FAQs: Course Planning
- What is the calendar and where can I get it?
- What do you mean by the terms "prerequisite" and "corequisite"?
- Is there a test I can take if I don't have the right prerequisites for Math or English?
- Can a High School prerequisite expire?
- What if I need to upgrade a course prerequisite?
- What if I don't know what I want to study?
- How does the Kwantlen credit system work?
- How many extra hours of study would you suggest?
- How will I know which text books I need?
- What is a Major and a Minor?
- What are Faculties and Departments?
- I have already completed a program at Kwantlen, can I apply those courses towards another program?
- Can I take Humanities and Social Science courses as part of my Business Diploma?
- Can I take Business courses towards my Arts or Science Diploma?
- Can I substitute a course requirement with another course?
What is the calendar and where can I get it?
The calendar contains the description of all of the programs and courses offered at Kwantlen. It also outlines Kwantlen's policies and regulations as well as other pertinent general information. The calendar is divided into three parts:
The first section of the calendar is the "General Information Section". It describes our policies on Admission requirements, fees, grade point calculation, in addition to details on Kwantlen policies and procedures.
The second section is the "Program Information Section". This is where you would look to find out about the courses required for the Citations, Certificates, Diplomas, Associate of Arts/Science Degrees and Bachelor's Degrees that Kwantlen offers.
The third section is the "Course Information Section". Here is where you will read about individual courses, find out if and where they are transferable to, and whether or not the course needs prerequisites.
The calendar is available via the internet at www.kwantlen.ca/calendar or can be bought for $4.00 (plus tax). The online calendar is the official version.
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What do you mean by the terms "prerequisite" and "corequisite"?
A prerequisite is a course which must be completed (usually with a grade of 60% of higher) before another course may be started. A corequisite is a course which must be taken at the same time (or before) another course.
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Is there a test I can take if I don't have the right prerequisites for Math or English?
If you do not have the required Math or English prerequisites you may write Kwantlen's Math Placement Test (MPT) and or English Placement Test (EPT). You can sign up for these tests at the Enrolment & Registrar Services. For more information, please visit the Assessment & Testing website at www.kwantlen.ca/testing.
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Can a High School prerequisite expire?
For pre-requisite purposes, our system does not consider the age of courses. For instance, if you have submitted a high school transcript that shows English 12 with a grade of "B", the system will allow you to register for ENGL 1100 or 1110 no matter how old the course is. The same is true for Math and Science courses, but if such courses are old enough to cloud your memory of their content, you are probably well advised to do some reviewing. You can reaffirm your Math skills by taking the Kwantlen Math Placement Test. There is no risk. Placement tests do not override actual course grades.
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What if I need to upgrade a course prerequisite?
If you are thinking about a program of studies that requires English, Math or Science courses as admission requirements or as course prerequisites, you may find it necessary to improve a grade you have or to take a course for the very first time.
Don't jump to conclusions about the need to upgrade. Check the prerequisites for your required courses, or the requirements for your intended program, in the Kwantlen calendar. Unless stated in the calendar, there are no age limits on courses.
Once you know that you require academic upgrading, determine where you stand in relation to your goal. Sometimes it is just a matter taking a missing course. First instance, you have Math 11 but need Math 12. Sometimes the grades you have are not quite high enough. For instance, you have English 12 with a grade of "C+", but you need a "B". In this case you might take the Kwantlen English Placement Test (EPT) or the ACP English Assessment or the Language Proficiency Index (LPI) test to see if your writing skills meet post-secondary standards, or you might concede that your skills could stand improvement and register for one of ENGQ 1097, ENGQ 1098 or ENGQ 1099 to improve your writing skills. Similarly, in Math you may challenge your existing grade or check out where your Math skills stand by taking the Kwantlen Math Placement Test (MPT) or ACP Math Assessment. Pick up your LPI application or book for English and Math testing and assessments with Admissions on any campus. You must have a Kwantlen student number to be eligible to write the tests.
