• subject POST

    Be es cee

    Hi,

    Love the advice! Thanks for offering such a service. Anyway, I go to UTSC, and I notice it says it if you want to grad with a B.Sc you need a specialist, 2 majors, or 1 major 2 minors in the SCIENCE program. My concern now is that I almost have a biochem major, (2 courses left), I have a bio minor, and I also have an english minor. Due to me changing my degree halfway, from english to another bio and then back again. I was just wondering if this means I can’t get a B.Sc since Eng isn’t a science program? Kind of freaking out a little. Thanks for the help!

    ???????????????

    hey,

    you LOVE it? that’s so sWEET! so…d’you wanna go see a movie or something, sometime, maybe? dancing? let me know 😉

    well now that you got me all FLATTERED, i’m happy to tell you that you will be graduating with a B.Sc. If you have a major and a minor in science and the other minor is in the arts, then the majority of your courses are in science, and the minority are in the arts, which means your degree will be in science. for once, uoft’s policies actually make sense. if you want to read about it for yourself, go here?and scroll down to the second bullet point under program requirements.

    i realize that the link i linked to is a utsg page, not a utsc page, but the Scarborough campus doesn’t have much to say about your situation. however, ?if you go here, you’ll see that utsc says that “[s]tudents who fulfill more than one requirement may select which degree they will receive,” which is a policy about double majors that matches utsg’s. if both campuses treat double majors the same way, then they should treat a combination of two minors and a major the same way, too. which means you’re safe.

    now you can stop freaking out, my friend. just relax. and call me.*

    cheers,

    aska

    * this, dear readers, is what is known as a joke. aska does not actually endorse hitting on strangers over the internet. stay safe, kids.

  • admissions,  subject POST

    helpin’ a wee one through the labyrinth of subject POSts

    Hi Aska,

    I’m having a bit of issue here and I was hoping u could help?

    I recently got accepted to life scienece program in UT, as well as commerce?in UTM. (Since I can’t decide between psych. and marketing so I thought I?apply for both)

    Anyway, I was told that you have to do bio, chem and all that as a life?science student, but I didn’t do any of those in yr 11/12, and I’m much more?interested in social science. I applied for? L.S just for psychology and?now I’m worried that it might leads to a dead end.? Since there’s no way I?can handel bio/chem at university level.

    So my question is, as a life science student,? will I be able to choose any?art&science course I want in UT, and after 1st yr? apply for any major?
    (What about rotman?)?Or am I stuck with life science if I choose st george campus? (In which?case I will have to choose UTM)

    I hope you get what I’m saying. lol. and many thanks.

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    alrighty, there seem to be a lot of questions here, so fair warning: this question might run a bit long. i’m SORRY. i can’t help how USEFUL and KNOWLEDGEABLE i am.

    first thing: let’s examine how much chem and bio you actually have to do for uoft psych, ’cause there’s a reason it’s called “Life Sciences & Psychology,” and that is that the program is a little different from the rest of life science. so, i’m going to be looking at the courses you have to take for the psychology specialist – all that ‘specialist’ means is that you don’t have to take on another program. if you were to do the psychology major, for example, you’d have to take on another major or two minors on top of that according to uoft’s rules?(go to (b) under ‘General Degree Requirements’).

    so, for the specialist, all the requirements are ‘PSY’ courses. i don’t see any bio or chem courses. one thing you should take note of though is that the psychology programs at uoft do involve a fair bit of math. in order to get into the program, you have to have completed grade 12 calculus. once you’re in the program, you’ll also have to do a little bit of math in the form of PSY201H1 and PSY201H2, or Statistics I and Statistics II.

    now, just because you’re not compelled to take any courses that start with ‘BIO’ or ‘CHM,’ doesn’t mean that there won’t be some biology involved in your study of psychology. some courses will touch on anatomical and biological aspects of the brain, like this one, for example. but by and large, this program seems to focus on a social science approach to psychology.

    my advice would be to take a look at the PSY courses offered in 2nd, 3rd and 4th years and see how interested you are in them. also, you’ll have to take PSY100H1 in first year in order to apply to the psychology specialist, major or minor, so use that course to gauge how interested you are in the subject. if, by the end of first year, it turns out you don’t like psych as much as you thought, you can always apply for a different subject POSt (that is, program of study, i.e. a combination of specialist/majors/minors).

