Students who require information or advice regarding their academic programs have a host of options.
Self Help
1. The University Calendar
The university calendar should be your first destination for all information on your academic program and course requirements. For a list of the courses required in your program, consult the relevant program listings under the headings of (1) Communications, (2) Film, or (3) Popular Culture. If you need to know about specific university regulations, such as how to transfer credits from another university, how to obtain letters of permission to take correspondence courses, or how to challenge for credit, then you will find detailed information in the section titled "Academic Regulations and University Policies." The most recent calendars are available here.
2. Program Charts
The Department acknowledges that the calendar entries for our programs may seem confusing. To assist you, we have created a chart for each program which maps out all of your required courses in a clear grid format. The charts are listed under "program charts" on the menu to your left. Tips for using the program charts are listed below.
Registrar's Office
The Registrar's Office offers academic advising at its main office on the third floor of Schmon Tower. For more on their services, please go the the website here.
Exchange Programs
Majors in Communication, Popular Culture and Film may participate in student exchanges with universities in Australia, Scotland, and the United States. These exchanges take place in the student's third year of studies. For more information on the requirements and our partner universities, please consult the Office of International Services in DeCew R209. Information is also available on the web here.
Department of Communication, Popular Culture, and Film
Advising is also available in the department. Consult with the adviser regarding basic questions regarding scheduling, course availability, seminar conflicts, permission to take a restricted course, as well as more complex issues, which may include:
- your transfer from another university
- your switch from another program at Brock
- arranging courses around co-op work terms or a year on exchange
- permission to enrol in Directed Reading or Honours Thesis courses
- changes to required courses in your program
- failure to earn credit in required courses
- removal from the program due to low grades or academic misconduct
If you find yourself in one of these situations, then you should contact the Academic Adviser, Penni Lafleur, ext. 5308, in SBH 309.
The Department knows that the calendar entries for our programs may seem confusing. To assist you, we have created a chart for each program which maps out all of your required courses in a clear grid format.
By comparing your most recent transcript with the correct chart, you should be able to determine which courses you require to complete your degree.
How to use the charts: (It may be helpful to print these instructions before you begin.)
Select your requirements year from the list below.
- Select your program.
- Print the chart.
- To complete the chart, simply write your final grade for each course next to the course title and code. If you plan to complete the Pass degree (15.0 credits) in your stream, then you must complete all of the courses listed in the first three columns. If you plan to complete the Honours degree (20.0 credits), then you must complete all four columns.
If you can see no problems with your current and future course selection, then you probably do not need advising. If you are in the final year of your studies and require a course which is not offered, then speak with the Academic Adviser about your situation.
FYI, if you complete the courses in the order shown, you will have all of the necessary pre-requisites to continue the following year. If you do not complete the courses in the order shown, the department will not guarantee your progress into upper years.
Tips on how to complete the chart
The chart presents your program requirements in a grid format. There are four columns. Each column is one year in your university career.
- Each box on the grid represents 1.0 credit. An "F" course like 1F90 or 1F94 satisfies 1.0 full credit. Any "P," "Q" or "V" course like 2P20 or 3Q99 satisfies only 1/2 credit. (For the co-op program charts, each box usually represents 1/2 credit.)
- Each course which is identified by a specific code and number, such as COMM 1F90 or FILM 1F94, must be completed for you to graduate.
- Each course which has a code but no specific number gives you an option. Several courses in that area will satisfy that requirement. For example, if you are asked to take something like the following: 1/2 COMM 200+
then you need to take one-half credit COMM course which is numbered 2P00 or higher and which is not otherwise required (e.g. COMM 2P14, 2P90, 3P70, 3Q99, 3V50, etc.)
- Another example: if you are asked to take something like the following: 1.0 COMM 290+
then you need to take one full credit in COMM which is numbered 2P90 or higher and which is not otherwise required. This may be satisfied with one full-year course (e.g. 2F92, 2F98, 3F71) or two half-year courses (e.g. 2P90, 3P70, 3Q99, 3V50, etc.)
- In the case of Business Communications, students are asked to take the following: 1.0 BUS 390+
This represents any course which students may take from the Faculty of Business, including MGMT, ENTR, FNCE, MKTG or OBHR. Please note that you must have the necessary pre-requisites to enrol in any course.
- Some programs have the following requirement: 1.0 credit from Y- list
This indicates that your choices are too numerous to show in the box. A full list of your choices can be found in the calendar entry for your program, under the year specified. Be sure that you have the right "requirements year" for your program (e.g. 2003, 2004, 2005) as well as the right "year in program" (e.g. 1, 2, 3 or 4).
All context courses must be satisfied using the list of acceptable courses found in the university calendar under Academic Regulations, III.B: Context courses. You must take one full credit in each area - that is, one full-year course or two half-year courses. For most students in Communications, Popular Culture, and Film, the Humanities context credit is satisfied by FILM 1F94.
Elective credits can be satisfied with any course of any level from any department. Please remember, however, that you may not take more than 8.0 credits' worth of first year courses (e.g. 1F90, 1F94). This includes all full and half-year courses, both required and elective.
Special care must be taken in the following situations:
- if you have been given a transfer credit from another university
- if you have taken a course on a letter of permission
- if you have been given a course substitution
Any credit acquired through these circumstances is always assigned a Brock equivalent course code by the Registrar's Office. These credits must be used in the relevant box on your program chart. In most cases, they may be used as electives. However, if there is no relevant box on your program chart, then you
