Humanities Undergraduate Degree Requirements
All Humanities bachelor’s degrees have 6 requirements in common, which are concerned with the range of types of courses that must be completed in order to obtain the degree. These requirements allow students as much choice as possible while ensuring that they gain the knowledge, skills and abilities appropriate for their credential.
As of May 2020, the Faculty of Humanities changed two of the six requirements. It introduced a new Global Language and Culture requirement and expanded an earlier provision (that students take 6 units of coursework outside of the Faculty of Humanities) with a new, wider provision (that students take 6 units of coursework outside their primary area of study, whether inside or outside the Humanities).
Undergraduate students starting in May 2020 or later must complete the new degree requirements, which are outlined below, to obtain their bachelor’s degree.
Undergraduate students who started before May 2020 may choose to follow the degree requirements that were in effect at the time of first registration or to complete the new requirements, after consulting with the Academic Advising Centre.
Below you fill find more information about the following:
- 6 Requirements Common to All Undergraduate Humanities Degrees
- The Global Language and Culture (GLC) Requirement
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Contact Us
6 Requirements Common to All Undergraduate Humanities Degrees
*Please note that this page is intended to make you aware of the provisions in the Academic Calendar. Although every attempt has been made to ensure that the information here is accurate, in the case of any discrepancy, the Academic Calendar should be considered the authority*
As of May 2020, the requirements common to all Bachelor’s degrees in Humanities, as stated in the Academic Calendar, are:
1) The Academic Writing Requirement
2) 6.0 units of coursework outside the student’s primary area of study*
3) 4.5 units of coursework in Global Languages and Culture**
4) 21 units of coursework at the 300 and 400 level
5) 60 total units of coursework, at least 30 of which must be taken at the University of Victoria
6) A graduation GPA of at least 2.0
* A student completing a degree in two disciplines (e.g. double major) is considered to have met requirement 2.
** A student completing a program with two or more areas of study (e.g. double major, general) in which one of the areas is EUS, FRAN, GMST, GRS, IS, ITAL, LAS, PAAS, SPAN or SLST is considered to have met requirement 3.
The Global Language and Culture (GLC) Requirement
The new Global Language and Culture requirement is designed to provide students with a solid foundation of knowledge, experiences, and intercultural skills that will prepare them for life after graduation. It reflects the value of language immersion, experiential learning, and intercultural exchange for the development of global-ready graduates in the 21st century.
This requirement can be satisfied in one of two ways, which we have dubbed the “on-campus” and “off-campus” options.
a) The “on-campus” option
Students may satisfy the GLC requirement by completing 4.5 units of coursework in language and culture that are outside the student’s primary area of study. For an up-to-date list of eligible courses, please click here.
b) The “off-campus” option
Students may satisfy the GLC requirement by completing the equivalent of 4.5 units of coursework* (which are not required to be outside of the student’s primary area of study) through one of the following options:
- a UVic student exchange at an international university
- a UVic Humanities study-abroad program
- a UVic Humanities field school
- one month or more of intensive language or cultural-immersion experience for which the student has received UVic credit
- 4.5 units of coursework in the certificate in Indigenous Language Proficiency (ILP), the certificate in Indigenous Language Revitalization (ILR), or the Diploma in Indigenous Language Revitalization (DILR)
*If the total from the above alternatives amounts to less than 4.5 units of coursework, students must complete the remainder of the 4.5 units from the on-campus option.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the “GLC requirement”?
Do the new Faculty of Humanities degree requirements apply to me?
If you started your degree on or after May 2020, you must complete the new requirements to obtain your bachelor’s degree.
If you started your degree before May 2020, you may choose to follow the faculty requirements that were in effect when you registered for your degree or to complete the new requirements, after consulting with the Academic Advising Centre.
I am a transfer student. Do the new degree requirements apply to me?
I am doing a second degree. Do the new degree requirements apply to me?
I started my degree in a different faculty. Do the new degree requirements apply to me?
Must I study a second or additional language to meet the Global Language and Culture requirement?
If I am bilingual or multilingual, may I be exempted from the Global Language and Culture requirement?
Are international students exempt from the Global Language and Culture requirement?
The GLC requirement states that students must take courses outside of their primary study area, but the list of eligible courses includes a course that I had to take for my Major. Does this course still count for the GLC requirement?
I took a course for my primary area of study that is listed as eligible to use for the GLC. Can I count this course towards both my primary area of study and the GLC?
If I take a course in my primary area of study that is cross-listed with a course that counts toward the GLC can I use it to satisfy both the GLC and a requirement for my primary area of study?
Can I complete the GLC requirement using transfer credits?
When should I plan to complete the GLC requirement?
Can the 6.0 units of coursework outside my primary area of study be at any level (e.g. 300, 400, etc.)?
What is meant by my “primary area of study”?
I have completed a field school that is not on the list of off-campus options for competing the GLC requirement. Can it still be counted towards the GLC requirement?
I want to take a field school or experiential course that counts for the “off campus option” of the GLC requirement, but the GLC requirement wasn’t in effect when I started my degree. Is it possible for me to change from the old degree requirements to the new ones?
I am an international student. Should I check with International Student Services when planning how to satisfy the GLC requirement?
I am an internaional student. If i choose the "off-campus" option, will it impact my immigration status?