    the fact that you’re a life science student in first year doesn’t really mean anything – you can apply for any subject POSt in the faculty of arts & science, provided you’ve completed the prerequisites, at the end of first year, in april. that’s why i’d advise you take a look at some other programs you might be interested in now, ?so that in first year, you can complete prerequisites (if there are any) for some other programs you might be interested in applying for. first year is a time for exploration, especially at uoft, so take advantage of it!

    as for rotman, you can apply after first year, but it’s very competitive – most people in rotman apply from high school and enter the program in first year. if you want to try to apply to rotman after first year, you’ll need to have completed RSM100Y1, ECO100Y1 and MAT133Y1 in first year.

    if you’re considering commerce at utm, i’d advise you also take a look at some of the courses you’ll be taking?throughout your four years of the program, so you can be more informed when you make your decision.

    alright, so i think i’ve covered all your questions – i told you it’d be long – but if you’re unsure about anything else, just e-mail me right on back. cool? have a swagtacular day.

    cheers,

    aska

  • biology,  subject POST,  summer,  UTM

    get into health 4 sum wealth

    Hi, im in first year and i somewhat screwed up and am left with 2.0 credits i really want to get into biology for health sciences but some of the courses require chm 110 and 120 which ill be doing over the summer. Do you think ill be granteed a spot in my subject post after i complete chem over the summer. Im really confused and disappointed in myself some encouragement would really help.

    – Amanda B.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    first, let’s do practical stuff, then encouragement.

    so, we gotta see what kind of subject post biology for health sci is. if we look here, we’ll notice that the bio for health sci major has some requirements for enrolment. they are: a) completing 4.0 credits, b) completing the prerequisites listed and c) having a CGPA of 2.5. health sci is a type 2 subject POSt (just ctrl+f ‘biology for health sciences), which means that only people who have fulfilled the given requirements can enrol. however, it is not a type 3 subject POSt, where even if you’ve fulfilled the requirements, you still might not get in because of the competition. in this case, if you did a), b) and c), you’re guaranteed to get in.

    because of that, if you successfully complete your chem courses (which are prerequisites) in the summer, and keep your GPA above a 2.5 (and assuming you fulfilled all the other prerequisites), you’ll be all set to enrol in the subject POSt! you’ll just have to do it in the second request period (see page 8), between june 17 and september 22nd, after you’ve received the marks for your summer chem courses. and that’s all there is to it.

    one thing i’m a little confused about: you said you’re “left with 2.0 credits.” does that mean that you failed 2.0 out of 5.0 credits this year, or that you passed 2.0? if you passed 2.0, then you’ll have to do one more credit over the summer to fulfil requirement a) completing 4.0 credits. just keep that in mind. other than that, i don’t see any immediate problems.

    k, now for some encouragement. well, my trans-campus friend, let me tell you something: you are great. you have almost survived your first year, and you’re still intact enough to have goals for yourself and aspire to greater things. you’re not just sitting miserably in your bedroom, smoking by a window and wishing your life was sepia toned. you go out there, and work, and ask questions when you need to! that’s awesome. pushing through is awesome. keeping on keeping on after you’ve disappointed yourself is awesome. and trust me: first year disappointments? we’ve all been there, and we got through it. and so will you, because you’re amazing (dare i say, almost as amazing as aska).

    i wish you the best of luck with your summer courses, Amanda B.

    cheers,

    aska

     

  • subject POST,  Transferring

    trans-fur-ing

    I’m not sure if you’ve answered a question similar to this one already and?I’m sorry if I’m making you repeat yourself, but I couldn’t find anything?similar to it on here, so here goes.

    I’m a first year UTM student, I was taking four 1.0 credit courses, but I?ended up dropping one, so I’m set to end this school year with only 3?credits. According to all the the Subject POSt stuff I’ve read you need 4?credits to actually be placed in second year courses and the like.

    So my question is this, if I take a course in summer school, do I only get?to pick my courses after I’ve completed the summer school course, which?would limit my options, because the longer you wait to sign up for courses,?the less room there is. AND, if I’m not confident enough in my ability to?learn course material at an accelerated rate and don’t want to take a?course during the summer, how does the Subject POSt thing work? Would I be?barred from all second year courses until I completed a fourth first year?course? Meaning I’d be stuck with only first year courses if I don’t take a?course over the summer?

