Q. I have the prerequisites for a course but was unable to register into the course. Why?

A: If you believe you have the prerequisites, or equivalent courses from another institution or from your first degree, please contact our office with the relevant transcripts on hand to check whether you are eligible for a waiver.

Q: I tried to register into an EDUC course but it's full. How can I be put onto a wait list?

A: GO SFU allows you to add yourself to the wait list, provided there is space.

Q: I was unable to register in an EDUC course that only has the prerequisite of 60 credit hours. Why? I'm a new student at SFU but I already have a degree from another university.

A: The 60 credit hours pertain to all current SFU academic credits shown on your student transcript - not just EDUC credits. Your transcript should indicate your current credit hours.

If you have 60 or more credits showing, then you are eligible to register for those EDUC courses which require the prereq of 60 credits. If not, then you will be unable to register. All new students start at 0 credits. However, students coming to SFU with a completed degree who have also been accepted into an approved program (e.g., 2nd degree, Post-Baccaulaureate Diploma, or Professional Development Program) should meet the 60 credit hours prerequisite. Students who hold degrees, including returning SFU degree students, who are not in an approved program, will not meet the 60 credit hours prerequisite. If you are one of those students, contact your program departmental advisor before your registration date.

Q: I want to register in Educ 422: Learning Disabilities which has a prerequisite of 60 credit hours and corequisite of Educ 220: Introduction to Educational Psychology. I haven't taken Educ 220 but I already have a similar course from another university; therefore, can I register for Educ 422?

A: If you are completing an SFU degree, then you need to have completed Educ 220 before taking Educ 422. Educ 220 is a corequisite for Educ 422; therefore, you can take both courses at the same time. If you already hold a university degree and are currently working on an after-degree program (e.g., Post-Baccalaureate Diploma), then a Child Development Course - Child Psyc or Adolescent Psyc might be accepted in place of Educ 220. Psyc 100 and Psyc 102 or their equivalents are not accepted in place of Educ 220. When in doubt, contact the instructor for permission to register in the course. You must present relevant transcripts with the equivalent courses for a waiver to be granted.

Q: What's the difference between Summer Semester, Intersession and Summer Session?

A: SFU operates on a tri-semester system whereby courses are held regularly for 13 weeks during each Spring (January-April), Summer (May-August), and Fall (September-December) semester. Incorporated in the regular Summer Semester are Intersession (May-June) and Summer Session (July-August). During these two sessions, courses usually run two or more times per week, meeting the total number of hours required. Many education courses are offered throughout the summer; therefore, please be sure that you have correctly added the required course section and session.

Q:What do D01.00, E01.00 & C01.00 mean?

A: These are the course sections - D01.00 represents a day section, E01.00 an evening section and C01.00 a correspondence section (distance education course). Courses with tutorial or lab sections will include additional numbers associated with the main section. For example, D01.08 indicates the 8th tutorial section of the day course.

Refer to your SFU Course Timetable registration paper for complete code details.

Q: What is the Education department's percentage breakdown on letter grades?

A: The Faculty of Education's Undergraduate Programs does not have a breakdown of percentages to letter grades. For example, there is no formal policy that indicates that 95% and above equals an A+, 90-94% an A, and so forth. However, guidelines are provided to help instructors determine grading practices that are appropriate to their own particular type of course or subject area. At the beginning of a course, the instructor should inform students about the nature of all assignments, criteria for marking all assignments, the weight assigned to each assignment, penalties for late assignments, opportunities to resubmit assignments for marking and, university policy regarding plagiarism and academic dishonesty.

SFU Teaching Policy T20.01

Grading Practices and Grade Appeals.

Q: How do I appeal a grade?

A: Your first step is to discuss your concerns with the course instructor. If you cannot come to an acceptable understanding with your instructor you can then appeal in writing to the Director of Undergraduate Programs. You must submit all original marked assignments along with your written appeal. The Director will determine how to proceed with your appeal. If you are still not satisfied then your final option is to appeal to SFU's Senate Appeals Board, Office of the Registrar.

Before requesting a grade appeal, please be aware that your course work could receive a lower mark after reevaluation.

Q: What courses do I need to complete a Bachelor of Education? Courses to get a B.C. teaching certificate?

A: You need to contact one of the following two Faculty of Education areas:

For information regarding the BEd degree program contact Education's Undergraduate Advisor, Jacquie Breadon (778) 782-3436.
Students with a completed university degree should contact the Professional Development Program Admissions office for information and/or an application package (778) 782-3620 / 3149. (PDP 1 year teacher training program)

Q: I applied for PDP and was not accepted. Which education courses should I take to upgrade my next application?

A: Any EDUC course will help. EDUC 220, 230, 240 and 326 are popular choices but there are many other lower and upper level courses available that have either no prerequisites or have a prerequisite of 60 credits hours. Ideally, you should take a course that is of interest to you. For example, students interested in the area of learning disabilities or school counselling might consider taking EDUC 220 Introduction to Educational Psychology. EDUC 220 is a prerequisite for many upper level pychology-based EDUC courses (e.g., EDUC 320 Instructional Psychology, EDUC 325 Assessment for Classroom Teaching, EDUC 422 Learning Disabilities, etc.)

Q: Where can I find course outlines for Education courses?

A: EDUC course outlines are available at the following location:

UGP web site: www.educ.sfu.ca/ugradprogs/course_listings/index.html

Questions? Please feel free to direct your inquiries to Grace or Tina in Undergraduate Programs.