Undergraduate Academic Advising: Faculty of Fine Arts

Start planning your course registration before your assigned registration date (as soon as class schedules become available). Leave yourself plenty of time. 

• 'First Term' is September to December (Fall). 'Second Term' is January to April (Spring). Together, the first (fall) and second (spring) term are referred to as the Winter Session. 
• Winter Session class schedules are usually posted mid-May (anticipated late May in 2021). First and second term course registration opens mid-June.
• Your registration date/time will be posted in your online account in early June (on or after June 3 in 2021). Dates will be assigned for June 15-30 for continuing students.
• Always add courses in both terms on your assigned registration date. Do not delay registering in second term or you may be waitlisted.
• Some Winter Session courses are scheduled for the full-year, September to April, and need registration in both terms (check the class schedule notes).
• Summer Session (May-August; various dates) class schedules are posted mid-February. Course registration opens mid-March. Your assigned registration date/time will be posted in your online account in early March. 
• Tip: Don't miss the opportunity to add courses on your assigned registration date before they become waitlisted. If you're unsure what you need to take at your registration date (or how your assigned transfer credits apply), try to add placeholder courses on an 'in case' basis using the program planning worksheets to guide you, then consult an academic adviser. Ideally, you'll do this planning well ahead of your course registration date (starting when class schedules become available to view). Academic advising offices are very busy during the course registration period. 
• See Academic Important Dates: Your assigned registration date/time is the earliest date you can add courses. You can add/drop courses in each term up to deadlines listed in the Calendar. 
• You must pay your acceptance deposit to register for the first time or apply to resume studies if you've been absent for more than a year before a registration date will be assigned to you.
• Students are automatically assigned a registration date based on year level (and GPA for continuing students).
• Have a registration hold and need more information? Contact studentsupport@uvic.ca or call (250) 721-8121.
• Tuition, fee, and account questions? See Tuition, fees & budgeting online or contact tuition@uvic.ca or (250) 721-7032.

Review

• UVic’s course registration guide 
• How UVic courses work
• Course descriptions (always check for prerequisites, co-requisites, and year level restrictions)
• Online class schedule 
• Waitlists

Course Load

• Program planning worksheets show how to complete the requirements in a four-year degree format with 15 units per year; this isn't intended to suggest that completion within four years is mandatory; you can pace your degree to suit your needs.
• There isn't a minimum load for participation in Faculty of Fine Arts programs; you can schedule classes on a part-time or full-time basis depending on your situation; your graduation date will depend on when you complete all program/degree requirements. 
• You will need a minimum load if you are studying on scholarship, receive government loans or bursaries or other funding, live in residence, or participate on a varsity team or in the Work Study program. 
• The University's definition of full-time is an undergraduate student taking 12 or more units in the Winter Session (September to April) or 6 or more units in the Summer Session (May to August). 
• If you are an international student you are advised to consult the International Student Services office if you plan to take less than full-time studies in any term. 
• If you are registered with the Centre for Accessible Learning you may be eligible to take a reduced course load and maintain full-time status. 

Registration Help

Contact Student Support Services in the Office of the Registrar for registration system support: studentsupport@uvic.ca or 250-721-8121. Include your full name, student number, the course code, section number, and CRN. Attach a screen shot of any error messages.

Tip: Permission of department: Contact the course department (academic unit) first if the course description indicates 'permission of department' is needed or if you have a question about a pre- or co-requisite or the class schedule. Instructor permission may be required. If a course is reserved for a specific program you may need to apply to or request to declare the program first.

Tip: Timetable (class schedule) conflict: The registration system will not permit you to add a course that conflicts in time with another registered course. Synchronously scheduled class time is normally mandatory. Make your schedule to allow time to transition between classes. Contact the course instructor and academic department office if you have questions.

AHVS courses contact ahvsasst@uvic.ca 
ART courses contact visualarts@uvic.ca
FA courses contact fineasst@uvic.ca 
MUS courses contact musicadmin@uvic.ca
THEA courses contact theatre@uvic.ca
WRIT courses contact writing@uvic.ca  

The Fine Arts Academic Adviser can help you:

• Review Fine Arts programs requirements
• Determine what courses you need to take to graduate 
• Guide new students through the first year of their program
• Declare your degree program (on completion of 12 or more units including transfer credit) 
• Develop an academic path to best suit your goals and interests
• Choose electives to meet your goals
• Issue a Letter of Permission to attend another post-secondary institution (transfer credit)
• Connect you with the International Student Services office for support planning an Exchange term at a partnership institution.
• Connect you with career education services for students who would like career and academic path planning support.
• Connect you with personal counselling services if you're feeling overwhelmed, alone, or stressed about your studies or career direction.

For advising about graduate programs, please look up the program and graduate admissions/advisor contact.

When you have at least 12 units of completed courses, you can request to declare your program(s) within your intended degree (some programs may have additional declaration requirements).