Consult with International Student Services for study permit and work authorization considerations when planning how you will satisfy the GLC requirement.
The “off-campus option” for satisfying the GLC requirement states that I can receive UVic credit for intensive language or cultural-immersion experience from an international university. Do transfer credits from any subject area count?
I obtained transfer credits through a UVic letter of permission (LOP) and want to count those credits towards the GLC requirement. How do I do this?
To satisfy the “off campus” option (3b), if I decide to study at another university through a letter of permission (LOP), will transfer credit from any international (non-Canadian) university be accepted?
Yes, as long as you obtain your letter of permission before you leave, the transfer credits from that university will be accepted.
To satisfy the “off campus” option (3b), if I decide to study at another university through a letter of permission (LOP), will any transferable courses from international institutions be accepted? Or are only approved topics allowed?
Any transferable courses are acceptable from an international institution for which you have received a letter of permission to attend.
I thought that I had satisfied all requirements for my degree but my CAPP report says that I have not. What do I do?
Can I use transfer credits earned before starting at UVic to satisfy the “off-campus” option (3b)?
No, the “off-campus” option for satisfying the GLC requirement is limited to exchanges, field schools, study-abroad or study on a Letter of Permission (LOP) undertaken while you are at UVic.
What is the difference between the “on-campus” and “off-campus” options for the Global Language and Culture requirement (GLC)?
The “on-campus” (3a) and “off-campus” (3b) options are two different ways for students to satisfy the GLC requirement. They reflect and recognize different but equal ways of learning in- and outside of the classroom.
The “on-campus” options in 3a are courses in Language and Culture taught here at UVic. For students who choose to satisfy the GLC requirement through on-campus options, the courses selected must be outside of their primary area of study.
The “off-campus” options in 3b can be satisfied through study abroad, exchange, a Humanities field school, or other experiential options. Unlike the “on-campus” option, Students who choose to satisfy the GLC requirement through “off-campus” options are welcome to select courses that are within their area of study.
Can I satisfy the Global Language and Cultural requirement through a combination of “on-campus” and “off-campus” options?
Yes, as long as you complete the equivalent of 4.5 units of coursework in total.
Can courses from the same subject area (e.g. FRAN) be used to satisfy requirements 2 and 3 of the Faculty’s 6 Requirements Common to All Undergraduate Degrees?
Yes, as long as you are not using one course for both requirements and the subject area used to satisfy requirement 2 is not in your primary area of study.
Since requirements 2 and 3 add up to 10.5 units of coursework, which is the same amount of units required for language and culture certificates, can I use those 10.5 units of coursework toward a language and culture certificate?
Great idea! Students who complete a language and culture certificate will have satisfied requirements 2 and 3. This is a great opportunity.
I am an international student with transfer credit(s) from an international institution. Can these courses be used to satisfy the “on-campus” option for the Global Language and Culture requirement?
Yes, so long as these credits are outside of your primary area of study and the course in question is accepted as equivalent to one from the list of eligible courses.
Please note, however, that these transfer credits cannot be used to satisfy the “off-campus” option, which recognizes only UVic-hosted programs, courses, workshops or trips.
Do institutions based in the U.S. count as “international institutions” for the “off-campus” option of the GLC requirement?
Yes, institutions in the U.S. count as international institutions and are therefore valid options for satisfying the “off-campus” option of the GLC requirement. This is also the case for institutions based in Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and any other English-speaking countries that are not Canada.
Can International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) credits accepted as transfer credits at UVic be used to satisfy the “on-campus” (3a) option of the GLC requirement?
Yes, as long as these credits are outside of your primary area of study and the course in question is accepted as equivalent to one from the list of eligible courses.
Please note, however, that these transfer credits cannot be used to satisfy the “off-campus” option (3b), which recognizes only UVic-hosted programs, courses, workshops or trips.
Is the intention of the “off-campus” option of the GLC requirement to encourage students taking courses and engaging in experiential learning during their studies at UVic?
Yes, the intention behind the “off-campus” option of the GLC requirement is to encourage students to engage in experiential learning, international study and Study Abroad courses while they are at UVic. Credits for similar programs or courses taken before the student entered UVic will not be counted toward the satisfaction of this requirement.
What is the process for having my Study Abroad courses counted toward the “off-campus” option for the GLC requirement?
Only UVic study-abroad programs are eligible to satisfy the GLC requirement.
For your UVic-based Study Abroad courses to be counted toward the “off-campus” option of the GLC requirement, the Academic Advising Center must be notified by your academic unit advisor that the study abroad course is a UVic program and has been completed. Staff at the Academc Advising Center will then update your records once confirmation is received.
For the purpose of this document, what is the difference between a field school and a study-abroad program?
For the purpose of this document, the difference between a field school and a study-abroad program is as follows:
- A field school is led by a UVic instructor and students register through UVic. For the field school to count for the GLC, it must be offered by a department or program in Faculty of Humanities.
- A UVic-recognized study-abroad program is where UVic students register through UVic and go in a cohort to study in a program that is affiliated with a UVic program but are not led by a UVic instructor. The UVic program that is affiliated with the study-abroad program will provide a note to the Academic Advising Centre stating which students have completed the program in question.
Contact Us
If you have questions that are not answered on this page, or have found an error that you would like to report, please email humsassistant@uvic.ca for assistance.