The Associate of Arts degree at FIC acts as the 1st year of the program at SFU. It is a 60 credit-hour degree. This program is offered under the written consent of the Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development having undergone a quality assessment process and been found to meet the criteria established by the Minister. The degree is designed specifically to cater to the skill demands coveted for higher education in this field in Canada. Local and international students would highly benefit from the program as the degree will be appropriate to their needs in being acceptable to potential employers, professional licensing bodies, or other educational institutions.