Bachelor of Integrated Studies

• General Information
• University/General Regulations

General Information

The Bachelor of Integrated Studies (BIS), an innovative degree completion program, was developed in response to the needs of adult learners. BIS students will have some post-secondary educational experience (such as certificate or diploma programs, or partially completed degree programs); and may have achieved equivalent university study through a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) of university-level learning gained through work, life and education experiences.

The BIS is particularly designed for part-time study. Mid-career adults may consider this program for a variety of reasons including a change in professional direction, advancement within their career, or seeking a personal or professional challenge. To help adult learners achieve their specific personal, educational and professional goals, the program will integrate their university-level educational background and career and personal objectives with an approved plan of study.

Expected Outcomes

Although each individual program of study may include learning outcomes specific to that plan, student-learning outcomes that are general to the BIS degree program include:

• Communication skills: graduates will be able to listen, read, synthesize, draw conclusions and effectively communicate results in both oral and written form.
• Critical and analytical thinking: graduates will be able to absorb and analyze complex material from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
• Problem solving: because of their increased ability to critically analyze the complexities of an issue or problem from multiple perspectives, graduates will have developed the ability to make discerning judgments and decisions.
• Intellectual and research skills: graduates will have acquired generalized intellectual and research skills, which will also develop the student’s capacity for lifelong learning.
• Interdisciplinary leadership: graduates will be able to set a direction, create and maintain commitment to that direction, and face adaptive challenges. As well, graduates will have an interdisciplinary awareness of current social, political, and economic concerns, the leadership qualities required to assume the challenges of citizenship, and the capabilities to facilitate change.

This degree program is jointly coordinated and administered through a partnership between the School of Leadership Studies (the Faculty), and the Centre for Learning Futures (CLF). The School of Leadership Studies (SLS), with its strength in interdisciplinary and leadership programs and with its emphasis on outcomes-based learning, is responsible for the academic oversight of the BIS program (admissions, transfer credit review, curriculum changes, graduation and portfolio approvals). The Centre for Learning Futures, with its expertise in adult learning, distance education, workplace learning, and prior learning assessment provides the infrastructure and the administrative support for the program. The UNBF Faculties contribute expertise in the areas of the students’ chosen Minor programs and in Prior Learning Assessments.

University/General Regulations

The General University Regulations covered in Section B of this Calendar will govern any point not covered by the General Regulations of the Bachelor of Integrated Studies. Questions concerning the application of regulations should be directed in writing to the Registrar.

Normally, applicants to the Bachelor of Integrated Studies program without a prior degree must meet the following requirements:

• Have acquired a minimum of 15 credit hours of transferable credit of post-secondary study. Transferable credit may also include credit awarded through a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).
• Have been out of high school a minimum of seven (7) years.
• As a final step in the admission process, complete an interview with the Bachelor of Integrated Studies Coordinator to assess their suitability for the program.

Potential applicants with a degree should refer to existing regulations in the UNB Calendar regarding second degrees and should consult the BIS Coordinator.

Students who successfully complete UNB’s FNGL or Leadership certificate in good standing with a GPA of 2.0 or above are automatically eligible for a block transfer into the BIS. 

To earn a Bachelor in Integrated Studies a student must complete a minimum 120 credit hours that include the following requirements:

1. University Minor: A required element of the BIS program is a University Minor or the equivalent. Specialization in a discipline or subject area through a minor complements the interdisciplinary nature of the BIS program. UNB Minors are administered and approved by UNB Faculties. Externally obtained minors must meet UNB guidelines for Minors and have an equivalent content and quality level to those offered by UNB. 
   
2. Leadership Component: To build program coherence and to explore interdisciplinary and integrated learning approaches, each learner will normally complete either a Minor or a Certificate in Leadership studies (see Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership – Certificate in Leadership Studies, and Minor in Leadership Studies, in the Undergraduate Calendar). Students choosing to complete the Minor in Leadership Studies must complete a certificate (or, if they wish, a second minor) in different discipline.
3. Individualized Plan of study: Adult learners admitted to the BIS will meet with the BIS Coordinator to design a plan of study that builds upon their interests and previous academic study, and that meets the program requirements.
   Each individual plan of study includes a statement of objectives written by the learner, a list of courses previously taken and to be taken during the upcoming academic year, a summary of BIS program requirements, and a description of how each component will contribute to achieving the student’s learning objectives. Each learner’s plan of study must be approved by the School of Leadership Studies. 
4. Elective credits: The balance of the BIS program is comprised of elective courses that students select based on individual goals and interests identified in their study plans.
5. Students must complete a minimum of 39 credit hours (one-third of the program) at the 3000 and/or 4000 level.
6. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0
7. Normally students will complete a minimum of 45 credit hours of the program at UNB. The Registrar, in consultation with the School of Leadership Studies and the College of Extended Learning, may waive this provision.
8. Any course taken or transferred to satisfy any of the requirements for a BIS degree must be passed with a minimum grade of C. A maximum of twelve (12) credit hours from courses with a final grade D can transfer as elective credit only and must be from a field in which a grade of D is considered to be a passing grade.

The standing SLS BIS Committee (composed of one SLS faculty member, the BIS Coordinator and the SLS College Coordinator) will review and make recommendations to SLS Dean or Council for approval of PLA, transfer credit, periodic plans of study and graduation.