Skip to Main Content
#

Arts and Social Sciences

Arts and Social Sciences Overview

International Year One (UTP Stage II): Arts and Social Sciences is equivalent to the first year of SFU’s Bachelor of Arts degree. It provides the foundation for further study in many areas such as economics, English, international studies, political science, psychology, linguistics and criminology. International Year One (UTP Stage II) will help you choose the area in which you wish to specialize for your Bachelor of Arts.

KEY INFORMATION

Duration

  • 3 terms

Intakes

  • January, May, September

Location

  • Vancouver

Your direct pathway to Simon Fraser University

High School
FIC
2nd year Simon Fraser University

Find out more about SFU’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

You must complete a minimum of 10 academic courses at FIC and have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.5 upon completion of your International Year One (UTP Stage II) to be guaranteed transfer to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree program at SFU.  Please see the Faculty website and SFU Calendar regarding specific major program declaration requirements.

Course offerings and required courses may change without notice.

*A student advisor can help you choose appropriate courses to satisfy SFU entry requirements.

Career Opportunities

There are an endless number of career opportunities available to Arts and Social Sciences graduates. More than half of all advertised positions that require a university degree do not specify a required degree discipline. The reason is that a university education, and especially a university education in Arts and Social Sciences, is as much about skill development as it is about content, and the skills you develop in Arts and Social Sciences are highly valued by employers. Possible career paths include:

  • Advertising
  • Civil Service
  • Corporate Communications
  • Interpreter
  • Journalism
  • Marketing
  • Mass Communication
  • Media Specialist
  • Public Relations
  • Research
  • Sales Management
  • Tourism
WordPress Tables Plugin

* Program fees are based on 30 credits of study at C$1,148.92 per credit. Students taking more than 30 credits of study will need to pay additional fees. Not for credit transfer Academic Literacy Course is a requirement for International Year One (UTP Stage II) Direct entry.

For the most up-to-date fees and charges, please visit: https://www.fraseric.ca/admissions/fees/

Program Requirements

To transfer into the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, students must complete the requirements listed below, which include at least one ‘W’ and one ‘Q’ course.
-> What are ‘W’ and ‘Q’ courses?

A minimum GPA of 2.50, based on completion of 10 courses (at least 30 units, and with a grade of C- or better in all courses), will guarantee admittance to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences for successful transfer students from FIC. In addition, a cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required for admission to the university.

All (direct) students are required to take (and pass) ILS101/ILSA101 – Integrated Learning Skills and ALC101/ALAC101 – Academic Literacy Course in their first term of study unless exempted. For ALC exempted requirements, please check the English requirements page**

Required Courses

Choose one course from the following list:

ENGL112 - Literature Now (Formerly ENGL101)

Writing
Breadth-Humanities (Effective Fall 2016)
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences - Introduces students to contemporary works of literature in English and/or contemporary approaches to interpreting literature. May focus on one or multiple genres. Includes attention to writing skills.

Prerequisite

Open to students who have passed 3 UTP II Classes
Students with credit for ENGL101 may not take this course for further credit.

ENGL113 - Literature and Performance

Writing
Breadth-Humanities (Effective Fall 2016)
3 units
Introduces students to plays and performance works created and adapted for the stage, and/or the performative dimensions of other literary forms. May be organized historically, generically or thematically. The course may also explore the links between literary and performance theory. Includes attention to writing skills.

Prerequisite

Open to students who have passed 3 UTP II Classes

ENGL115 - Literature and Culture (Formerly ENGL105)

Writing
Breadth-Humanities (Effective Fall 2016)
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – An Introduction to the study of literature within the wider cultural field, with a focus on contemporary issues across genres and media.

Prerequisite

Open to students who have passed 3 UTP II Classes
Students with credit for ENGL105 may not take this course for further credit.

PSYC109 - Brain, Mind and Society

Writing
Breadth-Science
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Introduces the student to issues in Psychology by surveying the research on brain and behaviour and the implications of this work for individuals and society. Beginning with neurons, this course explores the transition to human experience.

Prerequisite

Open to students who have passed 3 UTP II Classes.

