Academic standing
Academic standing is a reflection of a student’s academic status based on their grade point averages. There are four types of academic standing in the Faculty of Arts & Science: “In Good Standing”, “On Probation”, “On Suspension”, and "Refused Further Registration”. Detailed information is available in the Assessment of Academic Standing section of the Calendar.
Academic unit
A department, college, interdisciplinary centre, school, or institute that provides academic offerings. A list of all academic units within the Faculty of Arts & Science is available on the Faculty website.
Breadth Requirement
The purpose of the Breadth Requirement is to ensure all students graduating with a degree from the Faculty of Arts & Science have chosen courses across a broad range of subject areas in the Faculty as part of their undergraduate education.
Almost all courses offered by the Faculty of Arts & Science are categorized in terms of one of the following five breadth requirement categories:
- 1 – Creative and Cultural Representations
- 2 – Thought, Belief and Behaviour
- 3 – Society and its Institutions
- 4 – Living Things and Their Environment
- 5 – Physical and Mathematical Universes
Detailed information is available in the Degree Requirements section of the Calendar.
Certificate
A certificate is composed of a sequence of 2.0 to 3.0 credits relating to an identified topic or theme that may complement the completion of a degree. A certificate is not a program (i.e. it is not the same as a specialist, major, or minor) and will not contribute toward the program(s) required to complete a degree (HBA, HBSC, or BCom).
The code for each certificate is included with the certificate title in the relevant entry in the Academic Calendar. Codes for all certificates in the Faculty of Arts & Science begin with ‘ASCER’; for example, ASCER1401 is the code for the Certificate in Global German Studies (UofT Global Scholar). Codes can be used to search for certificates in the Calendar and also in ACORN.
Co-requisite
A course that must be taken at the same time or prior to another course.
Course
An academic activity that is recorded with a result on a student's academic history. A passed course gives academic credit towards completing a degree, unless the course is marked “Extra”, and may help complete a program and/or a breadth requirement.
Course code
The unique identifier of every course, which is used in the Academic Calendar and information systems like ACORN and Degree Explorer, for example, PSY100H1. Detailed information is available in the Understanding Courses section of the Calendar.
Course weight
The weight of a course equates to the number of credits assigned to a course and is determined by the required number of instructional hours for the course. With a few exceptions, the weight of courses in the Faculty of Arts & Science is either 0.5 or 1.0.
Credit
The weight assigned to each course in the Faculty of Arts & Science. With a few exceptions, courses are either full-credit (1.0 credit) or half-credit (0.5 credit). The total number of credits required to complete a degree in the Faculty is 20.0.
In each course code, unless otherwise stated in the course description, a “Y” after the numerals indicates a 1.0 credit course and an “H” indicates a 0.5 credit course. For example:
• PSY100H1 is a 0.5 credit course
• ECO220Y1 is a 1.0 credit course
Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR)
A grade of CR or NCR is added to a student’s transcript instead of a percentage mark for courses that have been declared Credit/No Credit. Detailed information is available in the Credit/No Credit section of the Academic Calendar.
Division
The Faculty of Arts & Science, the University of Toronto Mississauga, the University of Toronto Scarborough, the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, and the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering are all examples of academic divisions at the University of Toronto.
Exclusion
A course that cannot be taken for degree credit prior to, or concurrently with, another course.
Extra
The notation EXT is added to a student’s transcript for a course that has been designated Extra. Detailed information is available in the Extra Courses section of the Calendar.
Focus
A focus is a small cluster of courses taken in conjunction with a specialist or major that identifies a student as having received substantial exposure to an area of emphasis within the specialist or major. Focuses denote an area of emphasis or specialization within a program. They are usually not mandatory.
The code for each focus is included with the focus title in the relevant entry in the Academic Calendar. Codes for all focuses in the Faculty of Arts & Science begin with ‘ASFOC’; for example, ASFOC1478B is the code for the Focus in Data Analytics for the Economics Major. Codes can be used to search for a focus in the Calendar and also in ACORN.
Full-Course Equivalent (FCE)
An FCE is the equivalent of 1.0 credit. Courses that were previously referenced as 1.0 FCE or 0.5 FCE are now referenced as 1.0 credit or 0.5 credit.
Grade point average (GPA)
The weighted sum of the grade points earned, divided by the number of credits (a full-credit course is weighted as 1.0, a half-credit course as 0.5) in which grade points were earned. Detailed information is available in the Grade Point Average section of the Calendar.
Language citation
A language citation is a special recognition available in the Faculty of Arts & Science that shows advanced study of a language. A language citation is not a program and will not contribute toward the program(s) required to complete the degree. For detailed information, consult Faculty of Arts & Science Language Citation under the Recognition of Academic Achievement section of the Academic Calendar.
