193
Programs of Study
193.1
BSc Honors Programs
193 Programs of Study
193.1 BSc Honors Programs
A minimum of 120 normally taken in no more than five consecutive academic years is required to complete the Honors program for the degree of BSc with Honors. Some departments require that an Honors program be completed in four years, others permit five. See individual departments for details. These programs provide specialization in the chosen subject or subjects as well as the higher standard implied by the term “Honors.”
Honors programs are available in the Departments of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Computing Science, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Physics, Physiology, and Psychology. Honors is the preferred program for students who plan graduate study.
Admission
See §15.15.3 for admission requirements.
Selection of Courses
The following regulations govern Honors programs:
In each year, an Honors student's program must be approved by an Honors Advisor in the student's Department and by the Faculty Office. | |
A minimum of 72 in Science is required in most Honors programs. Certain Departments may require more than 72 in Science courses. | |
A student normally must take at least 18 in Arts courses as part of the requirements for the Honors degree. | |
Normally, no more than 42 in junior (100-level) courses are permitted in Honors programs. | |
Certain non-Arts and non-Science courses appropriate to the program may be permitted in Honors programs with the written approval of the Department directing the student's program. Applicants to the BSc Honors program who have taken non-Arts and non-Science courses before application will have the potential to transfer credit for such courses assessed at the time of admission to the program. |
Course Load Requirements
Students in Honors programs must complete 24 or more during the Fall/Winter of each year of the program. In some Departments, Honors students are required to complete 30 each Fall/Winter. See individual Departments for details. Exceptions to course load requirements must be approved in advance each year by the Department and the Faculty Office.
Academic Standings and Graduation
The following regulations govern Honors programs:
Continuation in an Honors program is by recommendation of the department concerned and requires a GPA of at least 3.0 on a course load of 24 or more in the preceding Fall/Winter periods. See description of Honors programs of individual departments for additional requirements relating to continuation in the Honors program. Students must be in good standing in the Honors program in order to graduate. | |
A student who fails to attain the standard necessary for continuance in Honors must withdraw from the Honors program. In so doing, the student may transfer to a Specialization program with the appropriate department's approval or to the General program in the Faculty of Science. Students applying to transfer from an Honors program to Specialization or General must meet the continuation standards for the program concerned. | |
A student who fails to complete the requirements for a degree with Honors in the fourth year may be granted the Specialization degree or the General degree on application if the courses taken and the standing attained are satisfactory. Such students must apply to transfer to a Specialization or General program. | |
Degrees with First Class Honors are awarded as per §192.7(4)a. and b. |
Residence Requirement
A student transferring to the Faculty of Science with advanced standing must complete at least 60 applicable to the BSc program while registered at the University of Alberta. Normally, at least 30 of the last 60 must be completed while registered in the Faculty of Science.
Time Limits for Program Completion
All BSc Honors programs are designed to be four-year programs. However, in some cases the minimum course load requirements have been reduced to allow students the flexibility to complete the degree over a longer time period. Students wishing to extend their programs beyond the time frame dictated by the minimum course load requirement for their program must first obtain the written approval of the Department and the Senior Associate Dean of Science or designate.