Undergraduate Admission Office
Executive Director, Undergraduate Admission and Recruitment: Chris Coupland
Office: Gordon Hall
Telephone: 613-533-2218
Fax: 613-533-6810
E-Mail Address: admission@queensu.ca
World Wide Web Address: www.queensu.ca/admission

Faculty of Arts and Science
Office: Dunning Hall, First Floor
Telephone: 613-533-2470
Fax: 613-533-2467
World Wide Web Address: www.queensu.ca/artsci/undergraduate/future-students/second-degrees

The following regulations represent the current policy and procedures for registering Second Degree programs within the Faculty of Arts and Science.

The following is a summary of the Second Degree and General Degree Upgrade Regulations:

Section 1: Second Degree Program

The Second Degree program allows the holder of an undergraduate degree from Queen’s or from another university to complete a second undergraduate degree in the Faculty of Arts and Science, subject to the following regulations. These regulations are designed in conformity with Queen’s University Senate Policy on Second Degrees.

The Faculty has limited capacity to accommodate Second Degree students, and only accepts candidates into second degree combinations that are academically viable. To ensure the academic integrity of the Second Degree program the Faculty Office, in consultation with the Department(s) concerned, approves combinations to ensure that there is minimal overlap in course content. Current information on departmental capacity and academically viable Second Degree combinations is available on the Arts and Science website at https://www.queensu.ca/artsci/think-and-apply/second-degrees.

Admission requirements are available from Undergraduate Admission. Enrolment limitations or lack of appropriate prerequisites may result in the denial of an application.

1.1 – Admission Requirements

Students are required to have completed all requirements for their first degree program before being admitted to the Second Degree program.

Departmental approval for the Plan requested and Faculty approval for the Second Degree combination are required. Enrolment is limited in some degree programs and Plans. The minimum GPA required for admission to some degree programs and Plans may vary from year to year, depending on the size and strength of the applicant pool.

1.2 – Program Requirements

Students must complete all course and degree requirements for the Second Degree program according to the Academic Regulations of the Faculty of Arts and Science. (See Academic Regulation 16 for degree requirements.)

1.2.1 – First Degree from Queen’s University

Second Degree students whose first degree is from Queen’s may use up to a maximum of 60.0 transferable units from their first degree program toward their Second Degree program. When there are 60.0 transferable units from the first degree, a B.A.(Gen.), B.Cmp.(Gen.) or B.Sc.(Gen.) degree requires a minimum of 30.0 additional units; a B.A.(Hons.) degree requires a minimum of 54.0 additional units; a B.Cmp.(Hons.) or B.Sc.(Hons.) degree requires a minimum of 60.0 additional units; a B.Mus. degree requires a minimum of 66.0 additional units.

1.2.2 – First Degree from Another Post-secondary Institution

Second Degree students whose first degree is from another post-secondary institution may use up to a maximum of 42.0 transferable units from the first degree toward a B.A.(Gen.), B.Cmp.(Gen.) or B.Sc.(Gen.) degree program, and up to a maximum of 57.0 transferable units from the first degree toward a B.A.(Hons.), B.Cmp.(Hons.), B.Mus. or B.Sc.(Hons.) degree program. The additional units required will vary depending on the total number of units required for the second degree.

The additional courses for the second degree must all be completed at Queen’s and registered under the Arts and Science degree program, regardless of whether the first degree is from Queen’s or from another post-secondary institution.

1.3 – Degree Combinations

A Second Degree can only be completed in a significantly different Plan from the student’s first degree, where a significantly different Plan is defined as one in which fewer than half of the Plan units are required (or may be used) in the first degree program.

1.3.1 – A Three-year General Degree after a Four-year Honours Degree

With the completion of a minimum of 30.0 additional Queen’s units in a significantly different Plan from their Honours degree, students may obtain a General degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a four- year Honours degree. The two degree programs must be different.

1.3.2 – Two Three-year General Degrees

With the completion of a minimum of 30.0 additional Queen’s units in a significantly different Plan from their first degree, students may obtain a second General degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a three- year General degree. The two degree programs must be different.

1.3.3 – Two Four-year Honours Degrees

Students admitted to the Second Degree Program must complete a minimum of 60.0 additional Queen’s units in a significantly different Plan from their first degree to obtain a B.A.(Hons.) degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a first four-year Honours degree. The first degree program may also be a B.A.(Hons.).

With the completion of a minimum of 60.0 additional Queen’s units in a significantly different Plan from their first degree, students may obtain a B.Sc.(Hons.) or B.Cmp.(Hons.) degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a first four-year Honours degree. The two degree programs may be the same.

