Academic Calendar - 2024
Western University Academic Calendar. - 2024
return to: Examinations and Grading
COURSE CREDIT
Discovery Credits
Students are advised to carefully consider the impact of including Discovery Credits on their program of study at Western:
• Grades are used within Western to determine eligibility for specified programs of study such as the Ivey Advanced Entry Opportunity (AEO). Discovery Credits will not count towards the 10.0 credits required to apply for the Honours Business Administration program;
• Admission to graduate programs and to professional schools, in addition to certain funding options, may not be in line with the Discovery Credits framework;
• Grades are used by many organizations outside the University to evaluate students.
Students are permitted to designate up to 1.0 Discovery Credit course (or equivalent) for pass/fail grading that can be counted toward the overall course credits required for their degree program (Honours and Four Year = 20 credits, Three Year = 15 credits). Course(s) selected as Discovery Credit(s) may not be counted towards the completion of an Honours Specialization, Specialization, Major, Minor modules, or Certificates and Diplomas. Discovery Credits may be used to satisfy course prerequisite requirements.
Discovery Credits will have the following considerations:
1. Pass/Fail Graded: Such registration is subject to all the rules and regulations that apply to courses taken for credit, except that the grade recorded by the Office of the Registrar will be either pass (PAS) or fail (FAI).
2. Conversion of numerical grades to Discovery Credits
Pass: 50 - 100%
Fail: 0 – 49%
3. Student Eligibility:
a) Only students identified as Undergraduate Students registered in a first entry undergraduate degree program at Western are eligible;
b) The following are NOT eligible to select Discovery Credit courses: First-year students, Visiting Students, Special Students, students in Undeclared Status and Graduate Students;
c) Undergraduate students placed on academic probation may be eligible to participate with permission of the Dean.
4. Program and Course Eligibility:
a. A student looking to enter a module or program of study may use a Discovery Credit course as a required course credit in that module or program of study only with the permission of the Dean or designate.
b. Registration in a course must meet existing course entrance requirements;
c. A student may not declare a Discovery Credit for a course in a subject area in which they have previously received credit for a senior-level undergraduate course (courses numbered 2000-4999) in the same subject area.
d. Students cannot use Discovery Credit for courses in which they have been charged with academic dishonesty;
e. The Discovery Credit counts towards the normal course load.
f. The following programs are excluded from this policy: Engineering, Nursing, Bachelor of Music, Law, Bachelor of Education, Ivey Business, and Medicine and Dentistry.
5. Impact on Averages and Awards: Discovery Credit courses will be excluded from term, cumulative and graduation averages. Eligibility for Dean’s Honour Listing, Graduation With Distinction, University Gold Medals, and Scholarships and Awards will not be adversely impacted. Calculations will be made using remaining graded courses.
6. Academic Record and Student Transcript: Discovery Credit courses will be identified on the academic record and on student transcripts. Discovery Credit courses will not display a number grade on the academic record or on student transcripts. The Office of the Registrar will retain the number grade information submitted by the department, but it will not normally be available for students.
7. Breadth and Essay Requirements: Discovery Credit courses may be counted toward breadth requirements; however, may not be counted toward essay requirements.
8. Student Responsibility: It is the student’s responsibility to carefully review any graduate or professional school, award programs, government (e.g., OSAP) and University aid and award eligibility rules which may be affected by the use of Discovery Credit courses.
Additional Courses without Degree Credit
A student, with the permission of his/her dean, may register in additional courses without degree credit in the following ways:
- Pass/Fail Graded: Such registration is subject to all the rules and regulations that apply to courses taken for credit toward a degree except that the number/letter grade reported to the Registrar shall be recorded by the Registrar as either pass (P) or fail (F). No courses may be changed from pass/fail to number/letter graded or from number/letter graded to pass/fail after the last date for dropping a course.
- Audit: Such registration entitles the student to attend classes but does not entitle the student to have assignments evaluated or otherwise make demands on the course instructor. A grade of audit, which implies no credit, shall be recorded by the Registrar on the recommendation of the course instructor. No course may be changed from audit to number/letter graded or pass/fail graded after the last date for adding a course, or from number/letter graded or pass/fail to audit after the last date for dropping a course.