Semester-based upgrading courses are available in English, Math, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics:
| Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 | University level | |
| MATH | ABEM 0010 | ABEM 0011 |
MATH 1112 MATH 1111 & 1113 |
MATH 1120, 1130, |
| MATQ 1092 | MATQ 1099 | |||
| CHEM | CHEQ 1094 | CHEM 1105 | CHEM 1110 | |
| PHYS | ABEP 0011 |
PHYS 1100 |
PHYS 1101, 1120 | |
| PHYQ 1098 | ||||
| ENGL | ABEE 0070 | ABEE 0081 | ABEE 0091 or ABEE 0092 |
ENGL 1100 |
| ENGQ 1097 | ENGQ 1098 | ENGQ 1099 |
Kwantlen's Academic and Career Preparation Department (Qualifying Studies and ABE Programs) offers a wide range of upgrading courses, both individual-paced and semester-based. If you do not qualify for semester-based you will need to begin the upgrading process on the individual-paced basis, at a level determined by and ACP assessment.
You may, of course, also elect to upgrade at the Grade 11 and 12 levels through your local School District Continuing Education.
If, however, you are missing one or more years, or many courses, you may want to undertake completion of the "Adult Dogwood" through Kwantlen's Academic and Career Preparation Department. This graduation "equivalent" requires completion of five courses, three of which have to be taken through Kwantlen: English 12 or ABEE 0091, or ABEE 0092, General Math 11 or ABEM 0011, plus three different post-secondary courses of your choice. For instance, you may have English 12 from high school, upgrade by taking ABEM 0011 and then, for example, add PSYC 1100, CBSY 1105 and ECON 1101 - or any three courses which can apply to an intended program that you have already chosen.
The GED (General Educational Development) test can also serve as an effective equivalent in many cases, but it does not have any academic benefit when it comes to providing prerequisites for future courses or admission to universities. Students study on their own in the areas of English, Math, Science and Social Studies using the GED Study Guide, available from all College bookstores. GED information packages and application forms are available in the Counselling and Advising area on all Kwantlen campuses.
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What if I don't know what I want to study?
You might want to discuss your career goals with a counsellor. You may also want to sign up for a Career Planning Workshop (free), Career Exploration, or use the web to learn about different career options. First year programs are often general enough to allow for exploration. Try to choose courses, which really interest you and then use the Access Centre to research different careers options.
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How does the Kwantlen credit system work?
Generally courses are 3 credits, however, some science courses carry additional credits due to labs. Transfer credit varies depending on the institution. Check the BC Transfer Guide to see how courses transfer (ex. A 5 credit science course may carry only 3 credits when transferred to UBC).
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How many extra hours of study would you suggest?
Successful students find that they need to spend from 2-3 hours in independent study for every hour spent in class. Any Math course will usually require a total of from 15-20 hours per week of your time.
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How will I know which text books I need?
Check the Bookstore website for a list of textbook requirements for your courses.
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What is a Major and a Minor?
A major is the principal subject or area of concentration within a Bachelor Degree. A minor is a secondary subject area of concentration within a Bachelor Degree. Minors are optional but not required. Kwantlen students intending to transfer to another institution to complete their Bachelor Degree will need to be aware of the program requirements for their chosen major as some of this requirements must be completed within the first 60 credits of study.
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What are Faculties and Departments?
A faculty is a division or branch of learning within a college or university, for example, the "Faculty of Arts". It is also a term to refer to the teachers that instruct in a particular division. Faculties are divided into department. For example, the Faculty of Arts may house the departments of English, History and Psychology. Both, the Faculty and the individual departments, have their own set of requirements needed for the completion of a degree.
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I have already completed a program at Kwantlen, can I apply those courses towards another program?
Kwantlen policy states that students may only use 50% of the courses applied to one program towards another program. Click here for more detailed information.
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Can I take Humanities and Social Science courses as part of my Business Diploma?
You can apply Social Science or Humanities courses as electives within a Business Diploma as long as you meet the diploma requirements.
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Can I take Business courses towards my Arts or Science Diploma?
You can apply a maximum of 9 credits of Business courses towards an Associate of Arts degree. These courses may only be used to satisfy the elective requirement.
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Can I substitute a course requirement with another course?
In some cases, you may be able to substitute a course requirement but this must be first approved by the department and the Office of the Registrar. Course substitution forms are available from the Office of the Registrar.
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