Academic Calendar 2006
(New Academic Choices)

A period of academic assessment by the Departments, Faculties and Affiliated University Colleges concerned to determine a student's eligibility for admission to, progression in, or graduation from requested degree and module choices.

There are two periods of adjudication: May--assessment of a student's final grades from the Winter term; August--assessment of a student's final grades from the Summer term.

Requirements to ensure that students are exposed to different disciplines within their degree. Please refer to "Graduation Regulations".

A Western course may be designated as an essay course if it has a significant writing component (defined by Senate) involving written assignments (essays or other appropriate prose composition, excluding examinations) to demonstrate the student's competence in essay writing.

Designated essay courses are identified by the suffixes as follows: E (essay 1.0 course) ; F (first term essay 0.5 course); G (second term essay 0.5 course); Z (essay 0.5 course). Example: Political Science 020E.

For essay requirements in an Honors Bachelor, Bachelor (Four-Year), or Bachelor (Three-Year) degree, please refer to the "Graduation Regulations" section for each degree.

Unit composed of one or more related academic departments headed by a Dean.

Examples: Arts and Humanities, Science, Social Science, Health Sciences, Information and Media Studies.

A structured set of courses specified by a Department, Faculty or Affiliated University College to fulfil the requirements of an Honors Specialization, Specialization, Major or Minor.

An Honors Specialization module is comprised of 9.0 or more courses designated by a Department, Faculty or Affiliated University College. This module is available only in an Honors Bachelor Degree (Four-Year).

A Specialization module is comprised of 9.0 or more courses designated by a Department, Faculty or Affiliated University College. This module is available only in the Bachelor Degree (Four-Year).

A Major module is comprised of 6.0 or 7.0 courses designated by a Department, Faculty or Affiliated University College. This module is available in each of the following degrees:

Honors Bachelor Degree (Four-Year)

For a Major to be part of the Double Major in an Honors Bachelor Degree, a student must meet the performance standards defined under the Admission, Progression and Graduation requirements for the Honors Bachelor Degree. See "Double Major Modules" in "The Degree Structure" Section.

Bachelor Degree (Four-Year)
Bachelor Degree (Three-Year)

A Minor module is comprised of 4.0 or 5.0 courses designated by a Department, Faculty or Affiliated University College. A degree with a single Minor is not available. A Minor may be combined with another Minor in a Bachelor Degree (Three-Year) or a Minor module may be taken as an additional module within each of the following degrees:

Honors Bachelor Degree (Four-Year)
Bachelor Degree (Four-Year)
Bachelor Degree (Three-Year)

For details see "The Degree Structure" Section

Extra modules which are taken within the degree but not essential for the degree, e.g, Honors Specialization with (an additional) Minor.

A Major or Minor module which is completed after graduation. Recognition will be given on the transcript for Post-Degree modules. A second degree is not conferred.

The average on the courses which are required in a specific module. This cumulative average will be calculated each year and will include all courses in the module that have been completed successfully. Refer to individual modules for specific courses.

Courses that are not required as part of a module within a degree but are required to complete the total number of courses needed for a degree.

A first year course that is listed by a department offering a module as a requirement for admission to the module. For admission to an Honors Specialization module or Double Major modules in an Honors Bachelor degree, at least 3.0 courses will be considered principal courses.

Rules relating to the number and type of courses that must be taken at Western to earn a Western degree and that, thereby, limit the number of courses that may be credited from another academic institution.