Academics

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is very important at the University of Alberta, and academic offences are taken very seriously. The expectations of what is and what is not allowed may be different than the expectations that you are used to! It is possible to violate academic integrity without knowing, so it is very important to look at the Code of Student Behaviour or what the University considers Cheating, Collaboration, Plagiarism, and Substantial Assistance so that you avoid breaking the rules and getting in trouble with the University.

Academics Requirement Tool

Faculty of Arts students can now monitor their degree progression in real time, thanks to our new Academic Requirements tool located in Bear Tracks! Academic Requirements will show your what courses and requirements you have completed, and what is still needed to complete your Arts degree! Please check out our tutorial video and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the Academic Requirements tool.

Credit Transfer

If you are transferring from another post-secondary institution, or have completed high school studies in the IB, AP or GCE curriculums, you may be eligible for credit transfer! If you are a post-secondary transfer student, the Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Student Services is responsible for assessing your credit, so to inquire about if your credits will be transferred, please contact us! If you are a high school student from the above-mentioned curriculums, please visit Student Connect to inquire about your transfer credit, and remember to also consult our online information. Your credit transfer can be viewed via several Bear Tracks tools: the unofficial transcript as well as the TCR (Transfer Credit Report).

Deferred Examination

If you have missed your final exam, please remember that Arts students can request a deferred examination! It is not guaranteed whether or not your request will be approved, so make sure you also read carefully our Deferred Examinations Tip Sheet! If you have any questions we are here to help.

GPA Requirements

In order to maintain your registration, Faculty of Arts students must meet our Satisfactory GPA, which is 2.0 for most Bachelor of Arts majors. There are some exceptions, including Economics (2.3), Criminology (2.7), Art & Design (2.7), and others. It is very important to read our Arts GPA information sheet to find out what the minimum GPA requirement is for your program. Please note that students in a Bachelor of Arts Honours program will also have different requirements, specified by their Departments.

Students who do not meet our Satisfactory Academic Standing are at risk of being asked to withdraw from our degree program, so please take the time to read our detailed Grades, GPA, and Academic Standing webpage. Achieving a high GPA has several advantages, including access to more scholarships and recognition via our Dean's List or First Class Standing. Spring and Summer courses are not used when calculating the Academic Standing GPA.

Letter of Degree Completion

Have you completed all your degree requirements (remember to check our new Academic Requirements tool in Bear Tracks)? Congratulations, you will soon join our expansive UAlberta Faculty of Arts alumni community! Do not forget to apply for convocation in your Bear Tracks account!

Many of our International students prefer to gain some work experience in Canada after their graduation, and here in the Faculty of Arts we can support your application for a Post Graduation Work Permit by providing you with a letter of completion before you receive your official degree at convocation. Please note - the letter of completion is not a substitute for your degree diploma/parchment.

We can also prepare letters for students interested in applying to post-graduate programs or for other immigration purposes; however, it is best to consult with the advisors in the International Services Centre before filling in our online form, to make sure you are applying for the correct document.

Major/Minor Change

Do you want to change your Major or your Minor? Many Arts students, International or Canadian, will change their Major and/or Minor at least once during their studies at the University of Alberta. This is very common, and it is easily done by completing our online form! If possible, talk to an advisor about your Major or Minor change - we are happy to help! Please note - if you want to declare an Economics Major you must use a different form, available on the Economics Department website.

Withdrawing from a course

It is not unusual for university students to occasionally struggle with a class; if that happens, the best thing to do is to talk to your instructor and to the Arts advisors - we are here to help! In some cases, students may prefer to withdraw from a course, rather than risk receiving a low grade that could impact their GPA and their program registration. Withdrawing from a course is done via our online form; please keep in mind that there are strict deadlines for doing this and that after certain dates the tuition fees will not be refunded.

When a student withdraws from a course, they will receive a W notation on their transcript for that class; however, this has no negative effects for Faculty of Arts students working towards their degree, and it is always preferable to a low grade! Contact us and watch our video tutorial for more information!

If you're curious about other important dates/deadlines and general University policies, take a look at the University Calendar for more information.