2003-2004
Undergraduate
Calendar

Table of Contents

Faculty of Arts

Faculty of Education

Faculty of Environmental Studies

Faculty of Fine Arts

Faculty of Pure and Applied Science

Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies

Osgoode Hall Law School

Schulich School of Business

Courses of Instruction

Glendon College

Regulations Governing Undergraduate Degree Requirements

The Credit System

The Faculty of Pure and Applied Science operates under a credit system in which a prescribed number of credits, intended to reflect total workload, is associated with each course offered by the University. One lecture hour per week per term is defined as one academic credit as is one laboratory session per week per term. For York University courses (excepting some courses offered by the Faculty of Education), the number of credits in each course is indicated by the number which follows the four-digit course number. (Note: practicum credits are defined differently - see Kinesiology and Health Science in the Courses of Instruction section of this Calendar.)

Year of Study Equivalents

When it is necessary to equate credits earned with year level, the following guidelines are used:

• fewer than 24 credits earned - study level one;
• more than or equal to 24 and fewer than 54 credits earned - study level two;
• more than or equal to 54 and fewer than 84 credits earned - study level three;
• more than or equal to 84 credits earned - study level four (with the exception that bachelor programs never go beyond study level three, regardless of the number of credits earned).

Residence Requirement

In order to qualify for a York University BSc or BSc Honours degree in any bachelor or Honours program, a student must have successfully completed a minimum of 30 credits at York University and at least half (50 per cent) of the requirements in each science major/minor must be taken in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science.

Time Limit

There is no time limit for completion of degree requirements in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science. Students taking a normal full-time load of approximately 30 credits per fall/winter session can expect to complete a BSc degree in three fall/winter sessions or a BSc Honours degree in four fall/winter sessions. A limited number of courses are also available during the summer session; a maximum of 12 credits can be taken in that session.

Although there is no minimum number of credits in which a student must enrol in any session, students who do not enrol in any courses in a fall/winter session must formally apply to have their files reactivated before resuming their studies in a subsequent session (see Reactivation in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Advising, Enrolment, Registration, Graduation and Other Administrative Procedures section of this Calendar).

Since science curriculum is constantly evolving through the introduction of new course requirements and/or prerequisites, students are strongly advised to complete their degree requirements in as short a period of time as their personal circumstances and university schedules permit, in order to minimize the impact of such changes.

Degree Credit Exclusions

The University offers some courses in which at least part of the content is similar to that presented in other courses. To ensure that degree credit is not granted more than once for similar content, the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science and the Faculty of Arts designate such courses as degree credit exclusions (usually called exclusions). The exclusion(s) for a particular course are listed at the end of the course outline in this Calendar. (Note that the courses within such a list may not be exclusions of one another - e.g. two courses may have nothing in common with each other yet may both overlap a third course.)

If a student in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science enrols in and successfully completes two courses which are designated as exclusions of each other, degree credit is given for only one. Both courses appear on the student's official York University transcript, and are included in grade point average calculations (except in the case of pass/fail graded courses) and in the total number of credits taken (for determination of status regarding academic warning and failure to gain standing).

For information regarding Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies courses as exclusions for science courses in this Calendar, science students must refer to the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science degree credit exclusion/equivalent tables which are available in the Office of Science Academic Services beginning in March each year.

A course (or combination of courses) designated as an exclusion for another course may be substituted for the latter (for the purposes of satisfying prerequisite and/or degree requirements) only with Faculty/department/division/program approval. Information regarding approved substitute courses may be found in the program of study requirements in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Programs of Study section of this Calendar, in the prerequisite requirements listed for courses in this Calendar, in the departmental supplementary calendars, or in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science degree credit exclusion/equivalent tables.

References to discontinued courses are retained in the exclusion listings in Calendar copy for only a limited number of years. Written permission of the department(s) to take both courses for credit is advisable before enrolling in a course which may overlap a discontinued course taken previously which is no longer listed as an exclusion. Such permission should be added to the student's file in the Office of the Registrar.