1.4 – Program Restrictions

In addition to restrictions based on the Faculty’s limited capacity to accommodate Second Degree students, the following academic restrictions apply.

1.4.1 – General Restrictions

Students are not eligible to obtain a second three-year General degree of the same program type. That is, a student will not be permitted to obtain two B.A.(Gen.) degrees, two B.Sc.(Gen.) or two B.Cmp.(Gen.) degrees.

Students may not obtain a three-year General degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a four-year Honours degree of the same program type. For example, students may not obtain a B.A.(Gen.) degree after a B.A.(Hons.) degree, a B.Cmp. (Gen.) degree after a B.Cmp.(Hons.) degree, or a B.Sc.(Gen.) degree after a B.Sc.(Hons.) degree.

In order to be academically viable, the second degree may only be obtained with a Plan in a substantially new discipline. Students may be refused access to a particular Second Degree program combination if it is determined that there is significant overlap in the two programs. If at least half of the required units in the Second Degree program may be used in the first degree program, the overlap is considered significant and the combination is not approved. For example, a B.Sc.(Gen.) degree program requires 90.0 units, of which 48.0 are Plan units. If 24.0 or more of the 48.0 Plan units are required (or may be used) in the first degree program, there is too much overlap for the Second Degree combination to be approved.

1.4.2 – Both Degrees from the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen’s

Students may complete courses towards two degree programs in Arts and Science simultaneously, subject to the requirements detailed above in section 2.2.1. Such students normally register in only one degree program while taking courses for both programs. (This does not apply to students in a Concurrent program, who are registered in degree programs in two Faculties simultaneously.) In most cases students first complete the requirements and receive the degree for the program in which they are registered, before applying for the Second Degree Program to complete the requirements for the second degree. However, students may also complete the requirements for both degrees before applying to graduate, and receive both degrees at the same time.

1.4.3 – First Degree from Another Post-secondary Institution

A majority of the units required for the Second Degree Plan must be completed through Queen’s as outlined in Academic Regulation 16.

If students whose first degree is from another post-secondary institution take classes towards their Queen’s degree that have similar content to classes taken in the first degree, the number of unspecified transfer credits granted will be reduced accordingly.

1.5 – Application Process

Students who wish to complete a Second Degree Program from Queen’s must apply for admission through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre. Units from the first degree will be assessed for credit towards the Second Degree by Undergraduate Admission.

Students in the Faculty of Arts and Science who have completed the requirements for two degree programs simultaneously are not required to apply for admission to the Second Degree Program. Such students may declare the second program and Plan upon completion of all requirements and may receive both degrees together.

1.6 – Change of Second Degree Program

Once admitted to a Second Degree program, students who wish to change to another Arts and Science program or Plan need to complete a new application to a Second Degree program through Undergraduate Admission.

Section 2: General Degree Upgrade

Students who have received a three-year General degree in the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen’s University may upgrade to a four-year Queen’s Arts and Science Honours degree, subject to the following regulations.

2.1 – Admission Requirements

Students who have completed a B.A.(Gen.), B.Cmp.(Gen.) or B.Sc.(Gen.) through on-campus studies in the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen’s University and who wish to complete an Honours degree are not required to apply for admission if they have not studied elsewhere and have not completed a new basis of admission.

Students who have completed a B.A.(Gen.), B.Cmp.(Gen.) or B.Sc.(Gen.) through on-campus studies in the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen’s University and who have completed a new basis of admission through studies at another post-secondary institution, must apply to the Second Degree Program through Undergraduate Admission in order to complete an on-campus Honours degree, subject to the enrolment limitations in Section 2.1. In this case students may receive transfer credits.

1.2 – Academic Requirements

Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 1.90 in order to be eligible for an Honours degree. A student shall be deemed Not Eligible to Proceed to an Honours degree if they have attempted 132.0 or more units at the time of assessment and have a cumulative GPA of less than 1.90 (see Academic Regulation 13).

Students must complete all course and degree requirements for the four-year Honours degree according to the regulations of the Faculty of Arts and Science as outlined in Academic Regulation 16.

Students who have received a B.A.(Gen.), B.Cmp.(Gen.) or B.Sc.(Gen.) degree at Queen’s may, if the relevant Department determines that they are eligible for the honours degree, be admitted to an appropriate honours Plan (see Academic Regulation 2). They may complete the requirements for an Honours degree in the same or a different Plan from that in which they graduated with the General degree.

All courses from the first degree will count toward the Honours degree.

Students who have or who qualify for a four-year degree should refer to the Second Degree Program section of this chapter.