Prince George, BC – The University of Northern British Columbia is expanding its program offerings at two of its regional campuses beginning this fall.

The UNBC South-Central Campus in Quesnel and the Northwest Campus in Terrace will be offering joint delivery of a Bachelor of Arts in First Nations Studies and a Certificate in General First Nations Studies.

“These new programs demonstrate UNBC’s continued commitment to the region it serves,” says UNBC President Dr. Daniel Weeks. “Students enrolled in First Nations Studies programming gain the knowledge they need to become leaders in their communities.”

The certificate is composed of 10 courses, or 30 credit hours, including six required courses in First Nations Studies and Arts and four elective courses. Students will have the opportunity to take courses at the 100- 200- and 300-level as part of the certificate.

The credits earned for the certificate can be applied to a degree. The certificate program ladders well into a range of university degree programs, ranging from Biology to Political Science to Social Work.

The Bachelor of Arts in First Nations Studies is a four-year undergraduate degree program and includes course offerings in First Nations Studies, Anthropology, Geography, Political Science, Social Work, and Women’s Studies. The program emphasizes skills to deal with Aboriginal contemporary issues, government relations, communication, problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, information management, and personal management.

Graduates from the program are well qualified to work in fields such as band and tribal council administration, traditional use researcher, cultural affairs officer, or multiculturalism educator.

“Students living in the Cariboo and Northwest regions now have more educational options closer to home,” says UNBC Dean of Regional Programming Dr. Mark Dale. “The joint delivery model allows students to access the expertise of faculty members located throughout UNBC’s campus network.”

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