Definitions
What the heck are we talking about?
It's easier to get the right answer if you know how to ask the question. Here are some common terms used in post-secondary education:
UT
UT is short for University Transfer. UT courses offered at Camosun are basically the same as courses you would take at a university, but often have a different title and course number. For instance, Camosun's English 150 English Composition is equivalent to UVic's English 115 University Writing. At UBC they call the same course English 112 Strategies for University Writing. There's an easy-to-use online transfer guide that lets you figure out which courses transfer to which BC universities and colleges.
Transfer Credit
After you successfully complete a UT course at Camosun, you will earn transfer credits. Most courses are worth three or four credits each. You can transfer up to 60 credits to a university degree program.
Associate Degree (AD)
Associate Degree (AD) is a two-year program made up of 20 UT courses: ten courses in first-year plus ten more in second-year. After your first eight courses, you will have the option of taking co-operative education or an internship to gain related work experience.
Bachelor Degree
Bachelor Degree is a four-year degree. It's also called an undergraduate degree or a Baccalaureate degree. At Camosun, a bachelor degree is also called an applied degree, because practical work experience is added to it. Camosun offers bachelor degrees in Athletic & Exercise Therapy, Business Administration, and Sport & Fitness Leadership.
Arts and Sciences
Arts and Science are general terms that cover many different course categories. Arts courses include liberal arts, humanities, social sciences and fine arts. Science courses include the "hard sciences" as well as math.
Electives
Electives are "your choice" courses. Many post-secondary programs can be customized by allowing you to choose from a list of pre-approved electives. For instance, you may need to select two from a list of six psychology courses.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites are course requirements, needed before you can register in any course. Each prerequisite needs to be completed with a minimum letter grade. For instance, the prerequisite for English 150 is a C+ in English 12; the prerequisites for Biology 126 would be a C in English 12 and a C+ in Biology 12.
Assessment and Camosun upgrading courses
A high school transcript is not the only way to qualify for UT courses. Camosun offers all levels of upgrading in English, math, physics, chemistry and biology. For math or English you can start by contacting the Assessment Centre to schedule an assessment test. If your assessment results demonstrate that you already have the skills to be successful, you can use that assessment toward your admission requirements. On the other hand, if your assessment indicates you need to do some upgrading first, Camosun can help. You can start by reading details online and then you're welcome to meet with an academic advisor to talk about your options.