    Thank-you for your help.

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    don’t apologize! i’m glad you took the time to read the site a little before asking a question. you’d be surprised how many people e-mail me “whaT CO lLE gE shO Uld I ?g O tOO?@?!!?11?!1?” before reading a single word of this blog.*

    i’ma start by saying right off the bat that this is a really tangled question. it depends on your specific case, like, what subject POSt you want to enrol in, whether you have the prerequisites, etc.

    however, if you do do this course in the summer, you will have to wait until september to pick courses and enrol in a subject POSt. you will be at a disadvantage for course enrolment, but it won’t be impossible. if you want to learn the specifics about waiting lists, which you’ll probably have to deal with in this scenario, you can go here.

    if you didn’t take the summer course, you wouldn’t be?barred from taking courses in the fall?- sheesh, that sounds so violent! you just likely wouldn’t be put in a subject POSt yet, and would have to wait for the following april to enrol in one. all that means, practically speaking, is that some courses will have enrolment controls that will exclude you from taking them. if you’re looking to get into a highly specialized subject POSt, that may present a problem. but lots of courses at the faculty of arts & science have no prerequisites or enrolment controls (i.e. you can enrol in them even if you’re not in a subject POSt), including 2nd year courses. that just may or may not include courses you want to take.

    so yeah. there’re a lot of ifs in this answer, i realize, but i think, no matter how it pans out, everything should turn out alright. it just may take a little longer than you expected!

    cheers,

    aska

    *college question askers, you know i love you best. that’s why i tease. ’cause of the love. i know you read this blog. we have a special relationship, you and me. always.

  • admissions,  drama,  subject POST,  UTM

    majors and CTEP and UTM, oh my!

    Hi!

    I’m a student going into grade 12 and have two very different fields which I want to pursue, so I have some questions. Is it possible to take a major in drama and a major in math? And if so, which one would I apply with or do I apply with both, in reference to the form, essay and auditions, etc.? Does this work for the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus? And is it possible to make my math major part of a teaching degree? I also don’t really understand how choosing courses works and if you can have electives, and how many. Also, would I be limited in teaching possibilities or employment possibilities if I took math as a minor?

    Thank you,

    Ioana

    ———————————————

    hello. this is an old question. if you’d like to see why i am answering these BLASTS FROM THE PAST, please go here! thanks!

    aska

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, ioana, you’ve got a lot of questions, so i’m just gonna take them step by step, starting with the first one: is it possible to do a major in math and a major in drama?

    yes! in fact, uoft doesn’t allow you to take just one major; that would be too easy. you kinda have to supplement it with other stuff, and double-majoring is one way to do that. the mathematics major requires that you complete 7.5 FCEs and the drama major requires that you complete 8.0 FCEs. that means 15.5 out of the 20 credits you will receive for your degree will be program requirements.

    as for how you apply, there’s only one application necessary. for drama, you won’t have to go through auditions and essays and all that until 2nd year. your first year drama course, DRM100Y1, doesn’t require any kind of audition or application. same goes for math; you can enrol in most 1st year math courses from any program you want. so it’s up to you whether you want to apply through life science or humanities, though i’d say humanities is probably your best bet, because the university might decide to impose restrictions on who gets into drama, but they’re far less likely to do the same with math. so just go to OUAC or however it is you’re applying, select the humanities stream, and sit tight. auditions and picking of majors will happen at the end of first year.

    more or less the same holds true (math major program) (drama major program) for utm, except they have fewer required courses altogether for both major programs.

    teaching at uoft requires a separate application and you can enter into it starting 2nd year. you’ll get your B.Ed. essentially by taking education as a minor, and then your B.A./B.Sc. will be your other “teachable” degree that you get after four years. math can totally be part of that degree (either B.A. or B.Sc.) if you major in it, though it will be tough to do two majors and a minor (i.e. math, drama and education) – almost every single one of your 20.0 credits will have to go towards some program requirement. utm is currently in the process of renovating their CTEP program, but when it comes back in 2015, it should be similar to the uoft program.