Note: Students who register as Audit shall be so designated on the class lists prepared by the Registrar, but no distinction shall be made between students registered for credit, either as number/letter graded or pass/fail.
Non-Credit Registration: A student who wishes to sit in on a class in a degree-credit course for interest only, may do so with written permission. For on-campus courses, a non-credit registration form is available from Western Continuing Studies. The form must be signed by the course instructor or appropriate Department.
Non-credit registrants do not require admission to the University, no records are kept, and no credit will be granted. There is a fee incurred.
Faculty of Engineering Failed Courses: Policy on Repeating All Components in a Failed Course
Students who are required to repeat an Engineering course must repeat all components of that course. No special permissions will be granted enabling the student to retain laboratory, assignment or test marks from prior years. Previously completed assignments and laboratories cannot be resubmitted for grading by the student in subsequent years.
Policy on Undergraduate Students Taking Graduate Courses
Undergraduate students who wish to take graduate courses as part of their undergraduate programs must get approval.
Procedure for applying to take a graduate course:
The undergraduate student completes and signs a Special Permission Form and requests approval and signatures from the course instructor and the Dean of the undergraduate student's home Faculty. The request is next considered by the Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies. If approved, the Registrar's Office will enter the course on the student record.
Principles in operation to consider these requests:
The undergraduate student must have a strong academic record, preferably with an "A" average in the last 10 full academic courses. Students accepted to take a graduate course must be made aware that the requirements in a graduate course and the standards expected are significantly higher than those in an undergraduate course. Normally, no more than one full graduate course (or its equivalent) will be permitted during the undergraduate program. Each request will be assessed on an individual basis.
The graduate course cannot be used as a credit for a program in which the student is not registered, i.e., the course credit is not transferrable if the student subsequently is admitted to a graduate program.
NOTE:
Courses taken on Exchange are Pass/Fail graded - see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/registration_progression_grad/exc hange.pdf
Senate Academic Policies and Associated Procedures:
Registration - Undergradaute Course Credit
return to: Examinations and Grading
COURSE CREDIT
Discovery Credits
Students are advised to carefully consider the impact of including Discovery Credits on their program of study at Western:
• Grades are used within Western to determine eligibility for specified programs of study such as the Ivey Advanced Entry Opportunity (AEO). Discovery Credits will not count towards the 10.0 credits required to apply for the Honours Business Administration program;
• Admission to graduate programs and to professional schools, in addition to certain funding options, may not be in line with the Discovery Credits framework;
• Grades are used by many organizations outside the University to evaluate students.
Students are permitted to designate up to 1.0 Discovery Credit course (or equivalent) for pass/fail grading that can be counted toward the overall course credits required for their degree program (Honours and Four Year = 20 credits, Three Year = 15 credits). Course(s) selected as Discovery Credit(s) may not be counted towards the completion of an Honours Specialization, Specialization, Major, Minor modules, or Certificates and Diplomas. Discovery Credits may be used to satisfy course prerequisite requirements.
Discovery Credits will have the following considerations:
1. Pass/Fail Graded: Such registration is subject to all the rules and regulations that apply to courses taken for credit, except that the grade recorded by the Office of the Registrar will be either pass (PAS) or fail (FAI).
2. Conversion of numerical grades to Discovery Credits
Pass: 50 - 100%
Fail: 0 – 49%
3. Student Eligibility:
a) Only students identified as Undergraduate Students registered in a first entry undergraduate degree program at Western are eligible;
b) The following are NOT eligible to select Discovery Credit courses: First-year students, Visiting Students, Special Students, students in Undeclared Status and Graduate Students;
c) Undergraduate students placed on academic probation may be eligible to participate with permission of the Dean.
