Credit versus Course
What is the difference between credits and courses?
Courses are either 0.5 credit or 1.0 credit. If a course indicates an “H” at the end of the course code, it is a half credit course (0.5). If the course indicates a “Y” at the end of the course code, it is a full credit course (1.0).
Typically, you will need to complete the first-year introductory courses in a subject before being able to take upper year courses. Find the introductory course(s) for your intended major(s) or area(s) of interest (if undeclared). These courses will start with a ‘1 (one)’ which represents the introductory 1000 level. For example, PSYC 1020H or SOCI 1001H.
Note that you are picking courses for both the Fall and Winter semesters so remember to select the second half of your intro course (if there is one) in the winter term. For example, you need both SOCI 1001H (Fall) and SOCI 1002H (Winter) if you are a Sociology major. However, ADMN 1000H does not have a second half component. Be sure to check out the ‘First Year Course Selection by Major’ document to help ensure you are taking all required first year courses. If the first year courses you are required or are choosing to take do not have a second half, you are welcome to fill the space with other courses you are eligible to take. This includes first year electives or some upper year courses that don’t require first year prerequisites.
There are a few courses that are not in two half credits but instead just run through both terms. These are called full-credit courses. HIST (History) 1500Y is such a course and it therefore technically represents a course in each term, so you should be mindful of this when counting how many ‘courses’ you have in each term as well as ‘credits’ for the year. For instance, if you are taking 1 full year credit (such as HIST 1500Y), you will only need 4 half credits in the fall semester and 4 half credits in the winter semester in order to obtain 5.0 credits in the academic year. This is because the full credit history course will count as 1 course in each of the semesters (think of it as 0.5 of the history course being completed in the fall, and 0.5 of the same course being completed in the winter).