Introduction
A course at Langara normally consists of three or more hours of classwork or equivalent per week in one subject area for a four-month period.
Course Descriptions
The courses listed in will be offered at Langara during the three semesters comprising the College year. Not all courses will be offered during any one semester. Information on semester course offerings are included in the Registration Guide and Course Schedule, which is available approximately two months before the beginning of each semester.
Course Numbering
The first digit in the four-digit number indicates the year level as determined by Langara. Please note that some courses which have a first digit of ‘1’ may transfer as a second-year course at some universities and that some with the first digit of ‘2’ may transfer as a first-year course. Please refer to the BC Transfer Guide available in the Counselling Department or online at www.bctransferguide.ca or to the institution to which you wish to transfer for transfer credit information.
Prerequisites
A prerequisite is a requirement students must fulfil before registering in a course. Unless otherwise noted, a minimum “C-” or “S” grade in the prerequisite course is required. As well as courses, prerequisites may include minimum scores on placement tests, departmental permission, or acceptance into a particular program.
Prerequisite requirements, where applicable, are included in the course descriptions. Additional prerequisite information may be included in departmental information at the beginning of each course subject listing. For some career program courses, specific prerequisites are not indicated because admission to these courses generally depends on the degree of student success in the previous semester of the program.
Associate Degree Course Attributes
Course attributes are descriptions assigned to Langara courses to help students determine how these courses meet associate degree requirements. These attributes are assigned based on how current Langara courses transfer to the BC research universities: UBC, UBCO, SFU, UVIC,
and UNBC.
Course attributes are meant solely for the purpose of determining how a course meets associate degree requirements, and they reflect how the course currently transfers to at least one of the BC research universities. For example, a first-year course at Langara may be given a second-year attribute because it transfers to at least one of the universities as a second-year course. This Langara course may transfer to all of the other universities as a first-year course.
Credits
A standard credit represents a minimum of one hour per week of classroom work or equivalent for a semester. Most courses carry three credits but require more than three hours of classroom work or the equivalent in laboratories, seminars, tutorials, etc.
Credits are indicated in parentheses immediately after each course number.
Transferability of Courses
Please refer to the BC Transfer Guide (online at www.bctransferguide.ca) or contact the receiving institution to obtain information on the transferability of Langara courses. Information on the transferability of courses is also available from the Counselling Department.
Hours of Instruction
Hours of instruction appear after the course credits in a series of three numbers. The first number indicates the hours of lecture; the second, the hours of seminar; the third, the hours of laboratory time required each week. These numbers are approximate; instructors may adjust these allotments to meet successfully the learning goals of individual classes. Courses offered in a non-traditional format, e.g., online courses, will have equivalent instructional time that comprises independent, guided study.
Half-semester Courses
Langara offers a limited number of courses each semester in seven-week sessions. The seven-week sessions are listed in the Registration Guide and Course Schedule with section numbers prefaced by an “A” or “B”. e.g., ENGL 1127-A01.
Distance Education Courses - Online or Guided Independent Study
Distance education courses are recommended only for students who are confident of their ability to work independently. Like all Langara courses, they must be completed during the semester in which students enrol. For further information on these courses or on how to register for them, refer to the Registration Guide and Course Schedule.
Full Time/Part Time Definition
Langara defines a full course load as 15 credits or more. Full-time study is defined as nine credits or more. Part-time study is defined as fewer than nine credits. Please refer to scholarships regarding eligibility requirements that may include alternative definitions.
Course Load
The usual maximum course load for most programs in the Faculties of Arts and Social Science and Business is 16 credit hours per semester. In the Faculty of Science the usual maximum course load for most programs is 18 credit hours per semester. Course load maximums that differ from the above are listed with the program or faculty information. Students who have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in a full course load (i.e. 15 credits or more in one semester) may register for additional credits (overload) with the approval of the Registrar's Office.
Semester System
Each semester is four months in length and the three semesters in the academic year are:
Fall Semester - September to December
Spring Semester - January to April
Summer Semester - May to August
Most courses are scheduled for a full semester; however, some two-month courses may be offered. Two four-month semesters of full-time study (minimum 15 credits each semester) normally constitute a complete academic year of study at Langara. Some career programs require enrolment in three semesters per year.