One of the first steps to building your schedule is knowing what courses to take! This page will help you understand which courses to prioritize this year. It will also explain some other important aspects of your registration so that you can be more confident that you are on the right track.
You can use the information below but if you prefer a more interactive registration experience, we encourage you to use our new Returning Student Self-Guided Registration modules.
Returning Student Self-Guided Registration Module
⭐Augustana students must select courses that begin with “AU”. All other courses are offered on the North Campus in Edmonton and are not available to Augustana students without permission from an Advisor.
⭐If you are registered or are planning to register with Augustana Proctoring, Accessibility + Student Success, this may influence your course registration.
WHAT IS THE ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS REPORT (ARR)?
Your Academic Requirements Report (ARR) is an important tool that you will use throughout your degree! It allows you to find which courses are required for your major, minor, and the Augustana Core. It also outlines your general program requirements and your progress toward completion. Your ARR should be used as a guide for choosing courses.
The report uses courses taken, courses transferred, and courses in progress and applies them to your degree requirements. Changes in registration are instantly applied which gives you the ability to review how your registration changes fit into your program requirements.
accessing YOUR arr
- Log into Bear Tracks (Opens in a New Window)
- Click on the Manage Classes tile
- Select the Academic Requirements link on the left side menu
- You will be brought to your ARR
Academic Requirement Report Walkthrough Video
Throughout your degree, you will use your ARR as a guide to enrol in courses and ensure you are meeting all of your degree requirements! Watch our Academic Requirement Walkthrough Video to learn how to find which courses are required for your major, minor, and the Augustana Core.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR ARR
Your ARR consists of a number of headings and contains a lot of important information. Below we have outlined the sections that you will want to pay particular attention to when it comes to enrolling in courses. The sections and courses listed are a direct translation from the Academic Calendar according to your requirement term (the year you started your program). As a result, the current calendar may list different requirements than those listed on your ARR.
⭐If you notice any issues, such as incorrect credit counts, or a course not showing up where you think they should please contact the Student Advisors at augsas@ualberta.ca for assistance.
Academic Advisement
This section explains who you need to contact if you have course registration questions.
Program Specific Information
This section explains if you have met your current major and minor requirements and indicates your current year standing. By the end of your degree, your major and minor requirements will be satisfied.
Current Registrations
Once you enrol in courses, this section will show your registration.
Major Requirement
This section lists all of the courses required to fulfill your major.
⭐What if I am an Undeclared major?
If you are an undecided student, please contact your Student Advisor to discuss your options and to declare a major and/or professional intent.
Major Supporting Courses
These are required courses in disciplines outside your major that may be a prerequisite for specific courses in your major or support your major in other ways.
Depending on your major, you may not have this section.
Minor Requirement
If you have declared a minor, this section will list all of the courses required for your minor. As of Fall 2021, the only minors available to students in our BA, BSc, BMgt, and BMus programs are Music and Management. Students in our BSc/BEd combined program are required to have a teaching minor.
Certificate (title of certificate)
This section will explain all of the courses required for any certificates you have added to your program.
Note: Psychology and Mental Health majors are required to complete a Co-curricular certification. See the Academic Calendar for more details.
Augustana Core: Foundation
Students should complete the corresponding level of the Project-Based Core (AUIDS 101, 201, 301, and 401) during each year they are studying at Augustana.
AUIDS 101: As a returning student, you would have likely taken this foundation seminar last year. If not, contact your Student Advisor to discuss your registration.
AUIDS 201: In this course, you will engage in group projects and further build your problem-solving skills. Topics vary by section but each topic is designed to be accessible to students of any discipline. Register in the one that is most interesting to you!
AUIDS 301: This course will allow you to apply your problem-solving skills by working with a community stakeholder! Students may enroll in AUIDS 301 upon completion of AUIDS 201. As such, students may enroll in the winter of Y2, the fall or winter of Y3 or the fall of Y4. This allows for additional flexibility for students intending to participate in an off-campus experience such as a study tour or an exchange program.
