Environment (Bachelor of Arts): International Year One (Direct Entry)

How do people shape landscapes, and how do landscapes shape people? The Environment (Arts) stream of International Year One (UTP Stage II) at FIC explores that question from SFU’s Burnaby campus, surrounded by forest and mountain views. With Direct Entry, you start degree-credit study straight away and finish in three terms, about twelve months, starting in January, May or September.

Core courses include GEOG100 Our World: Introducing Human Geography, GEOG104 Climate Change, Water, and Society, REM100 Global Change and ARCH100 Ancient Peoples and Places. You also take INDG101 Introduction to Indigenous Studies, PHIL105 Critical Thinking, a writing course and either ARCH131 Human Origins or EVSC100 Introduction to Environmental Science. In your first term, ILS101 and a literacy course support the transition unless you are exempt.

SFU designs these courses and approves every instructor, so the content matches SFU’s first year. After ten courses totalling at least 30 units, with C- or better in each, a 2.50 GPA moves you into second year of SFU’s Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Environment. Majors include Archaeology, Human Geography and joint majors with Anthropology or First Nations Studies. SFU offers co-op in the environment and arts areas, so paid work terms can form part of your degree.

Graduates go on to work as environmental planning assistants, GIS technicians, archaeology field technicians, sustainability coordinators, policy researchers or community outreach officers. Direct Entry is aimed at applicants whose English already reaches FIC’s standard and who want to reach an SFU environment degree in the least time. A Grade 12 average of 70% across four subjects is the usual starting point.