Arts (BA)
With more than 35 flexible programs and hundreds of courses, the Bachelor of Arts gives you the freedom to discover what inspires you, develop valuable skills, and build a degree that fits your goals.
Why choose this program?
You don’t need to have your entire future planned before starting university. The Arts (BA) program gives you space to explore your interests, discover new subjects, and build a degree that reflects your goals.
The Arts (BA) program is designed for students who want flexibility, choice, and the opportunity to explore different areas of study. In your first year, you’ll take courses across the humanities and social sciences while discovering subjects that interest you.
Through courses such as Introduction to the Humanities and Introduction to the Social Sciences, you’ll explore different ways of understanding people, communities, cultures, and the world around you. With support from academic advisors, you’ll choose a major and build a degree pathway that matches your interests and future goals.
Whether you’re interested in communication, culture, justice, global issues, history, languages, politics, or society, Arts gives you the tools to think critically, solve problems, and make an impact.
"My time at Dal has encouraged me to challenge myself and try hard things."—Eve Dewing, Class of '26
Careers
An Arts degree develops skills that employers value, including communication, research, problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking. Customize your studies to prepare for a wide range of careers.
Arts graduates work in fields including government, education, communications, business, nonprofit organizations, research, community development, law, entertainment, tourism and cultural industries. Your ability to analyze information, communicate ideas, understand different perspectives, and adapt to change prepares you for many career paths.
Arts graduates develop transferable skills that support careers across many industries and sectors.Some go on to professional programs such as law, medicine, and public administration; others go on to graduate degrees including PhDs and MAs.
What you will learn
Build skills in research, writing, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving while exploring subjects that help you understand people, cultures, communities, and the world around you.
Sample courses
- Introduction to the Humanities
- Introduction to Social Sciences
- Political Worlds: Themes and Concepts
- Reading and Writing Stories
- Beginning Spanish
- Goblins, Ghosts, Gods and Gurus
- Ancient Sports & Athletics
- Intermediate Spanish
- Global Justice and Development
- Processes of Justice
- History of Photography
- Love and Death (French Prose and Poetry)
- Diplomacy and Negotiation
- Literature and Science
- Black Political Thought
- Topics in Health Care Ethics
- East Asian Animation
Paid work experience
Arts students can apply for the FASS Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Pilot Program, which offers a one-semester paid work term where you can put your classroom learning into action, build career-ready skills and gain experience in the workplace.
Experiential learning
Arts students have opportunities to connect classroom learning with real-world experiences through the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences’ experiential learning program.
Students can participate in internships, community-based projects, research opportunities, and career-focused experiences that help connect their studies to future goals.
Customize your degree
Your Arts degree is designed around your interests. After exploring different subjects in your first year, you’ll choose a major and can combine areas of study through double majors, honours, combined honours, minors, and certificates. You can also add experiential learning opportunities and courses that connect your studies to your career goals.
Areas of study: Humanities, Social Sciences, Languages and Cultures, Performing Arts.
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Combined Honours
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Minor
- Art History and Visual Culture
- Black and African Diaspora Studies
- Computing in Arts and Social Sciences
- Dance and Movement
- Heritage Studies
- Indigenous Studies
- Intercultural Communication
- Jewish Studies
- Medical Humanities
- Spanish Language and Culture
- Theatre Creation
FASS-EX opportunities (experiential learning)
Work-Integrated Learning (paid workterm)
Community-based learning
Research experiences
Your Arts degree is a starting point for discovery. Explore your interests, develop skills employers value, and build an academic pathway that prepares you for your future.
Admission requirements
Minimum admission requirements
To be considered for admission to this program, you must meet minimum academic criteria:
- Completion of secondary school (Grade 12)
- Achievement of the minimum average for your program of choice.
- Completion of Grade 12 English (or equivalent course).
Admission to many programs is competitive. This means that meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Program-specific admission requirements
Minimum overall average: 70%
Academic English 12
Four additional academic subjects
Not sure what you want to major in?
You don’t have to decide right away. As an Arts student, you can explore different subjects and discover what interests you before choosing a major.
The Bissett Student Success Centre advisors can help you:
- understand your program requirements and academic regulations
- map out strategies to achieve your educational and career goals
- choose your courses (program, major, minor)
- learn how to use your strengths to reach your educational, career and life goals
- develop action plans to deal with academic or other difficulties
Contact a Bissett Student Success Centre advisor
Faculty and departmental advisors can help you:
- choose a major or honours program
- answer course specific questions and problems
- find research opportunities in your faculty
- find exchange and study abroad opportunities in your program
- sign your study abroad application
- explore job opportunities in your field
Contact an advisor in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
If you're applying to the Fountain School of Performing Arts as a Theatre major, please fill out the supplemental application form.
Learn more
Curious about the value of an Arts degree?
Hear what these alumni have to say!
Asrar Haq-Montford (BAH’19), Linxi Zhang (BA’21), James Dixon (BA’25), Reagan Lindsay-Kereluik (BA’25) and Jeremie Boudreau (BMus’25) share highlights of their experiences studying at , what they’ve been doing since graduating, and advice for future Dal students on why they should choose to study in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
