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FASS Forward one credit courses
Whether you're finishing your undergraduate degree, planning grad school or looking for work, learn valuable life skills with FASS Forward. Courses are generally one month and open to all SFU students.
Summer 2026 courses
Classes run for five weeks, from May 11 to June 12, 2026. The first session is one hour, the rest of four sessions are three hours each. Grading is Pass/Fail.
FASS 222 - Academics in FASS
Tuesday, 9:30am - 12:20pm
Sepideh Fotovatian
Topic: Speaking for Impact
This course develops oral communication skills for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences students. Through debates, TED-style talks, and podcast production, students will strengthen listening, note-taking, reasoning, and presentation abilities. Emphasis is placed on applying these skills to current debates in fields such as economics, sociology, arts, humanities, and political science. Application of AI and technology in creating presentations is also discussed.
FASS 223 - Finding a Career in FASS
Wednesday, 10:30am - 1:20pm
Matt Martell
Topic: Creating Effective Teams
Working in groups is often a challenging experience, yet effective teamwork is more important than ever in the modern workforce. Whether you work in an office, lab, in the field or another type of facility, a key challenge is to figure out how can we work together. Employers are increasing the use of artificial intelligence and automation to eliminate individualistic tasks and jobs, meaning workers are increasingly required to collaborate and work on more complex tasks, whether it is in person or remotely.
FASS 224 - FASS for Life
Tuesday, 2:30pm - 5:20pm
Luke Clossey
Topic: Meditation in Multicultural Contexts
Across centuries and cultures, people have found tremendous practical value in just sitting quietly. Their motivations have ranged from transcending everyday reality to more truly experiencing that reality, from improved mental well-being to total liberation from suffering. This experiential course teaches you how to meditate. We will also learn the origins of meditation, its expression in multiple cultures, and its global history in the modern world. The focus will be on Buddhist meditation, its cultural contexts, and its applications for everyday life.
FASS 305/805 - Centring Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) in Practical Life Settings
Wednesday, 1:30pm - 4:20pm
Roselene Dhaliwal
Explore topics in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) and their application in workplace, educational, and social settings. The primary objective will be to present the scholarship that has informed JEDI principles in an accessible way and to have you envision applying these in practical life settings. Students will have opportunities to reflect on core JEDI and adjacent concepts.
*Note: FASS 305 is for undergraduate students while FASS 805 is for graduate students. Both are running concurrently as one class.
Questions?
How much do FASS Forward courses cost?
Tuition is based on a per credit basis, not by course. Regular student fees still apply, and potential course-specific expenses may apply.
For more information, visit https://www.sfu.ca/students/calendar/fees-and-regulations/tuition-fees/undergraduate.html
How long is a 1-credit course?
13 hours of class time once a week for 5 weeks. The first week is a one hour orientation to skills-based learning.
How do FASS Forward courses count towards my degree completion?
They count as elective credits for your degree completion.
When are FASS Forward courses offered?
FASS Forward courses are typically offered in the Summer intersession term. Please note the deadlines for the Summer intersession term, which is different than a regular summer term: www.sfu.ca/students/deadlines/summer.html
Where can I find out the deadlines for the term?
The deadline for the Summer intersession term can be found here: www.sfu.ca/students/deadlines/summer.html
Can I do more than one course?
Yes! The courses are structured so that you can take more than one in a day. They will also finish before the workload demands increase for regular summer session courses.
What are skills-based courses?
Rather than mastering academic content to be successful in the course, you will be practicing a skill. For example, in order to become a better writer, you need to practice writing. You will have lots of opportunities to practice, get feedback and practice some more. The readings will be chosen as a reference for the skill development rather than for their argument or academic contribution to the understanding of the content.
Why were these courses developed?
FASS Forward courses were designed in response to a national survey by The Conference Board of Canada in February 2018. This report argued that graduates from the social sciences and humanities needed more support to be able to articulate how their degree has value to potential employers.
FASS conducted two surveys of 16,186 students in order to understand current work lives and future career aspirations (FASSFutures by Monica Petek, July 2019).
Of the 2,848 responses,
58% of undergraduates taking FASS courses felt that “FASS students do not receive the same guidance on skill development and career planning as students in other faculties.”
and
89.6% of students felt that a 1 credit course option was a good or very good idea.
Who can take FASS Forward courses?
Anyone across the university who has finished 15 units. You do not need to be in FASS to enroll.
How is grading done?
A FASS Forward course is designed to improve your skills for future success and work in this class is expected to be of high quality. A competency-based grading system will be used to assess your academic performance and active participation in all learning activities. That means only a P (pass) or F (fail) will appear on your transcript.
- P (pass) means that you have demonstrated your competency in relation to the learning objectives, met all the criteria for the course, and demonstrated the skills you have acquired. The 1 credit/unit from this course will count towards your total SFU units.
- F (fail) means that you do not receive credit for the course.
How is my GPA affected?
There is no numerical equivalent for the final grade (Pass/Fail), therefore your (cumulative) GPA will not be affected.
How do I enroll?
Just like in any other course, through goSFU. We have increased the number of seats for this year. There is a reserve for FASS students, which comes off at open enrollment time.
For further questions, please contact the FASS Forward Coordinator at fass_forward@sfu.ca.
FASS Forward in the news
BC Business wrote a feature on one credit courses at B.C. colleges and universities. Read what they had to say about the incredible FASS Forward courses at SFU!