This three-year program, in partnership with Athabasca, focuses on two major areas of study: Humanities and Social Sciences. Students split their studies between on-site classes with Portage and distance classes with Athabasca University
To enroll, students must first apply to our university transfer program.
Call our Cold Lake Campus at 780-639-7109 or Lac La Biche Campus at 780-623-5577 or email Portage College Student Advisor.
Career Potential
Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts are able to continue into a master’s or PHD program to further their studies.
High School Matriculation: A minimum average of 60% and no mark lower than 50% in the following courses: 1). English Language Arts 30-1 2). Four other 30 Level courses (5 credits each) from the following list:
- Humanities: Social Studies 30-1, a 30-Level language other than English, Aboriginal Studies 30 (5 credits minimum)
- Fine Arts: Art 30, Art 31, Dance 35, Drama 30, Music 30 (10 credits maximum)
- Sciences: Biology 30, Chemistry 30, Science 30, Mathematics 30-1, Mathematics 30-2*, Mathematics 31 (courses may be pre-requisites for particular junior level science or mathematics university courses) *dependent on the program this course may not be accepted by other institutions as entrance requirements or pre-requisites
- Electives: Physical Education 30, World Geography 30, Advanced CTS subjects (5 credits maximum)
Mature Student: 19 years of age or older, out of high school for at least one full year, and a minimum average of 60% with at least 50% in English Language Arts 30-1 and one other five credit Grade 12 course. Open Studies Admission: Successful completion of nine credits. Documents: Complete high school transcripts and post-secondary transcripts, if any work completed at a post-secondary institution Use this chart to check Provincial high school equivalencies accepted at Portage College. Note: This is just a guide. Other: May be required to do an interview with the instructor or coordinator International Student Admission: Based on transcripts, students may need to complete and Grade 12 English proficiency exam and subject area proficiency exams based on the degree stream selection Transferability: Transfer agreements are in place with many different post-secondary institutions across the province and country including the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and MacEwan University. Students are encouraged to check out our partnership bachelor programs. Certification: Diploma
Program Start/End Dates
Winter Intake: January 5, 2026 to May 1, 2026
Spring Intake: May 4, 2026 to June 26, 2026
Fall Intake: August 31, 2026 to December 18, 2026
Application Deadlines: (Domestic)
Winter Intake: December 15, 2025
Spring Intake: April 15, 2026
Fall Intake: August 15, 2026
Locations
Cold Lake Campus
Lac La Biche Campus
St. Paul Campus
Domestic Student Fees Application Fee $53.50 Tuition Deposit – $100 (non-refundable for oversubscribed programs) Fall Term Fee payment deadline: August 15, 2025
| Tuition | $2,594.46 |
| Student Association | $116.70 |
| Dental Insurance Fee | 163.25 |
| Health Insurance Fee | 163.25 |
| Technology Fee | $82.71 |
| Recreation Fee | $54.57 |
| Total | $3,174.94 |
Part-time Fees Tuition is calculated using “cost-per-credit” one credit is $170. Calculate the cost by multiplying the number of credits per course by $170. Visit Portage Bookstore for textbooks and supplies Winter Term Fee payment deadline: December 15, 2025
| Tuition | $2,594.46 |
| Student Association | $116.70 |
| Technology Fee | $82.71 |
| Recreation Fee | $54.57 |
| Total | $2,848.44 |
Part-time Fees Tuition is calculated using “cost-per-credit” one credit is $170. Calculate the cost by multiplying the number of credits per course by $170. Visit Portage Bookstore for textbooks and supplies Spring Term Fee payment deadline: April 21, 2024 Spring tuition is calculated using “cost-per-credit” one credit is $170. Calculate the cost by multiplying the number of credits per course by $170. Other mandatory fees per semester
| Student Association | $68.95 |
| Technology Fee | $82.71 |
| Recreation Fee | $23.54 |
| Total | $175.20 |
Visit Portage Bookstore for textbooks and supplies Need help funding your education? Check out our funding options.
