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Help on how to use the Academic Calendar

June 8, 2018 — 

The Academic Calendar for the 2018-19 school year is available now. Here are a few simple things to know that can help guide you through the registration process.

First steps

Look through the Academic Calendar to get a sense of the curriculum as a whole and to start thinking about what opportunities are most exciting to you. If you have any questions at all, it’s always a good idea to talk to an academic advisor before registering.

How to find a program in the Academic Calendar

  1. Go to the Calendar and Catalog homepage.
  2. On the left hand menu choose from the list of options: Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies, Université de Saint Boniface, Sources of Information for All Students and Facilities, Services and Resources. (For example, if you are a first year student, you would choose the Undergraduate tab.)
  3. Click on the program you are enrolled in.
  4. On the program page, you’ll see a list of important headings in the left hand menu. You should take the time to explore each of these pages to better understand your requirements, responsibilities and more, before checking out the course descriptions. (Tip: check out all the courses available before making your choices, even the ones you might not be familiar with at first, this is a great way to explore all your options).

 How to read a course description

See the example below for reference.

  • The program abbreviations are usually clear (ENGL=English), but might be a little cryptic (FAAH=School of Art). You can always check here if you’re not sure.
  • Undergraduate course numbers are between 1000 and 4000, which generally designate introductory, intermediate or advanced courses as the numbers climb. First year students often find 1000 level courses that are excellent introductions to their fields of study.
  • The course title is a good shorthand statement of what the course is about. It can also be a clue to how a course can bring different fields together.
  • Next, the course description has more detailed information about the course. Look here for a sense of major topics covered and to get an idea of what the work will be like. The description may include a prerequisite, if there are any specific courses you need to have taken before you are eligible to take this course. All 3000 level courses and up have prerequisites, so these courses are usually not available to first year students.
  • The number of credits means the amount of credit hours given for a course. Most courses are worth 3 or 6 credit hours (a course with 3 credit hours usually spans a single term, whereas 6 credit hour courses often last 2 terms). The number of credit hours you will need to complete your chosen program will vary.
  • Faculty/School will list what faculty is responsible for the course.
  • Department will list what department is responsible for the course within a Faculty, for example Faculty of Science, department of computer science.

Example of course description

 

Other great resources to help you navigate the information in the Academic Calendar:

University Policies and Procedures (for undergraduate students and graduate students)

Academic Regulations (for undergraduate students and graduate students)

UM Achieve

First Year Planning Guide

 

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