Vancouver Premier College of Arts and Science

General Studies Diploma

Vancouver Premier College > Arts and Science > General Studies Diploma

General Studies Diploma

(60 Credits, 52.5 Weeks)

The General Studies Diploma (GSD) is a flexible 60 credit program which enables students to choose a variety of 100 and 200 level courses that are most relevant to their personal interests as well as their professional and career goals. Over the course of the program, General Studies Diploma students will gain a breadth of social science and non-social science knowledge and important employability and life skills including critical thinking and problem solving, communication (oral and written) collaboration and teamwork, and, situational and cultural analysis.

The GSD enables students to sample a wide range of social science and non-social science courses that inform their decisions regarding their future field of study or career path. Accordingly, GSD students may select courses from disciplines such as Psychology, Philosophy, Sociology, Geography and Economics as well as from Business and/or IT disciplines. GSD students are also able to earn competencies in two non-social science disciplines, quantitative and/or communication studies by excelling in either Mathematics/Statistics or English/Communication courses. The breadth of courses contained in the GSD program enables students to develop a strong academic foundation from which they may choose to enter the workforce or pursue advanced study in Social or Computer Science, Education or Business.  

Admissions Requirement

1. Be at least 17 years of age
2. Have graduated from high school or apply as a mature student who did not graduate from high school but is at least 19 years of age
Provide proof of English proficiency:
> Grade 12 or higher-level English course.
> High School English 12: C (or equivalent) from an English speaking country.
> University or College level English course (non‐ESL): C from an institution where English is the language of instruction.
English Language Test (only valid for two years):
> TOEFL: 68 iBT (with no individual score less than 16), 190 CBT, or 520 PBT
> IELTS: Academic version 6 (with no band test score less than 5.5)
> Cambridge International Exam: GCE O level C
> TOEIC: 700
> LPI: 4
> VPC English Proficiency Exam: 75%
> Completion of VPC ENGL 099
> Completion of AEL/ESL to an equivalent level
> Completion of at least 12 credits from a post secondary institution in Canada or where English is the principal language of the country and the language of instruction.

Graduation Requirements

To complete the program, a student must pass all courses with a mark of at least 50% in each course. Students must attend at least 75% of the program’s classes. The General Studies Diploma Program requires:

1) A minimum of 60 credits with a minimum of 24 credits at the 200 level;
2) Completion of ENGL 109, ENGL 209, COMM 225, COMP 120 and ENTR 202.
3) Up to 5 elective courses (15 credits) in any academic discipline can be selected or transferred in as breadth courses for this program.

Curriculum

The General Studies Diploma program is among the most flexible academic programs offered and allows for considerable student customization of both core and elective courses. The GSD has 50 courses from which students can personalize their program.

Learning Outcomes

By completing the General Studies Diploma, students will learn to:

• Demonstrate personal knowledge and understanding of select social science and non-social science disciplines including psychology, business and IT.
• Communicate effectively using multiple communication techniques in a public setting and with co-workers and clients in the workplace.
• Use quantitative techniques including mathematics and statistics to advance critical thinking and facilitate problem solving.
• Identify and address various social and cultural issues or barriers required to enhance collaboration and team building success in organizational and collective societal settings.
• Analyze complex human interaction and behaviour in various situations and cultural contexts.

Note: This program does not require approval by the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. As such, PTIB did not review this program.

Courses Offered

ACCT 100Financial Accounting
ACCT 200Managerial Accounting
BUS 180Canadian Business Fundamentals
BUS 190Essentials of Management
BUS 210Organizational Behaviour
BUS 220Business Law
BUS 230Operations Management
BUS 240International Business
BUS 250Project Management
BUS 270Personal Finance
BUS 275Management Information Systems
BUS 290Corporate Finance
COMM 125Business Communication Fundamentals
COMM 200Social Media Communication Techniques
COMM 225Business Communications
COMM 250International Communication
COMP 120Essential-Computer-Applications
COMP 222Information Technology and Society
COMP 223Introduction to Digital Media
COMP 235Digital and Social Media Technology I
COMP 243Digital and Social Media Technology II
COMP 262Web Language and Design
ECON 103Economics
ECON 108Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 109Principles of Macroeconomics
ECON 204Microeconomic Policy
ECON 212Managerial Economics
ECON 214Macroeconomic Policy
ECON 237Understanding Globalization
ENGL 109College Composition
ENGL 209Advanced Writing & Research
ENTR 202Entrepreneurship
ENTR 276Social Entrepreneurship
ENTR 277Digital Entrepreneurship
ENTR 279Technological Entrepreneurship
GEOG 118Introduction to Climate Change
GEOG 215Introduction to Human Geography
GEOG 238Introduction to Economic Geography
GEOG 244Introduction to Physical Geography
HRM 200Human Resource Management
MATH 160Business Mathematics
MATH 185Pre-Calculus
MATH 190Calculus I
MATH 195Calculus II
MRKT 100Essentials of Marketing
MRKT 200Digital Marketing I
MRKT 205Digital Marketing II
MRKT 210Digital Marketing (Non-DMI)
MRKT 290Digital Marketing Capstone
PHIL 105Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 209Critical Thinking
PHIL 210Elementary Formal Logic
PHIL 230Introduction to Ethics
PSYC 104Introduction to Psychology I
PSYC 116Introduction to Psychology II
PSYC 234Introduction to Social Psychology
PSYC 241Social Science Research
PSYC 265Industrial-Organizational Psychology
PSYC 268Health Psychology
PSYC 269Consumer Psychology
SOCI 102Introduction to Sociology
SOCI 112Social Interaction and Culture
SOCI 233Technology, Work and Society
SOCI 270Sociology of Mass Media
STAT 170Business Statistics


Vancouver Premier College
of Arts and Science

Location
103-5300 No. 3 Road,
Richmond, BC, Canada V6X 2X9

+1-604-730-1628
info@vpcollege.com

Monday – Friday 9:00A.M. – 5:30P.M.

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