FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is there a difference between applying and registering?
Yes. Once you have applied to St. Mary's University College, we will access your high school and/or post-secondary transcripts through the ApplyAlberta online system. If you meet our admission requirements, we will send you a letter granting either full or conditional admission to St. Mary's. After you have been granted admission and paid your $200 admission confirmation deposit, you can register for your courses. Find out how here!
Do you have a residence?
No. St. Mary's University College is currently a commuter campus. Ask to see the student housing binder at the Enrolment Services office for various rental options for St. Mary's students.
When should I apply and register?
We encourage future students to apply as soon as possible. Grade 12 students can apply as soon as they have their first semester interim grades. We will also ask you to report courses you will be taking in the second semester or if you completed Grade 12 courses in Grade 10 or 11.
Registration begins in mid-March. While students can register in courses throughout the summer, some of our classes reach their maximum capacity as early as April. Register early to ensure you get the courses you need.
One of the many advantages of being a small institution is the personal support we offer our students. Before choosing your courses, consider meeting with one of our academic advisors. Make an appointment by calling the Enrolment Services office at (403) 531-9130.
What is conditional admission?
Conditional admission is granted to future students who are currently still in high school, and is based on interim grades. Conditional admission allows future students to register for classes as soon as our Master Timetable is published (mid-March). Full admission will be granted once final Grade 12 grades have been received.
Are your courses transferable to other post-secondary institutions?
With very few exceptions, our courses are fully transferable to other post-secondary institutions in Alberta. Students from St. Mary's University College go on to be successful in numerous programs at universities across North America, and beyond. Below are some of the programs that can be started at St. Mary's University College:
• Business Management |
• Medicine |
How many courses should I take?
This is a very personal decision. A full course load is considered to be five classes. Some students choose to take fewer, either because they wish to work part time or because they have other off-campus commitments.
When deciding how many courses to register for, be sure to account for the number of hours you will spend outside the classroom, as well as inside. You can expect to spend about two hours of study time for each hour of class time. Review the following chart:
Number of courses |
Hours in class per week * |
Hours outside class per week |
Total hours per week |
| 1 |
3 |
6 |
9 |
| 2 |
6 |
12 |
18 |
| 3 |
9 |
18 |
27 |
| 4 |
12 |
24 |
36 |
| 5 |
15 |
30 |
45 |
* The number of hours in class will be higher if the class has a lab or tutorial.
What electives should I choose?
There are a few things you should think about when choosing electives. First, consider your career objectives. Are there any courses that would help you develop skills for that career? Drama and Psychology have relevance to more than just actors and psychologists.
Second, try to register for a variety of courses. All of our Bachelor of Arts degrees require that you have some humanities, social sciences, mathematical and natural sciences. Taking courses from a variety of subject areas will make you well-rounded, help you find what you are passionate about, and contribute to your degree.
Third, try to give yourself a schedule that works for your scholastic and personal life. Are you a morning or a night person? Do you work better with breaks in between classes to process new material? Have you given yourself enough time to eat lunch? What obligations, apart from school, do you have?
Most importantly, what are you interested in? Students do better when they choose courses that they can genuinely get excited about. Pick something that sounds like fun!
Can I obtain a BSc in Biological Sciences at St. Mary's?
No. St. Mary's University College does not currently grant Bachelor of Science degrees. We do, however, have a great two-year transfer program to the U of A, the U of C and the U of L.
Students who are interested in obtaining a BSc should consider taking a full course load of five classes a semester. This is particularly true if students wish to pursue fields such as medicine, where universities are looking not only at students who have high grade point averages, but students who can handle the difficult workload that these programs require.
A typical biological sciences student should take the following courses in first year:
Fall |
Winter |
ENGL 200A (full-year course) |
ENGL 200B (full-year course) |
CHEM 201 |
CHEM 203 |
BIOL 231 |
BIOL 233 |
MATH 249 or MATH 251 |
MATH 211 or MATH 253 |
Appropriate Option * |
Appropriate Option * |
* Social Sciences, such as Psychology and Sociology, are often of interest to science students
For more details about the Tri-University Block Transfer Agreement for the Biological Sciences, please see an advisor.
What is auditing?
Students who audit a course do not receive university credit for that course. Auditing is usually not recommended for degree-seeking students, but is a great option for members of the general public who want to develop their knowledge in a field of interest. Students are not required to do assignments nor write exams, and the cost is half of the normal tuition.