Choose your Program

Choose your FASS program

All students in FASS are admitted into the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and are undeclared until they contact a department to formally declare a program (major, minor), usually by the time they have completed 60 units.

Major

You can choose one subject area of concentration within your BA degree – most students do. All programs have specific requirements for lower and upper division courses.

Minor

A minor usually requires half the number of courses in relation to a major. You can add an optional minor to your degree with any major. You can also complete two minors to earn your BA degree.

Honours

An honours program includes the requirements of a major plus other advanced courses that prepare students for the pursuit of a graduate program.

Joint Major

A joint major includes two subjects that are complimentary to one another and have the same unit value (as opposed to a major in one subject and a minor in another, where the major would be considerably larger than the minor).

What are the differences between programs (majors, minors, etc.)?

The difference between majors, joint majors, extended minors and minors is essentially the number of units you would complete in a particular subject at the lower and upper division levels:  

 

Major

Joint Major

Extended Minor

Minor

Lower Division

~18 to 24 units

~18 to 24 units
in each subject

~18 to 24 units

~9 to 15 units

Upper Division

~30 to 36 units

~20 to 24 units
in each subject

~15 to 18 units

~15 to 18 units


Honors degrees require the completion of at least 120 units, including at least 60 upper division units. Of these, at least 50 upper division units must be taken in a subject in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

For more information about program options in a BA degree, please visit Plan your Program.

Find out whether your choice of major or minor will affect your Career Planning.