Fine Arts – Academic Standing

Academic standing depends on several factors including the number of courses a student has completed, the overall grade point average, the sessional grade point average and the major grade point average.

Grade reports include notice of academic standing and eligibility to proceed in Honours or BA programs.

Note: advancement into second-year and upper-year studio/performance course in some programs may be determined by the designated departmental committee.

Grade Point Average Calculations

There are three different grade point averages (GPAs) calculated for Faculty of Fine Arts students:

Overall grade point average: includes all courses (passed and failed) that the student has completed at York.
Major grade point average: includes all courses (passed and failed) which count towards the major that the student has completed at York.
Sessional grade point average: includes all courses (passed and failed) that the student has completed in the current session at York.

All courses taken at York, including failures, are included in grade point average calculations. Courses completed outside York University are not included in grade point averages at York.

Specialized Honours BA, Specialized Honours BFA and Specialized Honours BDes

The following minimum grade point averages are required to graduate with a Specialized Honours degree in the Faculty of Fine Arts:

An overall grade point average of 5.00 (C+).
A major grade point average of 5.00 (C+).

To graduate, students must also have successfully completed (passed) at least 120 credits which meet the Faculty of Fine Arts and program requirements.

Admission to a Specialized Honours BA, Specialized Honours BFA and Specialized Honours BDes

Students with no previous postsecondary education: students who enter the Faculty of Fine Arts with no prior experience at a postsecondary educational institution (such as university and college) are automatically admitted to an Honours program.

Transfer students: students who enter with prior experience at a postsecondary educational institution are admitted to an Honours program if their prior overall grade point average (including failed courses) is at least the equivalent of 5.00 (C+) on the York scale.

Transferring from a Specialized Honours BA, Specialized Honours BFA to a BA Program

Ineligibility to continue in Honours: students whose overall and/or major GPA falls below the progression requirements, may continue their studies only in a BA degree program. Please see the eligibility to maintain Honours status chart below. Specialized Honours BA students will automatically be placed in the BA program. Honours BFA students must submit a Program Change Request, available on the Program Change Web page at http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/program/change/index.htm, if they wish to continue their studies.

Re-entering Honours: students who have been transferred to the BA program because of a GPA which falls below the requirements to maintain Honours status, may re-enter Honours if they raise their overall and major grade point averages to the requirements or above as specified in each year level, by the session in which they have successfully completed their 90th credit. Students who have not reached 5.00 (C+) in the session in which they successfully complete their 90th credit may request to graduate with a BA degree if they fulfill the BA degree requirements, or may continue in a BA program until those requirements are fulfilled.

Honours Standing Grade Point Average Requirement

To maintain Honours standing in the Faculty of Fine Arts a major grade point average of 5.00 is required in all years of study. Students who have completed less than 84 earned credits, whose cumulative overall grade point average is below 5.00, may continue in a Faculty of Fine Arts Honours degree program provided they meet the year level progression requirements. See chart below.

Students who fall below the minimum cumulative overall grade point average requirements may not continue in Honours and must apply to the BA 90 program.

Progressive GPA Chart
Year Level	Credits Completed	Major Grade Point Average Requirement	Minimum Cumulative Overall Grade Point Average Requirement
1	Fewer than 24	5.00	4.00
2	24 to 53	5.00	4.25
3	54 to 83	5.00	4.80
4	84	5.00	5.00

* Students enrolled in the Digital Media Program are exempt from the Progressive GPA Major Grade Point Average requirement; however, they must attain overall and major GPAs of at least 5.00 (C+) in order to graduate.

BA Degree

Graduating with a BA

The following minimum grade point averages are required to graduate with a BA in the Faculty of Fine Arts:

An overall grade point average of 4.00 (C).
A major grade point average of 4.00 (C).

To graduate, students must also have successfully completed (passed) at least 90 credits which meet the Faculty of Fine Arts and program requirements.

Opting to graduate in a BA program: students who are eligible for Honours may opt to graduate in a BA program in the session in which they have completed their final course(s). This should be indicated on the application to graduate form.

Admission to a BA

Transfer students: students who enter with prior experience at a postsecondary educational institution are admitted to a BA program if their prior overall grade point average (including failed courses) is at least the equivalent of 4.00 (C) on the York scale.

