About the Faculty of Arts

Academic standing is a measure of the student's eligibility to declare a major and/or proceed in his/her academic plan and to qualify for graduation.

1. Year One BA Students
   
   • To be in satisfactory standing in Honours or General Arts Year One, a student must maintain:
     • a minimum cumulative overall average of 60%,
     • a minimum cumulative average of 65% in all Arts courses.
   • To be in satisfactory standing in Honours Arts and Business, Co-op and Regular, a student must maintain:
     • a minimum cumulative overall average of 60%,
     • a minimum cumulative average of 70% in the Arts and Business group of courses,
     • a minimum cumulative average of 75% in the potential major.
   
   Note: Failure to meet minimum standing for the plan may result in a Failed, Required to Withdraw decision.
   
   
2. Upper Year BA Students
   
   • To be in satisfactory standing in a General plan, a student must maintain:
     • a minimum cumulative overall average of 60%,
     • a minimum cumulative average of 65% in all courses taken in the major discipline (unless the discipline specifies a higher average), or a minimum cumulative average of 65% in all Arts courses in Liberal Studies.
   • To be in satisfactory standing in an Honours plan, a student must maintain:
     • a minimum cumulative overall average of 60%,
     • a minimum cumulative average of 75% in all courses taken in the Honours discipline. A student in a Joint Honours plan must maintain a cumulative average of 75% in all courses taken in each of the two Honours disciplines.
   • To be in satisfactory standing in Honours Arts and Business, Co-op or Regular, a student must maintain:
     • a minimum cumulative overall average of 60% (unless the discipline specified a higher average)
     • a minimum cumulative average of 70% in the Arts and Business group of courses,
     • a minimum cumulative average of 75% in all courses taken in the Honours discipline. A student in a Joint Honours plan must maintain a cumulative average of 75% in all courses taken in each of the two Honours disciplines.

   Note: Failure to meet minimum standing for the plan may result in a Failed, Required to Withdraw decision.
   

3. BAFM Students
   
   • To be in satisfactory standing in Honours BAFM, a student must maintain:
     • a minimum cumulative overall average of 60%,
     • a minimum cumulative average of 75% in the courses specified for the AFM degree requirements.

   Note: Failure to meet minimum standing for the plan may result in a Failed, Required to Withdraw decision.

4. BCFM Students
   
   • To be in good standing in Honours BCFM, a student must maintain:
     • a minimum cumulative overall average of 60%,
     • a minimum cumulative average of 60% in the required courses from the Faculty of Mathematics and any free choice courses taken from the Faculty of Mathematics,
     • a minimum cumulative average of 75% in the required courses from the Faculty of Arts and any free choice courses taken from the Faculty of Arts. 

   Note: Failure to meet the minimum standing for the plan, more than 3.0 units of excluded courses, or a difference of more than 5.0 units between units attempted and units completed, may result in a Failed, Required to Withdraw decision.

5. BIS Students
   For academic standing information, please refer to the Independent Studies section of the Calendar. 
   
   Note: Failure to meet minimum standing for the plan may result in a Failed, Required to Withdraw decision.
   
   
6. Non-Degree Students
   
   • To be in satisfactory standing, a Non-degree student must maintain a minimum cumulative overall average of 60% and a minimum cumulative Arts average of 65%.
   • Even while otherwise in satisfactory standing, a student who fails two or more academic course units within the first five academic course units or fewer may be required to withdraw if the Examinations and Standings Committee considers that the student will not profit by further study.
   • Students admitted on a non-degree conditional basis must achieve an average of 65% or above in their first four courses to be considered for admission to degree studies.
   • Non-degree students may take no more than ten academic course units at UW without permission of the Arts Examinations and Standings Committee.
   
   
7. Post-Degree Students
   
   • Post-degree students must maintain a minimum cumulative overall average of 60%.