Fee Explanations
Students’ Association Fees These fees are authorized by student referendum and the Board of Governors. They are collected by the College on behalf of the Students’ Association in accordance with the Post Secondary Learning Act. Health & Dental Fees You may opt-out of the Dental and Health Insurance plan if you provide proof of comparable coverage for an extended health and/or dental care benefits plan. Any questions regarding SA Fees including the Health and Dental Insurance fees should be directed to the SA Office 780-623-5609. Athletics & Recreation Fees These fees are collected to provide recreation and leisure opportunities that promote students’ physical, social, and emotional well-being, whether online or through in person facilities. Check out your +region in the link, to see what is offered at your campus or online. Technology Fee This is a mandatory fee assessed to students enrolling in any credit course (except for apprenticeship programs) at Portage College. The fee supports the on-going maintenance and upgrades to administrative systems that support the entire College infrastructure. As such, it is considered a “mandatory non-instructional fee” and, therefore, is subject to Alberta Advanced Education Public Post-Secondary Institutions’ Tuition Fees Regulations. Visa students are charged the same rate as Canadian residents for this fee.
Term One
This course is an introduction to the history of visual arts and design from the earliest evidence to the fourteenth century. The concentration will be on the history of art in the Near East and Europe: Western Art. Since there has been contact between these areas, the Indian sub-continent and the Far East, and these areas have influenced the later history of Western Art, the art of Asian cultures during this period will also be briefly considered. Prerequisites: 60% in ELA 30-1
English 106 is designed to teach critical writing, critical reading, and critical thinking while studying canonical literary texts from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries. This course combines the study of literary works with instructional texts to teach students to express themselves more clearly in writing and in speech. The creators of this course also hope that students develop an appreciation for fine literary works. This course will present plays and poems from a variety of historical periods and from a variety of cultural contexts. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of correct writing style, rhetorical skills, and thinking skills required for academic study. A minimum of thirty percent of class time will be devoted to writing instruction, which may take any or all of the following forms: grammar and punctuation instruction, informal writing exercises, writing workshops, stylistic and rhetorical analysis, research skills, peer editing, and group writing projects. The total amount of writing will be no less than 3,000 words. Prerequisite: 60% in ELA 30-1
French 101 is the first semester of an introductory French program. This course will help you to learn how to use the French language to communicate about various topics that are relevant to your daily activities, as well as to the realities of the world in which you live. Both classroom activities and major exams will target all four language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. You will acquire basic grammatical and lexical knowledge that will allow you to carry out a wide-range of communicative tasks. The language learning process will occur within a cultural framework in which you will be introduced to various French-speaking peoples from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
History 101 is intended to introduce students both to the content of early modern world history and to the study of history at the university level. In content, the course traces the development of the world from around 1400 to around 1800. As with any history, the focus of the classes and readings is selective; we cannot hope to cover every society and nation in equal depth, but must attempt to negotiate a balance between specific historical detail and broad themes. In the process, students will be expected to develop and utilise skills needed for history as an academic discipline, such as the ability to remember when things happened and how they fit together, the ability to read historical texts carefully and to ask questions of those texts, and the ability to express themselves clearly and coherently in writing. Ideally, students should come away from this course not simply knowing “facts,” but equipped to think historically about the world in which we live, and armed with skills of critical analysis and expression that they will find applicable to many areas of endeavour aside from history. Prerequisites: 60% in ELA 30-1
This course is a prerequisite to other psychology courses at Portage College. This Introductory psychology course is intended to inspire an interest in, and an appreciation for, the field of psychology. Topics in this course include the history of psychological science, psychological research methods, the structure and function of the brain and nervous system, learning, sensation, perception, memory, consciousness, thought, and language. Prerequisites: 60% in ELA 30-1
English 108 is designed to teach critical writing, critical reading, and critical thinking while studying canonical literary texts from the eighteenth to the twentieth-first centuries. This course combines the study of literary works with instructional texts to teach students to express themselves more clearly in writing and in speech. The creators of this course also hope that students develop an appreciation for fine literary works. This course will present novels and short stories from a variety of historical periods, and from a variety of cultural contexts. Particular emphasis will be place of the development of correct writing style, rhetorical skills, and thinking skills required for academic study. A minimum of thirty percent of class time will be devoted to writing instruction, which may take any or all of the following forms: formal written assignments, informal writing exercises, writing workshops, stylistic and rhetorical analysis, research skills, peer editing, group writing projects, and ungraded writing. Students will write two formal essays that will be graded, including an analytical and a research paper. The total amount of writing will be no less than 3,000 words.