    if you just did a minor in math, you wouldn’t be able to do UTM’s CTEP, because their only allowed areas of study are french, chem, math or physics. you’d have other options at various other institutions that are all listed on uoft’s CTEP site, but if you’re looking at UTM, i’d advise majoring in math.

    as far as i know, math teachers are GENERALLY in higher supply than humanities teachers, but honestly, that’s nothing to base a decision on. like i’ve said time and again on this site, employment possibilities change and stats for employment go up and down by the month, and it’s smarter for you to do what you actually want to and MAKE a path for yourself than to follow the numbers. however, if you really want to teach math, then go for it, dude.

    cheers,

    aska

  • subject POST,  UTSC

    shootin’ for the stars

    Hi, can you get a major in astronomy & astrophysics at UTSC? I checked the subject post codes for UTSC, and it was only available as a minor. Are the spaces unavailable right now or can you only do minors at utsc? I’m currently doing a major in health studies at utsc but I might change it to astronomy. Thanks for your help!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there doesn’t seem to be a major strictly called astronomy, but there is a major program in astrophysics and physics, and that, along with the specialist programs and minor program, are all under the heading of ‘astronomy.’ so it looks like you can do a major in astrophysics? i don’t know if there’s some subtle difference between astronomy and astrophysics that i’m unaware of because i am a LOWLY HUMANITIES PEASANT, but it seems to me like an issue of semantics more than anything else. either way, it’s not an issue of space*: all subject POSts are listed on the calendar, whether enrolment is limited or not.

    cheers,

    aska

    * lol, geddit? space? because astronomy happens in space? but also space as in like, space for enrolment? it’s a pun? please laugh at my jokes i’m so lonely.

  • 12 distinct credits,  graduation,  subject POST

    you’ve got the beeeeest of both worlds, mix it all together and…

    Hi,

    I’m a second year student majoring in Bioethics and 2 minors in Biology and Physiology. I know that Bioethics is a arts program, while my minor’s are in science. I was wondering if I would graduate with a B.A, or BSc, or if I had the choice to choose? I’m also kind of confused about the 12.0 different courses rule, how does that apply to my minors since there is quite a bit of overlap between them.

    Thanks in advance!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i’d recommend reading this post to understand the 12.0 distinct credits rule. basically, 8.0 of your credits in your degree can overlap – so between your minors and major, there can only be an overlap of 8.0, i.e. 12.0 credits must each qualify as a requirement for only one of your programs (but that post explains it better than i do so def read that). as for your degree, you would get to choose, which is kind of a super awesome thing that not a lot of people get to do. so CHOOSE WISELY (or just flip a coin lol that’ll work too).

    best,

    aska

  • exclusions,  subject POST

    excluding the peeps from knowledge smh

    Hi aska!
    I’ve read through the numerous responses on exclusions and the like and I have one question that hasn’t been answered (unless it has been making my efforts seem one step short) and my question is, if I have 2 excluded courses, say MAT135/136 and I want to enrol in a subject PoST that requires the two (say, stats for example), will I even be able to because I’ve taken a previous first-year math.
    AStudentWhoseDegreePathIsInJeopardy

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    alright so basically you have one of two options. both require you to schlep over to the department of the POSt that you want to enrol in, unfortunately. BUTTT once you do, the department will either 1) say that your exclusion can sub in as a requirement for MAT135/6, or 2) that you have to take them, in which case you totally can, they’ll just be counted as an extra course. all an extra means is that it doesn’t count towards your degree (that is, the 20.0 credits you need to like, get a degree), but it counts towards your program and as a program requirement for any POSt/grad school/whatever you may want to enrol in.

    i hope that makes sense!

    stay radical,

    aska

  • subject POST

    i can’t think of a clever pun that has to do with sociology

    Hi there,

    I’m a 2nd year student currently majoring in CCIT. I initially applied for Anthropology and Sociology minors in my subject POSts. Since I didn’t reach the grade average for Sociology, I’m temporarily enrolled in a History minor instead. Does this mean I’m required to take History courses this year? I’m enrolled in a History course for 2nd semester, but I have no interest in it at all and I’m debating on whether or not I should drop.

