Carleton Universitysenate

Carleton UniversitySenate

Ottawa Canada

June 26, 2007

To: Senate Executive

From: Brian Mortimer, Clerk

RE: Admissions regulation changes for Physics Programs – Three Late 2007-2008 changes

The Science Faculty Board has approved the following three changes to admission policy and calendar language. They were misplaced during the consideration of curriculum changes by SCASP this year. SCASP has given approval to the changes by e-mail poll.

1. Change in the Admission Requirements for Honours Physics and Applied Physics

Honours Program

First Year

The Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent including a minimum of six Grade 12 U or M courses. The six Grade 12 U or M courses must include Advanced Functions and Introductory Calculus and two of Geometry and Discrete Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science or Physics (Geometry and Discrete Mathematics is recommended). Equivalent courses may be substituted between the OAC and new curriculum courses.

Please see section below entitled “Specific Admission Requirements” for specific prerequisite courses required for Combined Honours in Chemistry and Physics, Combined Honours in Chemistry and Computer Science, and Combined Honours in Mathematics and Physics, and Honours in Physics or in Applied Physics.

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For all programs in Physics, Applied Physics, and combined programs with Physics, a Grade 12 U course in Physics is strongly recommended.

For Honours in Psychology, a Grade 12 U course in English is recommended.

For Honours in Environmental Science, a Grade 12 U course in Biology and Chemistry are recommended.

Rationale;

In first year we offer three streams for studying physics: PHYS 1001 & 1002, PHYS 1003 & 1004, and PHYS 1007 & 1008. The prerequisite statements for PHYS 1001 and PHYS 1003 include Grade 12 U Physics or equivalent. The prerequisite statement for PHYS 1007 does not. Most students applying for a university program in physics will have taken physics in their final high school year and will take PHYS 1001 in their first term. In addition, we wish to accommodate students who do not have this background. The Physics Department does not have the resources to offer a 0xxx level course, but there already exists a path via PHYS 1007. Thus, the choice of first term physics course is specified by course prerequisite statements, not admission criteria.

With respect to the mathematics requirements, all B.Sc. Honours programs and all B.Sc. General programs have the following generic admission requirements to First Year:

The Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent including a minimum of six Grade 12 U or M courses. The six Grade 12 U or M courses must include Advanced Functions and Introductory Calculus and two of Geometry and Discrete Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science or Physics (Geometry and Discrete Mathematics is recommended). Equivalent courses may be substituted between the OAC and new curriculum courses.

Thus, a specific admission requirement for Honours Physics or Honours Applied Physics referring to Advanced Functions and Introductory Calculus is redundant.

This change brings the admission requirements for Honours Physics and Honours Applied Physics into accord with those for most other Physics programs, and indeed with most other B.Sc. programs at Carleton.

2. B.Sc. (General) in Physics – advice statement

General Program

First Year

The Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent including a minimum of six Grade 12 U or M courses. The six Grade 12 U or M courses must include Advanced Functions and Introductory Calculus and two of Geometry and Discrete Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science or Physics (Geometry and Discrete Mathematics is recommended). Equivalent courses may be substituted between the OAC and new curriculum courses.

For the B.Sc. General in Physics, a Grade 12 U course in Physics is strongly recommended.

Rationale

This statement is added for clarity and advice to the student. The existing calendar gives no specific guidance to the student on preparation for the B.Sc. General in Physics. While Physics is not required under the general requirements for admission to a B.Sc. General program, it is obviously strongly recommended for the B.Sc. General in Physics.

3. B.Sc. Combined Honours in Chemistry and Physics – admission requirements

Specific Admission Requirements

Combined Honours in Chemistry and Physics

Students from Ontario high schools must have Grade 12 U Physics, Advanced Functions and Introductory Calculus, and Chemistry. Equivalent courses may be substituted between the OAC and new curriculum courses.

Entrance after first year and continuation at the end of first year in the program requires: Honours standing and a grade of C+ or better in each of PHYS 1001, PHYS 1002, and CHEM 1000.

Rationale

The calendar is inconsistent between the specific admission requirements and the program requirements. Under the program requirements, the student may take one of three first-year Physics paths: PHYS 1001 and 1002, or PHYS 1003 and 1004, or PHYS 1007 and 1008. To simplify the continuation requirements, we will use the standard requirements given in Table 1 of section 7.4 of the Academic Regulations (p. 56 of the print version of 2006-2007 calendar).