Certificate and Diploma Programs
What are General Education electives?
- A vital component of all post-secondary certificate and diploma programs.
- Broaden your knowledge and experience through the study of arts and humanities (including indigenous studies), social sciences and natural sciences.
- Enhance your critical thinking and analytic reasoning skills
- Develop communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills that are essential in your personal and social lives and highly valued in all career fields.
How many General Education electives do I need to take?
Students in diploma programs are required to take three General Education courses. General Education courses are grouped into three broad categories:
- Arts and Humanities (GHUM / *ISHU)
- Social Science (GSSC / ISSS)
- Science and Technology (GSCI / ISSC)
- *IS = Indigenous Studies. For example, ISHU1035 is an indigenous studies humanities course.
In some diploma programs, there is a mandated General Education courses (in other words, a General Education course that the program has decided all students must take), and the remaining courses are electives. Students must take General Education courses from at least two of the three categories (listed above) in order to graduate. This is called the General Education breadth requirement.
Check the specific General Education elective requirements for your program.
How do I register for a General Education elective?
Each program selects specific semesters in which students are scheduled to take General Education electives. If there is an elective scheduled in your current semester, the courses will be listed in the block below your mandatory program courses.
How do I choose an elective?
- Check the General Education requirements for your program to find out whether you need to choose an elective from a specific category. Refer back to the breadth requirements listed above.
- Some programs are excluded from taking particular courses because of the overlap with the program courses. These exclusions are listed on the Elective Requirements by Program documents.
- You can click on each course to get a description to help you make a choice that meets your interests.
What if the course I really want is full?
Stu-View is updated in real time.
- Continue to log onto Stu-View and check to see if any spaces become available.
- You can add or change a course on Stu-View up until the 5th day of the start of the semester.
What if I missed, failed, or dropped an elective in a previous semester?
Register for your program courses. Once you have your timetable, fill out one of the forms under Electives Registration, Section C.
Note: There may be an additional fee to take the course if you are taking it out of sequence. The registration date for out-of-sequence electives is delayed and is not at the same time as web registration.
Could I be exempted from taking a General Education elective course?
If you have completed General Education or Liberal Studies courses at another post-secondary institution and you earned a grade of 60% or higher, you might be eligible for exemption from one or more of your electives.
- Apply using the Transfer Credit module on Stu-View.
- Program and field-specific courses, computer courses, study skills courses and language courses do not qualify for General Education exemptions.
- You may apply for multiple elective transfer credits in any given semester.
Questions?
Please submit an inquiry form or contact our Virtual Service Desk.
