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Associate of Arts Degree

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Begin your degree at NIC and earn two years (60 credits) of transfer credit toward any BC university. Develop sought-after critical thinking and research skills while exploring subjects like anthropology, criminology, First Nations studies, English, geography, history, liberal studies, modern languages (Chinese, French, and Spanish), philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology and women’s studies.

Admission Requirements

There are currently no formal admission requirements for the general Associate of Arts degree. However, please be advised that some courses within the program require the completion of a pre-requisite(s).

Effective 2026 Fall, Admission Requirements will be:

  1.   or   or ENG 104  

Note(s):

  • Some courses within the program have prerequisites that will also need to be met.
  • C in Foundations of Math 11 or equivalent or successful Math assessment  in addition to other possible science prerequisites may be required before registering in certain science courses.
  • Students can take any needed upgrading courses to achieve those prerequisites before or after admission into the Associate of Arts Degree. 

Course Requirements

The following overview describes the general requirements for an Associate of Arts degree and available concentrations. However, choosing the right combination of courses will depend on a number of factors. NIC’s educational advisors will work with you to personalize these general requirements to meet your goals.

Associate of Arts Degree: General Requirements

Students are responsible for selecting only courses that are eligible for the Associate of Arts degree. See Associate Degree Course Options below.

  • 6 credits in first year English
  • 9 credits in Science, including:
    • 3 credits in Mathematics, Computer Science or Statistics
    • 3 credits in a Laboratory Science
    • 3 additional credits in Science
  • 36 credits in Arts (which must include a minimum of 18 credits at the second-year level in two or more subject areas) including:
    • 6 credits in the Social Sciences
    • 6 credits in Humanities (excluding English)
    • 24 additional credits in Arts
  • 9 credits in Arts, Science or other areas

Associate of Arts Degree: Pre-Social Work Concentration

In addition to meeting the general requirements of the Associate of Arts Degree, students must also meet the following requirements:

  • Of the required 9 credits in Arts, Science or other areas students must complete SSW 120  and SSW 122 .

*Please note that upon successful completion of the Associate of Arts Degree Pre-Social Work Concentration, students will be awarded the Associate of Arts Degree. Any available concentrations will be noted on the transcript and will not be noted on the credential.

Completion Requirements

  • Students must achieve an overall average grade of C (cumulative GPA of 2.00) calculated on all courses counting toward the associate degree. 
  • Must be completed within 5 years. 
  • A minimum 50% of the program must be completed at North Island College. 
  • No course may be used to meet more than one of the specific associate degree requirements.
  • Courses used to complete the credential must have transfer credit to at least one B.C. research university (UBC, UVIC, SFU, or UNBC).

Associate Degree Course Options

University transfer courses in the following subject areas may be eligible for credit toward completion of the Associate of Arts degree.  Courses must be at the 100 level or higher and must transfer to one of the following Universities: University of British Columbia (UBC), University of Victoria (UVIC), Simon Fraser University (SFU), University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). Confirm transferabilty on the BC Transfer Guide. 

For a complete list of courses and their details enter the subject area’s three-letter “Prefix” in Course Descriptions .

Arts (includes both Humanities and Social Sciences):

Humanities

  • Indigenous Leadership (ABG) 
  • Chinese (CHN) 
  • English (ENG)
  • Fine Arts (FIN) 
  • French (FRE)
  • Global Studies (GLS)
  • History (HIS)
  • Indigenous Language Fluency (ILF)
  • Liberal Studies (LIB)
  • Philosophy: (PHI)
  • Spanish (SPN)

Social Sciences

  • Anthropology (ANT)
  • Criminology (CRM)
  • Digital Design & Development (DGL)
  • Economics (ECO)
  • Education (EDU)
  • First Nations Studies (FNS)
  • Geography (GEO)
  • Human Services (HSW)
  • Political Science (POL)
  • Psychology (PSY)
  • Sociology (SOC)
  • Social Service (SSW)
  • Women’s Studies (WST)

Sciences

  • Biology (BIO)
  • Chemistry (CHE)
  • Computer Science (CPS)
  • Digital Design & Development (DGL)
  • Mathematics (MAT)
  • Physics (PHY)
  • Space Science and Astronomy (SSA)
  • Statistics (STA)

Other Areas

  • Indigenous Leadership (ABG) 
  • Business (BUS)

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