GROUP A
Starting in September 2006, all students entering first year as well as students who elected LS ONE as their first-year Liberal Studies program in 2005/06 must complete the following Liberal Studies requirements for a total of 5.0 credits:
| LBST (First-Year) | 1.5 credits |
| VISC (History and Theory of Visual Culture) | 1.5 credits |
| Plus 0.5 credit selected from four of the five following categories: | 2.0 credits |
| ENGL (English) | |
| HUMN (Humanities) | |
| SCTM (Science/Technology/Mathematics) | |
| SOSC (Social Sciences) | |
| VISC (History and Theory of Visual Culture) |
1.5 of the above credits must be completed at the 300 or 400 level.
This Liberal Studies Planning Sheet - Group A (pdf) along with individual program guides will help students plan out their Liberal Studies courses. Students should fill out this sheet and bring it to their advising appointments.
For more information, please review this pdf on Liberal Studies Graduation Requirements.
GROUP B
All students in degree programs who entered first year in September 2005 or earlier (except students who elected LS ONE; see Group A above) must complete the following Liberal Studies credits for a total of 5.0 credits:
| ENGL (English) | 0.5 credit |
| HUMN (Humanities) | 0.5 credit |
| SCTM (Science/Technology/Mathematics) | 0.5 credit |
| SOSC (Social Sciences) | 0.5 credit |
| VISC (History and Theory of Visual Culture) | 3.0 credits |
Alumni in degree completion programs and students who entered second year prior to September 2004 must complete 2.0 credits at the 300/400 level. Students who entered second year in September 2004 or later, must complete 1.5 credits at the 300/400 level.
This Liberal Studies Planning Sheet - Group B (pdf) along with individual program guides will help students plan out their Liberal Studies courses. Students should fill out this sheet and bring it to their advising appointments.
Alumni in the Degree Completion Program Alumni admitted to the degree completion program are required to complete 5.0 credits in the Faculty of Liberal Studies, as outlined in Group B above. At least 2.0 of these credits must be completed at the third- and/or fourth-year levels. All alumni returning for degree completion are strongly urged to meet with an academic advisor in Liberal Studies for advice about their program of study.
Alumni are subject to the general registration restrictions for Liberal Studies courses, but are exempt from specific course prerequisites. It is nevertheless strongly recommended that students take the prerequisites listed for 300 and 400 level courses. Special alternatives for Liberal Studies requirements at the 100-level are available to alumni and some advanced standing students, subject to permission of the Liberal Studies office (see the special section below on First-Year Liberal Studies Options for Alumni and Advanced Standing Students).
Alumni who completed degree-eligible Liberal Studies credits for their diploma program at OCAD may apply up to 2.5 of these credits towards their degree requirements. At least half of the credits required for degree completion, as determined at the time of admission, must be completed at OCAD.
Students may apply for Transfer of Credit for courses completed at another university prior to admission to degree completion or may apply to take courses on a Letter of Permission at another university subsequent to admission to degree completion, subject to the university's residency requirements and Transfer of Credit policies.
Students are no longer admitted to the Diploma stream, as of September 2006. Students currently working toward the AOCAD diploma must complete the following Liberal Studies credits:
A Total of 4.0 Liberal Studies credits are required for the AOCAD
First-Year Entry in September 2003, 2004 or 2005
1.5 First-year credits
2.5 VISC, ENGL or HUMN credits at the 200, 300 or 400 level of which 1.0 credit may be studio/seminars offered by the Faculties of Art and Design
First-Year Entry in September 2002 or earlier
1.0 First-year credit
3.0 VISC, ENGL or HUMN credits at the 200, 300 or 400 level of which 1.5 credits may be studio/seminars offered by the Faculties of Art and Design
All year-level restrictions and specific course prerequisites are applicable to diploma students, except that at the 200 level 0.5 studio/seminar may replace the 0.5 VISC requirement.
You cannot advance without completing at least part of your previous year's Liberal Studies requirements.
The following restrictions on registration in Liberal Studies apply for all courses:
To register in courses at the 200 level, students must have completed 3.0 credits of first-year studio and 1.0 credit of first-year liberal studies, including the first year writing course with a minimum passing grade of 60%, and an overall average of 60%.
To register in courses at the 300 or 400 levels, students must have completed 1.0 Liberal Studies credit at the 200 level, of which at least 0.5 must be a VISC 200 level credit, plus 1.5 Liberal Studies credits at the 100 level.
Students are advised that the required developmental level of academic skills and background knowledge is progressively greater through the 200, 300 and 400 levels of study. Students should register in courses in keeping with both their year-level placement in studio programs and their academic ability. However, third- and fourth-year students are not prevented from taking 200-level Liberal Studies courses and in fact may find they cannot fit these courses into their schedules until later. Course planning with an adviser for the full four-year program is strongly recommended.
Course Prerequisites
Prerequisites may also apply for specific courses at the 300 and 400 level. Students should familiarize themselves with the prerequisites listed for individual courses and ensure that they plan their course selection accordingly.
All incoming first-year students are required to complete 1.5 Liberal Studies credits at the 100 level. In 2009/2010 there are two options for fulfilling these requirements:
Option One:
| First Year Writing Course, one of: LBST 1B11, The Essay and the Argument: Mechanics; LBST 1B12, The Essay and the Argument: ESL; or LBST 1B13, The Essay and the Argument: Rhetoric | 0.5 credit |
| LBST 1B03: Introduction to Visual Studies I: History and Ideas | 0.5 credit |
| LBST 1B06: Introduction to Visual Studies II: Critical Frameworks | 0.5 credit |
Students may take LBST 1B11 or LBST 1B13 in either Fall or Winter, but LBST 1B12 takes place over both Fall and Winter semester. Students must complete their first year writing course (one of: LBST 1B11, LBST 1B12 or LBST 1B13) and either LBST 1B03 or LBST 1B06 before they may register for 200-level Liberal Studies courses.
PLEASE NOTE: Effective Fall/Winter 2007/08 the minimum passing grade for the first year writing course is 60% (C-).
Option Two:
| LBST 1D01: LS ONE A thematically based introduction to Liberal Studies |
1.5 credits |
LS ONE fulfills all the 100-level Liberal Studies requirements in one integrated course and prepares students both for academic life at OCAD and for success in a variety of social, cross-cultural and professional contexts. Using a thematic approach in a multi-disciplinary framework, the course will introduce students to interdisciplinarity as a way of thinking.
Registration is limited to 210 students. LS ONE will be coordinated and taught by a team of six faculty members and comprise the following components and student time commitments per week over the full Fall/Winter academic year:
First-Year Options for Alumni and Advanced Standing Students
The first-year Liberal Studies options described above may or may not be appropriate for alumni and advanced standing students, depending on their background and experience with university-level liberal studies courses.
All alumni in degree completion and advanced standing students are urged to make an appointment with the Liberal Studies Student Advisor prior to registration to determine the appropriate first-year and upper level Liberal Studies courses.
Alumni are generally exempt from the first year writing course and may select an English course at the 200 or 300 level to fulfill the ENGL requirement. Advanced standing students who have not taken a university level writing course should register for one of: LBST 1B11, LBST 1B12, LBST 1B13 or ENGL 2B30.
Last Modified:1/24/2012 12:57:12 PM