Exceptions to WQB requirements

Some Faculties or programs have adjusted their breadth requirements to better harmonize with the B requirement (e.g. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), or applied for specific breadth exemptions due to tight program demands (e.g. Engineering Science). Advisors should check with their respective departments or Faculties to determine if there are any breadth changes beyond the WQB graduation requirements.

Students completing joint or double majors and honours, two extended minors or a double minor will not be required to take double W, Q and B requirements. W, Q and B designated courses in either one or both disciplines of the majors or honors or double minor programs may be used to satisfy the writing, quantitative and breadth requirements. For example, a student taking a double major in English and Physics may count:

• B-Science designated Physics courses for B-Sci credit (unlike straight Physics majors, who cannot count Physics B-Sci courses towards their B graduation requirements)
• B-Humanities designated English courses for B-Hum credit (unlike straight English majors, who cannot count English B-Hum courses towards their B graduation requirements)
• W designated English for the lower and upper division W requirement
• Q designated Physics courses toward the Q requirement

Students in double minor programs should select an upper division W from one of the two discipline areas in which they are taking their double minors.

Students admitted to second degrees are exempt from all of the Breadth requirements, the lower-division W course, and one Q course. The remaining W and Q courses must be a minimum of 3 credits each; the W course must be upper-division and within the major, while the Q course may be upper- or lower-division. Second degree students must meet the FAL and FAN prerequisites in order to enrol in W and Q courses. Second degree students who have met WQB requirements in a first degree at Simon Fraser University are still required to meet this UD W and Q requirement for the second degree.

Students who take courses that have multiple designations (e.g. MATH 160-W, Q, B-Sci) will be able to "double" or "triple" count a single course for their WQB credits. Students will still only receive 3 credit hours for such a course, but all of the designations will be granted, provided the B is outside the student's major. Therefore, such students will be able to complete their WQB graduation requirements in fewer than the 36 required WQB credit hours. For example, a Biology major would be granted both W and B-Hum credit by taking ENGL 104, thereby completing two designations by taking only one course.

This rule does not apply to courses with multiple B-type designations. For example, if an English major takes ARCH 131 (B-Soc, B-Sci), the student must select which B-type credit they want applied to their graduation record. It is important that students stay aware of the types of B courses they take, and whether those course are inside or outside of their programs. No B course within a student's major will count toward their B credits.

In order to fulfill the university Writing and Breadth course requirements, students may consider selecting a course that allows them to "double their money" -- a course designated as both W and B-Hum, or W and B-Soc, or W and B-Sci. Students who successfully complete such courses with a minimum C- grade will be able to count both W and B designations towards their graduation requirements.

Check Course Schedules each term for offerings of the following courses (listed alphabetically):

Undergraduate students admitted to the University prior to September 2006 are not bound by the new WQB graduation requirements that affect students entering as of 1067. However, continuing students will notice changes to the Calendar and Timetable, and to their records and advising transcripts that show the new WQB designations for many SFU courses.

Continuing students will notice that many SFU courses that were undesignated in the past now have a W, Q and/or B attached to them. There are also many new courses with these designations. All students who meet normal course prerequisites may take these courses. The WQB designation will appear on transcripts, but will have no bearing on pre-1067 continuing students' graduation requirements.

Continuing students may find a notation on their advising transcripts that indicates they have 'credit' for FAL X99 and FAN X99, even though they haven't taken these courses. This is simply a notation within the system to allow continuing students to take courses designated W or Q because FAL X99 (Foundations of Academic Literacy) and FAN X99 (Foundations of Analytical and Quantitative Reasoning) are now prerequisites for such courses.

Opting to take fal x99, fanx99, and the q placement test

While students admitted prior to Fall 2006 are not required to meet the new minimum English language and mathematics proficiency requirements, such students who feel they need to improve their skills in these areas are welcome to register in FAL X99 and FAN X99, provided there is available space. Interested students should contact the FAL coordinator in Education and the FAN coordinator in Mathematics prior to registering. For information on these new Foundations courses, please click here.

Some courses such as MATH 100, MATH 190, and PSYC 210 have minimum grade requirements in high school math courses as prerequisites. Mathematics would like all students requesting permission to take MATH 100 and MATH 190 without prerequisites to first take the Quantitative Placement Test.

As for students admitted prior to Fall 2006 who are eligible to take such courses but unsure of their readiness, they can simply try the practice test. Some of these students may not have studied any mathematics in a long time and may wish to take FAN X99 prior to attempting any Q courses.