<Faculty of Science and Engineering

IV. Regulations Governing Undergraduate Degree Requirements

The Credit System

The Faculty of Science and Engineering 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 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 Science and Engineering.

Time Limit

There is no time limit for completion of degree requirements in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. 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 Science and Engineering 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.

Course 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 credit is not granted more than once for similar content, the Faculty of Science and Engineering designates such courses as course credit exclusions. The exclusion(s) for a particular course are listed in the course description.

If a student in the Faculty of Science and Engineering enrols in and successfully completes two courses which are designated as exclusions of each other, credit is given for only one. Both courses appear on the student's official York University transcript.

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 Science and Engineering Programs of Study section of this calendar, in the prerequisite requirements listed for courses in this calendar, or in the departmental supplementary calendars.

College Courses

Regulations governing college courses vary from Faculty to Faculty. The following regulations apply to the Faculty of Science and Engineering degree 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 degree in the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Courses Taken Elsewhere

See Transfer Credit and Courses Taken Outside the Faculty/Letters of Permission in the Faculty of Science and Engineering Advising, Enrolment, Registration, Graduation and Other Administrative Procedures section of this calendar.

General Education Requirements

General education courses are required within all degree programs in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. 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 degree candidates in the Faculty of Science and Engineering 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 (courses not cross-listed with STS)
languages, literature and linguistics *
philosophy
political science
social science (courses not cross-listed with STS)
sociology
women's studies ***

The following courses offered by the Faculty of Environmental Studies may be taken to satisfy Faculty of Science and Engineering general education requirements: ES/ENVS 1000 6.00, ES/ENVS 2150 3.00.

The following courses offered by the Faculty of Fine Arts may be taken to satisfy Faculty of Science and Engineering general education requirements: FA/DANC 1340 3.00, FA/DANC 2340 3.00, FA/FACS 1900 6.00, FA/FILM 1401 6.00, FA/FILM 1410 6.00, FA/FILM 1701 3.00, FA/FILM 2401 6.00, FA/MUSI 1500 6.00, FA/MUSI 1510 6.00, FA/MUSI 1520 6.00, FA/MUSI 1530 6.00, FA/MUSI 1540 6.00, FA/MUSI 1550 6.00, FA/THEA 1500 6.00, FA/VISA 1110 6.00, FA/VISA 2110 6.00, FA/VISA 2540 6.00, FA/VISA 2550 6.00, FA/VISA 2620 6.00.

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 Science and Engineering 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 Science and Engineering 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.
6. Humanities and social science courses cross-listed with science and technology studies (STS) courses cannot count as general education courses.

Note: 1. General education courses may not be taken on a pass/fail basis (see Pass/Fail Grading Option in the Faculty of Science and Engineering Regulations Governing Examinations and Academic Standards section of this calendar).

2. Students may not take for credit any more than three humanities/social science foundations courses (27 credits).

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 Science and Engineering 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 major, Honours Double Major or Honours Major/Minor) upon successful completion of 24 credits. Check the minimum cumulative credit-weighted grade point average required for Honours programs (see Academic Standards for BSc and BSc Honours Programs in the Faculty of Science and Engineering Regulations Governing Examinations and Academic Standards section of this calendar). See also Designation of Honours or Bachelor Program in the Faculty of Science and Engineering Regulations Governing Examinations and Academic Standards section of this calendar. See the Faculty of Science and Engineering Advising, Enrolment, Registration, Graduation and Other Administrative Procedures section of this calendar for information about changing degree programs.

4. All BSc, BSc Honours and iBSc 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 4.00, SC/MATH 1510 6.00, SC/MATH 1515 3.00, SC/PHYS 1510 4.00 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).

Note: Students in the joint Seneca/York Bachelor of Science in Technology (BSc (Tech) program in applied biotechnology are required to take at York University at least 24 science credits, excluding SC/CHEM 1500 4.00, SC/MATH 1510 6.00, SC/MATH 1515 3.00 and SC/PHYS 1510 4.00 and all natural science courses. These 24 credits include six credits in an approved mathematics course, three credits in an approved computer science course and twelve credits in courses with laboratories (SC/BIOL 2010 4.00, SC/BIOL 2030 4.00 and SC/BIOL 2040 4.00). Students in this program must also take two general education courses at Seneca College and six specific general education credits at York University, AS/ECON 1900 3.00 and AS/PHIL 2071 3.00.

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,
• 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 Science and Engineering Regulations Governing Examinations and Academic Standards section of this calendar;

d) satisfy the program of study requirements specified in the Faculty of Science and Engineering 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 major, 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 Science and Engineering Regulations Governing Examinations and Academic Standards section of this calendar;

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

7. International Bachelor of Science Honours Programs. All candidates for the iBSc Honours degree in all programs must, through registration in courses at York University or elsewhere deemed creditable towards the iBSc 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,
• a minimum of 54 must be earned in the major science subject area (iBSc Specialized Honours program); a minimum of 36 in the major subject area (iBSc Honours major program),
• a minimum of 42 must be earned in courses at the 3000 or higher level,
• 30 required credits outside the science major, consisting of;
  • 12 credits of language study in one of the languages offered at York University,
  • 18 credits of non-science international content courses (see the program requirements in the Faculty of Science and Engineering Programs of Study section of this calendar). These courses may be used toward the requirements of regulation 4, general education requirement.

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

d) satisfy the program of study requirements specified in the Faculty of Science and Engineering Programs of Study section of this calendar;

e) have one or two exchange terms abroad as a full-time student at an institution with which York has a formal exchange agreement.