    For the Sociology minor, It says the grade average among all Sociology courses to get into the minor program must be at least 63% when applying in subsequent years . I took SOC100 during 1st year and SOC244 in summer school, but I ended up with a 60% in both courses. I’m taking another Sociology course next semester to hopefully get my average up.

    Do you have any advice on what I should do in the meantime? Do I have to wait until the next subject POSt enrolment date to re-apply?

    Thanks!

    ?????????

    hey there,

    so, a coupla things here. first, you do have to wait until the next POSt enrolment date to apply. for you, that’s march 18th?since sociology is a type 2 subject POSt. (that’s earlier than the downtown campus, ya lucky butt).

    as for history, they don’t require that you take certain courses in specific years, so i’d say you can get away with not taking any history courses if you don’t want to. if you have no interest in that history course you’re enrolled in, then i’d advise you drop it. drop it right away. ain’t no time to waste on lame courses you have no interest in.

    as for what you can do in the meantime, i’d say there’s not much. if you can take another sociology course this term to give you another chance to up your sociology average, go for that, but if that’s not an option, just sit tight, man. i’d say you’re doing everything you can.

    so long and good luck!

    aska

  • biology,  subject POST

    what have we learned here? we have learned uoft is NOT sadistic

    Hi,

    I was thinking Id like to do a biology minor next year but I’m confused about the second year courses I have to take.?It says: 1 FCE from: BIO220H1; BIO230H1/BIO255H1; BIO251H1; BIO270H1; BIO271H1; BIO260H1/HMB265H1.?This means I only have to take 2 half credit courses from those 8 half courses that are listed right??I dropped chemistry so I can’t take them all. I hope I just have to choose two since BIO220 and others don’t require chemistry.

    Thanks

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    sheesh man, it’s a minor program. taking them all would be a ridiculous requirement! i mean i know uoft is cruel, but they’re not insane.

    it says right here that you need 4.0 FCE to complete the program. in ALL FOUR YEARS of your undergrad, you need to complete 4.0 – that’s it, that’s all. no more than that. so they couldn’t possibly expect you to take all those courses. this is the deal, right:

    the required first-year courses are BIO120H1 and BIO130H1. then you pick 1.0 (that is, 2 courses, like you said) of the ones you listed in your question, and then 2.0 FCE’s out of their third list, which is: EEB202H1, EEB204H1, EEB214H1, EEB215H1); EHJ351H1, EHJ352H1;ENV234H1, ENV334H1; HMB265H1; NUS; PSY397H1 and PSY497H1.

    so to sum up: if you’ve got 4.0 FCE by the time you want to graduate, and 1.0 of them are BIO120 and BIO130, 1.0 of them are from the list you’ve given, and 2.0 of them are from the list I’ve given, you fulfilled the requirements for the subject post! easy-peasy! pumpkin squeazy! ham and…cheesy…

    they leave me alone for a long time in this office, you know.

    happy biologizing,

    aska

  • biology,  business,  subject POST

    i want to do ALL the degrees

    Hey!
    So I see that a question very similar to this one has been asked, however, I’m wondering if any of you witty aska people know anyone who has actually pursued the pathway I am about to ask about:
    I want to attend U of T Scarborough for the Human Biology Major program (or maybe the Specialist, I don’t know yet.) However, I would also love to take courses from the B.B.A. program in Management (specifically speaking, Health Management). You know, Biology and Health Management; best of both worlds. So the BSc. in Human Bio is offered as a major, and the B.B.A. is offered as a Specialist… I know I could always do a minor in biology if I wanted to, but is there any possible way to take courses from both specialties? (because I know they are completely different faculties). Or is there a way to graduate with both the Bio major and the Management specialist? (if you are a mere mortal like me and not a robot with infinite intellectual capacity? It seems like a ton of credits needed.)
    Thanks 🙂

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    just fyi, it is officially becoming my FAVOURITE THING that people who come to this website think there is like, an aska TEAM or something. that we all come into an askastudent office and drink coffee out of askastudent mugs and have super-funny inside jokes about this or that secret aspect of the blog. maybe there could be a torrid love affair between me and the guy who answers all the go#$@8mned college questions!

