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Bachelor of Professional Arts Degree Program -
(four years — 120 credits)


This version of the Bachelor of Professional Arts, has been replaced by an updated version available at http://calendar.athabascau.ca/undergrad/2001/bpa_3.htm Oct. 1, 2001

Regulations amended, effective Oct. 1/00.

Please note, the regulations in effect at the time you were enrolled in your program are the regulations you must complete. For earlier versions of these regulations, please go to the archived version link at the end of this Web page. If you have become inactive (have not registered for a course within 12 months from your last contract date) you must re-enrol and will follow the regulations in effect at the time of re-enrolment.

The Bachelor of Professional Arts program is designed for people who have completed an approved two-year diploma or equivalent from a college or institute of technology. Some students may qualify to earn additional credits through Prior Learning Assessment.

There are three majors offered in the Bachelor of Professional Arts degree:

Courses in the Bachelor of Professional Arts (Communication Studies) are available through home study. Some courses are in development and will become available to students throughout the year.

Courses in the Bachelor of Professional Arts (Criminal Justice) are available on site at two colleges in Alberta: Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton and Lethbridge Community College in Lethbridge. The Criminal Justice courses are becoming available in home study as well as seminar format.

Course delivery methods in the Human Services major vary between courses. The course syllabus indicates the delivery mode of each course in the various majors.

Program Changes

Additions and changes may occur during the Calendar year. Students are encouraged to contact the appropriate program advisor for additional information.
  • Communications Studies
  • Human Services

Degree Requirements

Total credits in the program    120
College diploma transfer (enrolment requirement)    60

Minimum credits required beyond the college diploma

Core courses    12
Major and elective courses    48
Total    60
Within the degree students are required to earn for degree completion

Senior (300 or 400) level    48
400 level    18
Through Athabasca University (residency)    30

Maximum credits allowed

At the junior (200) level    12

Common Core Courses (12 credits)

Common core effective October 1, 2000. To previous version.

  • Any university level computing course, e.g., COMP 200 Introduction to Computing and Information Systems
    or
    INFS 200 Accessing Information
    or
    CMIS 301 Microcomputer Applications in Business (Windows)
    		•    3
  • Any university level writing course or English literature course e.g., ENGL 255 Introductory Composition
    or
    ADMN 233 Writing in Organizations
    or
    ENGL 211 Prose Forms
    		•    3
  • Any university level critical and analytical thinking courses, e.g., HSRV 306 Critical Reflection for Practice
    or PHIL 252 Critical Thinking
    		•    3
  • Any university level course in professional ethics, e.g., PHIL 333 Professional Ethics
    		•    3

    Bachelor of Professional Arts Communication Studies major

    This version of the Bachelor of Professional Arts, has been replaced by an updated version available at http://www.athabascau.ca/html/programs/b_pa/bpa_3.htm Oct. 1, 2001

    The Bachelor of Professional Arts (Communication Studies) allows students to apply their knowledge within a national and international context of mass media and communication. The Bachelor of Professional Arts (Communication Studies) is available to:

    • those individuals who have completed an approved two-year communications-related diploma (e.g., public relations, advertising, journalism, multi-media, broadcasting, library and information studies, legal assistant, and marketing) or equivalent. Students may either apply for prior learning assessment credits in this program or discuss an academic assessment with the program coordinator. For general information regarding the Communication Studies major, contact the program advisor.

    The common core courses may be taken at any time. Students are encouraged to complete the common core courses early in their program as these courses address skills and knowledge that will help them succeed with the remaining degree requirements.

    Students must complete the following:

    Major Courses (27 credits)

    Required Major Courses (6 credits)

    CMNS 301 Communication Theory and Analysis    3
    CMNS 302 Communication in History    3

    Choose 21 Credits from the Following Courses (minimum of 12 at the 400 level)

    CMNS 311 Media and the Law    3
    CMNS 321 Computers and Human Experience    3
    CMNS 358 Popular Culture and the Media    3
    CMNS 370-371 Individual/Group Projects    3
    CMNS 380 Corporate Communications    3
    CMNS 385 Media Construction of Social Movements and Issues    3
    CMNS 401 Cultural Policy in Canada    3
    CMNS 402 International Media Systems I: The Americas    3
    CMNS 420 Children and Media    3
    CMNS 423 The Television Age    3
    CMNS 425 Film and Genre    3
    CMNS 445 Directed Readings    3
    CMNS 450-51 Individual and Group Projects    3
    COMP 495-496 Computer and Information Systems Projects    3
    POEC 302 Introduction to Political Economy    3
    POEC 393 Canada and the Global Political Economy    3
    POLI 309 Canadian Government and Politics    3
    SOCI 435 Theories of Social Change    3
    SOSC 366 Research Methods in the Social Sciences    3   

    Electives (21 credits)

    Choose 21 credits from any discipline
    (a maximum of 3 credits allowed at the junior (200) level).

