Key definitions: Degree, Major, Terms, Credit Hours
Let’s start with the basics:
Degree |
An academic title granted by a university to a student who has completed a given program of studies. Examples: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Business Administration |
Faculty |
A Faculty is a division of the University. The University of Winnipeg has six Faculties: Arts; Business & Economics; Education; Kinesiology & Applied Health; Science; and Theology. |
Within each faculty, you’ll find many programs, also known as majors…
Major |
A major is a field of study that you specialize in. A few examples are Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, and Developmental Studies. It is NOT necessary to choose a major in your first year. But if you know what your major will be now, take a look at the department’s website and become familiar with the requirements. |
Degree and major. What’s the difference?
You’ll be working towards a degree over time (three years or more); you will have to fulfill certain “general degree requirements” to earn that degree.
A major is the area you choose to specialize in; there are certain requirements for your major as well. (You can also choose two majors if you like.) Remember, you don’t have to choose your major in your first year, but if you are thinking about a particular area, it’s good to take the introductory course and to do some research on which courses you’ll need down the road.
At the end, you will graduate with a degree with one or more majors.
Example: You earn a Bachelor of Arts with a major in English.
When you’re choosing your courses, these are important things to know:
Term |
The academic year is organized into Terms:
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Credit Hour |
The unit of measurement for the relative weight of courses. Most courses are either: 3 credit hours
OR 6 credit hours
Note: Some courses, especially in science and languages, have Labs. Labs are mandatory but do not count in your credit hour totals. Full courses and half courses can be identified by the number in brackets at the end of their course number. For example, ANTH-1001(6) is a full course and RHET-1105(3) is a half course.
|
Prerequisite |
The preliminary requirement that must be met before a course can be taken. Some first-level University courses require that you have already completed certain high school courses; this applies particularly to science, business and language courses. Many University courses do not have a prerequisite. Higher level University courses often require that you complete the first or second level courses. Example: Introductory Psychology is needed for all courses at higher levels in Psychology. |
Anatomy of a Course Description
Example from the Course Calendar:
BIOL-1116(3) EVOLUTION, ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY (Le3, La3)
This course surveys evolution, ecology and biodiversity. Specific
topics include evolutionary mechanisms, microevolution, speciation,
phylogeny, systematics, eukaryote and prokaryote diversity, behavioural,
population, community and ecosystem ecology, and conservation biology.
The laboratory emphasizes the diversity of living organisms.
PREREQUISITES: Pre-Calculus Mathematics 40S or
Applied Mathematics 40S and Chemistry 40S. Students who have credit in
one of Chemistry 40S and Pre-Calculus Mathematics 40S may, under certain
conditions, qualify to register in this course.
RESTRICTIONS: Students may not receive credit for this course and the former BIOL-1111(6).
Things to Note:
- BIOL=Dept of Biology
- 1116 = 1st level course
- (3) = three credit hours, so this course will span one term (fall or winter)
- (Le3, La3) = 3 hours of lecture, plus 3 hours lab each week
- Pre-requisites = Coursework or other requirements that need to be completed prior to taking this course. In some circumstances, this can be waived. See Prerequisites for more information on waivers.
For more information, please see:
You First Tutorial [PDF]