WL101 - Writing in World Literature

Writing
Breadth-Humanities
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences - Explores literary texts from diverse linguistic and cultural origins while introducing students to the fundamentals of comparative literary analysis and critical writing. May examine cross-cultural interactions, or compare texts thematically. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

Prerequisite

Open to students who have passed 3 UTP II Classes. Students with credit for WL102 may not take this course for further credit.

 

Available Writing Course Substitutions

WL102 will be counted as W designation if student took it between Fall 2016 to Summer 2017.
ENGL105 will be counted as W designation if student took it before Fall 2016.
ENGL101 will be counted as W designation if student took it before Fall 2016.
These courses are no longer offered at FIC.

Arts and Social Sciences and Breadth Courses

Choose at least five courses from the following FASS (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) and non-FASS course lists:

Fass Courses

CRIM101 - Introduction to Criminology

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – This course provides a basic understanding of criminological concepts and theories and a solid foundation for future criminology courses. Emphasis will be placed on developing the relationship between criminological ideas, research, practice and policy in Canada. Lectures and readings will introduce students to a range of theoretical and substantive issues in criminology. Topics will include: examination of different terms and concepts commonly used in Criminology, such as crime, delinquency, deviance, criminal, victim, rehabilitation and treatment; criminology as a body of knowledge and as a profession; position and subject matter of criminology; relationship between criminology and other academic disciplines; specificity of criminology; relationship between theory and practice; history and evolution of criminological thought; elements of continuity and discontinuity between classical and modern theories of criminality; levels of explanations in criminology; practical applications of criminology, and the foundations of a modern criminal policy.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

CRIM131 - Introduction to the Criminal Justice System – A Total System Approach

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – An introductory analysis of the structure and operation of the Canadian criminal justice system. Examination of the patterns of crime and victimization; police operations, discretion and decision making; the criminal courts, including sentencing; the corrections system, including correctional institutions and community-based models; the youth justice system. Patterns of contact and conflict between various social groups and the criminal justice system.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

CRIM135 - Introduction to Canadian Law & Legal Institutions

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – A general introduction to the fundamental and competing principles of jurisprudence and to the basic legal institutions of Canada. Prepares students for those law and law-related courses offered within the School of Criminology and will consider the history of Canadian law, the development of the Canadian constitution, the system of Canadian courts and the roles and responsibilities of members of the legal profession. In addition, the course will consider the nature of legal reasoning, the doctrine of precedent, principles of statutory interpretation and will also introduce the fields of contract, torts, administrative law, and family law. Also examines the process of law reform in Canada.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

ECON103 - Principles of Microeconomics

Quantitative
Breadth-Social Sciences
4 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – The principal elements of theory concerning utility and value; price and costs; factor analysis; productivity; labor organization; competition and monopoly; and the theory of the firm.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

ECON105 - Principles of Macroeconomics

Quantitative
Breadth-Social Sciences
4 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – The principal elements of theory concerning money and income; distribution; social accounts; public finance; international trade; comparative systems; and development and growth.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

ECON260 - Environmental Economics

Quantitative
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Economic analysis of environmental problems (water and air pollution, etc.) Evaluation of market failures due to externalities and public goods. Market and non-market regulation of environmental problems.

Prerequisite

ECON103 with a minimum C- grade

ENGL112 - Literature Now (Formerly ENGL101)

Writing
Breadth-Humanities (Effective Fall 2016)
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences - Introduces students to contemporary works of literature in English and/or contemporary approaches to interpreting literature. May focus on one or multiple genres. Includes attention to writing skills.

Prerequisite

Open to students who have passed 3 UTP II Classes
Students with credit for ENGL101 may not take this course for further credit.

ENGL113 - Literature and Performance

Writing
Breadth-Humanities (Effective Fall 2016)
3 units
Introduces students to plays and performance works created and adapted for the stage, and/or the performative dimensions of other literary forms. May be organized historically, generically or thematically. The course may also explore the links between literary and performance theory. Includes attention to writing skills.

Prerequisite

Open to students who have passed 3 UTP II Classes

ENGL115 - Literature and Culture (Formerly ENGL105)

Writing
Breadth-Humanities (Effective Fall 2016)
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – An Introduction to the study of literature within the wider cultural field, with a focus on contemporary issues across genres and media.

Prerequisite

Open to students who have passed 3 UTP II Classes
Students with credit for ENGL105 may not take this course for further credit.