Fine Arts students: Contact Sarah Riecken by email with your declaration request, related questions, or to arrange a same day appointment over Zoom (appointments are available for current students only).

Requests to declare or change a program (be it an honours, major, minor, double major, or any interfaculty program combination) should be submitted to your faculty's advising office at least six weeks before you register for courses. During peak periods requests to modify a program may take longer.

• Declared students have access to an important planning tool, called an online degree evaluation (CAPP) report, for tracking graduation requirements.
• Program requirements can change from year to year, so make sure you have the current year’s calendar when preparing for registration.
• Degree requirements are normally determined by the calendar edition in effect in the term of entry to the fine arts faculty or program.
• Review UVic's program planning page (see "program worksheets" and "courses for first-year students").

The ultimate responsibility for your academic success lies with you, so it is important to take time to understand your program requirements and options and ask questions early in your degree.

Letter of Permission

Fine Arts students who want to take a course at another college or university as a visiting student must request a letter of permission. Only those who are registered as degree students with at least 6 units complete/registered at UVic are eligible.

To request for a letter of permission, email fineartsadvising@uvic.ca.

• Include your name and student number, the name of the institution you want to attend, up to five course codes and titles, and the expected start and end dates for each. Please expect a minimum of 5-10 business days for processing (longer if a transfer credit evaluation is needed first).
• The fee for each letter is $10. Students who provide an official transcript for transfer credit assessment without a paid letter of permission will be charged a $47 document evaluation fee by Undergraduate Records.
• Once your letter has been issued, an informational hold will appear on your administrative transcript until you submit an official transcript to the Undergraduate Records office with your final grade(s) or to show course withdrawal.
• Your official transcript is due as soon as the studies elsewhere are completed. A transcript will still be required if you withdraw from the course or do not complete it successfully.

Students using transfer credit

It is a student's responsibility to ensure all degree requirements are met. Students using transfer credit toward a UVic degree must consider the following limitations:

• at least 18 of the 21 units upper-level courses required at minimum for graduation must be UVic courses (this may include "Exchange" credit)
• no more than 6.0 upper-level units required for an Honours Program may be taken elsewhere
• no more than 3.0 upper-level units required for a Major Program may be taken elsewhere
• no more than 3.0 of 9.0 upper-level units required for a Minor Program may be taken elsewhere

Transfer credit permission letter

A letter of permission will clarify how credit will transfer to UVic (no credit, level credit, course credit), but not how it will apply to your degree. Transfer credit is only awarded for courses completed successfully. If credit for any of the course(s) listed above, or their equivalent(s), has been previously obtained, no further credit will be granted. Consult the calendar regulation on repeating courses that also applies to transfer credit received for courses taken elsewhere.

Academic standing

Grades do not transfer to your UVic transcript, although grades for studies elsewhere are included in sessional GPA calculations to determine academic standing (in good standing, academic probation, or required to withdraw) and are also reviewed for any relevant program requirements. Upper-level courses taken elsewhere are not used in calculating the student’s graduating grade-point average.

Graduation deadline for transcripts

Graduation will not be permitted until all transcripts for issued letters are received. The final deadline for transcripts is February 15 for graduation in the spring and September 10 for graduation in the fall.

Joy Andrews, Career Educator for Fine Arts, is available to show you how to explore career options and decide on a university program and will help you learn how to prepare and apply for for employment and graduate programs too!

To book a 30-minute phone or video conference appointment with Joy:

1. log in to the Co-op and Career portal 
2. select the "Appointments" tab and choose "Career Services"
3. select the staff member you would like to meet with

Tutorial: How to book an appointment in the Co-op and Career portal

Allison Benner, Co-op Coordinator for Fine Arts, can orient you to co-op, work experience, parallel co-op, and post-study internship options.

• Office: Clearihue D128
• Co-op coordinator: Allison Benner, hufaco@uvic.ca, 250-721-7629
• Co-op assistant: Annette Bailey Smith, hufacoop@uvic.ca, 250-721-8841
• Program flyer

Grades for Term Work

During the session, students who believe that a grade awarded for term work is unfair should discuss the matter informally with the instructor concerned. If discussion with the instructor fails to resolve the matter, the student may appeal directly to the Chair/Director or designate of the department or school.

End of Term

Any student that has a complaint about an assigned grade in a course run by the Faculty of Fine Arts should submit a written statement to the instructor within seven business days of receiving the grade. Following this an additional review by the chair or director may be requested. Students should be prepared to re-submit all assignments and supporting documents related to the appeal.

For more information please see the online Calendar regulation for the Review of an Assigned Grade.

To request a copy of the Faculty of Fine Arts Procedures for Review of Assigned Grades please contact the Dean’s office and/or the Fine Arts Undergraduate Academic Advisor by email: fineasst@uvic.ca or fineartsadvising@uvic.ca.