RYERSON UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
                 
Policy Name:        Degree Programs Policy
                                             
Ref. No.:           35
                     
Academic Council            
Approval Date:      December 7, 1982 (Academic Standards Committee Report 
                    #47)

Status:             CURRENT
		           

                                  
This policy covers all degree programs (whether offered for study on a
full-time or part-time basis) of the University.
                          
The power to determine academic matters relating to all degree programs 
rests with Academic Council. In bringing proposals for new degree programs 
or for modifications to existing degree programs to Council, the same process
will be followed for all programs. In its consideration of proposals, Council 
will use the same criteria for curriculum, admission, promotion, faculty, 
and other academic matters for all degree programs. Similarly, procedures 
which are established by Council for the management of degree programs will
apply to all degree programs of the University.
              
A degree program normally shall have a base of not less than one hundred 
twenty (120) semester hours. The base of a degree program is the total 
number of contact hours allocated to the courses which constitute the
program, as shown in the University Calendar. A semester hour refers to
one hour per week timetabled for a semester.
                        
In cases where a post-secondary qualification is an admission requirement 
for a degree program, the post-secondary qualification may be counted as
contributing to the base of the degree program.
                   
All students must complete a sufficient number of Ryerson courses to form
an aggregate of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the base of the
program in order to qualify for a Ryerson degree. An individual student
may be granted a waiver of up to seventy-five percent (75%) of the base
of a program by virtue of courses taken at other institutions and challenge
examinations.                       
                            
                 
Note: See related curriculum policies including Ref. No. 7 "Procedures for 
the Preparation, Submission and Approval of Academic Proposals", Ref. No. 21
"Academic Jurisdiction", Ref. No. 32 "Procedures for Program and Course 
Curricular Revisions", Ref. No. 33 "Program Balance", Ref. No. 45 
"Constitutional Provisions for Department/School Councils", Ref. No. 112 
"The Development, Review and Approval of New Undergraduate Degree
Programs", Ref. No. 126 "The Periodic Review and Evaluation of Undergraduate
Programs at Ryerson", and Ref. No. 127 "Procedures for Graduate Program
Approval".