Academic Support

Faculty of Arts First Year Course Planning

 

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree complete 120 Credit Hours in the form of a Major Program, a Double-Major Program, an Honours Program, or a Combined Honours Program. Most students complete a Major or Double-Major program, often adding one or more Minors.

Honours programs are entered by applying to a department or departments, normally during the third year of study. A 90 Credit Hour Minor Program is also available.

To support your exploration of your intellectual interests while completing your degrees in an efficient and timely manner, FASS offers three Streams to guide your first-year course selection: a Humanities Stream, a Social Sciences Stream, and a Dual Stream.

The Streams are only guides, and you are free to change Streams if you wish, at any time, and without the loss of any earned credits.

Choose your Stream

Humanities Stream

Students who choose to pursue the Humanities Stream are likely to pursue extended study (a Major) in one or more of the following subjects:

Arabic, Canadian Studies, Chinese (Mandarin), Classics, Comparative Religion, Contemporary Studies, Creative Writing, Early Modern Studies, English, European studies, French, Gender and Women’s Studies, German, History, Music, Performance Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Russian, Spanish, and Theatre.

Students in this Stream should register in the core course ASSC 1300.03: Introduction to the Humanities in the Fall 2022 term.


Humanities Stream Program Worksheet [PDF] - Interactive with clickable links

Humanities Stream Program Worksheet [PDF] - Printable

Social Sciences Stream

Students who choose to pursue the Social Sciences Stream are likely to pursue extended study (a Major) in one or more of the following subjects:

Canadian Studies, Contemporary Studies, Early Modern Studies, European Studies, Economics, Gender and Women’s Studies, History, History of Science and Technology, International Development Studies, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology and Social Anthropology.

Students in this Stream should register in the core course ASSC 1400.03: Introduction to the Social Sciences in the Fall 2022 term

Social Sciences Stream Program Worksheet [PDF] - Interactive with clickable links

Social Sciences Stream Program Worksheet [PDF] - Printable

Dual Stream

Students who are unsure of their degree goals, or who expect to pursue study of at least one subject area in Humanities and one subject area in the Social Sciences, may complete the Dual Stream Registration Worksheet. This option includes registration in both core courses: ASSC 1300.03: Introduction to the Humanities and ASSC 1400.03: Introduction to the Social Sciences in the Fall 2022 term.

This Dual Stream allows for one less Elective in the Fall term than either the Humanities or Social Science Stream, but this variation will not affect your degree progression.

Dual Stream Program Worksheet [PDF] - Interactive with clickable links

Dual Stream Program Worksheet [PDF] - Printable


The Humanities and Social Science Stream Worksheets overlap to a considerable extent, differing in a single core course, which is offered in the first term, and in their recommended electives. The Streams should be viewed as preferred starting points based on your current interests and inclinations.

You should consider using the Dual Stream Worksheet if you are undecided about your goals, or are ready to pursue a program that would combine a Humanities and a Social Science subject.

Carefully examine each of the available Streams and then complete the Worksheet for the Stream that best suits your current, anticipated interests and goals. Additional information is available on the Worksheets via embedded links. If you need additional guidance or support, please contact an Academic Advisor.