This course provides an in-depth study of the structures of the human body and their interrelationships using a systems approach. The correlations between structure (anatomy) and function (physiology) are noted. Major topics include body organization, the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, lymphatic, digestive, endocrine, urinary and reproductive systems, the general and special senses, and human development. This course is designed to prepare students in medical fields of study for advanced courses in their respective fields, as well as other university transfer students.
This course provides a general introduction to anthropology through the study of central concepts and key issues in each of the four fields of anthropology: biological, cultural, and linguistic anthropology as well as archaeology. Human variation, both physical and cultural, will be examined in the context of adaptation and change. Prerequisite: 60% in ELA 30-1
This course is the second half of the Introductory Psychology course sequence. It will cover such topics as human intellect, human development from birth to old age, motivation, emotion, personality, social psychological processes, stress and health, as well as mental disorders and their treatments. This course is an overview of these diverse topics, most of which can be studied in one or more complete courses. Prerequisites: PSYC104
This course is designed to introduce students to the discipline of Sociology and current sociological trends and issues. The course provides an overview of sociological concepts, perspectives, processes and institutions in a Canadian context with particular emphasis on various issues impacting Canadian society. Prerequisites: 60% in ELA 30-1
This course provides an introduction to the study of the history, cultures, and present concerns of Aboriginal peoples in North America from an anthropological perspective, with a focus on First Nations in Canada. Traditional lifeways and contemporary issues will be discussed through the examination of different culture areas across the continent. PREREQUISITE: 100 level Anthropology
EASC101 introduces students to basic concepts of physical geology. Following an introduction to minerals as the basic building blocks of earth materials, igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks are examined. This is followed by a detailed look at the earth's internal structure and processes that occur within it. Students are acquainted with the theory of plate tectonics as a unifying concept in geology after which crustal tectonics and resulting deformation structures are explored. Earth surface processes are also examined including weathering, mass movement, surface water movement, glaciations, wind action, and desert processes. The final part of the course introduces students to the application of remote sensing and GIS in the earth sciences. Prerequisite: Completion of first-year NRT or 60% in ELA 30-1 and BIO 30 or CHEM 30
Social Psychology is the scientific study of the way people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people. This course examines the predominant theories and research on individuals in a social context. Specific topics that are discussed include: understanding ourselves in relation to our social world, the self-concept, impression formation and management, attitudes and attitude change, interpersonal attraction, altruism, aggression, conformity, group dynamics, prejudice, and social psychology’s role in health, the environment, and the law. Prerequisites: PSYC104
This course provides an overview of a variety of abnormal behaviours that are psychologically oriented. The characteristics and observable symptoms of psychological disorders are studied including various theoretical orientations, treatment methods, cultural, age and gender differences, and various factors related to the incidence of mental disorders. The learning in this course adds to the knowledge students acquired in Introductory Psychology and, for CSW students, Developmental Psychology. Prerequisites: PSYC 104 and PSYC 202, or PSYC 105
This course is the second half of the Introductory Psychology course sequence. It will cover such topics as human intellect, human development from birth to old age, motivation, emotion, personality, social psychological processes, stress and health, as well as mental disorders and their treatments. This course is an overview of these diverse topics, most of which can be studied in one or more complete courses. Prerequisites: PSYC104
This course is designed for both Biology majors and non-majors, and explores the principal lineages of organisms on earth: bacteria and archaea, fungi, protists, plants and animals. The relationships of these organisms to their environment and their influence in shaping that environment are examined. Evolutionary pathways and their influence on the diversity of extinct and extant organisms and the classification schemes that we use to distinguish them are discussed. The role that organisms (including humans) have played in the development and maintenance of major ecosystem processes are also studied. This course includes a lab component. PREREQUISITES: 60% in ELA 30-1 and 60% in BIO 30
This course explores the development of the person through the stages of infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and death. Each stage of human development will be studied from a physical, cognitive, and psychosocial perspective. The course will include developmental influences related to family systems and culture. Prerequisites: PSYC104
An in-depth look into crime and deviance in society, looking at specific schools of thought regarding deviance and conformity within society. A historical overview included with modern ideas of crime and criminality will round out a picture of deviance and crime in contemporary society. The course will focus on such behaviours as homicide, drug use, prostitution, gangs, mental illness, and sexuality. Prerequisites: SOCI 101
This course helps students to develop the academic writing skills they use throughout their university studies. Students learn to identify good writing, and develop needed research, analytical, and organizational skills. Starting with building good sentences and paragraphs, the research essay is the most important genre in this course. By analyzing, summarizing, synthesizing, and critiquing a variety of texts, students learn how to develop their own analyses and arguments with appropriate and correctly documented primary and secondary sources. Readings by or about indigenous and minority peoples form no less than 50% of the readings in this course. A review of grammar and sentence structure is a key component of this course. Students are advised to choose a research topic in line with their career goals. Prerequisite 60% in ELA 30-1
Term Two
This course introduces the history of visual arts and design from the 14th Century to the present day. While the course can be taken by itself, it also builds on the knowledge gained from ARTH 101, which covers the history of visual arts and design from the earliest times up to the 14th century. Starting from a period considered to be the origin of our modern age, ARTH 102 follows the development of visual arts to the types of art, design, and architecture found in our contemporary world.