    …yeah, no, it’s just me, y’all. just one crazy kid. though i’m seriously hyped about the idea of something like this turning into a whole business. if any rich philanthropists want to help that happen…i’m on board.

    ONTO YOUR QUESTION. you’re very noble person for wanting to do health management AND human biology, but you would have to be in school for a long time to get the major and the specialist. you need 20.0 credits to graduate, and while it’s not a big deal to graduate with one or two extra credits, you would need to complete 32.5-33.5 (health management specialist requirements and human biology major requirements) credits total to get both of those and frankly, that’s a bit ridiculous – that’s over two years worth of extra courses, and besides being completely ridiculous and kind of masochistic, i’m not even sure that’s allowed.

    even double-majoring in health management and human bio puts you somewhere between 25.5-26.5 credits, which is an entire year’s worth of extra credits and then some. both these programs are very intensive, and they’re that way for a reason. i’d strongly suggest picking one, or like you said, doing a biology minor along with the specialist (not a human bio minor though they don’t offer a human bio minor unfortunately).

    as for taking management courses if you’re not in the program, there are only a few courses you can actually take. According to this,”non Management Program students can only enroll in MGTA01H3/(MGTA03H3) and MGTA02H3/(MGTA04H3). Students in Health Studies/Health Sciences programs can also enroll in MGTA06H3.” so basically, if you really want to do management, go for the program, because otherwise you’ll have a tough time taking many of the courses.

    so yeah. don’t torture yourself. a specialist and a minor is more than doable (if i can do it, anyone can – just use aska as your idiocy metric; you’ll always be able to do better than me), and trust me, you won’t be missing out on much, AND there will also be the added benefit of you being able to sleep! woo!

    never change & shoot for the stars,

    aska

  • science,  subject POST

    do i have to take first year courses in first year?

    Hi aska,

    When a subject post states a list of first year courses, second year courses, etc., do they actually mean you had to have taken those courses in first year? If I enter the Cognitive Science science major in third year, and complete all their “First Year” courses in third and fourth year, can they kick me out for rushing everything at the end?

    cheers, hope you’re enjoying/enjoyed the long weekend!
    <3

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    thanks, friend! awfully nice of you to say. i spent it working too much and sleeping too little, but i appreciate the sentiment.

    to your question: enrolling in a major all depends on fulfilling the prerequisites for that major. some majors can be enrolled in on rosi without any extra work or application needed – these are called type 1 subject posts. others need a bit more preparation than that, and they are type 2 or 3 subject posts. both the arts and science versions of the cognitive science major are type 1, so yeah, you can do the courses whenever you want, as long as all the requirements are finished by graduation time. here, it states explicitly that the first-year courses “may be taken as a corequisite in Year 2” for the science major, so i’d say you’re all good.

    keep in mind that it’s in your best interest to follow the schedule they’ve set out for you – it’s tough to do the requirements all at once, especially because you need a certain number of upper-year courses that may have the lower-year courses as prerequisites, etc. etc. however, it is ultimately up to you to figure out how you’re going to meet the requirements.

    good luck with it xoxo,

    aska

  • subject POST

    lying about your minor and other such atrocities

    Hi, I’m confused about type 1 enrollment controls. What’s stopping someone from, for example, enrolling into a Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health Minor, then bypassing the priority to enroll in, for example, NEW339H1, then dis-enrolling from the minor? Is this a loophole or does the system have something in place to prevent this?

    ?????????

    ok, well…no. there’s nothing in place to stop you doing this.

    for type 1 subject posts that can be enrolled in and unenrolled from very easily, there’s nothing stopping you from using the post as it suits you and then dropping it once you have the course you want. usually this kind of thing isn’t necessary, because subject posts are usually type 1 because there isn’t a high demand, and so everyone who wants to take the course can do it.

    however, if in your case, the course in question is really hard to get into, then yeah, you could go ahead and do that. i mean, it’s not very NICE to the people who are properly in the minor program, but no one’s going to CALL YOU OUT on it.

    just keep in mind that enrolment in type 1 subject posts is between august and september, so if the course you’re eyeing is in winter 2014, it’s not gonna happen, bud. if it’s being offered next year though, then yeah, go ahead and use your wily ways to your advantage. who knows, you might end up liking the minor so much you’ll actually stay in it!

    xoxo,

    aska