X. Degree Programs
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Program Information
A student's selection of courses must follow the B.A. Program Regulations (including Distribution Requirements), a pattern of study for either the General or Honours degree (below), and the detailed schedule(s) of studies which follow for any special subject(s) studied.
In fulfilling distribution requirements a) and b) students must in semester 1 choose 2 courses from 2 different schools or departments in the College of Arts and 2 courses from 2 of the following departments in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences and the College of Management and Economics: Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology.
Students entering the B.A. program with advanced standing must complete the distribution requirements a) and b) as soon as possible after entrance to the program. Requirement c) need not be completed immediately but is a graduation requirement.
Note: Courses taken to satisfy the distribution requirements may also be counted toward a specialization in the general or honours program.
Academic Counselling
Program Counselling
Students are urged to seek the assistance of the counsellors in the B.A. Counselling Office regarding their program and academic regulations, selecting courses, services and resources available on campus, and when they are experiencing difficulties that affect their academic progress.
Departmental Advising
Every academic department has advisors available to assist students in their course selection planning. Students should seek the advice of the faculty advisor when declaring a major, area of concentration, or minor, regarding course scheduling and completing the requirements for the specializations.
Students encountering difficulties within a course should first consult the instructor of the course. Co-operative education students in Computing and Information Science, Economics and Psychology will also have a departmental Co-op Academic Advisor and Co-ordinator, and should consult Co-operative Education Services regarding scheduling work terms and the COOP*1000 course.
Academic Residence Requirements
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At least 5.00 of the credits required for graduation by the student's program must be taken at the University of Guelph.
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At least 60% of the 3000 and 4000 level courses required for graduation must be taken at the University of Guelph.
University of Guelph courses include courses taken on exchange and on study abroad programs. Letter of Permission courses are not included.
Continuation of Study
Students are advised to consult the regulations for continuation of study within the program which are outlined in detail in Section VIII--Undergraduate Degree Regulations and Procedures of this calendar.
Conditions for Graduation
In addition to meeting the general and honours degree requirements listed below under Program Regulations, students will not normally be eligible to graduate while on probationary or required-to-withdraw status.
Distribution Requirements
The distribution requirements are designed to provide the student with exposure to and some understanding of a range of disciplines in the Arts, Social Sciences and Mathematical and Natural Sciences.
The distribution requirement of 8 courses (minimum 4.00 credits) is as follows:
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A minimum of 1.50 credits over at least 2 different subject areas in the humanities:
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ARTH Art History
CHIN Mandarin
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CLAS Classical Studies
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ENGL English
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EURO European Studies
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FREN French Studies
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GERM German Studies
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GREK Greek
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HISP Hispanic Studies
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HIST History
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HUMN Humanities
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ITAL Italian Studies
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LAT Latin
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LING Linguistics
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MUSC Music
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PHIL Philosophy
PORT Portuguese
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SART Studio Art
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THST Theatre Studies
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A minimum of 1.50 credits over at least two of the following subject areas in the social sciences:
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ANTH Anthropology
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ECON Economics
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GEOG Geography
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IDEV International Development
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ISS Interdisciplinary Social Science
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POLS Political Science
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PSYC Psychology
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SOAN Sociology and Anthropology
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SOC Sociology
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1.00 credits in natural and/or mathematical sciences from the list below.
Natural and Mathematical Science Courses Acceptable for B.A. Distribution Requirements
Students must take 1.00 credits in natural and/or mathematical science courses to fulfill the B.A. science requirements. Students should choose their courses from the list below or any course for which those listed serve as prerequisites. Students are advised to fulfill this requirement before their final semester. Any problems related to this requirement should be discussed with a B.A. Program Counsellor.
