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    • Selecting Electives: Senior Faculty of Science Students

    Selecting Electives: Senior Faculty of Science Students

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    Choosing electives is a personal choice, based on disciplines of strength and interest and perhaps future aspirations. Your academic advisor cannot select electives for you. The following resource includes a few things to consider when you’re selecting electives in the senior years of your program.

    Number of Electives You Can Register In

    The number of electives you can register in depends on your specific program. Check the appropriate Academic Calendar for the program that you are pursing to determine the total number of electives for your program.

    Most courses are one term in length and earn 0.5 credit (there are some Laurier exceptions that are 0.25 credit or 1.0 credit).

    100-Level Electives

    All programs have a minimum number of senior credits that are required for the degree. Therefore, there is a maximum number of 100-level courses, including both required and elective, that can be completed within the 20.0 credit minimum for your program. Check the appropriate Academic Calendar for the program that you are pursing to clarify the maximum number of 100-level courses that you can complete as this may influence the year level of your elective choices.

    Breadth Requirements

    Most Faculty of Science programs include language for “breadth requirements” for electives: Electives must include at least X credits from a discipline outside of those offered by the Faculty of Science.

    • This breadth requirement may be completed with any course offered by the Faculties of Arts, Human and Social Sciences, Liberal Arts, Music, Education (EM), the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics and the Martin Luther University College. Some ideas are included at the end of this resource.
    • The discipline codes chart provides the home faculty for all courses. For reference, Faculty of Science course codes include AS, BI, CH, CP, DATA, ENVX, ES, GESC, GG, GL, HE, HN, KP, MA, PC, PS, SC, ST, WASC.
    • Note that this requirement can be completed with courses offered at any level (1XX-4XX).

    Electives May Be Used to Complete a Minor/Option

    You may consider working towards a minor / option, but you are not required to do so. Interest in a minor / option may assist you in picking elective courses.

    • You may browse by minor / option on the academic programs page or by using the general list of minors and options.
    • For detailed requirements of an option or minor, you should refer to the 2024/25 academic calendar. Select a Faculty, then the department offering the minor (MI) or option (OP) of interest. Links to specific minors and options will be listed under the “Program information” section.

    Registering in a French Course

    You must complete an override form from the Department of Languages and Literatures to register in your first French course at Laurier.

    Class of Interest at Capacity

    Popular electives can reach capacity quickly. Do not become discouraged!

    • For courses with a waitlist, you can add your name (if there are openings on the waitlist) and check your waitlist position using LORIS.
    • If a fall / winter term course is at capacity, and the course does not have a waitlist, we recommend that you monitor LORIS to watch for an opening in the course(s) so that you may register yourself. Registration numbers continuously fluctuate.
    You have until Sept. 18, 2024 to register for fall 2024 term courses and Jan. 17, 2025 for winter 2025 courses.

    Courses of Interest

    We have compiled a list of some senior electives offered through other faculties whose content may be of interest to a Faculty of Science student. You must check the course description for any pre-requisites.

    Courses based on STEM in social, cultural, philosophical and historical context
    Course Code Course Title Term Mode
    CS213 Technology and Society Fall In-Person
    DH200 Digital Narratives Fall In-Person
    DH201 Introduction to Generative AI Winter In-Person
    EN241 Advanced Academic Writing Winter Online
    FS254 Science Fiction Film Fall In-Person
    GS321B Technology and Globalization Winter In-Person
    HP202 Science in the Modern World Winter In-Person
    KS220 Networked and Digital Cultures Fall In-Person
    MS304 Medievalism in Science Fiction Winter In-Person
    PP204 Formal Logic Fall In-Person
    PP225 Theories of Knowledge Fall In-Person
    PP240H Ethics and AI Fall, Winter Online (F), In-Person (W)
    RE203 Science and Religion Winter Virtual
    Courses based on human health, community and lifespan
    Course Code Course Title Term Mode
    AN224 Anthropology of the Lifecourse Winter In-Person
    AN307W Medicine and Healing Fall In-Person
    AR203 Becoming Human Winter In-Person
    CC210 Psychology of Crime Winter Online
    CC312/HS312 Mental Health and Justice Winter Online, In-Person
    GS221 The Cosmopolitan Village? Fall In-Person
    HI347Y History of Medical Disasters Winter In-Person
    HS201 Canadian Healthcare Systems Fall, Winter Online
    HS208 Autism: Advocacy, Policy and Practice Winter Online
    HS220 Epidemiology and Public Health Fall Online
    HS227 Aging: Realities and Myths Fall Online
    HS303 Environment and Health Fall, Winter Online
    HS322 Health Policy Winter Online
    PP217 Medical Ethics Fall, Winter Online (F), In-Person (W)
    SY215 Health and Illness Fall Online
    SY216 Aging in Social Context Fall, Winter In-Person
    SY232 Sociology of Mental Illness Fall In-Person
    Courses based on environment, biosphere and climate
    Course Code Course Title Term Mode
    AN239 Climate Change in Anthropocene Fall In-Person
    AN314 Animals and People Winter In-Person
    AR333 Archaeology of Disasters Winter In-Person
    GS340S Insects and Global Studies Winter In-Person
    GS361 Disasters, Vulnerability, Resilience Fall In-Person
    HS303 Environment and Health Fall, Winter Online
    PP224 Philosophy and the Environment Fall In-Person
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