College Courses

Regulations governing college courses vary from Faculty to Faculty. The following regulations apply to BSc and BSc Honours candidates:

• college courses not cross-listed with humanities or social science cannot fulfill general education requirements;
• a maximum of six credits from 1000-level college courses may be counted towards a BSc or BSc Honours degree.

Courses Taken Elsewhere

See Advanced Standing and Courses Taken Outside the Faculty/Letters of Permission in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Advising, Enrolment, Registration, Graduation and Other Administrative Procedures section of this Calendar.

General Education Requirements

General education courses are required within all BSc and BSc Honours degree programs. These non-science courses provide a broad perspective on current scholarship and the diversity of human experience. The courses are also expected to enhance students' critical skills in reading, writing and thinking, and contribute to their preparation for post-university life.

All BSc and BSc Honours candidates must complete a minimum of 12 credits from two different areas of study, including at least three credits from each area, subject to the restrictions noted below. For the purposes of this regulation "different area" means offered by different academic units such as divisions, departments or Faculties and excluding courses offered by similar departments in different Faculties (such as English in the Faculty of Arts and the Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies). Subject to the restrictions listed below, courses in the following areas may be taken in the Faculty of Arts, the Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies or Glendon.

• anthropology
• classical studies *
• economics
• English
• French studies *
• geography **
• history
• humanities
• languages, literature and linguistics *
• philosophy
• political science
• social science
• sociology
• women's studies ***

The following course offered by the Faculty of Environmental Studies may be taken to satisfy Faculty of Pure and Applied Science general education requirements: ES/ENVS 1000 6.0.

The following courses offered by the Faculty of Fine Arts may be taken to satisfy Faculty of Pure and Applied Science general education requirements: FA/ DANC 1340 3.0, FA/DANC 2340 3.0, FA/FACS 1900 6.0, FA/FACS 1940 6.0, FA/FACS 2900 6.0, FA/FILM 1400 6.0, FA/FILM 2401 6.0, FA/MUSI 1511 3.0, FA/MUSI 1512 3.0, FA/MUSI 1520 6.0, FA/MUSI 1530 6.0, FA/THEA 1500 6.0, FA/THEA 2210 3.0, FA/VISA 1110 6.0, FA/VISA 1340 6.0, FA/VISA 2110 6.0, FA/VISA 2540 6.0, FA/VISA 2550 6.0, FA/VISA 2560 6.0, FA/VISA 2620 6.0, FA/VISA 2680 3.0.

The following fine arts courses offered by the Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies may be taken to satisfy Faculty of Pure and Applied Science general education requirements: AK/FA 2100 6.0, AK/MUSI 2210 6.0, AK/VISA 2410 6.0, AK/VISA 3400 6.0, AK/VISA 3420 6.0, AK/VISA 3430 6.0.

General education courses are normally taken at the 1000 or 2000 level, but higher-level courses are acceptable, subject only to prerequisites and course access specifications for enrolment.

Permission may be granted by the Office of Science Academic Services, on an individual basis, for a student to take a course outside the areas and Faculties listed above for general education credit, subject to the course fulfilling the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science breadth and critical skills requirements for general education courses, the student having the appropriate prerequisites and the course access specifications permitting enrolment. A student who is in doubt regarding whether or not any specific course will fulfill the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science general education requirements should consult the Office of Science Academic Services.

Restrictions

1. Courses which are cross-listed as SC courses or which are eligible for SC credit cannot count as general education courses.

2. Courses whose major focus is increased facility in the use of a language cannot count as general education courses. Such courses are offered in the departments marked with an * above.

3. Quantitative courses focusing on techniques of mathematics or statistics cannot count as general education courses. For example, this applies to some economics courses.

4. ** Geography courses cannot be used to satisfy general education requirements for BSc or BSc Honours candidates majoring in geography.

