Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) and Bachelor of Software Engineering (BSE) Students
The Faculty of Engineering (and Faculty of Mathematics for BSE students) constitutes the examining body for all examinations and is responsible for all decisions on grades, promotions, failures, deferred examinations, appeals, and recommendations for the granting of degrees. Authority in these matters is delegated to the Engineering Examinations and Promotions Committee. Students are examined and grades are set for individual courses on the completion of work for those courses. Upon examination of the student's performance at the end of each term, the Engineering Examinations and Promotions Committee assigns an academic decision.
BASc and BSE Promotion
Course Load
Normally, students are expected to enrol in a full-load term where they will take the number of courses specified by their plan. Students may reduce their load with the approval of their academic advisor. If extenuating circumstances are present, students should discuss their situation with their academic advisor, AccessAbility Services, or Campus Wellness (including Counselling Services and Health Services).
Reduced Load
In a reduced-load 1A term, students are permitted to drop two plan-specific courses with the approval of their academic advisor. Students on a reduced-load 1A term will complete their 1A term requirements during a second reduced-load 1A term. Students who complete their 1A term requirements in two successful reduced-load 1A terms join the 1B class in their plan one year after the 1B term that they would have qualified for had they completed 1A in one full-load term. The exact timing of the reduced-load term is dependent on the students’ plan. Students should discuss this alternative with an academic advisor prior to requesting a reduced load.
In 1B and above, students are allowed to drop one elective course per term with the approval of their academic advisor.
Calculation of Term Averages and Course Grades
Term average: The primary factor in academic decisions in Engineering. The minimum passing average is 60%. The minimum average to remain in an Engineering plan is 50%. The term average is calculated using the weight of the course, the status of the course (e.g., Degree Requirement [in failure count] Not in Average [DRNA]) and the interpreted course grade. All grades above 32 are interpreted as the submitted grade. Courses with a submitted grade below 32 are interpreted, for averaging purposes, as having a value of 32.
Course grade: A secondary factor in academic decisions in Engineering. The minimum passing course grade is 50%. A course for which the grade is below this is a failed course. The term "required courses" will be used to denote those courses which are required for the degree. Required courses that are dropped or failed must be successfully passed, or approved replacement courses passed, prior to graduation.
Dropped and Failed Courses
Some dropped or failed courses (type blank and DRNA courses as per Rule 3) may be carried forward unless a student accumulates a total of three such courses, at which time a student May Not Proceed until they have cleared the courses (by passing the course, replacing the course, or in some cases passing a supplemental examination) as described in Rule 6. The cumulative number of dropped and failed courses of type blank or DRNA is referred to as the To Be Cleared (TBC) count. Other failed courses (type Degree Requirement [not in TBC count] Not in Average [DRNC] courses as per Rule 1) must be passed by a certain point in a students' plan or a May Not Proceed decision will be applied (see Rule 12). The due date for completion of such courses is referred to as the completion date. Courses that are failed but not required for a students' plan do not have to be cleared.
The minimum requirements in a full-load term (except in a repeat term) for an academic decision which permits a student to proceed to the next term are a passing term average of 60%, a TBC count of less than three and no DRNC courses that have a grade less than 50 and have passed their completion date.
Repeated Term
If a term is being repeated, the minimum requirements to remain in their engineering plan are a term average of at least 60% and no grades below 50% for courses included in the term average.
Passing Failed or Dropped Required Courses
Failed and dropped required courses may be passed by one of the actions listed below. The department or board responsible for the student's plan of study will decide which mechanism is appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
- For a failed course:
- By obtaining a grade of 50% or more for the course based on the outcome of a supplemental examination for which there is a fee. Supplemental examinations may not be available for all courses. The associate chair for undergraduate studies is responsible for administering the supplemental examination and for determining the final supplemental grade to be assigned for the course. If a supplemental exam is permitted to clear the course, but has not yet been taken, a note of "Supplementary Exam Allowed" is provided on the transcript. When a supplemental examination is passed, the note is modified to "Satisfied" on the transcript. If the supplemental exam is not passed then a grade of "Not Satisfied" is associated with the supplementary exam on the transcript. Only one attempt at a supplemental examination is allowed; if this is not successful, the student must retake the course or, if appropriate, take an equivalent course approved by the department.
- By retaking the course, taking an equivalent course approved by the department or board or, especially for elective courses, taking an approved replacement course and obtaining a grade of 50% or more for the course. When a failed course has been successfully retaken or replaced, "Fail Cleared" is added on the transcript as a note. A retaken or replacement course also appears on the transcript in the normal fashion. If a grade of less than 50% is obtained for a retaken or replacement course, see Rule 6 and Rule 9.
- For a dropped course:
- By taking the course during a non-academic term and obtaining a grade of 60% or more for the course.
- By taking the course during an academic term, obtaining a grade of 50% or more, and including it in the term average.
All failed or dropped required courses must be passed prior to graduation. It is in the best interest of students to pass failed or dropped required courses as soon as possible. Students may not accumulate more than two TBC courses and continue in the plan. A student who obtains a passing term average but has accumulated three or more TBC courses will not be permitted to proceed to the next term; normally, a student will be required to enrol instead for a non-degree term to pass some or all of the TBC courses. Only after the number of TBC courses still uncleared is reduced to one or none will the student be permitted to proceed to the next degree term.