Skip to Main Content
Smiling students sitting together indoors, chatting; focus on a young woman laughing while others sit beside her.

Foundation Program

Bachelor's Degree - FIC Pathway: Foundation Entry

Bachelor's Degree - FIC Pathway: Foundation Entry Overview

Bachelor’s Degree – FIC Pathway: Foundation Entry is designed to prepare you for entry to university-level programs in Business Administration, Computing Science, Engineering Science or Arts and Social Sciences. In Bachelor’s Degree – FIC Pathway: Foundation Entry, you complete eight courses. After successfully completing this program, you will progress to Bachelor’s Degree – FIC Pathway: Year One Entry.

KEY INFORMATION

Duration

  • 2 terms

Intakes

  • January, May, September

Location

  • Vancouver

Your direct pathway to Simon Fraser University

High School
FIC
2nd year Simon Fraser University

Bachelor’s Degree – FIC Pathway: Year One Entry

Programs:

  • Associate of Arts Degree
  • Arts and Social Sciences
  • Business Administration
  • Communication, Art and Technology
  • Computing Science
  • Engineering Science
  • Environment
  • Health Sciences

Program Requirements

At the Foundation level, students can choose from a variety of courses designed to build the academic skills needed for success in university-level studies. To progress to the Bachelor’s Degree – FIC Pathway: Year One Entry students must successfully complete a minimum of eight courses and achieve a minimum GPA of 2.5 based on eight courses.

Bachelor’s Degree – FIC Pathway: Foundation Entry courses are offered on a rotating basis each term. The schedule below reflects the planned offerings; however, course availability is subject to change with notice.

*UNI101 will be offered in the Spring 2026 term, but will only be offered in the Fall term from Fall 2026 onwards
**ENF100 is recommended for all Foundation students who intend to transfer into either Applied Science and Science. Students taking ENF100 must achieve a minimum B grade to advance to Calculus I. Students can select 2 additional Foundation courses + ENF100.
Please note that ENF100 may not be offered every term.

 

Course List

BUS108 - Business Management

Non-credit Course
Program: UTP Stage I – Theories, concepts and issues in the field of organizational behaviour with an emphasis on team processes. Core topics include employee motivation and performance; stress management; communication; work perceptions and attitudes; decision-making; team dynamics; employee involvement and conflict management.

Prerequisite

There is a $100 Book fee associated with this course.

COM002 - Introduction to Computers & Their Applications

Non-credit Course
Program: UTP Stage I – COM002 introduces students to computers and their usage in a variety of software applications. It is a lab course, where the primary focus is on developing hands-on computer skills. In addition, theoretical background information is presented as needed. Microsoft Office 2010 will be used for office-type applications to develop specific skills, although the skills acquired go beyond particular software. Topics of the course include computer components, operating systems, networking, security; word processing; spreadsheets; database systems; presentation graphics. In COM002, students will acquire knowledge, skills, and confidence to use computers and their software capabilities in their future studies, work, business endeavours, and every-day life.

Prerequisite

This course complements COM001.
There is a $100 Book fee associated with this course.

ECN100 - Introduction to Economics

Non-credit Course
Program: UTP Stage I – Economics is a social science that includes the study of how consumers, households and firms – make decisions. Macroeconomics encompasses the aggregate economy and is concerned with issues such as total output, interest rates, inflation and unemployment. This course will attempt to combine economic theory with practical, everyday applications. The goal of this course is to give students a sufficient understanding of economic issues and problems so that students may understand the impact of government policy, economic phenomena, and the choices people make.

Prerequisite

There is a $100 Book fee associated with this course.

ENF100 - Engineering Skills Foundations

Non-credit Course
ENF100 is a course in precalculus mathematics, but with an emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. Each week there are two four-hour sessions. In the first, you will work together to review concepts, introduce new material and techniques, and practice problem-solving. The second class will be used to apply these concepts to situations of importance in other disciplines such as engineering, physics & computing science. The purpose is for students to understand the value of mathematical principles in applied sciences. The course will be hands-on: students will develop important skills and techniques that are the foundation of any engineering discipline. To pass this course and progress to Engineering Science, students must achieve at least s B grade.

Prerequisite

Open to students admitted to Engineering Fundamentals, or Engineering Science Student who score between 0-25 on the Math Check, and Foundation (UTPI) students.

ESR100 - Exploring Scholarly Reading

Non-credit Course
Program: UTP Stage I – ESR100 is designed to improve your academic reading skills and help you discover new reading strategies and techniques for effective learning. Through scholarly texts from various university courses (business, economics, psychology, history, literature, etc.), reading materials on Canadian culture, Aboriginal topics and more, and a variety of reading activities in English, you will learn ways to improve your reading efficiency, comprehension accuracy, ability to read with a purpose and critically think about and evaluate the readings.

