The Bachelor of Administrative Studies (BAS) degree offered by York University’s School of Administrative Studies in Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) since the 1970s has been officially renamed as a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree. Starting in 2018, students will now be able to receive a BCom degree. Beginning October 2017, BAS alumni will be able to have their degree converted. The change was approved by the Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance and the Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development.
The drive to change the BAS program name has been building for years; the final momentum was created by York students and alumni, in the form of more than 3,000 signatures on a petition to rename the program as the BCom. This important change is welcomed by students, alumni and employers because it is more easily recognized as a business-focused degree.
“With the creation of the BCom degree, we will be ensuring that our students, who are graduating into a highly competitive global workplace, are provided with a degree that is clearly understood locally and internationally,” said Ananya Mukherjee-Reed, dean, LA&PS. “The BCom represents the aspirations of our alumni and students more closely, and we are delighted that this change can help to achieve their goals.”
The current program, including the number and groupings of credits, courses, GPA requirements, and professional accreditations, will remain the same.
“We are truly proud of the accomplishments and successes of our students and alumni, and our business program is well respected in industry. We want to ensure our graduates enter or advance in their field from a position of strength and confidence, and the degree name change will help accomplish that,” said Adriano Solis, director of the School of Administrative Studies.
The BCom degree is one of the two most popular management-focused undergraduate degree types in Canada. York University’s BCom program is consistent with other commerce degrees offered in Ontario and across Canada.
For more information on the change, visit: http://sas.laps.yorku.ca/bcom/faq/.