    Bachelor of Professional Arts Criminal Justice Major

    This version of the Bachelor of Professional Arts, has been replaced by an updated version available at http://www.athabascau.ca/html/programs/b_pa/bpa_3.htm Oct. 1, 2001

    The Bachelor of Professional Arts (Criminal Justice) is available to students who have graduated with a two-year approved diploma in criminal justice-related areas from an accredited college or technical institute. The program provides students with two years of Arts and Administrative Studies courses along with specialized senior level courses in criminal justice.

    For general information regarding the Criminal Justice major, contact the program advisor.

    Students must complete the following:

    Major Courses (42 credits)      
    A 200 level accounting course or
    ADMN 232 Administrative Principles
    		   3
    CRJS 350 Community Policing    3
    CRJS 352 Victims of Crimes    3
    CRJS 410 Special Needs Policing    3
    CRJS 420 Environmental Protection and Enforcement    3
    CRJS 425 White Collar Crime    3
    CRJS 426 Aboriginal Government and Law    3
    CRJS 427 Civil Liberties and Individual Rights    3
    LGST 331 Administrative Law    3
    LGST 430 Canadian Legal System    3
    A 300 level organizations course (e.g., ORGB 326 or SOCI 300)    3
    ORGB 327 Leadership in Organizations    3
    SOCI 305 Sociology and Crime or
    SOCI 365 Sociology of Deviance
    		   3
    A 300 level research methods course (e.g., SOSC 366)    3   

    Electives (6 credits)

    Choose 6 credits from any discipline at the senior (300 or 400 level).

    Bachelor of Professional Arts Human Services Major

    This version of the Bachelor of Professional Arts, has been replaced by an updated version available at http://www.athabascau.ca/html/programs/b_pa/bpa_3.htm Oct. 1, 2001

    Open Oct. 01, 2001.

    The Bachelor of Professional Arts Human Services major responds to career and professional needs of career practitioners in the human services fields of early childhood education, child and youth care, rehabilitation services, and other closely related fields such as teacher assistants and counsellors. The program complements the diploma programs offered at community colleges in Alberta and across Canada.

    Students are strongly encouraged to plan an individualized program of study to

    • consolidate and formalize their previous learning
    • build on their existing knowledge
    • broaden their knowledge base
    • explore areas of interest, and
    • prepare themselves for future education and career choices.

    Students are advised to plan their program of study carefully to ensure that they meet all of the degree requirements. A maximum of 12 credits may be completed at the 200 level including any 200-level courses in the required common core. You must also complete a minimum of 18 credits at the 400 level. If you need assistance in planning your program contact the program advisor.

    Students must complete the following:

    Required Major Courses (36 credits)

    Student must complete six required courses and six additional courses, two chosen from each of the following three themes: Leadership, Public Policy Contexts, and A Changing Environment.

    The following 6 credits are required:
    HSRV 311 Practice and Policy in the Human Services    3
    HSRV 322 Policies in the Human Services (in development)    3

    And 12 credits from the following

    HSRV 433 Directed Reading I: Topics in the Human Services (in development)    3
    HSRV 455 Project Design I (in development)    3
    HSRV 477 Project Implementation I (in development)    3
    LBST 200 Introduction to Labour Studies
    		   3
    NTST 200 Introduction to Native Studies    3
    ORGB 327 Leadership in Organizations    3
    PSYC 389 An Introduction to Learning Disabilities    3
    SOCI 300 Organizations and Society: Making Sense of Modern Organizational Life    3
    WMST 267 Perspectives on Women: An Introduction to Women's Studies    3
    WMST 321 Advocacy from the Margins    3

    18 Additional Credits (Choose two courses from each theme)

    The six theme-related courses create a strong multidisciplinary knowledge base in the areas of leadership, policy contexts and the rapidly changing world in which high-quality human service delivery occurs. The major courses offer a mix of traditional management and public administration along with innovative approaches that provide other possibilities for responding to rapid social change. Students may choose their courses to broaden and deepen their understanding or specialize, for example, by selecting aboriginal content or women's studies courses. With permission of the program coordinator other courses may be substituted under the theme headings to complement students individualized program of study.

