Study Bachelor of Arts, Major in Policy Studies at Kwantlen Polytechnic University

The Bachelor of Arts, Major in Policy Studies (“POST”) is an interdisciplinary applied degree that integrates concepts from economics, environmental protection, philosophy, political science and psychology. You will learn how policy can be used to achieve sustainability goals and apply your skills to community projects with partners such as the City of Surrey.

The Major is designed around four core courses and two applied seminars. The core courses present key elements of public policy and explore critical sustainability theory and issues. In the applied seminars, students apply their research and analysis skills to develop solutions to contemporary issues. Multidisciplinary courses strengthen the foundation and increase the depth of student knowledge.

Students will develop strong analytical, writing and critical thinking skills, a deep understanding of the complex sustainability issues facing society today, and how to advance societal change using public policy.

Students are encouraged to complete a complementary minor such as economics, geography or political science in addition to the major in Policy Studies. Please meet with an Arts Degree Advisor to talk about what courses fit your interests to complete your Bachelor’s degree.

Faculty's website: kpu.ca/arts

Department's website: kpu.ca/arts/policy-studies

Admission Requirements

Students pursuing a major in Policy Studies must be admitted to the Faculty of Arts.

Declaration Requirements

Students intending to graduate with this Faculty of Arts Bachelor’s degree must declare the credential by the time they complete 60 credits of undergraduate coursework. At the time of declaration, the student must satisfy all of the following requirements:

In good academic standing with the University
Completion of a minimum of 18 credits of undergraduate coursework, including the following with a minimum grade of “C”:
- 3 credits of ENGL at the 1100 level or higher
- 6 credits at the 1100 level or higher in the Major area

Curricular Requirements

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete all requirements in the Bachelor of Arts Framework in addition to their major or minor program requirements.

Policy Studies Major

The Policy Studies Major requires completion of fifty-one (51) area-specific credits, including twenty-seven (27) lower level credits and twenty-four (24) upper level credits:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
1100 and 2000 Level
ECON 1101	Foundations of Economics	3
or ECON 1110	Making Economic Sense of Life
ENVI 1121	Environmental Issues	3
POST 1100	Sustainability and Ethics	3
or PHIL 1111	Sustainability and Ethics
POST 2200	Collective Power: Taking Action on Public Issues	3
SOCI 2260	Research Methods in Sociology	3
Select 6 credits from courses in PHIL at the 1100- or 2000-level (except PHIL 1111)	6
Select 6 credits from courses in POLI at the 1100- or 2000-level	6
3000 and 4000 Level ¹
CMNS 3100	Technical Report Writing	3
or CMNS 3250	Digital Media Communication
PHIL 3118	Ethics and Public Policy	3
or PHIL 4117	Topics in Social and Political Philosophy
POST 3110	Applied Sustainability Seminar	3
POST 3300	Sustainability Challenges: Public Policy and the Common Good	3
POST 4110	Applied Public Policy Seminar	3
or POLI 4110	Applied Public Policy Seminar
POST 4150	Psychology and Sustainability: Attitudes and Behaviour	3
or PSYC 4150	Psychology and Sustainability: Attitudes and Behaviour
POLI 3500	Public Debates in Politics	3
or POLI 4420	Issues in Public Policy and Administration
Select one of the following:	3
AGRI 4298	World Trends in Agriculture
GEOG 3220	Urban Planning and Politics
GEOG 3320	Environment and Resources
GEOG 4350	Climate Change
HIST 3140	Environment and Society in East Asia
HIST 3145	Earth & Air / Fire & Water: An Introduction to Eco-Activist Movements
HIST 3180	North American Environmental History
HIST 3315	Radicalism, Resistance, and Revolution
HIST 4492	Canadian Social History: Order & Disorder
SOCI 3345	Social Policy in Context
Total Credits	51

¹: Note: As an interdisciplinary major, some choices of upper-level courses will require lower-level course prerequisites in the relevant subject(s). Please plan your degree accordingly and consult an Arts Degree Advisor as needed.