Courses recommended for students with limited preparation (e.g.. lacking 4U credit in a specific area):
| BIOL*1020 | [0.50] | Introduction to Biology |
| BIOL*1500 | [0.50] | Humans in the Natural World |
| BIOM*2000 | [0.50] | Concepts in Human Physiology |
| BOT*1200 | [0.50] | Plants and Human Use |
| CHEM*1060 | [0.50] | Introductory Chemistry |
| CHEM*1100 | [0.50] | Chemistry Today |
| CIS*1000 | [0.50] | Introduction to Computer Applications |
| CROP*1050 | [0.50] | Green Energy - Fuel from Plants |
| ENVB*2210 | [0.50] | Introductory Apiculture |
| FOOD*2010 | [0.50] | Principles of Food Science |
| GEOG*1300 | [0.50] | Introduction to the Biophysical Environment |
| GEOG*1350 | [0.50] | Earth: Hazards and Global Change |
| GEOL*1050 | [0.50] | Geology and the Environment |
| GEOL*1100 | [0.50] | Principles of Geology |
| HORT*1120 | [0.50] | Grape and Wine Science |
| HORT*1130 | [0.50] | Science of Gardening |
| MBG*1000 | [0.50] | Genetics and Society |
| MET*1000 | [0.50] | The Atmospheric Environment |
| MUSC*1090 | [0.50] | Physics of Music |
| NUTR*1010 | [0.50] | Nutrition and Society |
| PHYS*1600 | [0.50] | Contemporary Astronomy |
| PHYS*1810 | [0.50] | Physics of Music |
| SOIL*2010 | [0.50] | Soil Science |
| Other acceptable courses which require 4U or university preparation: | ||
| BIOL*1XXX | [0.00] | Any BIOL course at the 1000 level |
| CHEM*1XXX | [0.00] | Any CHEM course at the 1000 level |
| CIS*1XXX | [0.00] | Any CIS course at the 1000 level |
| CIS*2100 | [0.50] | Scientific Computing and Applications Development |
| GEOL*2250 | [0.50] | Geology of Natural Disasters |
| HK*2100*(Only available to SART majors) | [0.50] | Anatomy for Artists |
| MATH*1XXX | [0.00] | Any MATH course at the 1000 level |
| MET*2030 | [0.50] | Meteorology and Climatology |
| PHYS*1XXX | [0.00] | Any PHYS course at the 1000 level |
| STAT*2XXX | [0.00] | Any STAT course at the 2000 level |
Double Counting of Courses
A maximum of 50 percent of the courses in a second major or minor may be courses taken in fulfillment of the first major where required courses are the same. Double counting is not allowed in the General Program.
Program Regulations
The General Degree Program provides the opportunity for a sound general education in the arts and social sciences, mathematics and sciences, while allowing for concentration of studies in one or more subjects.
The Honours Degree Program provides depth of study in one specialization, strengthening written and oral communication skills, research and analytical abilities, as well as ensuring a breadth of study in the arts, social sciences, mathematics and sciences.
General Degree Requirements (BAG)
To graduate from a general program a student must:
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earn 15.00 credits. These must include courses that fulfill the distribution requirements (see below). At least 4.00 credits must be at the 3000 level or above. Not more than 6.00 credits at the introductory (1000) level may be counted towards the 15.00 credits requirement.
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9.00 of the required 15.00 credits must be in courses offered by the College of Arts, the departments of Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology (in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences and the College of Management and Economics), the Department of Computing and Information Science, or the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
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no more than 11.00 credits in any one subject or discipline, as indicated by the course prefix code, can be counted towards a general degree.
While students are encouraged to complete the requirements of one or more areas of concentration, this is not a graduation requirement.
The requirements for each area of concentration are set out separately in the pages following the list of Honours and General Specializations Available in the B.A. Degree.
Honours Degree Requirements (BAH)
To graduate from an honours program a student must:
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earn 20.00 credits. These must include courses that fulfill the distribution requirements (see below), and courses that fulfill the requirements of at least 1 major. At least 7.00 credits must be at the 3000 level or above. Not more than 6.00 credits from courses at the introductory (1000) level may be counted towards the 20.00 credits requirement.
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fulfill the course and credit requirements of at least one major with a cumulative average of at least 70% in all course attempts at the University of Guelph in that major. Grades in all courses in the discipline area of the major are included in the cumulative average. Grades from those courses in other disciplines listed as options toward the major are also included in the average. (This condition does not apply to majors in the interdisciplinary programs of International Development and European Studies, where only courses in the core and chosen area of emphasis will be counted toward the specialization average.) Students may take more than one major. They may also take one or more minors. The 70% requirement applies to each major and minor.
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no more than 14.00 credits in any one subject or discipline, as indicated by the course prefix code, can be counted towards an Honours Degree.
The requirements for each major and minor are set out separately in the pages following the list of Honours and General Specializations Available in the B.A. Degree.
University recognition that a student has graduated with a particular major or minor requires a cumulative average of 70% for all course attempts at this University in that major or minor.
Students failing to meet the graduation requirements of the Honours Program may apply to graduate with a General Degree if the requirements for the General Degree are met. Students should note that a specialization is not required to graduate with a General Degree.
Honours B.A. students, except those doing a major in Computing and Information Science, Mathematics or Statistics, must take a minimum of 12.00 credits from either or both of the departments in the College of Arts and the departments of Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology (in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences and the College of Management and Economics.
