If you're going to select a specialist/major/minor, unfortunately you're going to have to go through another application process 😔
BUT WAIT! It's not like the horrid university applications. This is a simple process that you should be aware of near the start of your first winter semester (aka the second semester of your first year). You will be able to select your program after completing 4.0 credits. The program(s) you select will be in two categories: unlimited and limited 1. The process Unlimited Unlimited programs mean that you can enroll in the program at any time without any academic requirements. Technically, there is no "application" for this. Limited There's a certain time period when you have to apply for limited programs. Details of this cycle & the list of unlimited/limited programs will be found and updated here: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/registrar/unlimited-and-limited-programs To be accepted into a program, you may need to 1) have a minimum specified GPA and/or 2) have a list of prerequisites completed. Example 1: To be qualified for a major in neuroscience, you will need to complete the following: 1) Completed credits of BIOA01H3, BIOA02H3, CHMA10H3, [CHMA11H3 or CHMA12H3], PSYA01H3, and PSYA02H3 2) CGPA (cumulative grade point average) of 2.0 Requirements for each program varies. Example 2: To be qualified for a major in human biology, you will need to complete the following: 1) 1.0 credit in Biology (excluding BIOA11H3), 1.0 credit in Chemistry, and 0.5 credit in Mathematics (excluding MATA02H3) or Statistics *There is no specific GPA outlined. The page says "students are admitted based on academic performance" → Don't panic. As long as you're not failing all your courses, you will be admitted to everything you apply for. --- I panicked a lot too in my first year because (admittedly), I feel like I scraped by the admission requirements to even get into UTSC. Fortunately, my grades were at LEAST 10-20% better first year. Everyone's experiences is different. 2. What happens if I don't meet the requirements by the end of first year??? Help! If you're in Life Sciences, unfortunately some people may not survive CHMA11 the first time around (especially with Ruby Sullan) and that's okay! (I don't have notes for that class because I didn't know how to take notes for chemistry but shhh you'll be fine) So, what happens if you get a low GPA or fail a course? Talk to an academic advisor They'll help you explore all your options on what to do. You can book an appointment with the AA&CC. Retake your courses/choose easy courses to boost your GPA in the summer There are 2 cycles to apply for programs each year. If you fail a course, you can retake it (preferably as a condensed sub-session course) in the summer. Then reapply in the middle of the summer when the second cycle opens. Department clubs at UTSC most likely hold tutor sessions throughout the semester! --- Regardless of how your academic life plays out in first year, you'll be fine. If you don't feel so sure, please take advantage of academic advisors and remember that people at UTSC will 100000% help you. Academic advisors job is to help people like you. Your tuition pays for it. And why do you think I'm spending time writing these blogs?? It's fun as a hobby and I had these exact questions not too long ago. Good luck and keep up with your studies!
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When enrolling for courses, you know that you can't just pick at random, but did you know that you need to select specific courses to complete your undergrad? If you look at DegreeExplorer, it shows all the types of courses you need to take. I'll go over general degree requirements.
Breadth Requirements Every course at UTSC is assigned to one of 5 categories called breadth requirement categories: 1. Arts, Literature & Language 2. History, Philosophy & Cultural Studies 3. Social & Behavioural Sciences 4. Quantitative Reasoning 5. Natural Sciences Throughout your undergrad, you must take at least one course from each category to graduate. You can take these courses anytime before you graduate. I completed most of mine during first year so that I didn't have to worry about it in the future. I'll use myself as an example: 1. Arts, Literature & Language → I'm planning to take HLTB50 2. History, Philosophy & Cultural Studies → Completed PHLB09 3. Social & Behavioural Sciences → Completed MGTA01 4. Quantitative Reasoning → Completed STAB22 5. Natural Sciences → Completed BIOA01 (I didn't have to worry about this one because almost all science courses fall under this category) You can search elective courses that meet breadth requirements in the Course Calendar Other Degree Requirements From what I can tell according to DegreePlanner: - You need at least 20 credits to complete your undergrad degree. Usually, 1 course = 0.5 credits - At least 5 credits from C-level courses (eg. ANTC67H3, BIOC20H3) - At least 5 credits from D-level courses (eg. BIOD19H3, HLTD02H3) - At least 12 distinct credits. Details of this can be found in the previous blog Incoming Students New or an incoming student? Use this interactive course planner from UTSC's Get Started Program → See courses already on Acorn? If you're admitted into any of these programs, you will be pre-enrolled to required courses. • This only applies to lectures. If some courses require tutorials/practicals, you will have to manually enter them starting July 3rd, 2024 (for students starting in 2024 of course) Degree Requirements & Prerequisite Checks Degree Explorer: https://www.acorn.utoronto.ca/degree-explorer/ → Helps visualize an overview of your degree → Allows students to see the requirements they need to graduate depending on their POSt (Program of Study) → Allows students to map out courses over their degree and determine what courses need pre-requisites • Please double check on Acorn to make sure course times don't overlap and that the course is offered that semester Academic Calendar & Course Requirements Program Search: https://utsc.calendar.utoronto.ca/search-programs Course Search: https://utsc.calendar.utoronto.ca/search-courses Calendar Archives: https://utsc.calendar.utoronto.ca/calendar-pdfs → Program search tells you the courses you need to complete your major/minor/specialist. The courses are in lists, usually sorted by first, second, third, & fourth year. Almost all courses are worth 0.5 credits each. → Course search tells you the details and pre-requisites for that course → Calendar archives is a storage place of previous requirements for POSts • Useful for when students must use old calendars when looking at program requirements as they change throughout the years 12 Distinct Credit Worksheet Worksheet: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/aacc/sites/utsc.utoronto.ca.aacc/files/docs/12%20Distinct%20Credit%20Worksheet.pdf → Taking more than one POSt and feel like the course selection for each study is similar? Use this worksheet to plan out your credits. When taking a combination of studies, each credit you take will be assigned to one POSt. For example, you cannot take an elective and count that elective as part of completing one requirement for both degrees. → If you're taking programs in similar disciplines, eg. double major in Human Biology and Neuroscience, it's important that you plan out your courses in advance as the requirements for both is very similar. Timetable Builders Timetable Builder: https://ttb.utoronto.ca/ UofT Index: https://uoftindex.ca/home → Timetable Builder is a common tool used for sorting out what courses are available in each semester as well as finding potential timetable conflicts → UofT Index is similar, but has more details such as comparison for courses and drop rates. I haven't personally used this, but I found it randomly on Reddit. Thank you random person! I can't find your post anymore. Most information was taken from here: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/aacc/degree-program-and-course-planning
If you really don't know if your timetable/degree planning is good or not, book an appointment with the academic advisor! I love them so much compared to high school guidance counsellors. The high school ones made me cry. |