Credential Awarded

Upon successful completion of the major program students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Arts. Transcripts will indicate a Major in Policy Studies.

This online version of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Calendar is the official version of the University Calendar. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, KPU reserves the right to make any corrections in the contents and provisions of this calendar without notice. In addition, the University reserves the right to cancel, add, or revise contents or change fees at any time without notice. To report errors or omissions, or send comments or suggestions, please email Calendar.Editor@kpu.ca

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Faculty's website: kpu.ca/arts

Department's website: kpu.ca/arts/policy-studies

Admission Requirements

Students pursuing a major in Policy Studies must be admitted to the Faculty of Arts.

Declaration Requirements

In good academic standing with the University
Completion of a minimum of 18 credits of undergraduate coursework, including the following with a minimum grade of “C”:
- 3 credits of ENGL at the 1100 level or higher
- 6 credits at the 1100 level or higher in the Major area

Curricular Requirements

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete all requirements in the Bachelor of Arts Framework in addition to their major or minor program requirements.

Policy Studies Major

The Policy Studies Major requires completion of fifty-one (51) area-specific credits, including twenty-seven (27) lower level credits and twenty-four (24) upper level credits:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
1100 and 2000 Level
ECON 1101	Foundations of Economics	3
or ECON 1110	Making Economic Sense of Life
ENVI 1121	Environmental Issues	3
POST 1100	Sustainability and Ethics	3
or PHIL 1111	Sustainability and Ethics
POST 2200	Collective Power: Taking Action on Public Issues	3
SOCI 2260	Research Methods in Sociology	3
Select 6 credits from courses in PHIL at the 1100- or 2000-level (except PHIL 1111)	6
Select 6 credits from courses in POLI at the 1100- or 2000-level	6
3000 and 4000 Level ¹
CMNS 3100	Technical Report Writing	3
or CMNS 3250	Digital Media Communication
PHIL 3118	Ethics and Public Policy	3
or PHIL 4117	Topics in Social and Political Philosophy
POST 3110	Applied Sustainability Seminar	3
POST 3300	Sustainability Challenges: Public Policy and the Common Good	3
POST 4110	Applied Public Policy Seminar	3
or POLI 4110	Applied Public Policy Seminar
POST 4150	Psychology and Sustainability: Attitudes and Behaviour	3
or PSYC 4150	Psychology and Sustainability: Attitudes and Behaviour
POLI 3500	Public Debates in Politics	3
or POLI 4420	Issues in Public Policy and Administration
Select one of the following:	3
AGRI 4298	World Trends in Agriculture
GEOG 3220	Urban Planning and Politics
GEOG 3320	Environment and Resources
GEOG 4350	Climate Change
HIST 3140	Environment and Society in East Asia
HIST 3145	Earth & Air / Fire & Water: An Introduction to Eco-Activist Movements
HIST 3180	North American Environmental History
HIST 3315	Radicalism, Resistance, and Revolution
HIST 4492	Canadian Social History: Order & Disorder
SOCI 3345	Social Policy in Context
Total Credits	51

¹: Note: As an interdisciplinary major, some choices of upper-level courses will require lower-level course prerequisites in the relevant subject(s). Please plan your degree accordingly and consult an Arts Degree Advisor as needed.

Credential Awarded

Upon successful completion of the major program students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Arts. Transcripts will indicate a Major in Policy Studies.

Print Options

Send Page to Printer

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The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

Faculty's website: kpu.ca/arts

Department's website: kpu.ca/arts/policy-studies

Admission Requirements

Students pursuing a major in Policy Studies must be admitted to the Faculty of Arts.

Declaration Requirements

In good academic standing with the University
Completion of a minimum of 18 credits of undergraduate coursework, including the following with a minimum grade of “C”:
- 3 credits of ENGL at the 1100 level or higher
- 6 credits at the 1100 level or higher in the Major area

Curricular Requirements

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete all requirements in the Bachelor of Arts Framework in addition to their major or minor program requirements.