    Please note that 18 credits must be compeleted at the 400 level. Students are advised to plan their program of study carefully to ensure that they meet all of the degree requirements.

    THEME ONE: Leadership (Choose two)

    These courses emphasise communications, management, finance and social change.

    ACCT 250 Accounting for Managers or any 200-level accounting course    3
    ECON 321 Economics of Health Care    3
    CMIS 301 Microcomputer Applications in Business (Windows)    3
    CMNS 321 Computers and Human Experience    3
    CMNS 365 Language and Power (in development)    3
    CMNS 385 Media Construction of Social Movements and Issues    3
    COMM 243 Interpersonal Communications in Management    3
    COMM 377 Communication and Problem Solving in Groups    3
    HLST 320 Teaching and Learning for Health Professionals    3
    LBST 332 Women and Unions    3
    NTST 357 Contemporary Aboriginal Issues in Canada    3
    ORGB 326 Organization Theory    3
    ORGB 364 Organizational Behaviour    3
    ORGB 386 Introduction to Human Resource Management    3
    ORGB 390 Managing Change    3
    PADM 372 Canadian Public Finance    3
    PSYC 470 Consultation and Collaboration for Students with Special Needs    3
    PSYC 471 Managing Behaviour Problems in the Classroom    3
    SOCI 300 Organizations and Society: Making Sense of Modern Organizational Life    3
    WMST 302 Communication Skills: Feminist Practice    3
    WMST 422 Women, Violence, and Social Change    3

    THEME TWO: Public Policy Contexts (Choose two)

    These courses emphasise government, law, society and healthy communities.

    CRJS 426 Aboriginal Government and Law    3
    HADM 336 Community Health Planning    3
    HADM 369 Health Policy in Canada    3
    LBST 413 What do Unions Do?    3
    LGST 310 The Impact of the Canadian Charter on Labour Relations    3
    LGST 331 Administrative Law    3
    LGST 430 Canadian Legal System    3
    NTST 201 Introduction to Native Studies II    3
    NTST 315 Community Development in Canadian Native Communities    3
    NTST 326 Contemporary Native Health Issues: Health and Healing    3
    PADM 390 Canadian Public Administration and Public Policy    3
    POLI 309 Canadian Government and Politics    3
    POLI 311 Aboriginal Politics and Governments    3
    POLI 330 International and Global Politics    3
    POLI 350 Women in Canadian Politics    3
    POLI 383 Introduction to Canadian Political Economy    3
    SOCI 329 Aging and You (I): An Introduction to Gerontology    3
    WMST 400 Feminism in the Western Tradition    3
    WMST 401 Contemporary Feminist Theory    3

    THEME THREE: A Changing Environment (Choose two)

    These courses emphasise holistic approaches to communities, roots and sources, and methodology and research.

    CRJS 352 Victims of Crime    3
    CMNS 420 Children and Media    3
    EDUC 301 Educational Issues and Social Change I— Historical Social Perspectives    3
    HADM 369 Health Policy in Canada    3
    LBST 331 Women, Workers, and Farmers: Histories of North American Popular Resistance    3
    NTST 342 Issues in Native Education    3
    NTST 358 Aboriginal Women in Canadian Contemporary Society    3
    NTST 369 History of Canada's First Nations from 1830    3
    NTST 370 The Métis    3
    POEC 393 Canada and the Global Economy    3
    PSYC 343 Issues and Strategies in Counselling Women    6
    PSYC 389 An Introduction to Learning Disabilities    3
    PSYC 400 Teaching and Managing the Child with Learning Difficulties    3
    SOCI 435 Theories of Social Change    3
    SOCI 380 Canadian Ethnic Studies    3
    SOCI 450 Social Theory and the Environment    3
    SOSC 366 Research Methods in the Social Sciences    3
    WMST 303 Issues in Women's Health    3
    WMST 311 Special Issues in Counselling Women (in development)    3
    WMST 444 Feminist Research Methodology    3

    Elective courses (12 credits)

    Choose 12 additional credits in any discipline at the senior (300 or 400) level. Students should select electives with a view to fulfilling the general degree requirement especially the requirement of completing six 3-credit courses at the 400 level. Students may select additional courses from those recommended for the Human Services major.

    Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.
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    This page was updated by E. Comrie