Build on your college diploma & sharpen the human skills the AI era rewards.
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uOttawa Online’s Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies (Online, Accelerated) offers unparalleled opportunities to discover your passions while staying focused on real-world relevance and long-term career goals.
The program is rooted in the Faculty of Arts’ Human Intelligence perspective: the idea that human capacities matter more, not less, in the future of work shaped by AI, automation and rapid change.
This degree elevates essential human capacities including critical thinking, judgement, creativity, empathy and communication. Developing these strengths provides the agility to interpret complex information, lead through uncertainty and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
The program is designed for working adults across Canada who hold a 2-year or 3-year college diploma, have 3+ years of work experience and are ready to build on that foundation.
The Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies (Online, Accelerated) is a strong fit for professionals in healthcare, education, technology, the trades, the not-for-profit sector, the public sector and other fields where a bachelor's degree can support career growth. It is particularly useful for those whose next career step is gated by a credential they don't yet hold.
Build on your 2-year or 3-year diploma and earn a respected credential from a U15 research university, 100% online.
Our Faculty of Arts is a leading Canadian voice on what a liberal arts education means in an age of artificial intelligence.
Study fully online with flexible pacing and dedicated advisors, so you can progress without pausing your career or relocating.
Every course builds transferable capabilities, including critical thinking, judgement, creativity and communication, that move with you across roles, sectors and technological change.
Explore ideas across history, culture, ethics, environment, digital cultures and Indigenous thought, connecting knowledge across fields rather than one narrow lane.
Complete your degree in as little as 20 months using credit from your existing college diploma, without relocating or stepping away from work or other commitments.
The Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies (Online, Accelerated) is designed specifically for college diploma graduates. We recognize the work you've already completed by creating a direct, supported path to your bachelor's degree.
The University of Ottawa recognizes your eligible college diploma with a block transfer at admission. This process determines which of the two accelerated pathways applies to you. Complete the remaining 45 units (~20 months) or 60 units (~28 months) through uOttawa Online to earn your degree and graduate.
Explore ideas across disciplines while building transferable, workplace-relevant skills such as digital literacy, interdisciplinary problem-solving, cultural context and historical understanding. Courses progress from 1000-level foundations through 4000-level application.
Rebuild core academic skills and explore the disciplines that shape how we understand the world, from digital literacy and global history to Indigenous studies.
Expand your thinking across human experience: culture, communication, ethics, and knowledge systems from ancient to contemporary times.
Examine how ideas, identities and cultures intersect across time and place, developing interdisciplinary analytical range.
Apply everything you're learning and synthesize your ideas in a capstone-style course.
Please note that the pathway is a suggestion. Your chosen course load/semester will determine your individual pathway.
Year 1
Major theories and techniques of interpersonal communication, applied to professional and social situations.
Learn moreBuilds foundational digital skills: evaluating information and technology, understanding digital media, and using core productivity tools.
Learn moreAn introduction to Indigenous worldviews, histories and contemporary issues across Turtle Island.
Learn moreA survey of major turning points and cross-cultural connections that have shaped the modern world.
Learn moreExamines the intersection of Indigenous communities with technology, media representation and legal frameworks.
Learn moreExplores the moral status of animals and the ethical questions raised by our relationships with them.
Learn moreIntroduces the interdisciplinary methods and thinking that connect ideas across the humanities.
Learn moreExplores how myth, ritual and belief continue to shape human culture and meaning-making.
Learn moreExamines the environmental, social and planning challenges of building sustainable urban environments.
Learn moreYear 2
Explores how cultures interact, exchange ideas and influence one another across history.
Learn moreExamines the Bible's influence on literature, art and culture across centuries.
Learn moreSurveys architectural traditions and their cultural, historical and aesthetic significance.
Learn moreExamines how identity and ideology are constructed and contested across world cultures.
Learn moreA capstone-style course applying interdisciplinary methods to real-world problems and insight generation.
Learn moreExplores philosophical traditions and enduring ideas from the ancient world.
Learn morePlease note that the pathway is a suggestion. Your chosen course load/semester will determine your individual pathway.
Year 1
Major theories and techniques of interpersonal communication, applied to professional and social situations.
Learn moreBuilds foundational digital skills: evaluating information and technology, understanding digital media, and using core productivity tools.
Learn moreAn introduction to Indigenous worldviews, histories and contemporary issues across Turtle Island.
