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Universities use special terms to describe certain processes. If you come across a term you don’t understand, you can learn what it means here.
Academic advisors are support staff at the university who can help ensure you meet the requirements to obtain your degree. You should meet with an academic advisor at least once a year while a student.
Academic advisors also provide academic advice, connect you with important resources, and can help you create a plan to reach your academic goals.
A term is a specific length of time that classes are in session. There are five academic terms in the calendar year at Laurier. Some programs admit to the fall term only; however, many programs admit students for the spring or winter.
The five academic terms are:
- Fall: September – December (12 weeks)
- Winter: January – April (12 weeks)
- Spring: May – August (12 weeks)
- Intersession: May – June (six weeks)
- Summer: July – August (six weeks)
Note: The number of weeks listed above refers to teaching weeks, and final examinations occur afterward.
The academic year in the undergraduate system consists of two four-month terms, typically from September to April. You progress through four years of study in a typical honours degree program. Most honours degrees require 20 credits.
- Year 1: 0.5 to 4.0 credits
- Year 2: 4.25 to 9.0 credits
- Year 3: 9.25 to 14.0 credits
- Year 4 (Honours students only with a minimum of 1425 credits)
- Year 5 (double-degree programs with 20.5+ credits)
If your academic history doesn't qualify you for the program you applied to, you might receive an alternate offer with admission probation.
Admission probation allows you to register in a maximum of 1.5 credits per term (which is approximately three, one-term courses worth 0.5 credits each).
After you clear your admission probration, you can continue to regular part-time studies (up to 1.75 credits per term).
The applicant portal is where you can find everything you need related to your application to Laurier. View your applications and monitor your application status in the “My Applications” tab. There's also key content to help you understand what scholarships you're eligible to apply for, when to apply to live in residence and more.
An opportunity to take a credit course without receiving credit towards a degree or program. Audit students don’t write midterm or final examinations and don’t receive a course grade. The classroom and laboratory privileges and responsibilities are at the discretion of the instructor. The deadline to revise the status of a course from credit to audit is the same as the final date to withdraw without academic penalty. Tuition fees are usually one-half of the regular course fee.
The mean entrance average to be considered for admission.
Concentrations and specializations enable you to dive deeper into your program by taking a minimum of three courses in a related area of study. These courses typically count towards the course requirements for your major as well.
Some examples include concentrations in the Business Administration and Music programs on the Waterloo campus or the Forensic Psychology Specialization on the Brantford campus.
A graduation ceremony that occurs in the spring and fall, where degrees and diplomas are presented to graduates.
A unit of study in a given discipline, identified by a unique number and name in a given department.
The weight or value of a course is defined as follows: a full-credit (1.0) course normally consists of three contact hours a week taken over an eight-month period (September-April). A half (0.5) credit course is normally conducted over a four-month period. A half-credit course is indicated with the 0.5 weight, and a quarter-credit course as 0.25 in the course description.
Part-time students take less than 2.0 credits per term. Full-time students take 2.0 credits or more per term. Most honour programs take four years to complete if you complete five half-credit courses (2.5 credits) per term.
The collection of courses and other learning initiatives that make up a program.
Many courses are divided into three different areas of study: 1) Social Sciences, 2) Humanities, and 3) Science. Degree programs in the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Science in particular require courses from these divisions.
A degree is what you earn upon completing the requirements for graduation. A degree is different than your major. For example, if you earn a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, “Bachelor of Arts” is the degree, “Political Science” is your major.
An academic department, usually a discipline within a faculty, as constituted by Laurier’s Senate and Board of Governors.
It can also refer to non-academic areas of the university, for example: Department of Residence.
A subject or field of specialization, an option or minor.
A field of study or subject.
A course that’s part of a program, but not a required course. The choice of elective may be subject to departmental approval or may be chosen from a stated group of elective courses in a program.
“Faculty” has two meanings:
- A division of the university, for example: the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Music or the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics.
- A member of the teaching community, for example: a professor or a part-time instructor.
The average of the grade points attained in specific courses. For purposes of calculation, the grade point (GP) earned in a 0.5-credit course will be given half of the weight of that earned in a 1.0-credit course. Likewise, the GP earned in a 0.25-credit course will be given a quarter of the weight of that earned in a 1.0-credit course.