FREN120 - French for Beginners

3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – An introduction to basic vocabulary, grammatical structures, and speech patterns. Emphasis on oral expression and listening comprehension. Instruction in class and in lab.

Prerequisite

Never studied or experienced French before.

GSWS101 - Gender Talk

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – An interdisciplinary study of the social and cultural construction of gender, and how ideas about masculinity and feminity shape current issues, knowledge, popular culture, and social policy.

Prerequisite

No Prerequisite Required

HIST102 - Canada Since Confederation

Breadth-Humanities
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – A survey of Canadian history since 1867.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

HIST204 - The Social History of Canada

Breadth-Humanities
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – A survey of major themes in Canadian social history from the arrival of Europeans to the present day. Particular attention will be paid to the effects of gender, race and class on the experience to Canadians over time.

Prerequisite

HIST102 / WL101 or ENGL112 / ENGL115 with a minimum C- grade

INDG101 - Introduction to Indigenous Studies (formerly FNST101)

Breadth-Humanities (Effective Spring 2008)
Breadth-Social Sciences (Effective Spring 2008)
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Introduces the nature and goals of Indigenous Studies as an academic discipline that emphasizes cultures and homelands of First Peoples. Students with credit for FNST 101 may not take this course for further credit.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

INDG201 - Indigenous Peoples’ Perspective on History

Breadth-Social Sciences (Effective Summer 2018)
3 units
An examination of fact and ideology in history and historic events involving contact between Indigenous and European peoples. The course will also address questions of research methodologies in studying Indigenous/European relations, such as the evaluation of oral history and written ethnohistoric sources. An additional focus will be on gender as it influences perspectives. Students with credit for FNST201 may not take this course for further credit (formerly FNST201).

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

IS101 - Global Challenges of the 21st Century: An Introduction to International Studies

Breadth-Humanities
Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Introduces the interdisciplinary field of International Studies to all undergraduates and IS majors. Examines the major global challenges of our time, including poverty and inequality, environmental degradation, nationalism, civil war, and armed conflict. Explores the challenge of global governance and global citizenship.

Prerequisite

LBST101 - Introducing Labour Studies

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Introduction to key concepts necessary for understanding the character and organization of work in contemporary society. The discussion of such issues as how our society decides who works, what the work will be, and under what conditions people work, will be situated in the context of current debates, trends, and issues.

Prerequisite

No Prerequisite Required

LING110 - The Wonder of Words

Breadth-Social Sciences (Effective Spring 2010)
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Study of the structure of words, the change of meaning of words, the change in form of words. Examples from English, French and other languages. A general interest course open to all students.

Prerequisite

Students who have taken LING110 in Fall 2009 or prior will NOT receive B-Soc designation.
This course is no longer offered at FIC.

LING111 - The Wonder of Words

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Introduces the linguistic pathways by which selected contemporary English vocabulary has arisen. Word etymologies are derived through the application of analytical tools leading to a deeper understanding of language change and word meaning.

Prerequisite

Students with credit for LING110 may not take this course for further credit.

LING200 - Foundations of English Grammar

3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – A practical overview of English grammar based on linguistic principles, for those desiring basic knowledge of language structure, grammatical categories and grammatical analysis. This course is particularly suited for students interested in the teaching of English as a second language.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

LING220 - Introduction to Linguistics

Breadth-Social Sciences (Effective Spring 2010)
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – This class is an introductory study of how language works and the complexities of human language. The course focuses on the central topics of modern linguistic science: Phonetics - the production, transmission, and perception of speech sounds, Phonology - the patterning of speech sounds, Morphology - word structure, Syntax - sentence structure, and Semantics - meaning.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

PHIL105 - Critical Thinking (Formerly PHIL001)

Quantitative
Breadth-Science (Effective Summer 2016)
Breadth-Social Sciences (Effective Summer 2016)
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – An introduction to the evaluation of arguments as they are encountered in everyday life. The central aim will be to sharpen skills of reasoning and argumentation by understanding how arguments work and learning to distinguish those which actually prove what they set out to show from those which do not.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

POL100 - Introduction to Politics and Government

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – A comprehensive introduction to the study of politics and government for both political science majors and students specializing in other disciplines. The course will explore the major concepts, methods, approaches and issues in political science, as well as the primary components of government structure and the political process.