Late Withdrawal After the Drop Date (LWD)
Faculty of Arts & Science students may, for up to 3.0 credits and without a petition, request withdrawal from a course after the deadline to drop the course and until the last day of classes. The status of LWD is added to a student’s transcript for the course instead of a percentage mark. Detailed information is available in the Late Withdrawal After the Drop Date section of the Calendar.
Lecture
A fundamental type of instruction that is standard in almost every course, where the instructor presents course content to students. In the Calendar entry for each course, the number of hours that students will spend in lecture is followed by L; for example, 36L.
Letter of Permission
A Letter of Permission is the process by which the Faculty pre-approves a student enrolling in a course at another recognized institution and confirms whether transfer credit will be granted for the course. For detailed information, consult Courses at Other Recognized Institutions under the Taking Courses Outside the Faculty section of the Academic Calendar.
Limited enrolment program
A program with enrolment requirements in addition to the completion of 4.0 credits. Detailed information is available in the Open and Limited Programs section of the Calendar.
Major program
A comprehensive study of subject matter, requiring the completion of 6.0 to 8.0 credits. A major may be the primary area of degree studies, complemented with another major or two minor programs.
Program codes for all majors in the Faculty of Arts & Science begin with ‘ASMAJ’; for example, ASMAJ1538 is the code for the Animal Physiology Major. Program codes can be used to search for a major in the Calendar and also in ACORN.
Minor program
A fundamental study of subject matter, requiring the completion of 4.0 credits. A minor complements degree studies where a major or a specialist is also being pursued.
Program codes for all minors in the Faculty of Arts & Science begin with ‘ASMIN’; for example, ASMIN1407 is the program code for the Diaspora & Transnational Studies Minor. Program codes can be used to search for a minor in the Calendar and also in ACORN.
Open enrolment program
A program with no enrolment requirements except the completion of 4.0 credits. Detailed information is available in the Open and Limited Programs section of the Calendar.
Petition
A formal request submitted by a student to the Faculty of Arts & Science for an exception to a Faculty policy. Detailed information is available in the Petitions and Appeals section of the Calendar.
Practical
A component of a course that involves students being able to learn and apply their learning in a hands-on manner; for example, laboratories (“labs”) for science courses. If a course has practicals, then it always has either lectures or seminars as well. In the Calendar entry for a course, the number of hours that students will spend in practical sessions is followed by P; for example, 18P.
Prerequisite
A course that a student must complete before taking another course, sometimes with a minimum grade.
Program code
Each specialist, major, and minor in the Faculty of Arts & Science has a distinct program code; for example, ASSPE0608 is the code for the Actuarial Science Specialist. Certificates and focuses also have distinct codes. Detailed information is available in the Elements of a Program or Certificate Description section of the Calendar.
Program type
The Faculty offers three types of programs, each of which can contribute to degree completion: specialists, majors, and minors.
Recommended preparation
A course that is suggested by the academic unit to prepare students for taking another course but that is not a prerequisite.
Seminar
A small-class experience, common for advanced courses, where the in-class process is a combination of some lecturing mixed with structured class discussion (and often, student presentations). In the Calendar entry for a course, the number of hours that students will spend in seminar is followed by S; for example, 24S.
Specialist program
The deepest and most extensive study of subject matter, and almost always represents the key area of degree studies. A specialist requires the completion of 10.0 to 14.0 credits.
Program codes for all specialists in the Faculty begin with ‘ASSPE’; for example, ASSPE2575 is the code for the Global Health Specialist. Program codes can be used to search for a specialist in the Calendar and also in ACORN..
Stream
A categorization of special emphasis for a specialist or major program; streams are presented in the Academic Calendar as if they are each a distinct program. An example of a streamed program is the Cognitive Science Arts Major:
- Cognitive Science Major - Arts (Language and Cognition Stream); the code is ASMAJ1445B
- Cognitive Science Major - Arts (Perception and Attention Stream); the code is ASMAJ1445A
- Cognitive Science Major - Arts (Thinking and Reasoning Stream); the code is ASMAJ1445C
Tutorial
A smaller group meeting where students can discuss and ask questions about lecture material with either the instructor or (more often) a TA (teaching assistant). Tutorials always are part of a course that has either lectures or seminars. In the Calendar entry for a course, the number of hours that students will spend in tutorial is followed by T, for example, 24T.
Year of study
A Faculty of Arts & Science student who has:
- Completed fewer than 4.0 credits is in Year 1
- Completed 4.0 to 8.5 credits is in Year 2
- Completed 9.0 to 13.5 credits is in Year 3
- Completed 14.0 or more credits is in Year 4
