Academic

I took a first year course as an “extra” course. My university will not count the mark in my GPA or the credit towards my degree requirements. How will it count in my application?

We do not use the GPA calculated by your university as we do our own calculations.  All marks from courses taken as full-time studies, (i.e. 3.0 FCEs in the regular academic session- September to April and  1.5 FCEs in the summer term), will count in the GPA. 

Can I take first or second year courses in my third or fourth year?

You are expected to complete studies that correspond with your current year.  For example, if you are applying for admission while registered in the third year of undergraduate studies, you should have at least three third-year or higher courses in your program. If you are in the fourth year of your program, you should be enrolled in a majority of courses at the third- and fourth-year levels.  Please note that this is an expectation rather than a requirement.  It is recognized that at times, students take courses in lower years for various reasons, such as a change in program or to complete subjects of interest or prerequisites that did not fit the academic schedule previously.  

Can you take into account my individual circumstances that affected my GPA in Winter 2020?

Courses taken during Winter 2020 will be treated as credit/no credit and therefore will not be used in the GPA calculation.

How do you calculate the admissions GPA?

With the exception of the Winter 2020 term, all undergraduate course grades obtained during the fall, winter, and summer terms on a full-time basis (i.e., 3.0 or more FCEs during the fall/winter and 1.5 or more FCEs during the summer terms) will count toward the admissions GPA calculation.

How will the changes for GPA calculation and Winter 2020 grades announcement affect the full-year courses from 2019-2020 academic year?

If the applicant’s institution has divided the full-year course and given a semester course mark for the first term, we will count that mark in the GPA calculation. If the applicant’s institution has only provided a mark at the end of the Winter 2020 term, then the entire course will be treated as being credit/no credit and will not be used in the GPA calculation. In both cases, all credit/no credit courses will count towards the number of credits required for application and may be used to fulfil prerequisites. 

What is an “FCE”?

A full course equivalent (FCE) is typically one full year course (September – April) or two-semester courses.

If you are currently enrolled in a 30-credit system, you will need to count 2 three-credit courses or one six-credit course as 1 FCE.

When calculating GPA, are grades weighted differently based on my year of study?

No. Grades are not weighted differently based on your year of study. 

Why have you decided to treat Winter 2020 grades as credit (CR)/no credit (NCR)?

After consulting with other universities, we have been given a broad understanding of the difficulties of course delivery and the challenges faced by both professors and students in adapting to on-line learning. In addition, after an in-depth examination of the variations of how winter courses were arranged, and how responsibilities, assignments, and examinations were laid out over the term, it has become apparent that there is no equitable way to split a full year course and effectively encompass all the variations and nuances encountered by many academic institutions.

Will my part-time studies be included in the GPA calculation?

No. Part-time courses are counted towards meeting the prerequisite and degree requirements, but they will not be included in the GPA calculation.