The Associate of Arts Degree - Future Teachers will help you meet the course requirements for admission to the teacher training program (PDP) at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and to the Faculty of Education at University of British Columbia (UBC). At the same time, you'll also complete two years of university transfer courses that can be used toward a Bachelor of Arts Degree.
NOTE: International students are not currently eligible for this program. For more information, contact Douglas College International.
Associate of Arts Graduation Requirements:
In addition to completing the general requirements for an Associate of Arts Degree, the courses outlined below are a guide to choosing courses that will assist students in meeting the admission requirements to SFU's PDP Program and are transferable to SFU.
University Transfer credits include any Douglas College course that receives transfer credit at any of the following research universities: SFU, UBC, UBC-O, UNBC, or UVic.
A second year Arts elective is an Arts course that transfers to the second year at one of the following research universities: SFU, UBC, UBC-O, UNBC, or UVic.
MATH 1191 is only required for students planning to teach elementary school. An Associate of Arts Degree requires students to take a math, statistics or computing science course.
All students entering SFU's PDP are encouraged to take Education courses. Douglas College offers Education courses in History (HIST 2230), Philosophy (PHIL 2220), Psychology (PSYC 2207) and Sociology (SOCI 2245). These courses transfer to SFU as second-year education courses. Please check Program and Course Catalogue for prerequisites.
SFU's PDP recommends that students who teach elementary school take Performing and Fine Art courses and Biomedical and Physiology Kinesiology courses. Many of Douglas College Performing and Fine Arts courses transfer to SFU as do our Sport Science courses (check the BC Transfer Guide to ensure they transfer as Fine Arts and Biomedical and Physiology Kinesiology courses).
For SFU’s PDP program, applicants must have a completed Bachelor's degree before starting the PDP. For applicants interested in elementary education, a minimum 90-credit degree is required. Applicants may submit their PDP application with their degree still in-progress (providing that it is completed by August 31). To teach at the secondary level, a student must complete a degree (minimum of 120 credits), including a teachable major subject or two teachable minor subjects, plus two English courses.
6 credits first-year English* electives
6 credits Humanities** electives
6 credits Social Sciences** electives
6 credits Arts ** electives
18 credits second-year Arts** electives in 2 or more subject areas
3 credits Lab Science elective
3 credits Math, Statistics or Computing Science elective
3 credits Math, Statistics or Science elective
9 credits other University Transfer electives
Notes:
*English courses can include courses in written Communications and Creative Writing that transfer to one of the B.C. research universities (SFU, UBC, UBC-O, UVic or UNBC) as English credit. A maximum of 3 credits can come from such an equivalent; at least 3 credits must be earned in an actual ENGL course, so-named. For purposes of the Associate of Arts degree, English courses cannot be counted as Humanities courses.
** Arts courses are available in the Faculty of Languages, Literature, and Performing Arts, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. To confirm whether a course is designated as "humanities" or "social sciences", check with an Academic Advisor. Courses in Economics and Mathematics also may be used as Arts electives toward an Associate of Arts Degree.
A course is defined by the subject for which it is granted transfer credit at one of the research universities (SFU, UBC, UBC-O, UNBC, or UVic).
For detailed information you may book an appointment with an Academic Advisor.
Students enrolled in this program may be eligible for a Co-operative Education designation. Co-operative Education involves alternating full-time academic and work terms. For information contact the Co-operative Education Office.
The College admits students on a first-qualified, first-admitted basis whereby students must satisfy all admissions criteria to establish eligibility and are then offered places by date of eligibility, except in programs that use selective admissions processes that rank order qualified applicants.
Note: Acceptable Grade 12 academic courses include: Pre-calculus 12; Calculus 12; Computer Science 12; Geometry 12; Statistics 12; English Literature 12; History 12; Geography 12; Geology 12; Physics 12; Chemistry 12; Biology 12; French 12; Spanish 12; German 12; Mandarin 12; Japanese 12; Punjabi 12.
You can get an average cost for your program - tuition and student fees, books, uniforms, lab fees etc - on the Program Cost page.
Only programs approved for student loan funding are listed on the Program Cost page. For all other programs, refer to the Tuition Fee page.
Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.
When offered a full-time seat in this program a non-refundable, non-transferable $350 tuition deposit is required.