To declare a major, joint major, or minor in the Faculty of Science, you must first meet the specific department's admission requirements. Admission requirements can be found in the SFU Academic Calendar or on the program’s website. If you have program specific questions regarding admission, program planning, or program completion, please contact the departmental advisor directly.

Technically there is no deadline for declaring your major. However, there can be benefits to declaring a major, including access to upper division courses (see below). Also, program requirements can change over time. Declaring your major fixes your requirements as those specified in the calendar for your term of entry. If you wait to declare your major, the requirements may change from what you had been planning around. 

Thus, it is recommended that a student declare a major as soon as they are eligible for admission to the program. New students who are unsure of what to major in should aim to have their major declared by the time they reach 60 units. Students over 60 units who have not yet declared a major should contact Nadia Williams at science_advisor@sfu.ca as soon as possible to discuss options. 

Benefits may include: access to program-specific scholarships, awards, and bursaries; access to upper division courses; and opportunities that are available only to students in specific majors.

Such decisions are subjective and should be based on your personal goals, interests, passions, and strengths. You may find it helpful to talk to people in different departments to get a sense of what each area of study is like. Speaking to a Career Advisor in Career Services may also help you make a decision about what to major and/or minor in.  Students over 60 units in the Faculty of Science without a major should contact Nadia Williams at science_advisor@sfu.ca as soon as possible to discuss options.

Students are allowed to repeat a particular course once. Ultimately both attempts will appear on your transcript but only the higher grade will factor into your GPA and CGPA. See here for details.

Note: It is not advised that students repeat a course simply to raise their CGPA. In many cases, repeating a course will have a negligible effect on the student’s final CGPA (e.g., for a student with 120 units, upgrading one grade from a C to an A increases their CGPA by only 0.05). We recommend that course repeats are used sparingly, as only five total repeats are allowed over the course of a degree (see below). Courses should only be repeated when doing so is necessary for completing program requirements (e.g., if a student failed a required course or if a student didn’t meet the minimum required grade for a course).

In certain situations, a third attempt of a course may be permitted. Permission must come from both the student’s advisor as well as the advisor from the department that oversees the course.

The total number of course repeats allowed throughout a degree program is limited to five. See here for details.

Repeats from the Pandemic Period (Spring 2020 - Fall 2021) may be subject to different limitations. Please consult with an Academic Advisor.

If you would like to enroll in a sixth or subsequent repeat course, you must discuss your plan with your departmental advisor. Exceptions are rarely granted, and must be approved first by the departmental advisor and then by the Manager of Academic Programs. Please review the repeat policy here, complete the repeat request form, and submit the form to your departmental advisor before enrolling in any further repeats. 

Note: Students who do not obtain approval and register for the course will either be removed from the course or have the repeat course changed to ‘Illegal’ and the repeated course/units/GPA will not count towards their degree.

If you are unable to get permission, switching into a different program and/or faculty may be necessary. Those students who will not be able to meet the requirements for their intended major, but could qualify for a minor in the same subject may want to consider the General Science Double Minor program. 

For incoming high school graduates, course enrolment and sample program tables are found in the SFU 101 Canvas modules. Many of the departments in the Faculty of Science also outline typical/recommended course lists for their majors on their website (e.g., Biological Sciences).

• If you have a declared/intended major, you can consult with your departmental advisor
• If you are undeclared and under 60 units at Burnaby campus, you can consult with a Student Services Advisor 
• If you are a Surrey campus student, please consult with Nadia Williams at science_advisor@sfu.ca
• If you are undeclared and over 60 units, you can consult with Nadia Williams at science_advisor@sfu.ca

There are some core courses that are required by many of the majors and minors in the Faculty of Science. All majors and our General Science Double Minor program require Calculus I (MATH 150/151/154) and Calculus II (MATH 152/155).

• Taking MATH 150/151 for Calculus I and MATH 152 for Calculus II will keep your options the most open.  This option has the highest Pre-Calculus 12 grade requirements
• If you are drawn to the Life Sciences (BISC, BPK, MBB), take MATH 154 for Calculus I and MATH 155 for Calculus II.  MBB also encourages the 150/151 and 152 combination

The next most common course requirements are first year Chemistry (CHEM 121, 122, 126) and first year Physics (see here for different streams of introductory Physics). CHEM 121 and 122 are of particular importance due to their nature as prerequisites for various second year courses.

Other introductory courses that are common to many programs in the Faculty of Science include: Biological Sciences (BISC 101 and 102), and Statistics (STAT 201 and 270).

Please consult with an Academic Advisor when planning your courses.

MATH 157/158 may be acceptable for Calculus I and II, depending on the program. Students who have taken MATH 157 but not 158 should take MATH 152 or 155 instead of 158 as Calculus II.

Consult with the departmental advisor responsible for your desired program for further advice.

Generally no. However sometimes a student may have a good reason as to why she/he should be able to handle the course without the prerequisite. In such a case, please check the departmental FAQs website for information on the procedure for obtaining a prerequisite waiver, and/or consult with the advisor in the department that oversees the course.

Unless you have had certain course load restrictions placed on you (e.g., because of a scholarship you have received, because you’re a student athlete, because you’re receiving a student loan, or for a student visa), there isn’t a minimum course load and you are free to take a semester off if you’d like.

Keep in mind, however, that if you do not enroll in any courses for three semesters in a row, you will become deactivated. While you are away from SFU, if you do not take coursework at a different post-secondary institution, becoming reactivated is a fairly simple process. If you do take courses at a different post-secondary institution while away from SFU, you will need to apply for readmission. See here for details on reactivation and readmission.

If you would like to take a course at a different post-secondary institution while still active at SFU, you must apply for a letter of permission. See here for details.

Students who have already completed an undergraduate degree must contact the departmental advisor for their intended program prior to course enrollment. The student will need to provide a copy of his/her transcript to the departmental advisor so that he/she can get prerequisites waived for entry into upper division courses.

Doing co-op is an excellent way to get valuable, hands-on experience in your field, and will likely put you in a better position when it comes to seeking a career after you graduate.

The Science Co-op website can be found here.

Start by speaking with your academic advisor. Your next step would be Career Services.

SFU Career Services has put together a website with careers for various majors. Listed careers go beyond those that you would think of offhand (doctor, teacher, dentist...). They also have several helpful exploratory websites, such as Choices Career Explorer.

Enrolled students moreover have the option of booking a one-on-one appointment with a Career Advisor in Career Services to talk about career options and how to maximize their career prospects.

Many students enter Science with the goal of eventually becoming a health care professional. In your first year at SFU, you can enroll in first year foundational science courses required as prerequisites for most professional programs. We also advise you have a back-up plan - professional schools are extremely competitive, and every student should always have at least one other career idea in mind as they go through their studies.  Click here for our tips on succeeding in the Sciences.

Self-Assessment - Is professional school realistic for me and my circumstances?

1. How do my grades and admission test scores compare to the historical entrance averages for the professional schools I wish to attend?
2. If my grades are below historical entrance averages, how much time and effort am I willing to spend to strengthen my candidacy to professional school?
3. How have I demonstrated commitment to this profession? How willing am I to take steps to show further commitment?
4. How have I demonstrated a foundational knowledge of this profession? Am I willing to build upon this knowledge? 

Thanks to Lyman Briggs College for these self-reflective questions.

What if I don't get into the professional program I want?

This is where your back-up plan comes into play. Co-operative education job placements would help you explore different paid science positions and help you "get your foot in the door" for future employment at these organizations. There are also many alternate health-related careers that could be entered via different education programs such as certificates or technical diplomas. A university science background helps with success in these areas.