4.8. Bachelor of Professional Arts degree
(four years — 120 credits)
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.
There are three majors offered in the Bachelor of Professional Arts degree: the
Communication Studies major, the Criminal Justice major, and a third major,
Human Services, which is anticipated to open September 1, 2000. An approved
two-year college diploma (or its equivalent) in the fields of early childhood
education, child and youth services, or rehabilitation services, is the
enrolment requirement. Prior learning assessment credits in this program may be
considered.
Courses in the Bachelor of Professional Arts (Criminal Justice) are offered by
home study and on site at two Alberta colleges: Lethbridge Community College in
Lethbridge and Grant MacEwan Community College
in Edmonton.
Program changes
Amendments to the program may occur during the Calendar year. Students should contact the program director for up-to-date information about courses and program requirements and the BPA program Web site before enrolling.
Total credits in the program
- College diploma (enrolment requirement)
|
120
60 |
Minimum credits required beyond the college diploma
- Core courses
- Major and elective course
- Senior (300 or 400) level
- 400 level
- Through Athabasca University
|
12
48
48
18
30 |
Maximum credits allowed
- At the junior (200) level
|
12 |
Common core courses (12 credits)
[The common core courses in this program were amended effective October
1, 2000. See: http://calendar.athabascau.ca/undergrad/2000/bpa.htm]
COMP 200 Introduction to Computing and Information Systems or
INFS 200 Accessing Information 3
ENGL 255 Introductory Composition 3
PHIL 252 Critical Thinking 3
PHIL 333 Professional Ethics 3
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 by the program coordinator.
The common core courses may be taken at any time. However, students are encouraged to complete the common core courses early in their program as these courses address skills and knowledge that will help students succeed with the remaining degree requirements.
Students must complete the common core courses (12 credits) and the following major courses.
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 308 Understanding Statistical Evidence (3)
CMNS 311 Mass Media and the Law (3)
CMNS 321 Computers and Human Experience (3)
CMNS 350 Media Systems of the Americas (3)
CMNS 358 Popular Culture and the Media (3)
CMNS 365 Language and Power (3)
CMNS 370-71 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 420 Children and Media (3)
CMNS 421 Personal Implications of the Internet (3)
CMNS 423 The Television Age (3)
CMNS 425 Film and Genre (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).
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 a 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.
Students must complete the common core courses (12 credits) and the following major courses.
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
SOSC 365 Sociology of Deviance (3)
A 300-level research methods course (e.g., SOSC 366) (3)
Electives (6 credits)
Choose 6 credits in any discipline at the senior (300 or 400) level.
The Bachelor of Professional Arts, major in Human Service 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 counselling. The program
is especially suitable for practitioners who have both a two-year diploma and
work experience in one of the fields that make up the human services. The degree
combines a common core of human services related courses together with a broad
range of options in the areas of leadership, public policy contexts and the
changing social environment.
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