4. Program and Course Eligibility:
a. A student looking to enter a module or program of study may use a Discovery Credit course as a required course credit in that module or program of study only with the permission of the Dean or designate.
b. Registration in a course must meet existing course entrance requirements;
c. A student may not declare a Discovery Credit for a course in a subject area in which they have previously received credit for a senior-level undergraduate course (courses numbered 2000-4999) in the same subject area.
d. Students cannot use Discovery Credit for courses in which they have been charged with academic dishonesty;
e. The Discovery Credit counts towards the normal course load.
f. The following programs are excluded from this policy: Engineering, Nursing, Bachelor of Music, Law, Bachelor of Education, Ivey Business, and Medicine and Dentistry.
5. Impact on Averages and Awards: Discovery Credit courses will be excluded from term, cumulative and graduation averages. Eligibility for Dean’s Honour Listing, Graduation With Distinction, University Gold Medals, and Scholarships and Awards will not be adversely impacted. Calculations will be made using remaining graded courses.
6. Academic Record and Student Transcript: Discovery Credit courses will be identified on the academic record and on student transcripts. Discovery Credit courses will not display a number grade on the academic record or on student transcripts. The Office of the Registrar will retain the number grade information submitted by the department, but it will not normally be available for students.
7. Breadth and Essay Requirements: Discovery Credit courses may be counted toward breadth requirements; however, may not be counted toward essay requirements.
8. Student Responsibility: It is the student’s responsibility to carefully review any graduate or professional school, award programs, government (e.g., OSAP) and University aid and award eligibility rules which may be affected by the use of Discovery Credit courses.
Additional Courses without Degree Credit
A student, with the permission of his/her dean, may register in additional courses without degree credit in the following ways:
- Pass/Fail Graded: Such registration is subject to all the rules and regulations that apply to courses taken for credit toward a degree except that the number/letter grade reported to the Registrar shall be recorded by the Registrar as either pass (P) or fail (F). No courses may be changed from pass/fail to number/letter graded or from number/letter graded to pass/fail after the last date for dropping a course.
- Audit: Such registration entitles the student to attend classes but does not entitle the student to have assignments evaluated or otherwise make demands on the course instructor. A grade of audit, which implies no credit, shall be recorded by the Registrar on the recommendation of the course instructor. No course may be changed from audit to number/letter graded or pass/fail graded after the last date for adding a course, or from number/letter graded or pass/fail to audit after the last date for dropping a course.
Note: Students who register as Audit shall be so designated on the class lists prepared by the Registrar, but no distinction shall be made between students registered for credit, either as number/letter graded or pass/fail.
Non-Credit Registration: A student who wishes to sit in on a class in a degree-credit course for interest only, may do so with written permission. For on-campus courses, a non-credit registration form is available from Western Continuing Studies. The form must be signed by the course instructor or appropriate Department.
Non-credit registrants do not require admission to the University, no records are kept, and no credit will be granted. There is a fee incurred.
Faculty of Engineering Failed Courses: Policy on Repeating All Components in a Failed Course
Students who are required to repeat an Engineering course must repeat all components of that course. No special permissions will be granted enabling the student to retain laboratory, assignment or test marks from prior years. Previously completed assignments and laboratories cannot be resubmitted for grading by the student in subsequent years.
Policy on Undergraduate Students Taking Graduate Courses
Undergraduate students who wish to take graduate courses as part of their undergraduate programs must get approval.
Procedure for applying to take a graduate course:
The undergraduate student completes and signs a Special Permission Form and requests approval and signatures from the course instructor and the Dean of the undergraduate student's home Faculty. The request is next considered by the Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies. If approved, the Registrar's Office will enter the course on the student record.
Principles in operation to consider these requests:
The undergraduate student must have a strong academic record, preferably with an "A" average in the last 10 full academic courses. Students accepted to take a graduate course must be made aware that the requirements in a graduate course and the standards expected are significantly higher than those in an undergraduate course. Normally, no more than one full graduate course (or its equivalent) will be permitted during the undergraduate program. Each request will be assessed on an individual basis.
The graduate course cannot be used as a credit for a program in which the student is not registered, i.e., the course credit is not transferrable if the student subsequently is admitted to a graduate program.
NOTE:
Courses taken on Exchange are Pass/Fail graded - see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/registration_progression_grad/exc hange.pdf
Senate Academic Policies and Associated Procedures:
Registration - Undergradaute Course Credit