Learn moreA survey of major turning points and cross-cultural connections that have shaped the modern world.
Learn moreExamines the intersection of Indigenous communities with technology, media representation and legal frameworks.
Learn moreExplores the moral status of animals and the ethical questions raised by our relationships with them.
Learn moreIntroduces the interdisciplinary methods and thinking that connect ideas across the humanities.
Learn moreExplores how myth, ritual and belief continue to shape human culture and meaning-making.
Learn moreExamines the environmental, social and planning challenges of building sustainable urban environments.
Learn moreYear 2
Explores how cultures interact, exchange ideas and influence one another across history.
Learn moreExamines the Bible's influence on literature, art and culture across centuries.
Learn moreSurveys architectural traditions and their cultural, historical and aesthetic significance.
Learn moreExamines how identity and ideology are constructed and contested across world cultures.
Learn moreA capstone-style course applying interdisciplinary methods to real-world problems and insight generation.
Learn moreExplores philosophical traditions and enduring ideas from the ancient world.
Learn moreAn introduction to the structure, diversity and social role of human language.
Learn moreTraces the historical events and forces that shaped modern Canada.
Learn moreIntroduces the major environmental issues facing the world today and approaches to addressing them.
Learn moreYear 3
An introduction to authors, works, and movements in Canadian Literature in their social, cultural, and historical contexts.
Learn moreAn exploration of the distinct beliefs, practices, and histories of the world’s major religious traditions.
Learn more*Course list subject to change. Consult the uOttawa academic calendar for the most up-to-date information.
You will graduate with practical, human-centred skills that map to real roles. Outcomes vary by experience and location, but the pathways below reflect where graduates of interdisciplinary arts programs typically land.
Typical roles: Program manager, operations manager, business transformation coordinator
What you'll learn to do: Apply interdisciplinary thinking to complex organizational problems, coordinate cross-functional work and manage change.
Relevant courses:
Typical roles: Communications manager, community engagement lead
What you'll learn to do: Communicate clearly across audiences, interpret cultural context and build engagement strategies grounded in critical analysis.
Relevant courses:
Typical roles: Policy coordinator
What you'll learn to do: Analyze historical and global context, apply ethical reasoning and connect policy questions to lived experience.
Relevant courses:
Typical roles: Sustainability coordinator, environmental program coordinator, community planning assistant
What you'll learn to do: Evaluate environmental and urban challenges and apply sustainability frameworks to real-world planning questions.
Relevant courses:
Typical roles: Graduate study, professional certification pathways
What you'll learn to do: Build the interdisciplinary foundation and human-centred skills that may support eligibility for future graduate study or professional pathways, depending on the specific program and admission requirements.
Relevant courses:
Your previous credential and educational background will determine your exact program pathway (45 or 60 units). UOttawa confirms final admission and credit recognition.
Speak to our admissions team who can guide you through the OUAC application process.
A university degree is a significant milestone, and financial planning is an important part of that journey. Tuition depends on your admission pathway (45 or 60 units).
Contact our team for more detailed tuition information, including payment options and financial aid opportunities.
Request more information*Tuition and fees are subject to change each academic year. Textbooks may be required for some courses and are an additional cost.
Our program is designed for working adults across Canada who hold a college diploma and want to build on that foundation with a uOttawa degree. It may be a strong fit for professionals in healthcare, education, technology, the trades, the public sector, the not-for-profit sector and other fields where a bachelor's degree can support career growth.
Yes. Our Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies (Online, Accelerated) is delivered fully online, making it a flexible option for working adults who need to balance school with work, family and other responsibilities.
English.
Our program is designed to recognize prior college learning at admission. Your exact pathway will depend on your previous credential and educational background. An advisor can help you understand which pathway may apply to you.
No. Our program is designed for working adults, so you can continue working while studying online.
You'll build transferable, workplace-relevant skills such as critical thinking, communication, judgement, creativity, digital fluency, interdisciplinary problem-solving, cultural literacy and historical understanding.
The Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies (Online, Accelerated) is accelerated, broad, interdisciplinary and future-focused. Instead of preparing you for one narrow role, it helps you build skills that can travel across roles, sectors and career changes.
It may help support eligibility for future graduate study or professional pathways, depending on the specific program, institution and admission requirements. Students should confirm requirements for any future program they're considering.
Build on your college diploma. Strengthen the human skills employers value. Earn a career-relevant degree 100% online.
Get program details, tuition information, and application instructions.
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