Chemistry

Admission Type
Open Enrolment - General Admission Requirements

Overview

Take the first step toward a career as a pharmacist, chemical engineer, research scientist, toxicologist and more with an Associate of Science Degree in Chemistry.

Chemistry is the science of matter, dealing with the composition of substances and their properties along with their reactions. If you’ve ever wondered what Aspirin is made of, why leaves turn colour in the Fall, how a battery generates electricity, or what will happen to a substance if you heat it, freeze it or add another substance to it, Chemistry has got the answers.

In this program, you’ll study the structure of matter, the chemical properties of liquid and solids, the laws of thermodynamics, chemistry in environmental issues and much more. You’ll also learn why chemistry is important to understanding biology, geology, medicine, engineering and other sciences. And if you're not quite ready for college-level courses, we also offer an introductory chemistry course to help prepare you for further study.

Transfer your credits to university

An Associate of Science Degree in Chemistry can lead to a Major or Minor Bachelor of Science Degree program at a university. Many universities prefer candidates with an Associate Degree and will accept students at a lower grade point average. In most cases, this degree will allow you to transfer to the third year of a four-year bachelor’s degree program at other universities.

Program Requirements

Curriculum Framework

Graduation Requirements:

  • Successful completion of 60 credits as listed below
  • Require a minimum GPA of 2.00

(Specializations will be noted on the transcript and will not be noted on the credential)

Course Requirements:

To complete an Associate of Science Degree with a Specialization in Chemistry, students must complete:

  • 18 or more credits (of the 60 credits required for their associate degree) in Chemistry
  • nine of those 18 credits must be considered second-year courses. To qualify as a second-year course, a course must transfer to one of the research universities (SFU, UBC, UBC-O, UVic, or UNBC) at the second-year level.

The following are the general requirements for an Associate of Science Degree at any B.C. college:

  • 6 credits (2 courses) first-year English*
  • 6 credits (2 courses) Math, including 3 credits of Calculus
  • 18 credits (6 courses) first-year Science electives, including at least 3 credits in a laboratory science
  • 18 credits (6 courses) second-year Science electives in two or more subject areas
  • 6 credits (2 courses) Arts** electives (other than English)
  • 6 credits (2 courses) of other University Transfer electives

* English courses include courses in Communications, Creative Writing and Print Futures that transfer to one of the B.C. research universities (SFU, UBC, UBC-O, UVic or UNBC) as English credit.

** Arts courses are available in the Faculty of Languages, Literature, and Performing Arts, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Courses in Economics and Mathematics also may be used as Arts electives toward an Associate of Science Degree. Please see the Associate of Science Course Classifications table below for further information.

Definitions:

A course is defined by the subject for which it is granted transfer credit at one of the research universities (SFU, UBC, UBC-O, UNBC, or UVic).

  • An Arts course is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate of Arts Degree at one of the research universities.
  • A Science course is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate of Science Degree or Baccalaureate of Applied Science Degree at one of the research universities.
  • The requirements specified above are intended to provide breadth of exposure to a variety of disciplines in both Arts and Sciences. In some instances, there may be some ambiguity as to whether a course is in the Humanities or Social Sciences and is an Arts course or a Science course. Most Physical Geography and Mathematics would be designated as Science courses.
  • A course in an "other" area is defined as any course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate Degree other than in Arts, Science or Applied Science at one of the research universities.
  • A first-year course is defined as a course that has assigned or unassigned transfer credit at the 100-level at one of the research universities.
  • A second-year course is defined as a course that has assigned or unassigned transfer credit at the 200-level or higher level at one of the research universities.
  • A laboratory science course is one in which a substantial component of instruction involves the study of natural phenomena, either in the laboratory or in the field.

For detailed information you should meet with an Academic Advisor.

Co-operative Education Option:

Students enrolled in this program may be eligible for a Co-operative Education designation. Co-operative Education involves alternating full-time academic and work terms. For information contact the Co-operative Education Office.

Admissions Requirements

Cost

You can get an average cost for your program - tuition and student fees, books, uniforms, lab fees etc - on the Program Cost page. 

Only programs approved for student loan funding are listed on the Program Cost page. For all other programs, refer to the Tuition Fee page.

Program Guidelines

Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)