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Academic Advising
Welcome students! We are so glad that you are here!
On this page you will find many resources to help you as you complete your degree:
- students.wlu.ca home page: This is where students can go to get the most up-to-date information and news.
- Set-up or migrate email from Gmail to Outlook
- Get started with Zoom
- MyLearningSpace: Laurier's learning management system
Academic advising is for all students, whether you are doing well or are facing some challenges. Advisors support and enable individual students as they design, refine and implement their academic plan.
Incoming First-Year Students
Take advantage of the information and assistance that is available online. We know you will have lots of questions as you prepare for university and the details at Laurier 101 will help. Connect online for course registration support and to link up with classmates, staff and faculty.
Advising Appointments
Advising Office: Currently all advising support is be provided via email, phone or Teams messaging.
As of June 2023, the Faculty of Science is changing its procedures for advising-related services. If you would like to request an appointment regarding registration, please fill out the Faculty of Science Registration Inquiry Form.
You must provide the following information if you have any questions/concerns to discuss with the Biology advisor:
- your name and student ID
- only use your @mylaurier.ca email for correspondence
- elaborate on your questions/concerns in detail
If you haven’t used Teams before, you will need to download the most recent version of the app before the appointment starts.
Checklists Needed for Appointments
Come prepared to your academic advising appointment with your Student Checklist and have it completed. You do not need to submit it but you can use it as a reference at your appointment.
To find the Checklists:
- Go to MyLearningSpace.
- Navigate to the main Biology page.
- Select Content.
- Select Student Progression Checklists.
If you are not a Biology student, you will not have access to these checklists and do not need one for the appointment.
Other Advising and Support
- If you have general questions regarding university academic regulations and procedures, are experiencing academic difficulties or are a senior student in the general BSc/BA program, you should meet with an academic advisor in the Science Advising Office.
- The Study Skills and Supplement Instruction Centre offers support for enhanced learning strategies and study skills.
- The Mathematics Assistance Centre provides an array of support services for mathematics and statistic courses.
- Writing Support can help you in developing the writing skills you need to succeed.
- Accessible Learning helps students with documented disabilities reach their full academic potential.
- Laurier's Career Centre is available to support students with career development at all stages/years.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is never advised to take an overload of courses.
A full course load for a full time student is 2.5 credits (five courses). If you feel that you absolutely must take six courses in a term, speak to your academic advisor to explore options (write to BioAdvising@wlu.ca, WatSciAdvising@wlu.ca, or EnvsciAdvising@wlu.ca). You always have options.
Students enrolling in courses that are additional to the normal program load are reminded that they are fully responsible for doing so and are cautioned against possible academic difficulties.
You must attach your student number to your emails.
In order to take a course, you must have completed prerequisite(s). If you are having trouble enrolling in a BI or WASC course then:
- Make sure you check the prerequisites. In order to take a course you must have completed the prerequisite(s).
- Also check the course restrictions. To do so:
- Log in to LORIS.
- Select Browse Classes
- Select the title of the course.
If you think there is a mistake and that your should be able to enrol, but can’t, then see more details here.
No, do not drop the course. Instead, see the instructions in Step 4 of the Course Registration Guide (scroll to "Switch Between Lectures and Labs/Tutorial").
No. You must complete the prerequisite(s) before you can enrol in a course. It is not a good idea to take a course that you are not prepared for.
If you have additional questions, speak to your academic advisor or consult the Biology and Chemistry/Biology Overrides form.
Many programs allow you to customize your degree with a minor and it's a great way to build additional qualifications into your degree. In an honours degree you can have up to two minors. Minors require a minimum of 3.0 credits and rules vary, depending on the discipline. Details are available in the academic calendar and you can contact your academic advisor for more information.
You can add a minor to your degree by using the Program Selection Form. When you have added your minor, the MyDegree tool can be used to evaluate whether you have completed it.
Minors can also be declared when you apply to graduate. It's up to you to ensure that you meet all the requirements of the minor.
There are a number of common error messages that you may encounter when registering for courses on LORIS. A list of the most frequent problems and suggestions on how to fix them can be found in the LORIS Glossary.
Yes! You have to apply to change your program and you should discuss this with your academic advisor to ensure you understand the implications and options associated with switching programs. Information on how to change your program can be found at the Enrolment Services (see Changing Programs on the left side of the page) site.
It is possible to take a course at another Canadian university and get credit at Laurier. This is relatively straightforward for elective courses but it is not advisable for required courses in your program. You should discuss details with your academic advisor and the procedure can be found on the Enrolment Services (see Alternative Registration Proceedures on the left side of page) site.
If you are in a 20.0 credit honours program that shall include no more than 6.0 credits at the 100-level then you must have 14.0 senior credits to complete the requirements of your degree. These rules apply to all courses (required and electives). Senior courses are at the 200, 300 and 400-level.
The Human Biology (HN) courses are counted as senior Biology credits in Hon Biology programs.
Water Science and Environmental Health (WASC) senior courses also count as Senior Biology Credits.
Contact Service Laurier for questions about tuition and fees, registration, OSAP, awards and ordering official documents.