Undergraduate FAQ

Get all Computer Science program and admission details on the admissions site.

Contact David Clark with any questions about transferring into Computer Science.

Many of our courses offer multiple lecture sections. You need to choose one compatible with your program. You can see the enrollment restrictions by clicking on the course title in the far-left column of the registration pane.

CSC 110 requires a Math 12 credential. If you’re unable to register, UVic may have been unable to evaluate your math background on admission.

Contact the math and statistics department. You may need to take a math pretest. If you pass the pretest, ask them to send your pretest grade to our advisers. We will put an override in the system so you can register in CSC110.

No. You must register in all components of a course to take it. If you fail to register in a lab/tutorial for courses that have them, you will be removed from the course when the 100% tuition drop date arrives.

Keep checking the registration system for openings in lab sections. Students often register for more classes than they intend to take, then drop courses during the first 2 weeks of classes. It is likely that once they do so, space will become available in a lab section that works for you.

If you still can’t register in a lab by the time the final add date approaches, contact our advising team. They’ll see if anything can be done for you.

Achieving a conflict-free timetable is ultimately your responsibility. If you cannot find a lab space by the final add deadline, you will need to take the course in another term.

Pre-requisite waivers are only granted under extenuating circumstances. You can request one by submitting a pre-requisite waiver request form. You will need to explain why you feel you do not need to have the pre-requisite to be successful in the course.

Yes, it is a university regulation. Submit a request to repeat a course for the third time form. Explain why you feel the situation will be different this time so you will be able to be successful in the course. If your request is denied, you may need approval to take the course elsewhere and bring it back to UVic as transfer credit.

Second through 4th year Computer Science and Software Engineering courses are restricted to students in a Computer Science (including combined) or Engineering program.

Permission to take a 2nd through 4th year CSC or SENG course may be granted if space is still available after all students in a Computer Science or BSENG program have registered.

Apply for permission to register

It may be possible under extenuating circumstances to replace a required course. Submit a course substitution request form

Yes. All Computer Science students must successfully complete one of these courses: ATWP 135, ENSH 101 or ENSH 102. This is true whether or not they met the academic writing requirement.

You can declare your program after you have completed CSC 115 and MATH 122. You MUST declare your program before you will be able to register for CSC 226 or any 300-level CSC or SENG courses.

No. Your program option appears on your transcript only.

Submit a declaration of degree program form. It includes a space to indicate a desired Minor, as well as a program Option if you would like to declare one. If you’re not sure and just want to be able to register in 300-level courses, select Major in Computer Science.

You can choose a different program option or revert to the Computer Science Major. Resubmit a declaration of degree program form. You can do this any time before you graduate.

You can apply for Honours once you complete the following courses:

• CSC 225
• CSC 226
• CSC 230
• SENG 265
• MATH 202 or 204
• MATH 211
• STAT 252, 255 or 260

Submit your application to the Honours program by sending the program declaration form to cscugforms@uvic.ca

If you have a GPA greater than 6.0 in these courses, your application will be approved. If you maintain these grades until graduation, you will graduate with Honours. If not, you will be returned to the Major program.

Ask for help! The Math and Stats Assistance Centres have qualified math graduate students available to help you with your 100 and 200 level Mathematics and Statistics courses. They will help you work through math problems from the text and assigned homework.

The Assistance Centres are in David Turpin A202 and the McPherson Library Learning Commons. See the schedule and locations.

The tutors do not replace lectures. If you have missed a lecture, try to obtain the notes from another student or see if the slides are posted on Connex. If you would like to hire a private tutor, contact the Math Assistance Centre for a list of names.

Start by talking to the instructor. They all have office hours specifically to discuss learning outcomes for the course. Consider seeking help through study groups or tutors.

Consider dropping the class before the final academic drop date.

• if it is past this drop date and you do not continue in the class, you will receive a grade of N (incomplete), which counts as 0.0 GPA
• if you decide to write the exam and fail the course, you will receive an F grade, which is also a 0.0 GPA
• students can’t repeat a course more than 3 times

If you are having a medical problem, have had an accident or serious family affliction that is contributing to you failing, consider asking for an academic concession. You can always ask your Computer Science undergraduate adviser for help with any of these situations.

If you are having a medical problem, have had an accident or serious family affliction, you may request an academic concession. If your documentation supports your request, you may be permitted to drop the course.

Act quickly so you don’t get a failing mark on your transcript. Get an academic concession form from Records or from your Computer Science undergraduate adviser in ECS 512. If you take the final exam and fail, you are NOT eligible to apply for an academic concession.

If you have completed a course but are unable to attempt the final exam due to medical or compassionate grounds, you can request a deferred exam.

Request a deferral if you'll be able to complete the course requirements after the final grades are submitted. This includes final exams that take place after the last day of classes.

Deferrals are for when you’ve completed a course but are unable to attempt the final exam due to medical or compassionate grounds.

Request a deferred exam by completing a request for deferral form. You must provide appropriate documentation. Do this quickly as the deadline is 10 working days from the end of the exam period.

For most computer science courses, if the deferred exam is approved, you’ll write it at the beginning or during the exam period of the next term. You will be contacted with the date, time and location. The final exam mark is included with your previous marks to give you the final grade for the course.

If the academic drop deadline has passed and you won't be able to complete the course requirements, you can request a withdrawal under extenuating circumstances.

Withdrawals under extenuating circumstances do not count as completing the course successfully. If the course is required by your program, you’ll still have to take it. 

If successful, this will replace your grade for the course with a “WE” notation, and the course will not count when calculating your GPA.

Withdrawals are not granted in cases where you have completed the course work. You won’t be eligible if you’ve written the final exam or submitted the assignments in a course without a final.

If you plan to take a course elsewhere for a UVic prerequisite, remember this: you can’t use that course until UVic Records receives your final grade transcript from the other institution. This may be after the final add date for the following term. In that case, you will need to wait a term to take the next course. We do not accept unofficial transcripts as proof of enrollment or completion of courses elsewhere.

You must have completed 6.0 units of courses at UVic and be in good academic standing to apply to take courses elsewhere.

If you are an international student, taking courses elsewhere may violate the terms of your work and/or study permits. Check with an adviser at the International Centre for Students.