The Grade Point Average translated into letter grades and percentages:
|
GPA |
Letter Grade |
Percentage |
|---|---|---|
|
12.00 |
A+ |
90-100% |
|
11.00 |
A |
85-89% |
|
10.00 |
A- |
80-84% |
|
9.00 |
B+ |
77-79% |
|
8.00 |
B |
73-76% |
|
7.00 |
B- |
70-72% |
|
6.00 |
C+ |
67-69% |
|
5.00 |
C |
63-66% |
|
4.00 |
C- |
60-62% |
|
3.00 |
D+ |
57-59% |
|
2.00 |
D |
53-56% |
|
1.00 |
D- |
50-52% |
|
0 |
F |
0-49% |
An honours program consists of a minimum of 20.0 credits and is normally taken over four academic years with an area of specialization.
An in-combination program must be paired with another Bachelor of Arts (BA) program of study at the university. The program page will indicate if it is only available as an in-combination program. For example, the BA in Spanish must be paired with another Bachelor of Arts major, such as Anthropology or Global Studies.
Students registered in a degree or diploma program at Laurier may take courses at another recognized university, provided that a Letter of Permission has been obtained from Enrolment Services at Laurier.
Conversely, students registered at another university wishing to take courses for transfer credit to their home university may register at Laurier on a Letter of Permission from their home institution.
LORIS stands for Laurier Online Registration and Information System. LORIS is a web application used by students, alumni and employees of Laurier.
As a student, you’ll use LORIS to access your grades, review your tuition and fee bill, register for your courses, confirm your program of study and much more.
A major is the subject or discipline you are primarily studying at Laurier. It forms your program and appears on your degree. In most cases, you’re automatically placed in the subject major you choose through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre.
In some cases, your program will be a combination of two majors.
A minor is a secondary area of focus made up of at least six courses from a program of study that is not your major.
You do not apply to complete a minor when you apply to the university. Minors are not declared until you apply to graduate from Laurier. You must complete an honours program to be able to declare a minor.
With cybersecurity threats becoming increasingly sophisticated, Laurier requires all staff and students to use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to help keep the digital assets, information, and user identities of our community safe.
It's an easy way to protect your Microsoft 365 email and single sign-on (SSO) account. Sometimes known as two-step verification, MFA adds an extra layer of protection to help prevent hacking, even if they have your password.
MyLearningSpace is the Learning Management System (LMS) Laurier uses to deliver online courses and to host digital resources to support in-class courses.
MyLearningSpace allows instructors and administrators to organize and manage course content and students in an online environment. Your course instructor may use MyLearningSpace to facilitate course content, discussion forums, online quizzes and more.
An option is a grouping of courses from different programs that related to the same topic. Options can be taken in addition to your honours program. Options appear on your transcript along with your major.
Post-degree studies is a non-degree option for students who have already completed an undergraduate degree. Typically, post-degree students register in undergraduate courses to discover a new academic interest, to upgrade their academic history, to work towards a designation or to work towards a second degree.
Students who are interested in completing another full degree must seek departmental approval from the faculty in which they wish to study. This approval can only happen after being accepted into post-degree studies.
A group of courses, generally a combination of required and elective courses, that leads to a degree.
General program: A program consisting of a minimum of 15.0 credits and normally taken over three academic years.
Honours program: A program consisting of a minimum of 20.0 credits and normally taken over four academic years with an area of specialization.
A provincial attestation letter (PAL) is a letter that is included with an international undergraduate student's study permit application. The PAL will serve as proof that the student has been accounted for under a province or territory's study permit allocation within the national cap.
A student who has completed at least 4.0 credits and is classified as Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, post-degree, etc.
Specializations and concentrations enable you to dive deeper into your program by taking a minimum of three courses in a related area of study. These courses typically count towards the course requirements for your major as well.
Some examples include concentrations in the Business Administration and Music programs on the Waterloo campus or the Forensic Psychology Specialization on the Brantford campus.
A specific field of study or discipline.
An outline for a course, detailing what you study and what assignments you do to satisfy course requirements.
A transcript contains a chronological listing of courses and grades obtained at your education institution. An official transcript bears the signature of staff from the issuing institution.
At Laurier, a transcript is an official document prepared by the Department of Enrolment Services. Your Laurier transcript is a record of your entire academic performance at the university and bears the university seal. A fee is charged for each transcript.
A tuition deposit is a payment that is required for international students and Bachelor of Education applicants.
For international students who require a provincial attestation letter (PAL), the tuition deposit is used to initiate the PAL request on your behalf. Bachelor of Education applicants are required to pay a deposit as part of their acceptance to the program.
In both cases, the deposit is applied to the first invoice of study.
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