AUIDS 401: In this course, you will use all of the skills and knowledge gained from your previous foundation courses by working with a team to come up with a solution to a real-world issue.
Incoming Transfer Students should refer to their Transfer Credit Assessment or email augsas@ualberta.ca to see which Foundation courses are required.
Note: The BSc/Ed program and BMus program have slightly different Augustana Core Requirements. Please contact a Student Advisor at augsas@uablerta.ca for details
Augustana Core: Knowledge
Throughout your degree at Augustana, you will be required to take a breadth of courses from across the different disciplines. Eligible courses will be included in the proper category as you enrol and can be fulfilled throughout your undergraduate degree.
★6 Social Sciences
★6 Sciences
★9 Fine Arts and Humanities (you must complete at least ★3 in each area).
Note: Some majors have the Knowledge component of the Core integrated into their major requirements.
Option (Elective) Courses
Courses that do not fit into the above categories will make up the remainder of your degree requirements. Regardless of what you take, it will help you fill up the ★120 you need to complete your degree.
Electives are a chance to take prerequisite courses for future professional or after-degree programs, explore interests outside of your major, additional science designated classes for students in the bachelor of science program and develop additional career skills.
“Summary of Degree”
This section provides a summary of where you are standing in terms of meeting the overall requirements for your degree, including Total Credits, Senior level credits, Arts or Science credits, and Professional credits. This section will also show what your current major, minor and graduating GPA is.
Residency Requirement
All Augustana students must complete at least ★60 (★54 need to be at the senior level) offered by the Augustana Faculty. Some exceptions apply, please contact a Student Advisor for additional information. Any credits brought in from an external faculty or institution do not count towards your Residency Requirement
Transfer students should keep a close eye on their Residency Requirement credits to ensure they will meet this requirement for graduation.
⭐If you notice any issues, such as incorrect credit counts, or a course not showing up where you think they should please contact the Student Advisors at augsas@ualberta.ca for assistance.
Transfer students should keep a close eye on their Residency Requirement credits to ensure they will meet this requirement for graduation.
⭐If you notice any issues, such as incorrect credit counts, or a course not showing up where you think they should please contact the Student Advisors at augsas@ualberta.ca for assistance.
IMPORTANT - Program/Major Specific Information
Some majors may have course exceptions and specific course recommendations based on the courses available in the upcoming academic year. Be sure to review the major information applicable to you.
2024-2025 Major Specific Information
Additional Information to be aware of:
- For detailed descriptions of Selected Topics courses being offered in 2024/25.
- Off-campus experiential learning trip information.
Steps to choosing the right courses
- Review your ARR and take note of all of your remaining requirements. (It is helpful to print the PDF of your ARR for this part.) If you have not declared a major, are changing your major, or are changing your program, you can use a What-If Report to guide your registration.
- Review the Course List Tool and take note of what term and session (3-week block vs 11-week session) your remaining requirements are taught in. REMEMBER - Some courses are only taught every second year so if you do not see a required course listed as being taught next year, it is likely because it will be taught the following academic year.
- Review the pre/co-requisites for the courses you have remaining and make sure that you present them, or will present them by the time you begin the course. These will be the courses you want to plan on taking in the upcoming academic year.
- Build your schedule and register for courses via Bear Tracks. (Information on this can be found in the Enrolment Walkthrough).
- Optional: Review your schedule with a Student Advisor. If you are planning on graduating by the end of the academic year, we strongly recommend that you meet with a Student Advisor.
Note: If you are a senior student (> 24 credits), be sure to look at all of the senior courses required for your program. It is not uncommon to take 300-level courses in your second year, so long as you present the course prerequisites.
Important Deadlines
It is a student’s responsibility to be aware of all deadlines. To confirm the Add/Drop and Withdrawal Deadlines, check out the “Important Dates” page.If you plan to drop your 3-week course and add a new class, ensure you complete this right away!
