Associate of Science Degree

Start your degree at NIC and earn two years (60 credits) of transfer credit toward any BC university. Choose from a wide range of courses to meet the prerequisites for medical, optometry, dentistry and veterinary programs across Canada. You can focus on your area of interest or explore subjects like biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics and more.

Admission Requirements

There are no formal admission requirements for the Associate of Science degree. However, courses will have specific entry requirements called prerequisites, which are listed under each course description. To meet prerequisite requirements, submit transcripts or complete English and/or Math assessments.

Course Requirements

The following overview describes the general requirements for an Associate of Science degree. 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 Science Degree - General Requirements

Students are responsible for selecting only courses that are eligible for the Associate of Science degree. See required courses below:

6 credits in first year English
6 credits in mathematics, which shall include at least 3 credits in calculus
36 credits in Science, which shall include at least 3 credits in a laboratory based science and must include a minimum of 18 credits at the 200 level taken in two or more subject areas
6 credits in Arts other than English (excluding mathematics and laboratory-based science courses)
6 credits in Arts, Science or other academic areas

Completion Requirements

You must achieve an overall average grade of C (cumulative GPA of 2.0) calculated on all courses counting toward the associate degree. 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 (SFU, UBC, UNBC, or UVIC).

Associate Degree Courses Options

University transfer courses in the following subject areas may be eligible for credit toward completion of the Associate of Science degree. Courses must be at the 100 level or higher and must transfer to one of the following Universities: University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, University of Northern British Columbia.

For a complete list of courses and their details enter the subject area in the Course Descriptions. Confirm transferabilty on the BC Transfer Guide.

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)