English 106 is designed to teach critical writing, critical reading, and critical thinking while studying canonical literary texts from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries. This course combines the study of literary works with instructional texts to teach students to express themselves more clearly in writing and in speech. The creators of this course also hope that students develop an appreciation for fine literary works. This course will present plays and poems from a variety of historical periods and from a variety of cultural contexts. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of correct writing style, rhetorical skills, and thinking skills required for academic study. A minimum of thirty percent of class time will be devoted to writing instruction, which may take any or all of the following forms: grammar and punctuation instruction, informal writing exercises, writing workshops, stylistic and rhetorical analysis, research skills, peer editing, and group writing projects. The total amount of writing will be no less than 3,000 words. Prerequisite: 60% in ELA 30-1
French 102 is the second semester of an introductory French program which focuses on the French language and Francophone cultures throughout the world. This course is designed to facilitate the further development of your communication skills in French and to give you a balance of all four language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. By the end of the semester, you will be able to initiate and sustain interactions in French, understand the main ideas of what you hear, see, and read in French, and express yourself clearly in written French. In addition to acquiring intermediate-level grammatical and linguistic knowledge, you will also gain a deeper understanding of diverse aspects of French-speaking cultures. Prerequisites: FREN 101
History 368 is a lecture and seminar course that examines the history of the indigenous peoples of Canada prior to and at the moment of first contact with European peoples. In order to gain a full perspective of this critical time period in the North American history, students examine a variety of oral and written documents produced by First Nations, Métis, Aboriginal, and Inuit peoples as well as European explorers, traders and settlers. A combination of lectures and seminar groups are used to examine the early relationship between existing native cultures and their later responses to European exploration and trade. The textbook readings and related articles will acquaint students not only with the indigenous history, but also with the different methodological approaches used by academics. A minimum of thirty percent of class time will be devoted to discussion of archival evidence (oral history, local history, family history, journals, records, letters, and so on), which may take any or all of the following forms: online discussion forums, in-class group discussion, and critical response essays. Prerequisites: 3 credits in a junior level history or ANTH250
This course is a prerequisite to other psychology courses at Portage College. This Introductory psychology course is intended to inspire an interest in, and an appreciation for, the field of psychology. Topics in this course include the history of psychological science, psychological research methods, the structure and function of the brain and nervous system, learning, sensation, perception, memory, consciousness, thought, and language. Prerequisites: 60% in ELA 30-1
English 108 is designed to teach critical writing, critical reading, and critical thinking while studying canonical literary texts from the eighteenth to the twentieth-first centuries. This course combines the study of literary works with instructional texts to teach students to express themselves more clearly in writing and in speech. The creators of this course also hope that students develop an appreciation for fine literary works. This course will present novels and short stories from a variety of historical periods, and from a variety of cultural contexts. Particular emphasis will be place of the development of correct writing style, rhetorical skills, and thinking skills required for academic study. A minimum of thirty percent of class time will be devoted to writing instruction, which may take any or all of the following forms: formal written assignments, informal writing exercises, writing workshops, stylistic and rhetorical analysis, research skills, peer editing, group writing projects, and ungraded writing. Students will write two formal essays that will be graded, including an analytical and a research paper. The total amount of writing will be no less than 3,000 words.
