Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the admission requirements for Computer Science or How to I get into the CS program?

Canadian High School Requirements
English Language Arts A30 and B30
Pre-Calculus 30
Two of Biology 30, Calculus 30, Chemistry 30, Computer Science 30, Physics 30, Earth Science 30

GPA: 70%
65% for Science Qualifying*

For students planning to major in Mathematics, Statistics, Actuarial Science or other math intensive programs, the Department of Mathematics is recommending that students complete one of the following two sets of high school courses:
Pre-Calc 20 and 30 + Foundations 20 and 30
Pre-Calc 20 and 30 + Foundations 20 + Calculus 30

Non-Canadian High School requirements
One English literature course1
One Algebra or Geometry/Trigonometry course
Two of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science Earth Science, or Physics

Students who are missing one or more requirements as listed above may be admitted to the Science Qualifying Program*.

Inquiries about undergraduate admission to the University of Regina should be directed to one of the following offices:

Canadian Citizens, Refugees, Protected Persons, and Permanent Residents of Canada:
Undergraduate Admissions
Administration Humanities Building 108
University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2
Telephone: 306-585-4591; fax: 306-337-2525;
E-mail: enrolment.services@uregina.ca
Web: http://urconnected.uregina.ca

International Students attending the University on a Study Permit:
International Admissions
College West 127
University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2
Telephone: 306-585-6260; fax: 306-337-3128;
E-mail: international.admissions@uregina.ca
Web: http://www.uregina.ca/international/

Applicants are encouraged to apply on-line or download an application form from the University website at urconnected.uregina.ca. Applications may also be requested from either Undergraduate Admissions or International Admissions.

* Science Qualifying Process
Students possessing a high school admissions average between 65% and 70% or a post-secondary UGPA (minimum 24 credit hours) between 60% and 65%, and/or are missing a course requirement (ie. Math A30, B30 or C30, Pre-Calculus 30, science course) will be admitted to the Science Qualifying Process. Science Qualifying students are: 

  • Not permitted to begin their program in the Spring/Summer semester without permission of the Associate Dean (Academic). 
  • Limited to 12.0 credit hours per term. 
  • Must complete the missing pre-requisite or approved replacement course. 
  • Must attend the Program Planning and Registration Seminar prior to first year registration. 
  • Must see an advisor prior to registration every semester. 
  • Not permitted to graduate.

Once a student has reached 24.0 credit hours, completed the necessary course requirements and obtained a UGPA of 65% or higher, they will be automatically moved from Science Qualifying to Science. Students who meet the course requirements and obtain a Post-Secondary UGPA of 65% prior to completing 24.0 credit hours may request, at the Science Academic Hub, to be moved to the science program.
 

2. What is the English Requirement?

2.2 PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH
The language of instruction at the University of Regina is English.
All applicants to the University of Regina must demonstrate an appropriate level of proficiency in the English language, through high school credentials (§2.2.1), post-secondary educational credentials (§2.2.2), an acceptable score in an approved test or international examination (§2.2.3, §2.2.4), or a passing grade in the University of Regina’s English as a Second Language final course - Advanced English for Academic Purposes-Advanced EAP (level 050 with academic writing elective) (§2.2.5). Link to Undergraduate Calendar is below.

https://www.uregina.ca/student/registrar/publications/undergraduate-calendar/assets/pdf/2016-2017/2016-2017.pdf

3. I want to meet with an advisor, how do I make an appointment?

The Faculty of Science offers one-on-one program and career advising through the Science Academic Hub to help you reach your educational, career and life goals.

Call the Science Academic Hub at 306-585-4199 to book your appointment or book online here.

Before Your Advising Appointment
1. Make a list of questions you want to ask.  Try to be specific to help clarify your needs.
2. Do your research - look in the Undergraduate Calendar, the Science Academic Hub FAQ and U of R Website for further information about your question.
3. Look up dates and deadlines related to your questions.

During Your Advising Appointment
1. Tell your advisor as much as you can about why you are meeting with them. The more your advisor knows about your situation, the more they can help you.
2. It is always a good idea to write down suggestions your advisor offers so you can remember which steps to take next.

4. When can I register?

Students register according to a priority system in which those who have earned the most credit hours register first. During the days set aside for time-ticket registration, time-tickets will be released at 9:00 am each day.

Registration time-tickets are available to students in UR Self-Service two weeks prior to the start of registration. Students are not permitted to register before the assigned time-ticket. Your time-ticket tells you the first day you can register for the semester. You may register on that day, or any day after, until the add deadline for the semester.

