Breadth and depth requirements 2022-2023

Many of the checklists have a non-math Breadth and Depth requirement that includes Humanities (Hum), Social Sciences (SS), Pure Sciences (PS), and Applied Sciences (AS). The following chart indicates which category each subject area is classified under for students using a 2022/2023 calendar.

Some depth examples are at the bottom of this page.

For the breadth and depth requirements for previous years, see major plan requirement checklists.

Subject Description Hum SS PS AS
ACTSC Actuarial Science        
AFM Accounting and Financial Management   √    
ASL American Sign Language √      
AMATH Applied Mathematics        
ANTH Anthropology   √    
APPLS Applied Language Studies   √    
ARABIC Arabic √      
ARBUS Arts and Business   √    
ARCH Architecture       *
ARTS Arts √      
AVIA Aviation        
BASE Bridge to Academic Success in English        
BET Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology   √    
BIOL Biology     √ √
BME Biomedical Engineering       *
BUS Business (WLU)   √    
CDNST Canadian Studies        
CHEM Chemistry     √ √
CHINA Chinese √      
CI Cultural Identities        
CIVE Civil Engineering       *
CLAS Classical Studies √      
CM Computational Mathematics        
CMW Church Music and Worship √      
CO Combinatorics and Optimization        
COMM Commerce   √    
CROAT Croatian √      
CS Computer Science        
DAC Digital Arts Communication √      
DRAMA Drama √      
DUTCH Dutch √      
EARTH Earth Sciences     √ √
EASIA East Asian Studies √      
ECE Electrical and Computer Engineering       *
ECON Economics   √    
EFAS English for Academic Success        
EMLS English for Multilingual Speakers        
ENBUS Environment and Business   √    
ENGL English √      
ENVE Environmental Engineering       *
ENVS Environmental Studies       √
ERS Environment and Resource Studies       √
FINE Fine Arts √      
FR French Studies √      
GBDA Global Business and Digital Arts        
GENE General Engineering       *
GEOE Geological Engineering       *
GEOG Geography and Environmental Management   √    
GER German √      
GERON Gerontology       √
GRK Greek √      
GSJ Gender and Social Justice   √    
HIST History √      
HEALTH Health       √
HRM Human Resources Management   √    
HUMSC Human Sciences √      
INDEV International Development   √    
INDG Indigenous Studies   √    
INTEG Knowledge Integration        
INTST International Studies   √    
INTTS International Trade   √    
IS Independent Studies        
ISS Interdisciplinary Social Science   √    
ITAL Italian √      
ITALST Italian Studies √      
JAPAN Japanese √      
JS Jewish Studies √      
KIN Kinesiology       √
KOREA Korean √      
LAT Latin √      
LS Legal Studies   √    
MATBUS Mathematical Business        
MATH Mathematics        
ME Mechanical Engineering       *
MEDVL Medieval Studies √      
MNS Materials and Nano-Sciences       √
MOHAWK Mohawk √      
MSCI Management Sciences   √    
MTE Mechatronics Engineering       *
MTHEL Mathematics Electives        
MUSIC Music √      
NATST Native Studies   √    
NE Nanotechnology Engineering       *
PACS Peace and Conflict Studies   √    
PHIL Philosophy √      
PHYS Physics     √ √
PLAN Planning       √
PMATH Pure Mathematics        
POLSH Polish √      
PORT Portuguese √      
PSCI Political Science   √    
PSYCH Psychology   √    
REC Recreation and Leisure Studies   √    
REES Russian and East European Studies √      
RS Religious Studies √      
RUSS Russian √      
SCI Science     √ √
SDS Social Development Studies   √    
SE Software Engineering        
SI Studies in Islam √      
SMF Sexuality, Marriage, and Family   √    
SOC Sociology   √    
SOCWK Social Work   √    
SPAN Spanish √      
SPCOM Speech Communication √      
STAT Statistics        
STV Society, Technology and Values   √    
SYDE Systems Design Engineering       *
THPERF Theatre and Performance √      
UNIV University        
VCULT Visual Culture √      
WS Women's Studies   √    

*Consult a CS advisor first to ensure whether the course is appropriate for your breadth and/or depth. 

The "Depth" requirement can be met in two ways:

  • 3 courses (1.5 units) that have the same subject with at least one of them (0.5 units) at the third-year level or higher, or
  • 3 courses (1.5 units) with the same subject forming a prerequisite chain of length three

Here are some examples of prerequisite chains of length three. In each case, course Z has course Y as a prerequisite and course Y has course X as a prerequisite.

  • BU 121, followed by BU 352, followed by BU 362
  • ECON 101, followed by 201, followed by one of 301, 332, 341, 342, 355, 357, 361, etc.
  • JAPAN 101R followed by 102R, followed by 201R
  • PHYS 121, followed by 122, followed by one of 226, 234, 242, 256, 263, 358, 375, 380, 383
  • PSYCH 101 followed by 207, followed by one of 306, 307, 308, 320

Many subject areas do not have prerequisite chains. Students interested in these areas should use the first option for satisfying the requirement.