Health – Rules and Regulations

Sessional Course Loads

The following course loads apply to students in the Faculty of Health. In certain circumstances the Faculty may set other limits.

Fall/Winter Session

The normal course load is 30 credits for students in the fall/winter session. Students with substantial family or financial responsibilities outside the University are advised to consider taking fewer courses in a session. Students may take a maximum of 36 credits overall (and 18 credits per term) without petitioning.

Summer Session

During the summer session, students may take a maximum of 15 credits. Students with substantial family or financial responsibilities outside the University are advised to consider taking fewer courses in a session.

End-of-Term Percentage Restriction

No examinations or tests collectively worth more than 20 per cent of the final grade in a course will be given during the final 14 calendar days of classes in a term. The exceptions to the rule are classes that regularly meet on Friday evenings or on Saturday and/or Sunday at any time, and courses offered in the compressed summer terms.

Residency Requirement

A minimum of 30 course credits and at least half (50 per cent) of the course credits required in each undergraduate degree program major/minor must be taken at York University.

Coregistration in the Faculty of Education

Students enrolled in the bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degrees offered by the Faculty of Health may apply for admission to the Pre-Service Concurrent program of the Faculty of Education. If they are accepted, they may coregister in the Faculty of Education and upon successful completion of the separate degree requirements of both Faculties will be awarded two degrees:

an Honours bachelor of arts (BA) and a bachelor of education (BEd) or
a bachelor of arts (BA) and a bachelor of education (BEd) or
an Honours bachelor of science (BSc) and a bachelor of education (BEd) or
a bachelor of science (BSc) and a bachelor of education (BEd).

Although the health and education courses are taken concurrently, they are counted separately by each Faculty. Grade point averages for courses in the two Faculties are also calculated separately. Thus, the 30 credits required for the BEd are independent of the 120 credits required for an Honours BA or BSc, or the 90 credits required for the BA or BSc. A student completing the requirements for both degrees would therefore complete a total of 150 credits for the Honours BA/BEd or Honours BSc/BEd or 120 credits for the BA/BEd or BSc/BEd.

Letters of Permission

Letters of permission allow Faculty of Health students to receive credit at York for courses taken at other universities. In order to receive credit for such courses, students must obtain a letter of permission before enrolling. Application forms for letters of permission are available from the Letters of Permission Web page at http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/enrol/lop/index.htm.

Courses that students propose to take on a letter of permission must be acceptable to the Faculty of Health teaching unit best able to judge their academic merit. The Faculty is under no obligation to accept courses taken without its permission.

Students must be in good academic standing to be eligible for a letter of permission; students on academic warning, debarment warning or academic probation are not eligible.

In order to receive credit for courses taken on a letter of permission, students must arrange for the host institution to submit an official transcript to the Registrar’s Office. A minimum grade of C as understood at York University, is required for credit to be granted. Grades earned in courses taken at other postsecondary institutions are not part of the student’s York transcript and are not incorporated into the student’s grade point average in the Faculty of Health.

Several formal programs exist for students to pursue study at universities in other countries. Where formal programs do not exist, and academic and personal circumstances warrant, individual arrangements may be made. For further information contact York International.

Should a student leave York University to pursue study at another postsecondary institution without a letter of permission, upon return to York, a new application to York is required and all previous transfer credit will be reassessed.

Guidelines for Faculty of Health Supervised Independent Study Courses

Students may wish to pursue intensive work with a particular faculty member on a topic of study not offered in a particular academic session. The Faculty of Health provides for such independent study courses which can be based on library research, including critical literature review, or on an empirical piece of research. Independent study courses are subject to the guidelines of the schools and department and to the following Faculty regulations.

Students may take independent study courses only after having successfully completed 24 credits at York University.
The maximum permissible number of independent study courses depends on a student's program type. Students in Honours BA, BSc, BScN or BHS programs may take 24 such credits; students in bachelor programs may take 18 such credits.
Within their last 30 credits, students may take a maximum of 12 credits in independent study courses.
Students may take a maximum of 12 credits of independent study courses with the same faculty member.
The student and the faculty member must agree on a written description of the course, its content, the learning outcomes and evaluation scheme in relation to the overall degree level expectations. Agreed upon course descriptions are submitted to the appropriate unit body for approval.
Copies of approved course descriptions must be deposited with that unit. The student and faculty member should each retain a copy.

Inter-Faculty Double Major and Major/Minor Degree Options

Students have opportunities to combine a Faculty of Health Honours BA, Honours BSc or Honours BHS program with options available in the Faculties of Environmental Studies, Fine Arts, Liberal Arts and Professional Studies and Science and Engineering.

Faculty of Environmental Studies Options

Students in the Faculty of Health may combine any Honours Double Major BA program, or Honours Major or Minor BA program, Honours Double Major BHS program or Honours Major or Minor BHS program with the Faculty of Environmental Studies:

Students must maintain Honours standing.
Faculty of Health degree requirements and program regulations apply.

Students successfully completing this program will receive an Honours BA, Honours BSc or Honours BHS degree. Consult the Office of Student and Academic Services, Faculty of Health, for more information. In order to complete the requirements of the Honours Double Major or Honours Minor programs, it may be necessary to complete more than 120 credits successfully.

Students in the Faculty of Environmental Studies may also pursue an Honours Double Major or Honours Minor program with the Faculty of Health. For more information, contact the Faculty of Environmental Studies.

Faculty of Fine Arts Options

Students in the Faculty of Health may combine an Honours Double Major BA program, an Honours Major or Minor BA program or the Honours Major or Minor BSc program in Kinesiology and Health Science with the Faculty of Fine Arts:

Students must maintain Honours standing.
Faculty of Health degree requirements and program regulations apply.

Students should consult the Undergraduate Calendar's Programs of Study section for the requirements of specific majors or minors. Fine arts courses taken by health students as part of these programs are considered out-of-Faculty courses. Students who complete such a program receive an Honours BA or BSc degree from the Faculty of Health. Students pursuing an Honours Double Major program should note that, in some cases, it may be necessary to complete more than 120 credits successfully in order to satisfy requirements. For further details, consult the Office of Student and Academic Services, Faculty of Health.

All fine arts majors or minors require an evaluation. Depending on the Faculty of Fine Arts department, this may include a personal interview, an audition, a written exercise, or portfolio evaluation. For information on admission requirements in fine arts areas, students should consult the Fine Arts Office of Student and Academic Services.

Students in the Faculty of Fine Arts may also pursue an Honours Double Major or Honours Minor program with the Faculty of Health. For more information, contact the Faculty of Fine Arts.

Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies Options

Students in the Faculty of Health may combine any Honours Double Major BA program, Honours Major or Minor BA program, Honours Double Major BSc program, Honours Major or Minor BSc program, Honours Double Major BHS program or Honours Major or Minor BHS program with the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies:

Students must maintain Honours standing.
Faculty of Health degree requirements and program regulations apply.

Faculty of Health Honours Double Major BA programs may be pursued with any Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies Interdisciplinary Honours Double Major programs.

Students in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies may also pursue an Honours Double Major or Honours Minor program with the Faculty of Health. For more information, contact the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.

Faculty of Science and Engineering Options

Students must maintain Honours standing.
Faculty of Health degree requirements and program regulations apply.

Students pursuing an Honours Double Major or an Honours Minor program should note that, in some cases, it may be necessary to complete more than 120 credits successfully in order to satisfy requirements. For further details, consult the Office of Student and Academic Services, Faculty of Health.

Students in the Faculty of Science and Engineering may also pursue an Honours Double Major or Honours Minor program with the Faculty of Health. For more information, contact the Faculty of Science and Engineering.