Transferring/Re-applying to Honours

Continuing students: students in a BA program whose overall and major GPAs are at least 5.00 (C+) are automatically transferred to a Specialized Honours BA program. Students who wish to transfer from the Honours BA to the Specialized Honours BFA must apply using the Program Change Request, available on the Program Change Web page at http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/program/change/index.htm and fulfill any evaluation or audition requirements.

Graduating students: students who have completed a York University BA degree (90 credit program) in the Faculty of Fine Arts may continue, after graduation, in a Specialized Honours BA program in the same subject area or in an Honours Double Major BA or Honours Major/Minor BA program including the same subject area, provided the cumulative and major grade point average are those required for the Honours program. A student who wishes to pursue a Specialized Honours BFA in the same field of study, may continue in the second degree, subject to the approval of the Faculty of Fine Arts, by submitting a Program Change Request, available on the Program Change Web page at http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/program/change/index.htm. Please note that students who are approved by the Faculty to proceed, would normally receive 90 credits towards the Specialized Honours BFA in the same subject area.

A student who wishes to pursue a second Specialized Honours BFA or Specialized Honours BA in a different field of study must apply to the Admissions Office for admission as a second degree candidate.

Courses Taken Beyond the Normal Maximum - in Order to Raise Cumulative and/or Major Grade Point Average

Students in a BA program who have passed 90 credits in accordance with Faculty and program requirements, but whose overall and/or major grade point average is below 4.00 (C) may attempt to raise their average to 4.00 (C) by taking up to 12 additional credits, to a maximum of 102 credits. These courses must be above the 1000 level and must be taken at York; regulations on equivalent and excluded courses apply.

Dean’s Honour Roll

The Dean's Honour Roll recognizes the academic achievements of the following:

Students who have taken 12 to 17 credits in a given session who have achieved a sessional overall grade point average of 8.00 (A) or higher.
Students who have taken 18 or more credits in a given session who have achieved a sessional overall grade point average of 7.50 or higher.
Graduating students who have achieved an overall and major grade point averages of 7.00 (B+) or higher.

Graduation Honours

Students who graduate with cumulative grade point averages as specified below, both in their major discipline and overall, will have their degrees classified as follows:

Specialized Honours BA, Specialized Honours BFA and Specialized Honours BDes

7.50 Cum laude

7.80 Magna cum laude

8.00 Summa cum laude

BA Degree

7.00 Dean’s Honour Roll

7.50 With merit

8.00 With distinction

Students who graduate with a cumulative overall grade point average as specified below, will have their degree classified as follows:

Specialized Honours BA - Digital Media Program

7.50 Cum laude

7.80 Magna cum laude

8.00 Summa cum laude

Academic Standing Requirements for Visiting Students

Individuals who wish to enrol in undergraduate credit courses, but who do not intend to complete a degree or a certificate may be admitted to York as a visiting student (see the Admissions section for more information). (Please note: in addition to the regular requirements for admission to the University, the Faculty of Fine Arts requires an evaluation of an applicant’s suitability for many of its programs). There are three categories of visiting students:

those who hold an undergraduate degree (three-year bachelor's degree minimum) from an accredited university/university-level institution;
those who do not hold an undergraduate degree but wish to enrol in York courses to fulfill the academic, upgrading or professional development requirements of a professional designation;
those who are currently attending another recognized university and wish to take York courses on a letter of permission issued by their home institution.

Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement

Students in categories a) and b) whose overall cumulative grade point average (OCGPA) falls below 4.00 on at least 24 credits attempted will not be allowed to enrol in any subsequent session as visiting students. Students who are not permitted to re-enrol must apply for re-admission through the Admissions Office.

Note: repeated course legislation does not apply to visiting students but only to academic degrees and certificates. Therefore, all courses attempted or taken will count in the OCGPA.

Credit Limits

Students in category b) who have maintained an OCGPA of 4.00 or higher throughout their studies and who have completed 30 credits will not be allowed to enrol in subsequent sessions and must either reactivate to proceed as visiting students or may choose to apply for admission to a degree or certificate program. This pause allows students in category (b) an opportunity to reconsider options to apply to degree studies given the transfer credit implications.