Policy Studies Major

The Policy Studies Major requires completion of fifty-one (51) area-specific credits, including twenty-seven (27) lower level credits and twenty-four (24) upper level credits:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
1100 and 2000 Level
ECON 1101	Foundations of Economics	3
or ECON 1110	Making Economic Sense of Life
ENVI 1121	Environmental Issues	3
POST 1100	Sustainability and Ethics	3
or PHIL 1111	Sustainability and Ethics
POST 2200	Collective Power: Taking Action on Public Issues	3
SOCI 2260	Research Methods in Sociology	3
Select 6 credits from courses in PHIL at the 1100- or 2000-level (except PHIL 1111)	6
Select 6 credits from courses in POLI at the 1100- or 2000-level	6
3000 and 4000 Level ¹
CMNS 3100	Technical Report Writing	3
or CMNS 3250	Digital Media Communication
PHIL 3118	Ethics and Public Policy	3
or PHIL 4117	Topics in Social and Political Philosophy
POST 3110	Applied Sustainability Seminar	3
POST 3300	Sustainability Challenges: Public Policy and the Common Good	3
POST 4110	Applied Public Policy Seminar	3
or POLI 4110	Applied Public Policy Seminar
POST 4150	Psychology and Sustainability: Attitudes and Behaviour	3
or PSYC 4150	Psychology and Sustainability: Attitudes and Behaviour
POLI 3500	Public Debates in Politics	3
or POLI 4420	Issues in Public Policy and Administration
Select one of the following:	3
AGRI 4298	World Trends in Agriculture
GEOG 3220	Urban Planning and Politics
GEOG 3320	Environment and Resources
GEOG 4350	Climate Change
HIST 3140	Environment and Society in East Asia
HIST 3145	Earth & Air / Fire & Water: An Introduction to Eco-Activist Movements
HIST 3180	North American Environmental History
HIST 3315	Radicalism, Resistance, and Revolution
HIST 4492	Canadian Social History: Order & Disorder
SOCI 3345	Social Policy in Context
Total Credits	51

¹: Note: As an interdisciplinary major, some choices of upper-level courses will require lower-level course prerequisites in the relevant subject(s). Please plan your degree accordingly and consult an Arts Degree Advisor as needed.

Credential Awarded

Upon successful completion of the major program students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Arts. Transcripts will indicate a Major in Policy Studies.

Print Options

Send Page to Printer

Print this page.
Download Page (PDF)
The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

Faculty's website: kpu.ca/arts

Department's website: kpu.ca/arts/policy-studies

Admission Requirements

Students pursuing a major in Policy Studies must be admitted to the Faculty of Arts.

Declaration Requirements

In good academic standing with the University
Completion of a minimum of 18 credits of undergraduate coursework, including the following with a minimum grade of “C”:
- 3 credits of ENGL at the 1100 level or higher
- 6 credits at the 1100 level or higher in the Major area

Curricular Requirements

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete all requirements in the Bachelor of Arts Framework in addition to their major or minor program requirements.

Policy Studies Major

The Policy Studies Major requires completion of fifty-one (51) area-specific credits, including twenty-seven (27) lower level credits and twenty-four (24) upper level credits:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
1100 and 2000 Level
ECON 1101	Foundations of Economics	3
or ECON 1110	Making Economic Sense of Life
ENVI 1121	Environmental Issues	3
POST 1100	Sustainability and Ethics	3
or PHIL 1111	Sustainability and Ethics
POST 2200	Collective Power: Taking Action on Public Issues	3
SOCI 2260	Research Methods in Sociology	3
Select 6 credits from courses in PHIL at the 1100- or 2000-level (except PHIL 1111)	6
Select 6 credits from courses in POLI at the 1100- or 2000-level	6
3000 and 4000 Level ¹
CMNS 3100	Technical Report Writing	3
or CMNS 3250	Digital Media Communication
PHIL 3118	Ethics and Public Policy	3
or PHIL 4117	Topics in Social and Political Philosophy
POST 3110	Applied Sustainability Seminar	3
POST 3300	Sustainability Challenges: Public Policy and the Common Good	3
POST 4110	Applied Public Policy Seminar	3
or POLI 4110	Applied Public Policy Seminar
POST 4150	Psychology and Sustainability: Attitudes and Behaviour	3
or PSYC 4150	Psychology and Sustainability: Attitudes and Behaviour
POLI 3500	Public Debates in Politics	3
or POLI 4420	Issues in Public Policy and Administration
Select one of the following:	3
AGRI 4298	World Trends in Agriculture
GEOG 3220	Urban Planning and Politics
GEOG 3320	Environment and Resources
GEOG 4350	Climate Change
HIST 3140	Environment and Society in East Asia
HIST 3145	Earth & Air / Fire & Water: An Introduction to Eco-Activist Movements
HIST 3180	North American Environmental History
HIST 3315	Radicalism, Resistance, and Revolution
HIST 4492	Canadian Social History: Order & Disorder
SOCI 3345	Social Policy in Context
Total Credits	51