To check your time-ticket:

1. Login to UR Self-Service (see pg. 59).
2. Click on Registration.
3. Click on Check your Registration Status.
4. Select a Term.
5. Look at your Time-ticket.
6. Check to see that you do not have any holds preventing registration.
 

5. How do I register for classes?

You can plan your schedule by using Visual Schedule Builder (VSB). Log into UR Self-Serve and click on Student > Registration > Visual Scheduler Builder and follow the instructions on finding courses. There is a Tutorial Video available in the ADD COURSES window.  Once you have a satisfactory schedule, copy and paste the CRNs as directed in the yellow box.

register_for_classes.png

 
6. What courses or how many courses do I have to take for a BSc in Computer Science?

All 4 year degree programs at the University of Regina are 120 credit hours. This translates to 40 courses. These courses are distributed between required courses and electives.  Program outlines can be found in the Undergraduate Academic Calendar.

7. I tried to register and the system won’t let me. Why can’t I register?

There could be a number of reasons you are unable to register for a course.  The class could be full, you may not have the required prerequisite or you may have a hold on your account.

Student Holds
A Hold is a restriction placed on your UR Self-Service account that may:
• Prevent you from registering for classes;
• Prevent the release of your transcripts; or,
• Indicate some sort of tracking on your account.

Some examples of holds that may be placed on your account:

Advising Hold: You are required to see your academic advisor prior to registration (book an appointment with your advisor).

Conditions on Registration: There are conditions that must be checked or met prior to registration (contact the Science Academic Hub in your Faculty).

Financial Hold: You owe tuition and fees that must be paid prior to release of transcripts or registration, depending on the amount owed (contact Financial Services).

Admissions Hold: There are documents or other requirements that must be received by the university prior to registration or release of transcripts (contact Admissions).

Holds are simply our way of tracking students. If you have a hold on your account, contact the appropriate office to find out why the hold is there and what you need to do in order for it to be removed.

8. What is an elective? And what electives can I take?

Electives are courses that fall outside of the major that make up the remainder of the 120.0 credit hours required to graduate with a degree. Electives may include courses contributing to a minor. Electives from the following categories may be required for your program:

Natural Science
Any course offered in Astronomy (ASTR), Biology (BIOL), Biochemistry (BIOC), Chemistry (CHEM), Geology (GEOL), or Physics (PHYS) will meet this requirement.

Arts or Media, Arts and Performance (MAP)
Any course from the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Fine Arts will meet this requirement.

Science, Arts or MAP
Any course from the Faculties of Arts, Fine Arts or Science will meet this requirement.

Open Elective
Any university level course from any faculty will meet this requirement.

undergraduate electives

9. What is Academic Probation?

Students are placed on Academic whenever their UGPA falls below 60%.  Students are given 24 credit hours to raise their UPGA to the minimum requirement (60%). When on probation, academic advising is mandatory.  A hold will be placed on your account and you will be unable to register for future semesters until you have met with an advisor.

Process for Clearing Probation
• To clear a university-level academic probation, students must raise their university grade point average (UGPA) to a minimum of 60.00% by the time they attempt 24 credit hours while on university-level academic probation.  Your Faculty will notify the student via your University of Regina email account of the outcome of your probation, but you can also monitor your own UGPA using UR Self-Service.

• A Faculty may extend the Academic Probation up to addition 15 credit hours.

MW or Must Withdraw from University
[Failure to Meet the Minimum Academic Performance Standard]
• Students who do not clear academic probation according to the university’s regulations must withdraw from university (MW) for a minimum of three full and consecutive terms and will be immediately dropped from all courses in which they are registered.  Such forced withdrawal begins on the first day of the term immediately following the term in which the student fails to clear probation.  Students who have been readmitted from a standard three-consecutive-term or one-year MW and do not clear university-level probation must withdraw from the University for a Minimum of six consecutive terms or two calendar years. 

10. I got an NP (or W, XF, or P) on my transcript, what does that mean?

Most courses are graded by percentage (0 – 100%)

With a grade of 50% or higher, you will earn the credit hours for the course (PASS).

It is recommended (and sometimes required) that you do not move forward in a particular subject unless you have received a grade of 60% or higher.

Courses with a grade below 50% are considered failing grades and you will NOT receive the credit hours for the course.

Letter Grades
W – Withdrawal (neutral grade) –not calculated in GPA
P – Pass –not calculated in GPA
F – Fail –not calculated in GPA
NP – “no paper” (incomplete) = 40% -calculated in GPA
XF – Academic Misconduct (Penalty) = 0% -calculated in GPA

11. I missed my final exam, what should I do now?

Start by speaking with your instructor as soon as possible. If they believe you qualify for a deferral (see 5.8 in Undergrad Calendar for more information), they will direct you to your faculty office to start the paperwork process. If you think you might miss an exam, or be late on any work, it is best to contact your instructor as soon as possible to see if arrangements can be made prior to a due date instead of after it is past.