History 102 is intended to introduce students both to the content of modern world history and to the study of history at the university level. In content, the course traces the development of the modern world since around 1800. As with any history, the focus of the classes and readings is selective; we cannot hope to cover every society and nation in equal depth, but must attempt to negotiate a balance between specific historical detail and broad themes. In the process, students will be expected to develop and utilise skills needed for history as an academic discipline, such as the ability to remember when things happened and how they fit together, the ability to read historical texts carefully and to ask questions of those texts, and the ability to express themselves clearly and coherently in writing. Ideally, students should come away from this course not simply knowing “facts,” but equipped to think historically about the world in which we live, and armed with skills of critical analysis and expression that they will find applicable to many areas of endeavour aside from history. Prerequisites: 60% in ELA 30-1
This course is the second half of the Introductory Psychology course sequence. It will cover such topics as human intellect, human development from birth to old age, motivation, emotion, personality, social psychological processes, stress and health, as well as mental disorders and their treatments. This course is an overview of these diverse topics, most of which can be studied in one or more complete courses. Prerequisites: PSYC104
This course is designed to introduce students to the discipline of Sociology and current sociological trends and issues. The course provides an overview of sociological concepts, perspectives, processes and institutions in a Canadian context with particular emphasis on various issues impacting Canadian society. Prerequisites: 60% in ELA 30-1
This course provides an introduction to the study of the history, cultures, and present concerns of Aboriginal peoples in North America from an anthropological perspective, with a focus on First Nations in Canada. Traditional lifeways and contemporary issues will be discussed through the examination of different culture areas across the continent. PREREQUISITE: 100 level Anthropology
EASC101 introduces students to basic concepts of physical geology. Following an introduction to minerals as the basic building blocks of earth materials, igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks are examined. This is followed by a detailed look at the earth's internal structure and processes that occur within it. Students are acquainted with the theory of plate tectonics as a unifying concept in geology after which crustal tectonics and resulting deformation structures are explored. Earth surface processes are also examined including weathering, mass movement, surface water movement, glaciations, wind action, and desert processes. The final part of the course introduces students to the application of remote sensing and GIS in the earth sciences. Prerequisite: Completion of first-year NRT or 60% in ELA 30-1 and BIO 30 or CHEM 30
Social Psychology is the scientific study of the way people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people. This course examines the predominant theories and research on individuals in a social context. Specific topics that are discussed include: understanding ourselves in relation to our social world, the self-concept, impression formation and management, attitudes and attitude change, interpersonal attraction, altruism, aggression, conformity, group dynamics, prejudice, and social psychology’s role in health, the environment, and the law. Prerequisites: PSYC104
This course provides an overview of a variety of abnormal behaviours that are psychologically oriented. The characteristics and observable symptoms of psychological disorders are studied including various theoretical orientations, treatment methods, cultural, age and gender differences, and various factors related to the incidence of mental disorders. The learning in this course adds to the knowledge students acquired in Introductory Psychology and, for CSW students, Developmental Psychology. Prerequisites: PSYC 104 and PSYC 202, or PSYC 105
This course is designed for both Biology majors and non-majors, and explores the principal lineages of organisms on earth: bacteria and archaea, fungi, protists, plants and animals. The relationships of these organisms to their environment and their influence in shaping that environment are examined. Evolutionary pathways and their influence on the diversity of extinct and extant organisms and the classification schemes that we use to distinguish them are discussed. The role that organisms (including humans) have played in the development and maintenance of major ecosystem processes are also studied. This course includes a lab component. PREREQUISITES: 60% in ELA 30-1 and 60% in BIO 30
This course explores the development of the person through the stages of infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and death. Each stage of human development will be studied from a physical, cognitive, and psychosocial perspective. The course will include developmental influences related to family systems and culture. Prerequisites: PSYC104
An in-depth look into crime and deviance in society, looking at specific schools of thought regarding deviance and conformity within society. A historical overview included with modern ideas of crime and criminality will round out a picture of deviance and crime in contemporary society. The course will focus on such behaviours as homicide, drug use, prostitution, gangs, mental illness, and sexuality. Prerequisites: SOCI 101
This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to the study of women and issues important to women. This course is a prerequisite for other women’s studies classes and will provide you with the theoretical foundations necessary for understanding women’s issues. The concept of gender will be explored as a critical category in relation to race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and culture. Social institutions such as education, family, work, health, sexuality, religion, and politics will be explored through the course readings, presentations and in-class discussions. Prerequisites: 60% in ELA 30-1