Academic Bridging Program


Faculty List

Director 
T. Socknat, MA, PhD 

Associate Professors, Teaching Stream 
W. B. MacDonald, BA, MA 
T. Moritz, MA, PhD 
J. B. Rose, BA, MA 

Introduction

The Academic Bridging Program allows individuals, who have been away from formal education for some time and are at least 19 years of age, to pursue degree studies at the University of Toronto. The courses in the program are designed to help ease the transition into first-year university courses in the Faculty of Arts and Science after time away from prior education.

Courses feature study skills, essay writing skills, library research skills and the methodology of the specific academic discipline involved. Students are admitted by Woodsworth College to non-degree studies in the Academic Bridging Program and are enrolled in Woodsworth College courses. Both part-time and full-time options are available to students.

Students who successfully complete the Academic Bridging Program, earning a grade of 63% or above, are admitted to the Faculty of Arts and Science, at the University of Toronto, with at least 1.0 credit towards their degree for those who complete the part-time Academic Bridging Program. Students who complete the full-time program may transfer up to 2.0 credits towards their degree.

Program Learning Objectives

Develop Academic Skills:

  • students learn clear, mature and reflective spoken and written communication
  • students learn critical analytical reading, thinking and writing
  • students learn basic information literacy and good academic work habits and study skills

Understand University Culture:

  • students learn appropriate classroom protocol
  • students learn to use classroom technology
  • students learn to access university resources

Enhance Life Skills:

  • students learn to assess their personal and academic strengths and weaknesses, and readiness for university
  • students learn to develop an appreciation of lifelong learning in and out of the classroom
  • students learn to think and act independently and responsibly

The program is offered in the Fall, Winter and Summer sessions. To find out more about the program please contact the Academic Bridging Program office.

Enquiries:

Millie Rotman Shime Academic Bridging Program
Woodsworth College
119 St. George Street, Room 220
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 1A9          
t: 416-978-4444
e:  academic.bridging@utoronto.ca 
w:  Academic Bridging Program (https://wdw.utoronto.ca/)


Academic Bridging Program Courses

ABP100Y1 - Introduction to Academic Studies

Hours: 72S

This interdisciplinary, skills-focused course parallels the other component courses of the full-time Academic Bridging Program, supplementing those courses and helping students integrate their entire Academic Bridging experience, while providing intensive, workshop-style training in the fundamental skills needed for success in further university studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The course will also provide academic advising and planning, to help students understand and navigate university culture. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1), Society and its Institutions (3)

ABP101Y1 - Introduction to Academic Studies in the Sciences

Hours: 72S

This interdisciplinary, skills-focused course parallels the other component courses of the full-time ABP Science Option, supplementing those courses and helping students integrate their entire Academic Bridging experience, while providing intensive, workshop-style training in the fundamental skills needed for success in further university studies in Mathematics and the Sciences. The course will also provide academic advising and planning, to help students understand and navigate university culture. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)

ABP102Y1 - Diversity and Social Justice in Canada

Previous Course Number: JWU100Y1, WDW102Y1

Hours: 72L

Despite its image as a multicultural nation, non-dominant groups have often experienced discrimination and injustice within Canada. The course examines experiences of injustice in Canada from diverse perspectives, amplifying voices of marginalized communities (e.g., Indigenous and other racialized peoples, LGBTQ2S+) and providing a more nuanced and critical view of diversity in Canada, historically and in the present. The course will also highlight the ways diverse communities have resisted injustices and have worked towards the creation of more just futures in Canada. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Exclusion: WDW102Y1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1), Society and its Institutions (3)

ABP103Y1 - Explorations in Literary Imagination: From Conventional to Cutting Edge

Previous Course Number: ENG185Y1, WDW103Y1

Hours: 72L

This course introduces students to the study of literature through an exploration of the conventional to the cutting edge, in terms of literary content, genre, and form. Students will learn to identify and challenge literary conventions and structures while exploring new formats and media. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Exclusion: ENG185Y1, WDW103Y1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

ABP104Y1 - Environmental Issues Today

Previous Course Number: WDW104Y1

Hours: 72L

This interdisciplinary course introduces the major issues regarding the sustainability of the global environment in the face of human development by integrating humanities and social science with the fundamental concept of environmental science. It examines major environmental problems, such as rapid climate change and land degradation as well as the role and impact of government, economics, and ethics on environmental issues. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Exclusion: WDW104Y1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

ABP105Y1 - Indigenous Cultures and Societies

Previous Course Number: WDW105Y1

Hours: 72L

This course provides an interdisciplinary focus on key topics relevant to Indigenous communities, historically and in the present. Students will be introduced to diverse cultures, communities, and worldviews of Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island (particularly Canada) and how they have been affected by colonialism. Emphasis will be placed on the ways Indigenous peoples are resisting social, economic, political, and environmental injustices, while revitalizing their identities, knowledges, and communities and creating space for the expression of Indigenous voices.

Storytelling that prioritizes the perspectives and worldviews of Indigenous peoples will guide students’ learning about course topics, issues, and concepts. Students will be encouraged to connect their own storied identities and perspectives to course themes and issues. Classes will involve a mix of interactive lectures, class discussion, student-led learning opportunities, and field trips. Class time and assignments will also be devoted to helping students build their critical thinking, reading, and writing skills towards the completion of a research-based essay due at the end of the year. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Exclusion: WDW105Y1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

ABP106Y1 - Media, Culture, and Society

Previous Course Number: WDW106Y1

Hours: 72L

This interdisciplinary course provides an introduction to the cultural and social impacts of present-day popular mass media. Themes explored include the economic and political forces that shape the media world, the role of technology, and issues of representation, gender, and social justice. The course examines a wide range of texts, emphasizing popular culture produced in Canada, and students will have the opportunity to draw extensively on their own interactions with popular media. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Exclusion: WDW106Y1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

ABP107Y1 - Introduction to University Studies in Mathematics

Previous Course Number: WDW107Y1

Hours: 72L

This course focuses on mathematical concepts and skills needed for success in First Year university Math and Science courses. Students will develop quantitative reasoning abilities required to critique arguments and make decisions, and will gain a deep understanding of functions modeling relationships. The course highlights multiple representations of each topic, emphasizing connections, and workshop-style sessions enable students to strengthen the skills they learn. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Exclusion: WDW107Y1
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)

ABP108Y1 - Introduction to University Studies in Chemistry

Previous Course Number: WDW108Y1

Hours: 72L

This course covers the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for success in First Year university Chemistry and other Sciences such as Biology. Topics include atoms, elements, and compounds; the chemical and physical properties of gases, liquids, and solids; chemical reactions; and the importance of chemistry in understanding the world around us, with attention to how it can address issues in medicine, the environment, and sustainability. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Exclusion: WDW108Y1
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)

ABP109Y1 - Diverse Histories of Canada

Previous Course Number: WDW101Y1

Hours: 72L

This course explores diverse, under-acknowledged narratives of people, such as Indigenous and racialized peoples, within the territories currently known as Canada to challenge monolithic, linear, and uncritical representations of this country's past and future. Archival materials, maps, place names, art, literature, film, and other texts will be approached from interdisciplinary perspectives to reveal different orientations to historical events, social injustices, and futures of this territory. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Exclusion: WDW101Y1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

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