Whether you’re new to UBC or returning for another year in your Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program, you may be wondering why you need to take courses “outside” your chosen or prospective major. These courses are called electives and they play an important role in your academic experience.
Arts Academic Advisor Janelle Blackman shares her advice to help you choose electives with confidence, and see how they can support a more intentional and personalized education.
What is an elective?
You need to take at least 120 credits to complete your BA or BFA. Most of those credits will go towards your program (Honours, major, minor) and degree requirements, but you’ll still have room to take courses outside of your specialization. These are called electives.
Electives are an important part of your Arts degree. They give you the flexibility to explore new subjects, add variety to your schedule, or take courses that connect with your interests and goals — even if they’re not part of your major.
The number of electives required in your degree depends on a number of things such as how many and what types of programs you’re taking. For example, if you have one major, half of your credits will be taken as electives. If you are a double major, or have a minor, you’ll take fewer electives.
When should I take electives?
There are many paths to degree completion, and similarly, there are many ways to arrange your electives. The “right” time to take electives depends on your goals and interests.
You should take both lower-level (100 and 200) and upper-level (300 and 400) elective courses throughout your degree, working toward fulfillment of the Outside Requirement (courses not part of your major), Arts Credit minimum, and the Upper-Level Requirement.
Use electives to intentionally design your degree
If you already know what you want to major in and how you want to concentrate your studies, electives can be sprinkled strategically throughout your degree to add variety to your schedule each term, or even complement your chosen major by taking an interdisciplinary approach to your specializations.
For example, if your major is Psychology, you might be interested in health and wellness. To support that interest, you may opt to take electives in Sociology that explore social determinants of health or the Sociology of mental illness. While your electives might be in a different discipline, they can complement your major and your learning goals.
Use electives to explore
If you don’t yet know what you want to major in, you might want to take electives at the beginning of your degree to explore a wide variety of subjects and figure out what topics spark your interest the most. As an added bonus, some of these electives might become part of your major or minor.
I’ve met with many upper-year students who realize that they’ve taken enough electives in a certain subject area that they are only a few courses away from fulfilling a minor.
Having fun with electives
Electives can also be a fun way to try something new. You might take a creative and performing arts course to explore your creativity, or take a science course to better understand the natural world. Your degree requirements include taking courses outside of your main area of study, and electives are the best way to do this.
Electives and Credit/D/Fail grading
If you want to take a course, but aren’t sure if you’ll do well in it, for example, if the subject is unfamiliar or challenging, some courses taken as electives are eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading. When you complete the course, your grades record and transcript will show your standing instead of percentage grades. There are many rules around when you can use Credit/D/Fail grading, so be sure to research if you are eligible.
What if the elective I am taking is not the right fit?
If you start a course and realize it’s not right for you, you’ll still have time at the beginning of term to make changes.
It is not uncommon to discover that a course or subject is not a good fit. Maybe it is not as interesting as you had hoped, or maybe you’ve realized the workload is too heavy alongside your other courses. These discoveries are a normal part of crafting an individualized and intentional degree. Learning what you don’t like is just as valuable as discovering what you are passionate about!
Still need help with electives and course planning? Visit Arts Academic Advising to speak with an Advisor.
Janelle Blackman has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She enjoys helping UBC Arts students make thoughtful decisions to make the most of their degree.
