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First-Year Program Requirements: Faculty of Science

Note: The following information represents requirements for the 2024/25 academic calendar year. The Course Registration Guide will be updated for the 2025/26 academic year mid-May.

The following information is part of Step 1: Program Requirements of the Course Registration Guide for first-year Faculty of Science students. To view the remaining steps, consult the Course Registration Guide.

On this page: 

Course Load

To earn an Honours Degree, you will need to complete 20.0 credits:

  • 0.5 credit: Normally conducted over one term
  • 1.0 credit: Normally conducted over two terms

If you are studying part-time, you can take up to 1.5 credits per term. Full-time status is given to students who take 2.0 or 2.5 credits per term.

If you select 2.5 credits in the fall term and 2.5 credits in the winter term, you can complete an Honours Degree in four years.

The majority of Faculty of Science courses are 0.5 credit.

For all Faculty of Science single degree programs, you may elect to proceed on a reduced load (2.0 credits per term) or part-time load (less than 2.0 credits per term) and increase the number of terms of study to complete your full degree.

GPA-Based Progression

To progress from year one to year two in most Honours programs, you require: 

  • an overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 4.0 (C-) and
  • a cumulative GPA of at least 5.0 (C) in the honours subject courses.

There are programs with atypical progression requirements. Refer to the program section of the academic calendar for details on the specific progression and graduation requirements for your program.

Calculus Preparation Evaluation (CPE)

To register in MA100, MA102, MA103, or SC101, you must first complete the mandatory online Calculus Preparation Evaluation (CPE). Based on the results of the CPE, you may be required to complete MA102 before registering in MA103 or SC101 prior to registering in MA100. For Double Degree programs, the CPE is not required to register in MA103.

To register in PC131, you must first register in one of the “co-requisite” Calculus courses (MA100, MA102 or MA103). These courses may be completed concurrently.

Core Sciences – No Major Declared

This temporary designation allows you to explore disciplines in the Faculty of Science (Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Studies, Geography, Mathematics, Physics and Psychology) before declaring a major / program at the end of your first year:

  • Select one to two programs of interest and take as many of the first year required courses of those programs as possible allowing you to easily transition into a major starting in year two.
  • In addition to these courses, we recommend that you take electives from other disciplines.
  • Please see the Core Sciences drop-down in the list below for further information about course selection and registration. 

Most Faculty of Science programs are open to internal transfer. Note that the Honours BSc Health Sciences program and Honours Bachelor of Kinesiology program are highly competitive, limited enrolment programs for which internal transfer after Year 1 is exceptional.

Program Requirements by Major

The 100-level courses for each program, both required and elective, are listed below. Some things to note:

  • Your program requirements are presented as a full load of 5.0 credits (2.5 credits in each of the fall and winter terms). 
  • The foundational courses for the major are presented in bold font.
  • All Faculty of Science programs have a maximum junior (100-level) credit limit: 6.0-7.0 credits depending on the specific program.
  • Consider registering for elective courses that would contribute to a minor or option.
  • Most programs must eventually include a minimum number of electives from a discipline outside of those offered by the Faculty of Science. You should consider completing at least one elective course from another faculty in Year 1. 

Students interested in BA Policing in combination can find the required courses listed under the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences (online) program requirements.

Definitions

  • BA: Bachelor of Arts (honours)
  • BKin: Bachelor of Kinesiology (honours)
  • BSc: Bachelor of Science (honours)
  • Combination-Only BA: A program that must be taken in combination with another BA program
  • BBA: Bachelor of Business Administration (honours)
  • An asterisk (*) denotes a course worth 1.0 credits

Next Step: Choose Your Electives

Now that you've determined your program requirements, it's time to move to Step 2: Choose Your Electives to plan and select your electives.