⭐Subscribe to the Academic Schedule calendar to stay informed of important deadlines.
- Open Google Calendar
- Click on the arrow next to Other calendars
- Click on "Add a coworker's calendar".
- Paste acadsch@ualberta.ca into the box and click "Add"
Important Considerations
When are the Courses I Need/Want Offered?
The easiest way to determine if a class is offered in the current academic year is to use the Augustana Course List Tool
⭐ Some of the required courses listed on your Academic Requirements Report may be offered on a two-year rotation. As a result, they may not be taught in the upcoming academic year.
⭐When in doubt email a Student Advisor at augsas@ualberta.ca
⭐ Some of the required courses listed on your Academic Requirements Report may be offered on a two-year rotation. As a result, they may not be taught in the upcoming academic year.
⭐When in doubt email a Student Advisor at augsas@ualberta.ca
Visiting Student Letters
Students must request a Visiting Student Letter to take a class elsewhere via the Augustana Visiting Student Letter Request Form. A student’s submission will be reviewed by the SAS office for transferability and program fit. If the request is approved a Visiting Student Letter will be granted by the assistant dean of enrolment management.
Prior to submitting their request, students should have a clear idea of which non-Augustana class(es) they are interested in enrolling in.
Students intending to attend an external institution can reference the Alberta Council on Admission and Transfer Guide to check if there are any preexisting transfer agreements for the course(s) they would like to take. The absence of a formal agreement does not necessarily indicate that a course will not transfer.
⭐ Students must be in good academic standing and have completed a minimum of 24 credits to be granted a VSL.
In your final year and planning to graduate?
If you are planning to graduate in the Spring of 2025, you will need to pay close attention to your Academic Requirement Report to ensure that all your categories have been completely filled. Once a category has been completed, it will close up on your report. We recommend viewing your ARR as a PDF to confirm that all categories are being filled correctly.
What if I’m over 120 credits (122 for BMus)?
There is no maximum credit limit for your degree program. During the graduation audit process, credits in excess of the minimum 120 will be moved extra to your degree.The advisors strive to move classes in such a way that they are of most benefit to your program and GPA.
What if I’m changing programs within the U of A (i.e. Bachelor of Science to Bachelor of Arts)?
Once you have accepted your offer you will need to log into Bear Tracks and go to Manage Classes > Change Program. Select the appropriate term and program. Remember to change your program for each applicable term (e.g. Fall & Winter).
How do I apply for Graduation?
Students must apply for graduation through their Bear Tracks account. You can apply for graduation in Bear Tracks beginning October 1 by going to Academic Records > Apply for Graduation. The deadline to apply for Spring graduation is February 1.
Step 1
Step 2
Professional Program & Graduate Studies
If you are planning to pursue a professional program after Augustana, there may be specific courses you are required to take. You can use the Graduate Studies Program Tool to find out more about the admission requirements, or you can let your Academic Advisor know your intention during an appointment. The information you provide will assist in advising you through course registration and can influence the courses you enrol in during your degree! We may also use this to connect with you about any relevant events and/or information for your desired program.
Vikings Athletics
We recommend athletes enroll in ★15 (5 courses) per term and see how it works for you. Should you decide to reduce your course load before the add/drop deadline, you will be able to do so. Please keep in mind that your league or program may require that you complete a certain number of credits each semester in order to compete. Having a reduced course load may also impact your eligibility for scholarships and awards.
It is also important for you to look at your practice schedule when registering in courses. Since you could be away on Friday afternoons for games, it may be in your best interest to limit the number of classes that you take on Friday afternoons.
What’s Next?
Identifying the courses you should take is important! There will, however, be room in your schedule to take other courses that align with your interests and future plans. Check out the Key Links and Resources to see when your required courses are offered and what else is available. If you need help with building your schedule check out the Walkthrough.