Definition of a Course
A course is a unit of teaching that focuses on a specific discipline area (e.g. English or Mathematics), and takes place within a specific timeframe. It will be led by an instructor (or instructors), and have a fixed roster of students, who may receive a grade and academic credit upon its completion.
Credit Value
Each course is assigned a credit value:
- Full-year courses are worth 1.0 credit (indicated by a "Y" in the course code).
- Half-year courses are worth a 0.5 credit (indicated by an "H" in the course code).
A few courses held over a full year are valued at a 0.5 credit ("H5Y") and a few courses held over one-half a year are valued at 1.0 credit ("Y5F" or "Y5S"). Students should ensure they accurately identify the credit value of each course.
Instructional Hours
The total number of instructional hours is listed as part of the course details to understand the expected number of hours spent in lecture, tutorials, etc before you enrol. For example, "48L" = 48 lecture hours, "24T" = 24 tutorial hours.
- L = Lectures
- P = Practical work in laboratories or studios
- S = Seminars
- T = Tutorials
In the Fall/Winter Session, the normal period of instruction is 24 weeks, with each term being 12 weeks.
Other Symbols Used in the Calendar
- (I) - Open to first-year students (shown after 200+ course number).
- The comma (,) the semi-colon (;) the ampersand (&) and the plus sign (+) all mean "AND."
- The slash (/) means "OR"
How to Read a Course Code
Each course at the University of Toronto is assigned a unique course code to provide information such as: which area of study the course belongs to, the level of study, which U of T campus it is offered at, its credit value, and more.
For example, ENG101H5:
| Component | Example | Explanation |
|---|
| Course Designation | ENG101H5 | The first three characters in a course code (i.e., ANT, AST, BIO) indicate the department offering the course. Most courses are listed under the department that is responsible for that subject. For example, ANT = Anthropology courses. |
|---|
| Course Number | ENG101H5 | The course number generally indicates the level of difficulty. For example, a 100 level course normally indicates an introductory course, a 400-level course is an intensive course at the senior level. |
|---|
| Course Suffixes | ENG101H5 | The "Y" or "H" following the Course Number in this Calendar indicates the credit value: - Y = a full credit course, for which 1.0 credit is given.
- H = a half-credit course, for which 0.5 credit is given.
|
|---|
| Campus Code | ENG101H5 | The eighth and last character in a course code indicates which campus a particular course is offered. - UTM = 5
- St. George = 1
- UTSC = 3
|
|---|
Course Sections Listed in the Timetable
On the Timetable website, students can determine the type of meeting sections that are required for each course, including lectures, practicals, and tutorials, and when the course is offered, and delivery mode.
By searching a course code in the Timetable website, students will find additional information to help them plan their weekly course schedule. For example, searching ENG100H5 on the Timetable website may indicate that ENG100H5F is being offered with one available lecture section of LEC9101:
| Component | Example | Explanation |
|---|
| Section Code | ENG100H5 F
LEC0101 | Section codes will appear next to the course code on the Timetable website to identify the period of instruction: - F = Course given in the Fall term, or the first term of the Summer session.
- S = Course given in the Winter term, or the second term of the Summer session.
- Y = Course extending over both the Fall and Winter Session, or over the entire Summer Session.
Not all courses listed in this Calendar will be offered in any one single session. Check the Timetable website for each session for the specific courses offered in that session.
|
|---|
| Meeting Section | LEC0101 | The first 3 characters denote type of meeting section: - LEC = Lecture
- PRA = Practical (Lab)
- TUT = Tutorial
|
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| Meeting Section Number | LEC0101 | The last four digits indicate the meeting section number (for example LEC9101).
Meeting sections that are listed as 9999 are online synchronous. All other courses will have their delivery mode listed clearly on the Timetable website. |
|---|
FAQs
An academic calendar serves as a reminder of important events for students, instructors, and staff during the academic year and semester. Parents, alumni, and potential students all benefit from it.
Should school be all year-round pros and cons? ›
The Debate Over Year-Round School
| The Pros and Cons of Year-Round School |
|---|
| Pros | Cons |
| Reduces learning loss over summer break | Costs to implement the new schedule |
| No need for summer break | Higher operating costs in the summer |
| Evenly distributed breaks for vacations | Teens could not have summer jobs |
3 more rowsNov 10, 2022
Across most colleges, the academic year begins with a Fall term, generally around late August or early September. The length of your college terms will depend on the type of calendar your school follows, typically either semesters or quarters.
Does year-round school improve grades? ›
Potential Positive Effects
Advocates for YRE posit that students learning in this calendar system will score higher on standardized test scores and experience increased overall learning due to a decrease in summer learning loss.
Why do calendars matter? ›
The primary practical use of a calendar is to identify days: to be informed about or to agree on a future event and to record an event that has happened. Days may be significant for agricultural, civil, religious, or social reasons.
Why is calendar essential? ›
A calendar is essential for the study of chronology, which reckons time by regular divisions, or periods, and uses these to date events. It is also vital for any civilization that needs to measure periods for agricultural, business, domestic, or other reasons.
Does year-round school prevent burnout? ›
Pros of Year-Round School
One of the advantages of a balanced calendar is that students get more frequent breaks throughout the year, which proponents of the model say can help reduce burnout among teachers and students.
Why do people not use year-round school? ›
With most schools on a nine-month schedule, extracurricular activities have learned to plan their programs accordingly. Therefore, students at a year-round school may not have availability to experience certain outside activities like summer sports teams or camps. It costs more to run a school year-round.
Why is traditional school better than year-round? ›
Established Routine: Traditional schools have a more rigid schedule which helps children develop better study habits as well as a sense of responsibility when it comes to completing tasks on time.
What are the 4 years of college called? ›
Student classification refers to the familiar names for the four undergraduate years: freshman, sophom*ore, junior, and senior. Your classification is not determined by the number of years of college coursework you have taken but by the number of semester hours you have earned.
You're right that college start dates can vary, but most colleges in the United States begin their fall semester in late August or early September. A common start date is the week before Labor Day, so you can generally expect classes to kick off around that time.
How long is 3 semesters in college? ›
Typically, colleges and universities offer three semesters during each academic year: Fall semester – 15 weeks. Spring semester – 15 weeks. Summer semester – 12 weeks.
What do scientists say about year-round school? ›
“We found that students in year-round schools learn more during the summer, when others are on vacation, but they seem to learn less than other children during the rest of the year,” said Paul von Hippel, author of the study and research statistician in sociology at Ohio State.
What is the argument for year round school? ›
Students in year-round schools have more breaks. They get to enjoy time off in every season. Year-round schools allow families to plan vacations at times other than summer. Students in year-round schools are less likely to have to miss school for a trip that isn't in the summer.
Why is it important to have an assignment calendar? ›
You may feel weighed down by the amount of material you have to study before working on and submitting assignments by due dates. A well-designed assignment calendar is an effective time-management tool. It can help you stay organized and on track with your tasks throughout each semester and the entire academic year.
What is the advantage of paper calendar? ›
Spending a few minutes planning out your day on paper lets your eyes rest. It also relieves you from the overload of emails and social media feeds we receive on a daily basis. In short, for journaling, idea mapping, organizing tasks and events, and poetry writing switch to paper calendars or planners.
What is the difference between academic calendar and regular calendar? ›
A Calendar year ranges from 1 January through to 31 December. An Academic year is comprised of two Teaching Periods, January to June, and July to December.
Why are calendars good for time management? ›
A calendar allows you to realistically assess your availability and avoid overloading yourself. By considering your existing commitments and allocating time accordingly, you can strike a balance and ensure you don't spread yourself too thin.
