General Studies

Students engaged in classroom discussion

Find your passion! Discover your future!

What does your future hold? Not sure?

Explore courses in academic and professional disciplines that include humanities like literature, history, philosophy, social sciences like anthropology, sociology or psychology, business administration or political science, and natural sciences like astronomy, biology, geography, geology, and environmental studies, among others.

Learn what moves you and take off from there!

General Studies

Yukon University made changes to the way its courses are delivered as a result of COVID-19.

Scheduled courses are being offered face-to-face and online this academic year and next. Some courses may have weekly scheduled video-conferenced sessions, while others may run entirely in person or in a combination. See the course pages and course outlines for details. Spring courses are running online to ensure the widest accessibility.

Contact the School of Liberal Arts or a program advisor for assistance or for more information about our programs and courses.

Program description

The General Studies programs integrate general knowledge and intellectual skills with specific occupational or professional skills. They are designed and intended for those who do not plan on pursuing a university degree or those who wish to develop an individualized program from a variety of programming areas at the University.

Students who wish to complete a university degree at a later time are encouraged either to limit their choices in the General Studies programs to courses in the School of Liberal Arts and School of Science or to pursue a Liberal Arts certificate or diploma.

Admission requirements
  • English 12 (65%)

If students do not meet the admission requirement, they should explore entry options with a Program Advisor.

Graduation requirements

To graduate, certificate students must

  • complete ENGL 100 and ENGL 101 (6 credits)
  • complete eight electives (24 credits), including a minimum of two Liberal Arts, Science or university-transferable electives (Note: 060-level courses and lower will not apply) (6 credits)

In addition, certificate students must

Diploma students must

  • complete all certificate requirements (30 credits)
  • complete ten electives (30 credits), including a minimum of four Liberal Arts, Science or university-transferable electives (Note: 060-level courses and lower will not apply) (12 credits)

In addition, diploma students must

  • complete a minimum of six courses (18 credits) beyond the 100 level (i.e., courses numbered 200 and above)
  • complete at least 50% of the work at Yukon University
  • maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 (C average)

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT LIBERAL ARTS/SCIENCE AND OPEN ELECTIVES: General Studies certificate students may take up to 18 credits, and diploma students up to 36 credits, from outside the School of Liberal Arts and School of Science (but excluding Continuing Education).

However, students must recognize that such coursework may not be transferable to programs at other post-secondary institutions and may result in a credit shortfall upon transfer. Students working towards a degree or college program at another institution or planning to continue in the future should check their course selection with a Program Advisor.

Yukon First Nations Core Competency

Yukon University recognizes that a greater understanding and awareness of Yukon First Nations history, culture and journey towards self-determination will help to build positive relationships among all Yukon citizens. As a result, you will be required to achieve core competency in knowledge of Yukon First Nations.

For details, visit Yukon First Nations Core Competency.

Transferability

For transfer information on a specific Yukon University course, click on the program’s course list tab, select the course in question by clicking its link, and then click the check the BC Transfer Options link on the course’s information page. For additional information, consult a Program Advisor.

Dual credit possibilities

Any undergraduate-level Yukon University course that is part of the British Columbia Council on Admission and Transfer (BCCAT) system is eligible for dual credit. Many courses in the School of Liberal Arts are suitable for high-school students to take as dual credit courses providing any prerequisites are met.

Students have often selected ENGL 100, HIST 140, PSYC 100, PSYC 101, and SOCI 100 for dual credit, but many other first-year courses and some second-year courses are options. Beginning in Fall 2023, ENGL 101 is available.

For more information about dual credit for Yukon high-school students, see the Dual Credit program page.

Money matters

Fees

Tuition for credit programs is calculated per course credit. See Money Matters for more information.

Some programs and courses have additional fees -  see Ancillary Fees.


Student financial awards

Education is an investment in your future, your family and your community. Yukon University is pleased to support that investment by offering some of the most competitive tuition rates in the country, as well as several student financial awards to help offset your educational and living costs.


Financial assistance

There are government programs, scholarships, bursaries, awards and First Nation funding available to financially support you throughout your academic career.

See money matters for more information, or talk to our financial advising staff in the Student Services Centre. Email or call 867 668 5209 to make an appointment.

Course delivery explained
Table image of delivery methods. Synchronous Face-to-face is F.S.; Synchronous online is O.S.; Synchronous blended is B.S. Asynchronous face-to-face is F.A.; Asynchronous online is O.A.; Asynchronous blended is B.A.; Self-paced face-to-face is F.P. ; Self-paced online is O.P.;  Self-paced blended is B. P.; Synchronous an asynchronous delivery is O.A.S.; Hyflex (high flex) is H.F.X..s

Source: Registering for academic courses

Face to face

Denoted by an F in the first letter of the delivery code (e.g., FS, FA, FP).

