All degrees awarded by the Faculty of Arts & Science require and are defined by the program(s) – Specialist, Major, Minor - a student completes as a degree requirement. These programs identify the subject area(s) the student has pursued and completed. A program is a sequence of courses in certain areas, normally with some choice of options within the sequence. A certificate is composed of 2.0 to 3.0 credits relating to an identified topic or theme that may complement a degree program.

Elements of a Program or Certificate Description

Programs and certificates can be searched directly using the Program and Certificate Search. Programs and certificates usually fall under a page dedicated to the academic unit that offers the program, but sometimes on their own page if they are very distinct from the usual programs that unit offers. Usually the program information is divided up this way:

• Title – The title indicates the subject area as well as Specialist, Major, Minor, Focus, or Certificate.
• Code – Each program and certificate has a distinct code, for example, ASSPE0608, which is the code for the Actuarial Science Specialist, comprising the following elements:
  • AS: All program and certificate codes begin with AS, indicating Arts & Science.
  • SPE, MAJ, MIN, FOC, CER: The next three letters indicate the program type – Specialist, Major, or Minor – or Focus or Certificate.
  • Final four digits: The final four digits usually indicate the individual area of study. In the example above, 0608 indicates Actuarial Science; the code for the Major in Actuarial Science, ASMAJ0608, includes the same final four digits.
• Description (optional) – A small bit of text to indicate what is notable about this program or certificate and why a student might select it as part of their academic or professional plans.
• Enrolment requirements – This describes what requirements, if any, a student must meet to in order to enrol in the program or certificate. A program or certificate can be entered only if a student has obtained 4.0 credits or is on track to doing so before the start of the next September.
• Completion requirements – This lays out – often year by year – the courses a student must complete to complete the program or certificate itself. This information is translated for use in Degree Explorer tool to help a student track their progress and plan future courses.
• Notes (optional) – If either the enrolment requirements or the completion requirements need some clarification, there may be special notes inserted in either area.
• Course Groups (program dependent) – Many programs, especially programs that can recognize a selection from a number of courses from many academic units to fulfil program requirements, will list courses grouped by category.

Specialist, Major, and Minor Programs

The programs offered by the Faculty that may be used to complete a degree are a Specialist, Major, or Minor.

• Specialist programs (from 10.0 to 14.0 credits to complete) offer the deepest and most extensive study of the subject matter in question, and almost always represent the key area of degree studies. The program codes for all Specialists in the Faculty of Arts & Science begin with ‘ASSPE’.
• Major programs (from 6.0 to 8.0 credits to complete) offer a comprehensive study of the subject matter, and may be the primary area of degree studies, complemented with another Major or some Minor programs. The program codes for all Majors in the Faculty of Arts & Science begin with ‘ASMAJ’.
• Minor programs (4.0 credits to complete) offer a fundamental study of the subject matter and complement degree studies where a Major or a Specialist is also being pursued. The program codes for all Minors in the Faculty of Arts & Science begin with ‘ASMIN’.

Effective September 2025, students can complete only one program type – Specialist, Major, or Minor – in any individual area, as referenced by the same final four-digit program code. For example, students can complete only one of a Specialist (ASSPE1013), Major (ASMAJ1013), or Minor (ASMIN1013) in Sociology. For more information on what combination of programs ensure completion of a degree, and the allowable combinations of programs, refer to the HBA/HBSc or BCom Degree Requirements.

Open and Limited Programs

Programs in the Faculty of Arts & Science are either open or limited; in the Academic Calendar, the enrolment requirements section of each program will specify whether the program is open or limited enrolment. .

Open programs have no enrolment requirements except the completion of 4.0 credits. The enrolment requirements section for an open program may contain additional information that is useful for a student to know prior to enrolling in the program.

Limited programs have enrolment requirements in addition to the completion of 4.0 credits. These enrolment requirements are broken down in the following ways:

• Completed courses (with minimum grades)
  • For reasons of academic success, entry into the program relies on students having completed one or more specific courses, normally with a specific grade beyond a pass (50%).
• Variable Minimum Grade or Variable Minimum Grade Average
  • Limited programs with this requirement are in very high demand, and every year the program must establish a specific minimum grade (or a minimum average grade across multiple courses) based on how many students have applied and how many of the limited spaces are available. As such, this minimum changes each year and it is not possible to publish a guaranteed minimum.
  • Some programs may identify a minimum grade or minimum grade average that is required in order to ensure students’ success in the program, however obtaining this minimum final grade or minimum grade average does not guarantee admission to the program.
• Special
  • Any requirement listed as “special” is a requirement that is beyond courses completed and grades achieved; for example, a supplementary application or audition.

Streams

Streams are categorizations of special emphasis for a Specialist or Major program. The difference between Streams shows itself in upper-year courses, while the courses usually taken in first or second year are similar across all Streams in the Major or Specialist. Streams are presented in the Academic Calendar like a distinct program.

Focuses

When focuses exist in an area of study, they are taken in conjunction with a Specialist or Major, and they allow a student to select a special cluster of course options that all contribute to study of a particular theme, topic, or sub-discipline within the area of study. Focuses are normally not mandatory and enhance how a student plans the completion of their programs. A completed focus will show on a student’s transcript. The codes for all focuses in the Faculty of Arts & Science begin with ‘ASFOC’.

Certificates

The University has three categories of Certificates. The Arts & Science Academic Calendar only includes those that must be completed by students pursuing a degree in the Faculty of Arts & Science. Certificates are composed of a sequence of 2.0-3.0 credits relating to an identified topic or theme that may complement a degree program. Pursuit of a Certificate may offer structure to elective course choices; these certificates do not offer any kind of professional certification. A completed Certificate will be noted on a student's transcript. Note that a Certificate is not a program and will not contribute toward the program(s) required to complete the degree. The codes for all Certificates in the Faculty of Arts & Science begin with ‘ASCER’.