¹: Note: As an interdisciplinary major, some choices of upper-level courses will require lower-level course prerequisites in the relevant subject(s). Please plan your degree accordingly and consult an Arts Degree Advisor as needed.

Credential Awarded

Upon successful completion of the major program students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Arts. Transcripts will indicate a Major in Policy Studies.

Print Options

Send Page to Printer

Print this page.
Download Page (PDF)
The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

Faculty's website: kpu.ca/arts

Department's website: kpu.ca/arts/policy-studies

Admission Requirements

Students pursuing a major in Policy Studies must be admitted to the Faculty of Arts.

Declaration Requirements

In good academic standing with the University
Completion of a minimum of 18 credits of undergraduate coursework, including the following with a minimum grade of “C”:
- 3 credits of ENGL at the 1100 level or higher
- 6 credits at the 1100 level or higher in the Major area

Curricular Requirements

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete all requirements in the Bachelor of Arts Framework in addition to their major or minor program requirements.

Policy Studies Major

The Policy Studies Major requires completion of fifty-one (51) area-specific credits, including twenty-seven (27) lower level credits and twenty-four (24) upper level credits:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
1100 and 2000 Level
ECON 1101	Foundations of Economics	3
or ECON 1110	Making Economic Sense of Life
ENVI 1121	Environmental Issues	3
POST 1100	Sustainability and Ethics	3
or PHIL 1111	Sustainability and Ethics
POST 2200	Collective Power: Taking Action on Public Issues	3
SOCI 2260	Research Methods in Sociology	3
Select 6 credits from courses in PHIL at the 1100- or 2000-level (except PHIL 1111)	6
Select 6 credits from courses in POLI at the 1100- or 2000-level	6
3000 and 4000 Level ¹
CMNS 3100	Technical Report Writing	3
or CMNS 3250	Digital Media Communication
PHIL 3118	Ethics and Public Policy	3
or PHIL 4117	Topics in Social and Political Philosophy
POST 3110	Applied Sustainability Seminar	3
POST 3300	Sustainability Challenges: Public Policy and the Common Good	3
POST 4110	Applied Public Policy Seminar	3
or POLI 4110	Applied Public Policy Seminar
POST 4150	Psychology and Sustainability: Attitudes and Behaviour	3
or PSYC 4150	Psychology and Sustainability: Attitudes and Behaviour
POLI 3500	Public Debates in Politics	3
or POLI 4420	Issues in Public Policy and Administration
Select one of the following:	3
AGRI 4298	World Trends in Agriculture
GEOG 3220	Urban Planning and Politics
GEOG 3320	Environment and Resources
GEOG 4350	Climate Change
HIST 3140	Environment and Society in East Asia
HIST 3145	Earth & Air / Fire & Water: An Introduction to Eco-Activist Movements
HIST 3180	North American Environmental History
HIST 3315	Radicalism, Resistance, and Revolution
HIST 4492	Canadian Social History: Order & Disorder
SOCI 3345	Social Policy in Context
Total Credits	51

¹: Note: As an interdisciplinary major, some choices of upper-level courses will require lower-level course prerequisites in the relevant subject(s). Please