Prerequisite

There is a $75 Book fee associated with this course.

POL141 - War, International Cooperation and Development (Formerly POL241)

Breadth-Social Science (Effective Fall 2016)
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Theory and practice of international politics, diplomacy, hot war, cold war, alliances and the role of leaders. Students who have taken .

Prerequisite

POL 241 may not take this course for further credit.
There is a $90 Book fee associated with this course.

POL151 - Justice and Law

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – The development of laws and their application to the citizen and social groups. Special consideration will be given to civil liberties.

Prerequisite

No Prerequisite Required

POL232 - US Politics

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – An examination of the American political system, including the presidency, the congress, the courts, the bureaucracy and the party system.

Prerequisite

POL100 with a minimum D grade

PSYC100 - Introduction to Psychology I

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Acquaints the student with the major issues in contemporary psychology and considers the historical antecedents. Special attention is given to questions of methodology and research design in psychology. Topics in physiological psychology, perception, learning, and motivation are considered.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

PSYC102 - Introduction to Psychology II

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Acquaints the student with major issues in contemporary psychology and considers their historical antecedents. Topics in learning, cognition, social psychology and abnormal psychology are considered.

Prerequisite

PSYC100 is recommended but not required.

PSYC109 - Brain, Mind and Society

Writing
Breadth-Science
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Introduces the student to issues in Psychology by surveying the research on brain and behaviour and the implications of this work for individuals and society. Beginning with neurons, this course explores the transition to human experience.

Prerequisite

Open to students who have passed 3 UTP II Classes.

PSYC201 - Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology

Writing
Quantitative
4 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – An introduction to the procedures used in psychological research, and to the logic underlying them. Topics include the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to research, the formulation of testable questions, the control of extraneous influences, the measurement of effects, and the drawing of valid conclusions from empirical evidence. Provides a background for senior psychology courses since it offers a basis for the critical evaluation and conduct of research.

Prerequisite

PSYC100 or PSYC102 with a minimum D grade.

PSYC250 - Introduction to Developmental Psychology

3 units
Considers the psychological and physical aspects of human development from conception through middle childhood. Topics include social, emotional, language, cognitive, perceptual and physical development.

Prerequisite

PSYC102 with a minimum C- grade

WL101 - Writing in World Literature

Writing
Breadth-Humanities
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences - Explores literary texts from diverse linguistic and cultural origins while introducing students to the fundamentals of comparative literary analysis and critical writing. May examine cross-cultural interactions, or compare texts thematically. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

Prerequisite

Open to students who have passed 3 UTP II Classes. Students with credit for WL102 may not take this course for further credit.

WL201 - East/West

Breadth-Humanities (Effective Fall 2009)
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Explores the relationship between Eastern and Western narratives. The focus may include the mutual influence of Eastern and Western cultural traditions and modernity’s, the construction of the ‘East’ in the West and of the ‘West’ in the East, theories of Orientalism and Occidentalism, and forms of East/West syncretism.

Prerequisite

WL101 or HIST102 & HIST204; or ENGL112; or ENGL115

 

Non-Fass Courses

ARCH100 - Ancient Peoples and Places

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – A broad survey of human cultural development from the late Palaeolithic/Palaeo Indian periods (ca 40,000 BP) to the rise of civilization and empires, in both the Old and New Worlds.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

BUS200 - Business Fundamentals

Breadth-Social Sciences (Effective Fall 2016)
3 units
Beedie School of Business – This introductory course will explore the fundamentals of modern business and organizational management. Working with case studies, students will build upon the basics of revenue, profits, contribution and costs, as well as integrate advanced aspects of business models, innovation, competitive advantage, core competence and strategic analysis.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

BUS216 - Introduction to Essentials of Business Communications

3 units
Beedie School of Business – Students will learn and apply the fundamentals of effective English-language business writing to produce short, professional-quality business documents. By reading, analyzing, planning, and writing documents for various audiences, students will learn about the distinctive elements of business writing. Students will develop essential skills in organizing, summarizing and assessing information through experiential business writing tasks.

Prerequisite

Students with credit for BUS360 may not receive further credit for this course.

