Your degree is something you build each year by taking courses. Think of your degree like a house. 

In first year, you’re building the foundation – which is the most important part because it impacts what you can do next. In this case, it impacts what courses you can take in upper years. 

Have you read about building your degree yet? This explains what a module is and how the common first year works. Review it now before moving forward with the steps.

Here’s other important information to understand:

Course Code Letters and Numbers (Suffixes)

Each course has four numbers.  

0001-0999 = pre-university courses (most students won’t take any of these) 

• Example: Math 0110A/B

1000-1999 = first year courses 

• Example: Psychology 1000 

2000-4999 = upper year courses (you’ll take these after first year) 

• Example: Biology 4944F/G 

Some courses have letters after the four numbers. Here’s what the most common ones mean:

See all course suffixes

Essay Courses

An essay course means there is a significant amount of writing. This could mean essays and reports. 

You don’t have to take any essay courses in first year if you don’t want to. But, before you graduate, you must take 2.0 essay credits.

We recommend no more than 3.0 essay courses per term. Often the essays/reports are due around the same time and having too many can mean a heavy workload.

It’s always a good idea to check out the Writing Support Centre when you take your first essay course!

Course Categories (A, B and C)

All undergraduate courses belong to a category. Here’s what each category means: 

Category A: Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies, Various 
Category B: Arts & Humanities, Languages 
Category C: Sciences, Medical Sciences, Engineering  

In first year, you must take at least 1.0 credits from two categories. 

Before you graduate, you must take at least 1.0 credits from each of the three categories. This is the “Breadth Requirement.”

First Year Requirements

To complete the “first year” of your degree, you’ll need to take: 

• 5.0 first year credits – numbered 1000-1999 (courses 2000 and above are upper year) 
• Must include four different subjects 
• Can only include 2.0 credits in one subject 
• Must include at least 1.0 credit from two categories (A&B, B&C or A&C)

Prerequisites/Corequisites/Antirequisites

These are terms you’ll need to understand so you know if you can take a course: 

• Antirequisites – Courses that sufficiently overlap in course content. You can’t take both for credit.  
• Corequisites – These courses could be taken at the same time (concurrently), or one before the other. 
• Prerequisites – Courses that must be successfully completed before the course.

Main Campus Residency Requirements

Did you know we have two Affiliated University Colleges? Huron and King’s. 

If you’re a Main Campus student, you can: 

• Take 1.0 course per session at an Affiliated University College – but it must be a course that is not available on Main Campus

How Many Courses?

Full-time students who want a full course load will choose 5.0 credits each year. Full-time students could choose 3.5 - 5.0 credits. 

Part-time students can choose 0.5 - 3.0 credits each year. 

• 1.0 Credit = one full-year course, it’s both Fall AND Winter, from September to April 
• 0.5 Credit = one half-year course, it’s Fall OR Winter, it could start in September or January

You can take a combination of full-year and half-year courses.

Which Courses Do I Need?

Required Courses

Find out what courses you need for programs you're interested in on Draft My Schedule. You'll see which courses you need in first year and your upper years, and how they fit in your schedule.

Parallel Plan

This means, choose at least two programs you’re interested in and take the course requirements for all of them in first year. Many students change their mind during first year. This will give you a couple options for your degree if your first choice isn’t the right fit. 

Elective Courses

Browse other first-year courses for electives to fill your timetable, up to 5.0 credits for full-time students. 

What About Transfer Credit?

If you've received transfer credit from your previous studies, you can use your credit to replace some courses at Western. Make a Western Launch: 1-1 Course Advising appointment to discuss how to use your credits. Ask your advisor:

• Can I fast-track to second year courses or take an extra elective?
• Would using a transfer credit ease my workload?
• How can transfer credits affect my application to professional or graduate programs?
• Can a transfer credit fulfil breadth requirements?
• Could I graduate sooner?

You can use Draft My Schedule to start planning your timetable. The website is usually available June 1. Note: This is a tool for planning. It does not register you in courses. 

When you’re planning, make sure you have a balanced schedule. 

For example: If you’re a full-time student with a full course load, you’ll always be taking five courses. You can’t have six in the Fall term and four in the Winter term. 

It might help to fill out a chart to make sure your schedule is even. This is an example for a Management & Organizational Studies student interested in Accounting:

You register for courses through your Student Center. You'll get an email when it's time to register.

There are step-by-step guides online to help you add, drop and swap. And even guides to input courses ready for your registration appointment.

Having trouble registering in the courses you want? Some courses have constraints. You can see them in Draft My Schedule. 

Priority: This temporarily limits registration to a particular group of students. Priority might lift in the middle of the summer. 

Restriction: This course is limited to a particular group of students. It doesn’t change.

Can I Make Changes After I Choose Courses?

Yes! Lots of students change their minds over the summer and during the first week of school after they try out their courses.   

But don’t wait too long. There are deadlines for adding and dropping courses. 

Adding Courses

If you want to swap courses and keep a full course load, the “add deadline” is important. After this date, you can’t add any more courses, you can only drop them. 

• For Fall courses, and full-year courses, this is usually the second week of September
• For Winter courses, it’s usually the second week of January

Dropping Courses

This is the deadline to drop a course without academic penalty. But if you’re not enjoying a course, it’s best to drop it as soon as possible so you can get some money back. The refund amount drops weekly.  

• For Fall courses, and full-year courses, this is usually mid-November
• For Winter courses, it’s usually the second week of January

Good news, you don’t have to follow the steps on this page! You will be auto-enrolled into your timetable sometime between mid-July and late August.  

All Engineering students take the same courses during the common first year. You’ll test out all the Engineering programs, and your professors and advisors will help you choose. You’ll let us know which program you want during a process called “Intent to Register". It happens in the winter of first year. 

All first-year students in the Western-Fanshawe Collaborative Nursing Program take the same courses in first year. You won’t have any electives until second year. You will still follow the steps on this page.

Bachelor of Music students share a common first year. BMus Year 1 includes: 

• Core courses in music history, music theory and musical skills 
• Music lessons 
• Ensemble participation 

Bachelor of Arts students use the steps on this page to choose courses for Music programs and electives. At least one course will be outside of Music.