging from uncontrollable rage, paralyzing fear and suicidal depression to passionate desire and ecstatic joy. Psychologists are interested in the circumstances that might motivate an individual to risk their own life to save others at one moment and commit acts of great cruelty at another.
This unique program pairs academic excellence with mentoring and community service opportunities, providing students with support to apply to medicine, pharmacy, optometry, dentistry, physiotherapy, veterinary medicine, public health, biomedical research and more. Students develop strengths in leadership, resilience, communication and collaboration as they progress along their path toward a career in rural health.
Take this program if you’re interested in alternative medicine and holistic treatment methods and have always had a desire to heal those in need. You’re fascinated by Chinese healing practices like acupuncture and want to develop a balanced approach to your clients’ health and well being. You’re inspired by nature and see the interconnectedness of the Earth’s systems. You want to know yourself better, and through that knowing, help others in the process.
The School of University Arts and Sciences offers over 100 university arts and science courses.