Check Your Program Requirements

The first step to building your schedule is confirming your program requirements. Depending on your program you may have only 2-3 required courses or you could have up to 9 or 10 required courses. Your required courses are mandatory classes that you must take for your program. 

Choosing Electives

You need a certain number of credits to obtain your degree (20 for most undergraduate degrees), but only some of those credits are mandatory for completing your program of study, or major. You will round out your course selection by choosing electives – courses you take purely out of interest. You can even take elective courses from faculties outside your own, if they're available.

Choose electives that pique your interest and complement your future career goals. You can even use your electives to complete a second major, a minor, or an option. First-year students should use the list of first year course offerings to make a list of electives you are interested in. Once you have an idea of what you would like to take, go the Dynamic Schedule to find the day and time the course is offered. Returning students should refer to the Dynamic Schedule.

Majors, Minors and Options

Your major is the subject you are primarily studying at Laurier. In most cases, you are automatically placed in the subject major you chose when you applied to Laurier through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre.

A minor is a secondary area of concentration requiring at least 3.0 credits in a subject different from your program major. Many programs at Laurier can be taken as minors. We also offer a number of specialty minors. Minors are not declared until you apply to graduate; it's up to you to ensure that you meet all the requirements of the minor.

An option is an enhanced minor, requiring anywhere from 4.0 to 5.0 credits.

Many programs have enough "elective space" to take another major, minor or option, but some programs do not. Speak with an advisor or consult the academic calendar to learn about the requirements for combined-majors, minors and options.

Cooperative Education

Co-op information sessions for honours students in Arts, Business, Economics and Science are held during the winter term. You can apply online for admission to co-op beginning in March of your first year and until the second Monday of classes in September of your second year.