Course-Related Terms

Course

A course is a unit of teaching that focuses on a specific discipline area (e.g. English or Mathematics) and takes place within a specific timeframe. It will be led by an instructor (or instructors), and have a fixed roster of students, who may receive a grade and academic credit upon its completion.  See the Courses section of the Calendar for full information.

Course Code

The unique 8-character alpha-numeric code assigned to a course. See the Interpreting Course Courses section of the Calendar for information on interpreting course codes.

Prerequisite

A course students must already have passed before taking the described course. Prerequisites are indicated in the course descriptions in the Calendar.

Corequisite

A course students must take in the same semester as, or already have passed before taking the described course. Corequisites are indicated in the course descriptions in the Calendar.

Exclusion

Students who have already passed a course listed as an exclusion, or received transfer credit for a course listed as an exclusion, cannot take the described course for credit. Exclusions are indicated in the course descriptions found in the Calendar.

Breadth Requirement Category

Most UTSC courses belong to one of five breadth requirement categories, defined below. Breadth requirement categories are indicated in the course descriptions found in the Calendar. The five categories are:

• Arts, Literature and Language: Courses on creative representations and cultural expression through a range of media and courses studying and teaching language.
• History, Philosophy and Cultural Studies: Courses on the history of societies, courses on human thought and belief systems and courses on cultural analysis.
• Social and Behavioural Sciences: Courses that study social, economic, and political systems and the behaviour of individuals and groups in those systems.
• Natural Sciences: Courses that study the physical world, in the large and in the small, and courses that examine the living world and the mechanisms of life.
• Quantitative Reasoning: Courses that deal with mathematical techniques and reasoning, statistical analysis, and the construction and analysis of algorithms.  

Lecture/Seminar

The most traditional method of delivering a course. They normally meet several times a week and are held in person. Some lectures may be delivered online.

Tutorial

A tutorial provides a supervised review of course material, typically in small groups.

Practical

A practical provides applied training.  

Program-Related Terms

Program/Subject POSt

Programs, commonly referred to as Subject POSt(s) and sometimes as programs of study, are groupings of courses in one or more disciplines. Completing a program (or programs) will fulfill one component of the requirements necessary to earn a degree. See the Programs section of the Calendar for full information.

Specialist, Major or Minor Program

See the Types of Programs section of the Calendar.

Limited or Unlimited Enrolment Program

See the Limited and Unlimited Enrolment section of the Calendar.

Co-operative Program

See the Co-operative Programs section of the Calendar.

Degree-Related Terms

Degree

Undergraduate students at UTSC work towards completing a degree, which certifies that a student has completed education to a certain level of satisfaction at an institution. See the Degree Requirements section of the Calendar for full information.

Double Degree

See the Double Degrees section of the Calendar.

Combined Degree Program (CDP)

A Combined Degree Program allows students to be registered in two degree programs (one undergraduate and one graduate) at the same time, creating one approved program combination. See the Combined Degree Programs section of the Calendar for full information.

Other Terms

Year of Study

Year of study is defined by number of credits completed, as follows:  

• 1st year: A student with fewer than 4.0 credits completed.
• 2nd year: A student with 4.0 to 8.5 credits completed.
• 3rd year: A student with 9.0 to 13.5 credits completed.
• 4th year: A student with 14.0 or more credits completed.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

See the Grade Point Averages section of the Calendar.

Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR)

See the Credit/No Credit section of the Calendar.

Second Attempt for Credit (SAC)

See the Repeating Passed Courses section of the Calendar.

Transfer Credit

A transfer credit is a credit awarded for studies completed at an external academic institution. See the Courses at Other Universities section of the Calendar for full information.

Letter of Permission (LOP)

A Letter of Permission (LOP) is prior confirmation that a course you intend to take at another accredited degree granting institution is acceptable for transfer credit at UTSC. See the Courses at Other Universities section of the Calendar for full information.

Non-degree student

Non-degree students are students registered in degree courses at UTSC, who are not proceeding towards a University of Toronto degree or Certificate, or who have been admitted on an interim basis and who must meet certain conditions before admission as regular degree students.  See the Non-Degree Students section of the Calendar for full information.

Petition

A petition is a formal request made to the University asking to be exempted from an academic regulation or policy. See the Petitions section of the Calendar for full information.

Websites

Timetable/Timetable Builder

The Timetable Builder provides the seasonal offerings of courses across all UofT campuses.  

ACORN

ACORN is the platform used for managing course and program enrolment, viewing grades, requesting transcripts and viewing the student financial account.

Quercus

Quercus is a student learning management portal that is used to access course information such as the syllabus, as well as assignments and marks.

Degree Explorer (DEX)

Degree Explorer is a tool used to help students determine their progress in completing their degree and ensure that they are meeting their program and degree requirements (determination regarding the completion of degree requirements will be made by the Office of the Registrar). In addition, students can review their academic history, including any awarded transfer credits and course exclusions, or use the planner to determine how future course choices might meet their requirements. This service is a complementary tool for your regular academic advising sessions. Degree Explorer enables students to:

• View any transfer credits and/or exclusions awarded through on-admission or post-admission (including exchange);
• Check progress in programs and degrees;
• Check prerequisites and exclusions, and plan the courses necessary for programs and degrees;
• Explore hypothetical "what if" scenarios (e.g. different programs, use different program requirements, adding courses, etc.); and
• After confirming their intent to graduate, prospective graduands can check Degree Explorer to see if their Subject POSts have been confirmed by the Office of the Registrar or relevant academic unit; they can also check Degree Explorer for confirmation of their eligibility for graduation by the Office of the Registrar.