5. *** excluding women's studies courses which are cross-listed with natural science courses.

Note: general education courses may not be taken on a pass/fail basis (see Pass/Fail Grading Option in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Regulations Governing Examinations and Academic Standards section of this Calendar).

General Regulations

1. All students are required to observe the regulations of the University. Unless otherwise stated, any changes in regulations become effective as announced. This policy is not meant to disadvantage students as they proceed through their studies, including those who have completed a number of courses. It is intended to ensure that their preparation for courses is appropriate and current. Students should consult closely with departments and the Faculty through the advising process.

2. It is the student's responsibility to enrol in only those courses for which the student has successfully completed all designated prerequisites and to take concurrently all specified corequisites not already completed successfully. See also prerequisites/corequisites under Advising in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Advising, Enrolment, Registration, Graduation and Other Administrative Procedures section of this Calendar.

3. All BSc and BSc Honours degree candidates are required to indicate a choice of degree program (bachelor, Specialized Honours, Honours Double Major or Honours Major/Minor) upon successful completion of 24 credits. A minimum cumulative credit-weighted grade point average of 5.0 (C+) over all courses completed is required for Honours programs (see Academic Standards for BSc and BSc Honours Programs in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Regulations Governing Examinations and Academic Standards section of this Calendar). See also Designation of Honours or Bachelor Program in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Regulations Governing Examinations and Academic Standards section of this Calendar. See the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Advising, Enrolment, Registration, Graduation and Other Administrative Procedures section of this Calendar for information about changing degree programs.

4. All BSc and BSc Honours degree candidates in bachelor and Honours programs must successfully complete the following minimum requirements, normally at the 1000 level:

• at least 24 science credits, excluding SC/CHEM 1500 4.0, SC/MATH 1510 6.0, SC/MATH 1515 3.0, SC/PHYS 1510 4.0 and all natural science courses, and including at least two credits in introductory computer science, six credits in approved mathematics courses, and 12 credits in courses with laboratories;
• 12 general education credits (see General Education Requirements in this section of the Calendar).

5. Bachelor Programs. All BSc degree candidates in all bachelor programs must, through registration in courses at York University or elsewhere deemed creditable towards the BSc degree,

a) satisfy regulations 2, 3 and 4;

b) present a total of at least 90 passed credits of which

• a minimum of 66 must be earned in science courses,
• a minimum of 24 must be earned in one major science subject area (except in the case of general science),
• a minimum of 18 must be earned in courses at the 3000 or higher level;

c) satisfy the Senate academic standards for bachelor programs - see Academic Standards for BSc and BSc Honours Programs in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Regulations Governing Examinations and Academic Standards section of this Calendar;

d) satisfy the program of study requirements specified in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Programs of Study section of this Calendar for the bachelor program declared.

6. Honours Programs. All candidates for the BSc Honours degree in all Honours programs must, through registration in courses at York University or elsewhere deemed creditable towards the BSc Honours degree,

a) satisfy regulations 2, 3 and 4;

b) present a total of at least 120 passed credits of which;

• a minimum of 90 must be earned in science courses (or a minimum of 66 for BSc Honours Double Major and Major/Minor programs where the second major or the minor is taken in a non-science subject area),
• a minimum of 54 must be earned in the major science subject area (BSc Specialized Honours programs); a minimum of 36 in (each of) the major subject area(s) (BSc Honours Double Major and Honours Major/Minor programs); a minimum of 30 in the minor subject area (BSc Honours Major/Minor programs),
• a minimum of 42 must be earned in courses at the 3000 or higher level.

c) satisfy the Faculty and Senate academic standards for Honours programs - see Academic Standards for BSc and BSc Honours Programs in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Regulations Governing Examinations and Academic Standards section of this Calendar;

d) satisfy the program of study requirements specified in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science Programs of Study section of this Calendar for the declared Honours program and major and minor subject area(s).