Semester One Requirements
Students in the General and Honours Programs must take:
Semester 1
1.00 credits from the following:
Art History - ARTH*1220, ARTH*1510
Chinese - CHIN*1200
Classical Studies - CLAS*1000
English - ENGL*1080, ENGL*1200
European Studies - EURO*1050, EURO*1200
French Studies - FREN*1000, FREN*1200
German Studies - GERM*1100, GERM*1110, GERM*2490 (4U Required)
Greek - GREK*1100
Hispanic Studies - HISP*1100, HISP*1110
History - HIST*1010, HIST*1150, HIST*1250
Italian Studies - ITAL*1060
Latin - LAT*1100
Music - MUSC*1060, MUSC*1180, MUSC*1500
Philosophy - PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1050
Portuguese - PORT*1100
Studio Art - SART*1050, SART*1060
Theatre Studies - THST*1040, THST*1200
Women's Studies - WMST*1000
PLUS
1.00 credits from the following:
Anthropology - ANTH*1120, ANTH*1150
Economics - ECON*1050
Geography - GEOG*1200, GEOG*1220, GEOG*1300
Political Science - POLS*1150, POLS*1400, POLS*1500
Study at Other Universities
Students contemplating study at another university for credit towards a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Guelph should refer to the general regulations governing Letters of Permission in Section VIII--Degree Regulations & Procedures in this calendar.
Students must obtain approval for the Letter of Permission prior to undertaking studies at another institution. Approval of the request depends on good standing in the program with a minimum average of 60%.
The normal limit of credits taken on a Letter of Permission is 2.50 based on Guelph credits.
Students with a specialization in languages who want to undertake a program of study in Quebec or abroad should consult the appropriate departmental advisor or the Director of the School of Languages and Literatures.
Special Study Options
London Study Semester
A special program of studies designed to make use of the uniquely rich resources of London, England, is offered as a regular part of the B.A. program every Fall semester. The program is supervised by a faculty member from Guelph who directs the studies in London and supervises correspondence with faculty in Guelph. Courses in London are of 2 kinds: London based courses and correspondence courses. London based courses in music, theatre and fine art are given by British tutors, and the coordinator offers courses in his/her area of interest. Students are also permitted to arrange correspondence courses to meet their particular needs. Students wishing to apply for the London Semester should have good academic standing and should have completed at least 2 semesters at the University of Guelph at the time of application; although preference will be given to those with a cumulative average of 70% or above, all applications will be given careful consideration. More detailed information about academic requirements, bursaries, courses, etc. can be obtained from the B.A. Program Counselling Office, Room 130 in the MacKinnon Building.
The University of Guelph offers many other Study Abroad and Exchange opportunities for students to enrich their learning experience. Bachelor of Arts students are encouraged to participate in any of the diverse options available. Courses taken while on exchange or study abroad can be used as electives or core requirements. For further information on the programs available, please refer to Section V - International Study. Students are advised to meet with a B.A. Program Counsellor to discuss the feasibility of participating in an exchange or semester abroad.
Honours and General Specializations Available in the B.A. Degree
General Program Areas of Concentration
Anthropology
Economics
English
French Studies
Geography
Hispanic Studies
History
International Development
Mathematics
Music
Philosophy
Political Science
Sociology
Statistics
Theatre Studies
The schedule of studies for each area of concentration is given on the following pages under its subject heading.
Honours Program Majors
Anthropology
Applied Mathematics and Statistics
Art History
Classical Languages
Classical Studies
Criminal Justice and Public Policy
Economics*
English
Environmental Governance
European Studies
Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics
French Studies
Geography
Hispanic Studies
History
Individual Studies
Information Systems and Human Behaviour
International Development
Mathematical Economics
Mathematics
Music
Philosophy
Political Science
Psychology*
Rural and Development Sociology
Sociology
Statistics
Studio Art
Theatre Studies
Subjects marked with an asterisk (*) may be available as Co-operative Education programs. The schedule of studies for each major is given on the following pages under its subject heading.
Honours Program Minors
Anthropology
Art History
Art Theory and Criticism
Business Administration
Classical Languages
Classical Studies
Computing and Information Science
Criminal Justice and Public Policy
Economics
English
Ethics in the Life Sciences
European Culture and Civilization
Family and Child Studies
French Studies
Geography
German
Hispanic Studies
History
International Development
Italian
Marketing Management
Mathematics
Museum Studies
Music
Philosophy
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Statistics
Studio Art
Theatre Studies
Visual Arts of the Americas
The schedule of studies for each minor is given on the following pages under its subject heading.