We use cookies on this site to enhance your experience.
By selecting “Accept” and continuing to use this website, you consent to the use of cookies.
Academic Advising
Academic advising is a collaborative relationship between a student and an academic advisor. Academic advising is available to all Faculty of Science students. Regular contact with an academic advisor, individuals who can assist you with developing and achieving meaningful educational and career goals, is recommended. We strongly encourage students enrolling in Year 1 of the Health Sciences program to take advantage of individual counselling and information sessions held each year during the Laurier 101 program.
Continuing students in Health Sciences seeking course and program advice should contact Associate Professor Vivienne Vance, the Department of Health Sciences academic advisor, at HEadvising@wlu.ca. Advising is available by a virtual session during the Fall and Winter terms on Monday afternoons from 2 to 4 p.m. and Wednesday mornings from 10 a.m. until noon. During the Spring and Summer terms virtual appointments will be available on Wednesday afternoons from 2 to 4 p.m.
Simple questions may be addressed via email, however if you have a complex issue and/or multiple questions please request an appointment time for Wednesday afternoon using the above email address.
All students are strongly encouraged to use the Honours BSc Health Sciences Program Checklist (see below) to track your progress through each year of the Health Sciences program and ensure that you are meeting all of the program requirements for graduation. Please ensure that you have completed this document fully and bring it with you to your advising appointment.
Students admitted to Health Sciences in September 2020, September 2021 or September 2022 must follow the 2020-2023 Program Checklist. Students admitted before September 2020 have the option to follow the 2014–2019 Program Checklist or to adopt the current Program Checklist (see above) provided they do so in its entirety e.g., in order to be eligible for graduation, you must follow ALL program requirements for the old or new curriculum.
Note that all the information on the program checklists is available in accessible format under Progression Requirements.
Information about the academic advising available in the Faculty of Science through the dean's office and the other departments in the faculty is available through Faculty of Science Academic Advising or the central academic advising pages. For general inquiries pertaining to the Faculty of Science, email scienceinquiries@wlu.ca.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 for how to fix them can be found in the LORIS Glossary.
If you are still having difficulty registering for a course, Service Laurier should be able to advise.
Reminder that some elective courses are restricted to students in the respective majors (e.g., Honours Biology), while others may open to students from other departments after a specific "filter date." For most departments, the filter date this year is July 15, but may vary for some departments within and outside the Faculty of Science. This information is available in Browse Classes.
Health Science students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative overall GPA of 6.0 (C+) for progression and graduation in Health Sciences. Progression decisions are made by the Department in May of each year or when a student completes a minimum of 4.0 credits.
Students wishing to complete a directed studies course must complete the directed studies form, which is found online on the Science Advising page under Science Advising forms.
Please fill out this form electronically to which you must attach a one-page course outline which includes the course evaluation (grading scheme) and signature of the faculty member who has agreed to supervise your directed studies course. Both documents must be submitted to the department chair and dean’s office for approval.
HE490 is the directed research in Health Sciences thesis course. Student registering for HE490 must complete the HE490 application form.
It is recommended that you discuss your plans with the Health Sciences Undergraduate Advisor.
For courses taken at the University of Waterloo, please refer to Cross-Registration with UW. Courses taken at universities other than the University of Waterloo require a letter of permission request form. For more information, see Letter of Permission.
Note that courses taken on a UW Cross Registration OR on a letter of permission require email approval from the Health Sciences Undergrad Advisor. If the course you wish to take is in a discipline other than Health Sciences, you will also need approval from the Undergrad Advisor in the respective department e.g. Biology, Math, which must then be forwarded to Enrolment Services.
For either of the above options, permission to take elective courses is relatively simple, however please be aware that you will need strong justification for taking a required course at another university.
Required courses must be evaluated for “course equivalency” by the appropriate undergraduate advisor before registering for the course. You will need to provide the undergraduate advisor with a calendar description and detailed course syllabus before equivalency can be determined.
A full course load is normally 2.5 credits a term. If you would like to take more than this, you will have to fill out the Faculty of Science Course Overload Request Form.
You can declare up to two minors (e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Psychology) at any time during the course of your degree or when you apply to graduate. It may be helpful to declare minors earlier in your degree so that you can track your progress toward the minor using MyDegree. You can submit a program selection form to declare a minor(s) anytime, or you can add them to your program during the Loris program confirmation period in March and April.
Minors typically consist of a minimum of 3.0 credits (6 courses), two of which must be senior level credits. Information on completing minors in all disciplines can be found on the options and minors page.
Note that HN 210 (or HN 204) and HN 220 may count towards a Biology minor; however no more than 1.0 HN credit may be included. Please refer to the appropriate department website to review the requirements for specific disciplines.
Yes, a limited number of students may be eligible for transfer to Honours Health Sciences from another Laurier program of study.
If you wish to be considered for transfer to Health Sciences please apply to transfer through Enrolment Services no later than late April. The Department of Health Sciences considers transfer applications in early May of each year.
Typically students require a cumulative GPA of 10.0 (A-) or higher to be considered for transfer, as well as all of the grade 12 U or equivalent requirements in Chemistry, Biology, Advanced Functions and English.