12. Where can I get a tutor?

Some departments have lists of individual tutors, so you can stop by the departmental offices to find these. The Student Success Centre has a tutor registry available to help connect you with a tutor. The Student Success Centre offers, free of charge, tutoring for Math and Stats, and a Writing Service, for all students in all disciplines. Also, keep your eyes open as you walk down the halls; many students will often advertise tutoring services via posters on the walls.

13. A class I want to take is full, what do I do now?

If a class is full, you can stop by the Department office and ask for permission to register in the class.  The office staff will check on the physical capacity of the room and if there is space, a permit/override form can be filled out.  The staff will contact the instructor for permission to add you to the registration.  Only the instructor or the Department Head have the authority to increase the enrollment of a class

14. I have a hold on my account, what do I do now?

You can find out what holds are on your account through your UR Self Serve Account (Check your Registration Status). Once you have determined what hold is on your account you can take the appropriate action.

  • Advising Hold and Conditions on Registration – see your Faculty to further information
  • Financial Hold – contact Financial Services
  • Admissions Hold – contract Admission Office

15. What is a prerequisite?

Prerequisites are courses that have to be taken before other courses.  For example, CS 110 must be completed successfully with a grade of 65% before CS 115.  There may be more than one prerequisite required and/or there may be certain grade required as well.  All prerequisites are clearly noted in the course descriptions.

Note: If you take a course for which you do NOT have the prerequisite, you may be denied credit for that course.

16. How can I calculate my GPA?

To calculate your GPA:

1. Check to see which courses are included in the GPA you are calculating.
 (All percentage grades, NP and XF are calculated in GPA

2.  Multiply your grade in each included course by the number of credit hours in the course
(= quality points).

3.  Add the quality points for all included courses.

4. Divide the total number of quality points by the total number of credit hours completed.

Example:

Courses Completed
CS 100  70% 3.0 credit hours
Math 110 62% 3.0
Engl 100 67% 3.0

Calculation:
% x cr hrs = quality points
70 x 3  =  210
62 x 3 = 186
67 x 3 = 201
Total Quality points = 597/9 cr hrs completed = 66.33%

Understanding your GPA

  • There are several measures of academic standing at the University of Regina.

Undergraduate Grade Point Average (UGPA)

  • The average grade of all courses you have taken with the exception of repeated courses. The final authorized attempt becomes the grade of record for that course. This means that if you repeat a course, the first grade will not be included in the calculation of your UGPA, but the second grade will – for better or for worse!
  • Your UGPA is the average you will see when you log in to UR Self-Service and view your unofficial transcript.

You must maintain a minimum UGPA of 60% to maintain Good Academic Standing.

Program Grade Point Average (PGPA)

  • The average of all courses that meet requirements in your program. Your PGPA can be calculated using your Program Outline.

You must possess a PGPA of at least 65% or higher in order to graduate.

Major Grade Point Average (MGPA)

  • The average of all courses meeting course requirements in the major portion of your program. Your MGPA can be calculated using your Program Outline.

You must possess an MGPA of at least 65% or higher in order to graduate.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)

  • The average grade of all courses you have taken at the University of Regina, including repeated courses.

Term Grade Point Average (TGPA)

  • The average of all courses you have taken in one semester.

17. I have been accepted to Science Qualifying. What does that mean?

SCIENCE QUALIFYING PROCESS
Students possessing a high school admissions average between 65% and 70% or a post-secondary UGPA (minimum 24 credit hours) between 60% and 65%, and/or are missing a course requirement (ie. Math A30, B30 or C30, Pre-Calculus 30, science course) will be admitted to the Science Qualifying Process.
Science Qualifying students are:

  • Not permitted to begin their program in the Spring/Summer semester without permission of the Associate Dean (Academic). 
  • Limited to 12.0 credit hours per term. 
  • Must complete the missing pre-requisite or approved replacement course. 
  • Must attend the Program Planning and Registration Seminar prior to first year registration. 
  • Must see an advisor prior to registration every semester. 
  • Not permitted to graduate.

Once a student has reached 24.0 credit hours, completed the necessary course requirements and obtained a UGPA of 65% or higher, they will be automatically moved from Science Qualifying to Science. Students who meet the course requirements and obtain a Post-Secondary UGPA of 65% prior to completing 24.0 credit hours may request, at the Science Academic Hub, to be moved to the science program.