Program Nomenclature Directives

Purpose

The University is committed to ensuring the highest quality of learning for students while maintaining the highest integrity of academic programs. To this end, the University offers an array of programs to meet the academic and professional needs of the local, national and international communities consistent with its mission and mandate.

The purpose of these Directives is to define the nomenclature that is used for programs and primary areas of study at the University and the way in which these terms are reported on the academic transcript and degree parchment.

Definitions

For the purposes of these Directives, terms are defined in Articles 5-7, below.

Scope and Authority

These Directives apply to all graduate and undergraduate programs approved through the academic governance process at the University.

The Provost, or successor thereof, is responsible for overseeing the implementation, administration and interpretation of these Directives.

Directives

Regulations for new programs will be described using the nomenclature set out in this document.

All program names and degree designations must be reviewed by Academic Council to ensure that they are appropriate to the program content and congruent with current usage in the discipline.

A portion of the credit hours defined in this document may be earned through advanced standing or block equivalencies, subject to residency requirements.

General Program Nomenclature

Bridge: A prescribed set of courses, and/or other units of study, research and practice that leads to qualification for entry into a degree program. It is comprised of a maximum of seventy-two (72) credit hours, including up to fifteen (15) credit hours of bridging courses that may be credited toward the completion of a particular degree.

Degree: An academic credential awarded upon successful completion of a prescribed set and sequence of courses, combination of courses, and/or other units of study, research, and practice as specified by a Degree Program and that meet a standard of performance consistent with University and provincial degree level expectations.

Diploma: An academic credential awarded upon the successful completion of a prescribed set and sequence of courses, combination of courses, and/or other units of study and practice as specified by a Diploma Program. Diplomas are classified as concurrent and/or direct-entry.

Program: A complete set and sequence of courses, combination of courses, and/or other units of study, research and practice; the successful completion of which qualifies the candidate for a formal credential (degree with or without major; diploma).

Undergraduate Program Nomenclature

Undergraduate Degree: A Degree that can be completed as a first Degree, requiring a minimum of 90 credit hours of study.

Honours Undergraduate Degree: An Undergraduate Degree with increased depth in a particular area of study. It can be completed as a first Degree requiring a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) credit hours.

Professional Undergraduate Degree: An Undergraduate Degree in Education consisting of sixty (60) credit hours. It is designed to meet all the Ontario legislated requirements and incorporate the standards of practice and ethical standards for the teaching profession of the Ontario College of Teachers. Applicants must hold an Undergraduate Degree from a recognized institution.

Second Degree: A Second Degree program is pursued after graduation from a first Degree program at Ontario Tech University. A Second Degree requires the completion of all required courses. The maximum advanced standing that can be awarded towards a Second Degree is fifty percent (50%) of the credits from the first Degree. No more than twelve (12) credit hours of the Second Degree can be taken at another institution.

Major: A prescribed set of courses, and/or other units of study, research, and practice in an area of disciplinary or interdisciplinary study within an Honours Undergraduate Degree. It requires at least 36 credit hours of study. A student may complete a maximum of two majors concurrently.

To complete two Majors, a student must satisfactorily complete all required courses in both the primary and secondary Major. A maximum of twelve (12) credit hours may be counted toward both the primary and secondary Major. A Major appears on the academic transcript and on the Degree parchment.

Double Major: A strictly defined pair of Majors attached to a single Degree. It requires satisfactory completion of all required courses in both the primary and secondary Major. A minimum of twenty-four (24) additional credit hours in the second Major is required. Both majors appear on the academic transcript and on the Degree parchment.

Minor: An optional secondary area of study requiring a minimum of eighteen (18) and maximum of twenty-four (24) credit hours (including all prerequisites). A student may not declare a Major and a Minor in the same discipline. At least fifty percent (50%) of the credit hours used to complete a Minor must be exclusive to that Minor. Faculties and Programs may specify additional restrictions. The Minor appears on the academic transcript but does not appear on the degree parchment.

Specialization: A focus in a particular area of a Major requiring a minimum of nine (9) and a maximum of twenty-four (24) credit hours. A Specialization appears on the academic transcript but does not appear on the Degree parchment.

Co-operative Education: Programs that provide a significant opportunity for career exploration, development and exposure to varying work environments. Co-operative Education Programs, or Co-op(s), are programs that integrate three (3) or more paid Work Term periods through the course of a student’s studies, and result in a Degree designation upon successful completion of both academic and Co-operative education program requirements. Co-operative education appears on the academic transcript and on the Degree parchment.

