Academic Regulations for All Honours Programs
Unless stated otherwise, students in programs in the Faculty of Liberal Arts are governed by university regulations for the honours and general BA. For the Progression/Graduation Requirements and Probation regulations, consult the University Undergraduate Regulations chapter. For program-specific regulations, refer to the Departments section of this chapter.
- Course Equivalency
Programs may, with the approval of the dean, recognize a specific course as the equivalent of a required course when a student has obtained satisfactory credit for the course at this or another institution. - Prohibition from Registration
- A student deemed by the program offering a particular course to have the knowledge or skills taught in that course may be declared ineligible to register for credit in that course.
- A student who has failed the equivalent of 2.0 junior credits in a subject, whether the failure occurred in the same course(s) or different course(s), will be barred from registering for credit in further junior courses in that subject, except by permission of the dean and program co-ordinator or designate.
- Directed Studies/Irregular Courses
Directed Studies/Irregular courses dealing with subjects not covered by courses listed in the calendar may be offered to individuals or small groups of students. All outlines for Directed Studies courses together with the completed Directed Studies/Irregular Course Registration Forms must be submitted to the Dean for approval prior to the last day for adding a course in the term in which the Directed Studies/Irregular courses begin. All outlines must include a schedule of meetings, requirements for at least one graded assignment and a list of readings. - Honours Courses
Several programs offer a limited number of courses which are specifically intended for, and restricted to, honours students in the discipline. For these courses, all other students require special permission from the program concerned to register in the honours-level courses.
400 level seminars are open only to Year 4 honours students registered in the program in which the 400 level seminar is offered. Other students wishing to take 400 level seminars require permission of the program offering the course and the program in which they are specializing. A 400 level seminar cannot be repeated. - Interdepartmental Programs
The co-ordinator of an interdepartmental program must authorize the student's program in writing. Permission to take individual courses is granted by the department or the program co-ordinator offering the courses. - Double Counting
Students are permitted to double-count courses for more than one program in which the same course is a required course or an elective.
All students registered in honours programs are subject to the following regulations:
- An honours degree program must consist of a minimum of 20.0 credits (or equivalent), including at least 9.0 senior credits in the major or at least 6.0 senior credits in each of two combined majors at the honours level. Individual programs may require more than this minimum. Students may elect to take a combined Honours BA program (available combinations are described in the Departments section).
In cases where program descriptions of each of the constituent parts of a combination stipulates a different number of courses required for the combination, the larger total will apply.
- An honours program may not contain more than 7.0 junior credits. For students electing to take a combined Honours BA program, in cases where program descriptions of each of the constituent parts of a combination stipulate a different maximum number of junior credits, the lower amount will apply.
- Progression requirements for the honours BA program are based on
grade point averages (GPA) obtained from all courses taken and will be
calculated on a cumulative basis. For progression, the requirement will
be a minimum GPA of 5.00 (C) in each of the honours major(s) and a minimum overall GPA of 5.00. For graduation, a
minimum cumulative GPA of 7.00 (B-) in each major and
a minimum overall GPA of 5.00 is required.
Some programs have additional progression requirements stated in the program description. Refer to Regulation 4 below. Honours students enrolled in a maximum of two minors/options and must satisfy the progression and graduation requirements for those programs.
- Where student demand for entry or progression into Year 2 of an honours program exceeds the availability of student spaces, students who meet the minimum criteria for progression from Year 1 to Year 2 will be considered for admission on the basis of their overall GPA (from all courses taken at Wilfrid Laurier University). Programs that intend to use other forms of GPA calculation must so advise students by October 1.
- Students enrolled in honours programs who have failed to achieve the standing required for admission to the subsequent year of their program must proceed in Honours Arts or the general BA program or may be required to withdraw if general progression requirements are not met. Honours BA programs are excluded from academic probation regulations. Students are expected to choose a major by the
end of Year 1 (5.0 credits). For those who are still undecided at that
point, they may continue in Honours BA Arts up to the time when they
have completed 15.0 credits. Honours BA Arts students progress through
Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 if they achieve a cumulative GPA of 5.00 (C)
in Faculty of Arts credits. When the 15.0 credits have been successfully
completed, normally by the end of Year 3, students must make a choice
whether to graduate with a General BA degree without designation, or to
declare an honours program and continue into Year 4. It is the
responsibility of the student to fulfill the requirements of the honours
program.
Students who fail to achieve a cumulative GPA of 5.00 in Faculty of Arts credits must proceed in the general program or may be required to withdraw if general progression requirements are not met. Honours BA programs are excluded from academic probation regulations. - Unless other program regulations apply, students who have failed a course may proceed in the honours program, provided they have the required average. (For calculation of a GPA involving a repeated course, refer to the section, Grades, in the University Undergraduate Regulations chapter.) Such a student must repeat a failed course if it is a required course. If it is not a course required for the program, the student may repeat the course, or take an additional course. No course may be attempted more than twice.
- At the end of Year 1, students may transfer into an honours program from either a general or another honours program at the discretion of the program. Thereafter, students may not transfer unless they have maintained the progression requirements. All transfers after the end of Year 1 must have the approval of both the dean and program co-ordinator or designate.
- Students in honours programs and combination or combined honours programs must have their entire program approved by the honours program(s) by the beginning of each academic year.
- Any exceptions to the honours regulations require the written approval of the dean and program co-ordinator or designate. Exceptions that would make the number of credits required for graduation fewer than 20.0 are not permitted.
- At the end of Year 4 in a BA honours program, students
who are registered in an honours program, meet all progression
requirements and successfully complete all credits of that program, but
who cannot graduate from that honours program because their GPA is
insufficient, have the option of receiving a BA degree (without
General or Honours) which denotes the major of the
honours program and a maximum of two eligible options/minors on the degree. Concentrations and specializations associated with an honours major are not allowed with an alternate degree. An overall and major GPA of 5.00 must be met.
(Note: honours degrees will not recognize unsuccessful attempts at honours subjects taken in combination: students in a combined honours program who are unsuccessful in meeting the GPA requirements of one of their honours subjects do not have the option of receiving a degree which certifies completion of a single honours subject and a "general-level" area of specialization.)
