Recommended courses
Some degree and certificate programs have courses you must take in order to become eligible for admission to the program. If you are an undergraduate independent student planning on eventually pursuing a degree or a certificate, you may wish to use your independent studies to complete courses that will help you fulfill the requirements of your intended future program.
For course descriptions, see the undergraduate calendar's course descriptions.
Refer to program admissions requirements for information on minimum entry criteria.
Most BA programs and Arts-focused Certificates offered by the Faculty of Arts and Science have no specific program prerequisites. You are encouraged to take courses that will broaden your academic background or fit with your specific interests.
Some programs do have prerequisites, as follows:
Applied Human Sciences
Community Service (Cert)
AHSC 230, 232, 270; ENGL 212; 6 credits in the social sciences chosen in consultation with the program advisor
Family Life Education (Cert)
AHSC 220, 230, 232; ENGL 212; 6 credits in the social sciences chosen in consultation with the program advisor.
Therapeutic Recreation, Specialization (BA)
BIOL 200, 201 or 202
Economics
Economics (BA)
MATH 206 and 209, or equivalent
NOTE: Some students may benefit from taking MATH 200 prior to MATH 206. Please consult with an advisor.
Mathematics and Statistics
Mathematics and Statistics (BA)
MATH 201, 203, 204, 205 or equivalent
NOTE: Some students may benefit from taking MATH 200 prior to MATH 201. Please consult with an advisor.
Psychology
Psychology (BA)
PSYC 200; BIOL 201 or 202, three credits in Mathematics (in preparation for statistics) chosen in consultation with the program adviser.
If you're planning to apply to a Bachelor of Science program in the future, you will need to have completed half to two-thirds of the following courses:
- 3 credits in Biology: BIOL 201
- 6 credits in Chemistry: CHEM 205, 206
- 6 credits in Mathematics: 203, 205
(Note that MATH 203 has a prerequisite of MATH 201. Some students may benefit from taking MATH 200 prior to MATH 201.) - 12 credits in Physics: PHYS 204, 205, 206 ,224, 225, 226
Environmental Science, Mathematics, and Physics programs also require MATH 204
Any courses on the above list not completed prior to admission must be completed during the degree.
Please speak with an academic advisor in the Faculty of Arts and Science for assistance in planning your courses and applying to a Bachelor of Science.
Courses offered within the John Molson School of Business are available to Independent students to a maximum of 6 credits per term and an overall total of 30 credits.
Applicants to John Molson School of Business degree programs must have completed the following four profile courses (or their equivalents):
- MATH 208 (Linear Algebra)
- MATH 209 (Calculus I)
(Note that MATH 208 and 209 have MATH 206 as a prerequisite. Some students may benefit from taking MATH 200 prior to MATH 206.) - ECON 201 (Microeconomics)
- ECON 203 (Macroeconomics)
You may also wish to complete the following courses to obtain credit and/or exemptions:
- MARK 201 (with a passing grade of C-)
- COMM 213 and 214*
These courses should only be taken in consultation with an advisor.
You can consult the JMSB advisor for independent students for elective course recommendations.
Please keep in mind some courses are aimed at students not pursuing a business degree and as such will NOT be considered as fulfilling your required Business Core courses:
- ACCO 230, ACCO 240, MANA 201, MANA 202, MANA 211, MANA 213, MANA 266, MANA 298, MANA 300, FINA 230
Most 300-level courses in the Gina Cody School (GCS) are not open to Independent students. Please consult with Student Academic Services to confirm which 300-level courses may be open to Independent students.
Keep in mind that even if you have the prerequisite(s) for the course(s) you want, since priority is given to students in a GCS degree program, Independent students are never guaranteed enrolment to any GCS course.
You will need to have completed the following courses (or their equivalents) to be considered for admission:
- MATH 203 Differential and Integral Calculus I
- MATH 204 Vectors and Matrices
Note that MATH 203 and 204 have a prerequisite of MATH 201. Some students may benefit from taking MATH 200 prior to MATH 201. Please consult with an advisor. - PHYS 204 Mechanics
Please note that the following courses are not considered as substitutions for any of the above requirements: MATH 206, MATH 208, MATH 209.
If you have completed these prerequisites, you may register for engineering courses. You may wish to consult the general education lists outlined in the Complementary Studies section of the undergraduate calendar for acceptable social science and humanities courses.
Previous engineering graduates of Concordia University, please contact Student Academic Services.
If you wish to take advanced engineering courses, you must prove you have completed the required prerequisites by submitting official transcripts and course descriptions.
Failed Engineering and Computer Science students readmitted as independent students cannot take ENCS courses unless they get special permission from Student Academic Services.
Most 300-level courses in the Gina Cody School (GCS) are not open to Independent students. Please consult with Student Academic Services to confirm which 300-level courses may be open to Independent students.
Keep in mind that even if you have the prerequisite(s) for the course(s) you want, since priority is given to students in a GCS degree program, Independent students are never guaranteed enrolment to any GCS course.
For BCompSci programs, you will need to have completed the following courses (or their equivalents) to be considered for admission:
- MATH 203 Differential and Integral Calculus I
- MATH 204 Vectors and Matrices
Note that MATH 203 and 204 have a prerequisite of MATH 201. Some students may also benefit from taking MATH 200 prior to MATH 201. Please consult with an advisor.
If you wish to take advanced Computer Science courses, you must prove you have completed the required prerequisites by submitting official sealed transcripts and course descriptions.
If you need further assistance, contact Student Academic Services.
Please note that most courses in Fine Arts are not open to non-Fine Arts students due to small class sizes and the specialized nature of many of programs.
Some courses are open to independent students, namely courses in Art History, Art Education, Film Studies, Theatre, Music, and Contemporary Dance. Please consult the Undergraduate Class Schedule and each department for more information.
You may wish to apply to a degree program if you are interested in future studies in the Faculty Fine Arts. For more information, get in touch with Student Academic Services for the Faculty of Fine Arts at 514-848-2424, ext. 4612.
The Faculty does offer courses for non-Fine Arts students open to independent undergraduate students. These courses do not have prerequisites, nor do they assume any specialized background knowledge on your part.