Undergraduate Diploma: A prescribed set of Degree credit courses and/or other forms of study that can be undertaken as a stand-alone program or to complement an Undergraduate Degree program. An Undergraduate Diploma is comprised of eighteen to thirty (18-30) credit hours of undergraduate level study:

1. A Concurrent Undergraduate Diploma is offered in conjunction with an Undergraduate Degree, which requires that the candidate be already admitted to an Undergraduate Degree. A maximum of six (6) credit hours from the Undergraduate Degree may be counted towards the related Undergraduate Diploma.

2. A Direct-Entry Undergraduate Diploma is a stand-alone, direct-entry program, developed by a unit already offering a related undergraduate or graduate Program.

Graduate Program Nomenclature

Master’s Degree: An advanced Degree that is normally completed after receiving a first Degree in a related subject area. It contains a prescribed set of courses, and/or other units of study, research or practice within an area of disciplinary or interdisciplinary study, normally requiring at least thirty (30) credit hours of study. Master’s Degrees may comprise a thesis component, a project or major paper, or be primarily comprised of coursework:

1. A Master’s Degree with thesis is a research-oriented program comprised of advanced courses and intensive research culminating in a thesis. The thesis constitutes at least nine (9) credit hours and involves an oral examination with assessment by an external examiner.

2. A Master’s Degree with a project or major paper is a research-oriented program comprised of advanced courses and intensive research culminating in a project or major paper. The project or major paper constitutes at least six (6) credit hours of supervised research and assessment by a research supervisor and a second reader.

3. A Master’s Degree by coursework is comprised primarily of course work, and may also include other units of study, research and practice.

Doctoral Degree: An advanced Degree in a specific area of disciplinary or interdisciplinary study that includes coursework and a candidacy exam. It is normally completed after receiving a Master’s Degree in a related subject area. A Doctoral Degree requires intensive research and the creation and defense before an examining committee of a thesis that constitutes an original contribution to a field of study.

Field: In graduate Programs, an area of specialization or concentration that is related to the demonstrable and collective strengths of the Program’s faculty and to a new or existing Program. Fields are not required at either the Master’s or Doctoral level. A field may appear on the academic transcript but not on the Degree parchment.

Graduate Diploma: A prescribed set of Degree credit courses and/or other forms of study that can be undertaken as a stand-alone Program or to complement a graduate Degree program, and to provide specialization, sub-specialization or inter- or multi-disciplinary qualification. A Graduate Diploma is comprised of at least twelve (12) credit hours of graduate level study. There are three types of Graduate Diplomas as set out by the Council of Ontario Universities:

1. Type 1: Awarded when a candidate admitted to a Master’s Program leaves the Program after completing a prescribed proportion of the requirements. Students are not admitted directly to these Programs. When new, these Programs require approval through the university’s protocol for Major Modification prior to their adoption. Once approved, they will be incorporated into the institution’s schedule for cyclical reviews as part of the parent Program.

2. Type 2: A Concurrent Graduate Diploma is offered in conjunction with a Master’s or Doctoral Degree, the admission to which requires that the candidate be already admitted to the Master’s or Doctoral Program. This represents an additional, usually interdisciplinary, qualification and requires advanced level, usually interdisciplinary, study, at least fifty percent (50%) of which is in addition to the general requirements for the Degree. When new, these Programs require submission to the Quality Council for an Expedited Approval (no external reviewers required) prior to their adoption. Once approved, they will be incorporated into the university’s schedule for cyclical reviews as part of the parent Program.

3. Type 3: A Direct-Entry Graduate Diploma is a stand-alone, direct-entry Program, generally developed by a unit already offering a related Master’s (and sometimes Doctoral) Degree and designed to meet the needs of a particular clientele or market. Ontario Tech type 3 Graduate Diplomas may include non-Degree credit courses to a maximum of thirty percent (30%) of the total Program credit hours. Where the Program has been conceived and developed as a distinct and original entity, these Programs require submission to the Quality Council for an Expedited Approval (no external reviewers required) prior to their adoption. Once approved, they will be included in the Schedule for Cyclical Reviews and will be subject to external review during the Cyclical Program Review process.

Restrictions on Program Elements

1. A student may only complete one of the following:

   • A single Major
   • Two (2) Majors or one (1) prescribed Double Major
   • One (1) Major and one (1) Minor

   • One (1) Major and two (2) Minors

2. Under no circumstances are students allowed to ‘triple-count’ a course. A course is considered to be triple counted if it is used to satisfy the requirements for three (3) or more program elements.

Monitoring and Review

These Directives will be reviewed as necessary and at least every three years. The Provost, or successor thereof, is responsible to monitor and review these Directives.

Relevant Legislation

University of Ontario Institute of Technology Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 8, Sch. 0

Related Policies, Procedures & Documents

Institutional Quality Assurance Process Policy & Procedures
By-Law # 2
Undergraduate Academic Calendar
Graduate Academic Calendar
Course Nomenclature Directives
Graduation and Conferral of Degrees Policy