CA135 - Introduction to Cinema (Formerly FPA135)

Breadth-Humanities (Effective Fall 2015)
3 units
Faculty of Communications, Arts and Technology – An introductory course designed to facilitate a fundamental understanding of film technique, style and form in order to develop the skills with which to analyze films of all genres. Through lectures and screenings it will provide an overview of the social, aesthetic and technical development of motion pictures, introducing tools for the formal analysis of the elements of cinema: cinematography and lighting, art direction, performance, editing, sound and the screenplay. The formal and historical elements of documentary, avant-garde and dramatic films will be addressed. The course will involve the screening and discussion of several complete feature films and shorts, as well as excerpts from others.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

CMNS110 - Introduction to Communication Studies

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Communication, Art & Technology – AThe aim of this course is to provide a general introduction to a range of theories that seek to explain why we communicate as we do. The first part of the course establishes a general overview of communication theory, from both theoretical and historical points of view. We will examine the relationship between communication and social consciousness, identity development, and communication as a symbolic and performative act. The second part of the course will focus on specific fields within the area of communication, including: the study of popular culture, media analysis, advertising, journalism, and the political economy of communication.. This course is required for a major, honors or minor in communication.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

GEOG100 - Our World: Introducing Human Geography

Breadth-Social Sciences
3 units
Faculty of Environment – A geographical introduction to how humans shape our world, with attention also given to how it shapes us. Themes may include: culture, economic activities, environmental change, globalization, politics, population, resources, and urbanization.

Prerequisite

There is a $85 Book fee associated with this course.

HSCI160 - Global Perspectives on Health

Breadth-Social Sciences (Effective Spring 2009)
3 units
Faculty of Health Sciences – The primary aim of the course is to engage and inspire students about the opportunities and challenges in global health. This is an overview of issues in global health from many different viewpoints and provides general understanding of factors/dynamics that affect the health of human populations and efforts to improve it. What is the difference between the health of an individual and the health of a population, vulnerable populations, and global population? What’s the burden of disease and who shoulders the greatest proportion of it? What are the determinants of health, what’s the role of culture, lifestyle, health beliefs, environmental factors, access to health services and other resources? The course will answer these and many other questions from the global perspective; it will also look at the changing pattern of population health and diseases in the world and will discuss major challenges and emerging issues.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

IAT110 - Visual Communication Design

Breadth-Humanities (Effective Fall 2014)
3 units
Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology - Visual communication for art and design in digital media. Students learn the fundamentals of digital raster and vector image creation. Design principles such as form, typography and colour theory as they apply to digital media will be taught. Students will have core projects in digital photography, magazine layout, and kinetic typography.

Prerequisite

Primarily for non-SIAT majors; while SIAT majors may take the course, it does not count for credit for SIAT degree requirements.

MATH100 - Precalculus

Quantitative
3 units
Faculty of Science – Designed to prepare students for first year Calculus courses. Topics include language and notation of mathematics; problem solving; algebraic, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions and their graphs.

Prerequisite

Math Check score (9-19) OR MTH099 with a B+ minimum grade OR MTH101 & MTH103 with a minimum C grade
MATH100 may not be counted towards the mathematics minor, major or honors degree requirements.
Students with a passing grade in MATH157 or MATH151 may not take this course for credit.

MATH157 - Calculus for the Social Sciences I

Quantitative
Breadth-Science (Before Summer 2017)
3 units
Faculty of Science – Designed for students specializing in business or the social sciences. Topics include limits, growth rate and the derivative; logarithmic exponential and trigonometric functions and their application to business, economics, optimization and approximation methods; functions of several variables.

Prerequisite

MAP Check score (20 or above) OR MATH100 with a C minimum grade OR MTH101 & MTH103 with a B minimum grade
Students with credit for MATH151 may not take MATH157 for further credit.

STAT203 - Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences

Quantitative
3 units
Faculty of Science / Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics aimed at students in the social sciences. Scales of measurement. Descriptive statistics. Measures of association. Hypothesis tests and confidence intervals. Intended to be particularly accessible to students who are not specializing in Statistics.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

 

Electives

Students select at least 4 additional courses within the FIC roster of offerings.

*Courses and programs are subject to change without notice. If you have any questions, please contact the student success advising team.

Back to Top