Course Selection Frequently Asked Questions

Courses can be delivered ‘in person’, ‘web based’, ‘web/blackboard synchronous’, ‘web/blackboard asynchronous’ or ‘hybrid’.  Detailed information on delivery method can be found in the INSTRUCTION column of the Academic Timetable.

Students in receipt of transfer credits should review all documents on this webpage but are also advised to consult with an Academic Advisor during Transfer Student Orientation or an individual appointment.

It is highly recommended for all first year students, if possible, to build WRIT 1001H into their timetable. Some programs already require this very helpful writing course.

All programs require 0.5 credit from the Approved Indigenous Course List (see Degree Requirements section of the Academic Calendar). This course can be completed in ANY year of your program.

If you are seeking to register with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) for disability-related accommodations you can find information about how to schedule an appointment at here.

Majors available at the Durham campus include: Anthropology, Artificial Intelligence, Business Administration, Child and Youth Studies, Communications, Computer Science, Computing Systems (joint or 3 year), Criminology, English Literature, Gender and Social Justice (3 year), Information Systems (joint degree or Honours only), Journalism and Creative Writing (joint degree with Durham College), Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Media Studies, Philosophy (3 year), Policing and Community Well-Being,  Psychology, Social Work, Sociology

Teachers Education Stream students please note that ‘Teachers Education Stream’ is NOT a major—you will still need to determine what your major will be by end of first year if you have not already done so. See First Year Course Selection by Major for information on required courses in first year. Students interested in teaching at the High School level should also consult with an Advisor.

Trent Swansea/Law Dual Degree should visit https://www.trentu.ca/law/ for more information.

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). More information on this is provided as you continue to read. A first year full course load usually consists of a total of 5 total credits over the Fall and Winter term. Typically, 5 courses in a term equates to 2.5 credits. So, 5 courses per term (Fall and Winter) equates to 5.0 credits for the year.

You may end up taking fewer courses but it is your responsibility to know whether or not you should be taking a particular course load. Please ask an Academic Advisor if you are unsure of what load you should be carrying.

The university defines 3.5 credits to 5.0 credits as ‘full-time’ and 3.0 or less as ‘part-time’.  Please consult www.trentu.ca/financialaid for definitions of ‘full-time’ and ‘part-time’ for the purposes of OSAP.  Students registered with Accessibility Services should consult an Accessibility Advisor about course loads. Note that if you are a recipient of the Trent Renewable Entrance Scholarship, you should consult scholarships@trentu.ca for course load requirements.

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. There are courses you can take later on that only require 4.0 or 7.0 university credits—you can take these in upper years without having an introductory course.

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.

Now, remember the half credit vs full credit information? 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).

After choosing your courses of primary interest (based on your intended major), it is time to think of what other courses you might like to take in first year. These are often referred to as electives.  Remember, course descriptions can be found in the Academic Calendar or the Academic Timetable both of which can be found on the MyTrent portal under ‘course registration’.

It is not uncommon for students to change their minds about their major. When selecting electives, use this as an opportunity to explore courses that might excite you! Think about taking other 1000 level courses that you enjoyed in a previous educational setting. Consider taking something at the 1000 level that is new to you and sounds intriguing.

There is really nothing that you can take that is ‘wrong’, however, be mindful that if you intend to stay at the Durham campus you should choose at least a couple of introductory courses from majors that you can complete in Durham. You can also move around courses later in the summer before classes start.

Try not to schedule more than two (2) courses per day, as more than two can potentially be an overwhelming amount of information in one day.

All introductory (first-year) courses in Durham are open to all students in all majors – EXCEPT first year education (EDUC) courses.

As mentioned above, most of your first year classes will be classes that begin with 1. However, there are some exceptions. These include ANTH 2001H, ANTH 2002H, ANTH 2121H, ANTH 2122H, ENGL 2001H, and GESO 2410H.

You are not ‘locked in’ to your major. You can change your mind after exploring your first year. Speak to your Academic Advisor about ‘Joint Majors’ and Minors/Options/Specializations during your first year.

Please note that the timetable is subject to change.

Yes! Key dates and deadlines can be found in the Academic Calendar www.trentu.ca/calendar  It is your responsibility to know the dates applicable to your circumstances—including deadlines and implications for adding and dropping courses.

If a required course is ‘full’, contact the department concerned.  If an ‘elective’ course is ‘full’—please choose another elective.

If it is a required course then add yourself to the ‘waitlist’ and reach out to the department concerned. If it is an elective you may add yourself to the waitlist but we recommend you choose another course as a ‘back up’.

This might be a Verification of Enrollment form (VOE)​ which can be found on the Registrar’s website. Other reasons why you might need a VOE is for a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP), bank for a student chequing account or student line of credit, government agency such as Service Canada, high school scholarship committees or other non-Trent scholarships, and/or third-party funding sources including, band funding, private funding, etc.