Students and the instructors are present in the same physical location for class time, in a classroom, lecture theatre or another learning environment.

Online

Denoted by an O in the first letter of the delivery code (e.g., OS, OA, OP).

Students and instructor connect through online tools and are not required to be in the same physical space for any portion of the course. Students access and submit all coursework over the Internet.

Blended

Denoted by a B in the first letter of the delivery code (e.g., BS, BA, BP).

Includes a combination of online and face-to-face learning activities and may require connecting with instructors and other students at specific scheduled times throughout the course. For example, students might complete online assignments by a certain date, then meet on-site or online for additional learning activities.

Synchronous

Denoted by an S in the second letter of the delivery code (e.g., FS, OS, BS).

Meaning "at the same time." Students are expected to participate in course activities at specific scheduled times, either on-line through web conference or in in-person sessions.

Asynchronous

Denoted by an A in the second letter of the delivery code (e.g., FA, OA, BA).

Meaning "not at the same time," i.e., meeting times are not a factor. Students are not required to connect with instructors and other students at specific scheduled times but must submit course work according to a schedule set by the instructor, often weekly. Meeting times may be scheduled between instructor and students or between students as needed throughout the course.

Self-paced

Denoted by a P in the second letter of the delivery code (e.g., FP, OP, BP).

Students are not required to connect with instructors and other students at specific times and may complete their course work at their own pace within the timeframe of the course, set by the instructor. Meeting times may be scheduled between instructor and students or between students as needed through the course.

Online asynchronous/synchronous

Denoted by an AS in the second and thirds letters of the delivery code (e.g., OAS)

Course is delivered online with a combination of real-time (synchronous) instruction and independent (asynchronous) instruction.

HyFlex

Denoted by HFX

Courses are delivered both in person and online at the same time by the same faculty member. Students can then choose for each and every class meeting whether to participate in the class in person or to join it by web conferencing online.

Program Guides

A program planning guide lays out the courses and requirements needed to graduate from a particular program. It guides you through course selection options for each term, provides a sample program pathway and acts as a tool to track your progress.

Courses

Core
Title Campus Scheduled
ENGL 100 - Academic Writing and Critical Thinking Whitehorse (Ayamdigut), Online/Video
W
S
ENGL 101 - Introduction to the Study of Literature Whitehorse (Ayamdigut), Online/Video
W
S

Business Administration

Elective
Title Campus Scheduled
ACCT 101 - Financial Accounting 1 Online/Video
W
LEAD 110 - Introduction to Business Whitehorse (Ayamdigut)
W

Astronomy

Elective
Title Campus Scheduled
ASTR 100 - Introduction to Astronomy Whitehorse (Ayamdigut)
W

Communications

Elective
Title Campus Scheduled
COMM 100 - Business Communications Whitehorse (Ayamdigut), Online/Video
W
S
COMM 200 - Intercultural Communication for Business Whitehorse (Ayamdigut)
W
COMM 204 - Introduction to Scientific and Technical Communication Whitehorse (Ayamdigut)
W

Computer Science

Elective
Title Campus Scheduled
CPSC 128 - Object Oriented Programming I Whitehorse (Ayamdigut)
W

Economics

Elective
Title Campus Scheduled
ECON 100 - Introduction to Microeconomics
ECON 101 - Introduction to Macroeconomics Whitehorse (Ayamdigut)
W

Environmental Studies

Elective
Title Campus Scheduled
ENST 200 - Environmental Perspectives
ENST 201 - Environmental Ethics Whitehorse (Ayamdigut)
W

Kinesiology

Elective
Title Campus Scheduled
KINE 100 - Introduction to Human Physiology

Linguistics

Elective
Title Campus Scheduled
LANG 140 - Language and Culture Preservation
LANG 240 - Language Activism Online/Video
W

Open Electives. List is not exhaustive; consult a program advisor for more options.

Physical Education

Physics

Elective
Title Campus Scheduled
PHYS 100 - Introductory Physics Whitehorse (Ayamdigut)
S
PHYS 101 - Elementary Physics 1
PHYS 101L - Elementary Physics I Lab
PHYS 102 - Elementary Physics 2 Whitehorse (Ayamdigut)
W
PHYS 102L - Elementary Physics II Lab Whitehorse (Ayamdigut)
W

Religious Studies

Social Work

Elective
Title Campus Scheduled
SW 200 - Introduction to Social Work Off-Campus
W

Theatre

Elective
Title Campus Scheduled
THEA 200 - Introduction to Acting 1 Whitehorse (Ayamdigut)
W