Academic policies

Guidelines for Professional Conduct

All students in the School of Health Information Science are required to follow the Faculty of Health’s “Guidelines for Professional Conduct”, and may be required to withdraw from the School of Health Information Science for violating these provisions.

Academic Standing

Students are required to maintain a GPA of 4.0 or higher in each academic session. Students with a GPA below 4.0 will normally be required to withdraw from the School for at least one calendar year. The School of Health Information Science is under no obligation to readmit students who have been required to withdraw.

A graduating GPA of 4.0 or higher is required for graduation. Students who do not meet this requirement will be placed on probation and must take additional, appropriate, 300- or 400-level courses in order to raise their graduating GPA to 4.0 or higher.

To be readmitted to the School, students may be required to repeat Health Information Science courses previously completed if, in the judgement of the Director, curriculum changes or the length of interruption is sufficient to render the applicant inadequately prepared for the subsequent courses.

Academic integrity

Includes policy on plagiarism, multiple submissions, falsifying materials subject to academic evaluation, cheating on work/tests/exams, and aiding others to cheat

Please visit: http://web.uvic.ca/calendar/grad/academic-regulations/academic-integrity.html 

*New* Unauthorized Use of an Editor

An editor is an individual or service, other than the instructor or supervisory committee, who manipulates, revises, corrects or alters a student’s written or non-written work.

The use of an editor, whether paid or unpaid, is prohibited unless the instructor grants explicit written authorization. The instructor should specify the extent of editing that is being authorized.

Review by fellow students and tutoring that do not include editing are normally permitted. In addition to consulting with their instructors, students are encouraged to seek review of and feedback on their work that prompts them to evaluate the work and make changes themselves.

CAPP Adjustments

Please use the Requesting CAPP Adjustments form for any CAPP adjustment requests.

English Language Requirements

As indicated in our model programs, ENGL 135 or ATWP 135 and 1.5 units of 100 or 200 level ATWP or ENSH are required for the BSc and ENGL 135, ENSH 202, or ATWP 135 is required for the Combined Major in Computer Science and Health Information Science.

Satisfying the Academic Writing Requirement (AWR) does not mean you can bypass ATWP 135 – it is still a program requirement. Another option is ATWP 110, which is a year-long course that would satisfy the ATWP and ENSH requirements. Alternatively, if you feel like English is a tough subject or you want to spend more time working on your writing skills, you can take ATWP 101 first (which would allow you to satisfy the ATWP requirement), and then take ATWP 135 in the next semester (which would satisfy our 2nd ENSH requirement).

If you take ATWP 101 but not ATWP 135, please note that that doesn’t satisfy the requirement. To summarize your options:

  1. Take ATWP 135 and any other ENSH 1XX/2XX course (we recommend ENSH 202) OR
  2. Take ATWP 101 first and then ATWP 135 – if you decide to take any other ENSH course it will count as an elective OR
  3. Take ATWP 110 – this is a full-year course and will satisfy our ATWP 135 requirement and ENSH 1XX/2XX requirement

Referencing

The School of Health Information Science will accept APA and ICMJE formerly Uniform requirements reference formats. Ask your instructor about preference.  

Leave of absence

Students must request, in writing, the permission from the Director for a leave of absence (LOA) Unless given written permission by the School of Health Information Science to take a leave of absence, students who are not reregistered after one year (three terms) will be considered to have withdrawn. Students on leaves of absence are considered outside the program and will not be granted work term credit for experience gained during the leave.

Prerequisite requirements

Any student wishing to take a HINF course who does not have the prerequisites for the course must obtain written permission from both the instructor and the Director of the School.

Students from other schools or departments may take HINF courses as electives with the permission of the Director. If enrollment limitations are necessary, preference will be given to students registered in the Health Information Science program.The pre-requisite waiver form is only for HINF students and granted under extenuating circumstances. It is used to assess the students progress in their Health Information Science program and is.

Senior Electives

Senior electives are 300- and 400-level courses intended to expand knowledge needed for a career in health informatics. Students are required to select a minimum of 7.5 units from the Senior elective course list. 

  • Students wishing to take 300- and 400-level courses not on the Senior elective course list should be directed to the Assistant to the Director with final approval from the Director

Courses taken at other institutions are not normally acceptable as senior electives. In rare instances a student with a previous degree may have the requirement to have 1.5 to 3 units of senior electives waived. Transfer credits can be evaluated but are not guaranteed to satisfy the requirement. Before the request will be considered the student must: 

  • Provide proof that the course was taken within the last 5 years with proof of the grade received.
  • Provide a course outline from the year the course was taken.
  • Provide a statement explaining how the course is applicable to a degree in Health Information Science.