Prerequisite

No Prerequisite Required

IND100 - Indigenous Peoples of the World: An Introduction

Non-credit Course
Program: UTP Stage I – This introductory course explores the social, cultural, and political experiences of Indigenous Peoples around the world. This covers Indigenous Peoples in regions such as Australia, Aotearoa-New Zealand, Latin America (Central and South), North America (Canada and the United States), Africa, and Asia, or other regions of interest to students. Historical and contemporary issues effecting Indigenous Peoples globally, such as language loss and revitalization, land and resource rights, urbanization, gender, education, aesthetic/artistic and spiritual practices will be examined. Using scholarly and creative works, including fiction, film, oral narrative and storytelling, students will consider how the global Indigenous community is connected and begin to understand Indigenous strategies for maintaining cultural identity.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

INS101 - Interdisciplinary Special Topics 101

Non-credit Course
Program: UTP Stage I – The ‘media’ (by which we mean television, movies, video games, music, etc.) are great storytellers that profoundly shape how we see the world around us. The ‘media’ is also ubiquitous, meaning it is easy to take for granted its impact on our lives and how we understand the social world. These courses engage with media sources including movies, literature, and music to tease out the power of storytelling. By using interdisciplinary tools such as literary and media analysis, students will learn skills that will help them critically examine media and storytelling, as well as developing the writing, presenting, and critical thinking skills that will help them succeed in their future courses.

Prerequisite

This course is taken in conjunction with INS102 and is only available to students in their first semester

IUW100 - Introduction to University Writing

Non-credit Course
Program: UTP Stage I – This course focuses on the skills necessary to produce an essay at an academic level. The focus of study ranges from sentence structure and paragraph development to planning and composing essays. The course also covers Modern Language Association (MLA) documentation.

Prerequisite

FIC direct entry equivalent.
This course complements ESR100.
There is a $100 Book fee associated with this course.

MOD101 - Skepticism for the Modern World

Non-credit Course
Program: UTP Stage I – Many people accept mathematical claims without question, assuming verification is too difficult. Those who lie and cheat exploit this assumption to hide their deception. In this course, you will learn how to assess math-based claims for plausibility—separating useful information from deceitful misinformation.

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

PHL120 - Intro. to Philosophical Reasoning

Non-credit Course
Program: UTP Stage I – This course is an introduction philosophical reasoning and explores the basics of rational argumentation, truth and logic, including understanding someone else’s argument, judging whether the argument has a proper logical structure or not, and forming a positive or negative overall appraisal of an argument. This course also examines several diverse philosophical topics, including ethical issues such as international aid (how much charity should rich people give to poor people?), issues about the nature of reality (are ghosts and spirits real?) and issues about what we can know (could you know if you were really inside The Matrix right now?). This course does not presuppose any previous training in formal logic.

Prerequisite

FIC direct entry equivalent
There is a $100 Book fee associated with this course.

PWR101 - Power Speaking 101

Non-credit Course
Program: UTP Stage I – Power Speaking 101 is designed to be a hands-on practical course that will help you level up your presentation and discussion skills by providing you with important skills, strategies and most importantly extensive practice every lesson to build your confidence and abilities in presenting and discussing effectively at a college and university level. Engaging in discussions, debates and making presentations, both individually and in groups is a key component of the majority of college and university classes, and the ability to research, discuss, and present information well will help you succeed in your courses- and you might even to learn to enjoy doing them!

Prerequisite

No prerequisite required

UNI101 - University Life 101

Non-credit Course
Program: UTP Stage I – In UNI101 you will learn the technical and practical skills required to be successful in a wide range of university courses. We will emphasize social connections, health, studying and overall academic skills. Topics to be covered include physical and mental wellness, connecting to the university, presentations and writing, research, academic honesty and career preparation.

Prerequisite

There is a $100 Book fee associated with this course.

WIS100 - World Issues

Non-credit Course
Program: UTP Stage I – World Issues is an ideal course for all students interested in the social, economic, political, and environmental issues that face our world. Topics studied may include global economy, the environment, and human rights, and will be addressed through reflective papers, projects, and presentations.

Prerequisite

There is a $100 Book fee associated with this course.

 

70% Jump Rule

All students with a Foundation offer will be eligible for the 70% jump rule effective October 1, 2026. Students must successfully complete or pass a minimum of four Foundation classes within their first term with a minimum 70% average to progress to the Bachelor’s Degree – FIC Pathway: Year One Program. A D grade or higher is considered a passing grade.

Integrated (INTG100) Foundation students should speak with a student advisor to discuss this option.

Back to Top