Bachelor of Arts, General - Learning outcomes

The mission of the Bachelor of Arts is to strengthen your critical and creative thinking by offering a broad range of social, political, and cultural programs of study. A liberal arts education from Athabasca University is designed to broaden your perspective on local and global affairs, encourage community and social involvement, and prepare you for lifelong learning and occupational diversity.

The 3-year Bachelor of Arts programs are well-respected credentials in Canada and the United States. While the three-year degree program is a highly marketable credential, it is not aimed at providing students with direct access to graduate level studies. Often an additional year of study is required to achieve that academic goal.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts with a major are expected to have gained sufficient analytical and critical thinking skills to be able to engage in independent research in their chosen major. Athabasca University does not offer an honours BA.

Students may also be interested in the University Diploma in Arts, which is designed for students who wish to obtain an intermediate credential that provides a grounding in the intellectual skills required of university studies. It is also a foundation for further studies in humanities and social science.