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How do I know which programme I've been accepted for?
Your acceptance letter will indicate the programme in which you've been offered a place. In some instances, this may differ from the programme of first choice.
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Am I a full-time or part-time student?
Your acceptance letter will indicate what place you have been offered. If your letter offered you placement in a three year programme, then you are a full-time student. If you were offered a place in a four year programme then you are a part-time student for at least the first two years at the U.W.I.
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What does being full-time or part-time mean?
This affects the number of courses you can register for in a semester.
| Status |
Minimum Course Load |
Maximum Course Load |
| Full Time |
4 Courses (12 Credits) |
5 Courses (15 Credits) |
| Part Time |
2 Courses (6 Credits) |
3 Courses (9 Credits) |
Please note that this table is based on programmes within this Faculty only.
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To which department do I belong?
The Faculty of Social Sciences is comprised of three departments. Below you will see a list of the departments and the disciplines for which each department is responsible. Consult your Faculty Handbook for details of your specific programme. Note that if you are pursuing a double major the major listed first indicates the Department responsible for that programme. For e.g. B.Sc. Economics and Accounting is managed through the Department of Economics.
Department of Economics
- Economics
- Banking and Finance
Department of Government, Sociology, Social Work and Psychology
- International Relations
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Public Policy and Management
- Social Work
- Sociology
Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management
- Accounting
- Bachelor of Business Administration
- Hospitality & Tourism Management
- International Business
- International Tourism Management
- Management
Please note that the B.Sc. Social Sciences programme is coordinated through the Dean's Office:
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Who is my academic advisor?
Every student is assigned an academic advisor whom you should meet at least once every semester. The Head of Department for your programme will indicate who is available to give academic counselling.
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Can I change my major?
Yes, but not for your first academic year. Continuing students can apply for a change of option in Semester II of their first academic year during January to April. The change requests are considered during the summer period and if your request to change programmes is approved, you will be in your new programme from the second academic year. Students expecting to graduate in the current academic year cannot change their major.
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How many courses can I take at a time?
Your placement letter will indicate whether you have been accepted as a part-time student or as a full-time student. As a part-time student you are allowed to register for a minimum of 2 courses and a maximum of 3 courses per semester. As a full-time student you are required to register for a minimum of 4 courses and a maximum of 5 courses per semester. Please note that if you have been offered a full-time placement but wish to register as a part-time student all that is required is that you reduce your course registration to 2 or 3 courses.
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Is there a meaning behind the course code?
Yes. Each course code is made up of alphabetic characters and four numeric characters for example ACCT1003. The letters ACCT indicates that this course is from the ACCOUNTING discipline which is delivered through the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business. The first number 1 indicates that this is a Level 1 course.
- N.B. If the first number is 0 that indicates the course is a preliminary course
- If the first number is 2 that indicates a Level II course
- If the first number is 3 that indicates a Level III course.
Below is a list of prefixes and its department/discipline
Department of Economics
- Economics: ECON
- Banking and Finance: FINA
Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business
- Accounting: ACCT
- Management: MGMT
- Marketing: MKTG
- Tourism: TOUR
Department of Government, Sociology and Social Work
- International Relations: INRL
- Political Science: GOVT
- Psychology: PSYC
- Sociology: SOCI
- Social Work: SOWK
Here are some out-of-Faculty course code prefixes that you may encounter:
Faculty of Humanities and Education
- Foundation Course: FOUN
- History: HIST
- Spanish: SPAN
- French: FREN
- Cultural Studies: CLTR
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Science and Technology
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Where can I find the booklists?
Each course's booklist can be found in the department responsible for delivering the course (see "Is there meaning behind the course code?"). Each booklist should also be available through the Department's webpage. Alternatively you can also check the University Bookshop’s website.
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Is there a particular order in which I need take courses?
It is strongly recommended that you complete the courses offered at a particular Level before attempting courses at another Level. This is especially important for Level 1 of your programme. These courses collectively ground you as a tertiary level student allowing you to become accustomed to the magnitude and quality of work expected at this stage of your academic development. It therefore provides a solid foundation on which to build as you advance in your disciplines at Levels II and III of your programme.
You will be able to register for a course once it is available to your programme and you have passed the prerequisite(s), if any, for that course.
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How do I know which courses to take?
This depends on the programme into which you've been accepted. Your acceptance letter will indicate the programme in which you've been offered a place. This may differ from your programme of first choice.
You should consult your Faculty Handbook to view the courses which are required for your programme for your year of entry. Each programme is made up of three Levels: Level I, Level II, and Level III. In order to complete your degree you are required to complete the courses set out at each Level. The Faculty recommends that you complete at least 8 of your Level I courses before continuing on to Levels II and III courses. This is because the majority of Level II/III courses will require prerequisites. You can view the course description section of the Faculty Handbook for course prerequisites. This should assist you in figuring out what order your courses should be taken in.
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What's a prerequisite course?
A prerequisite is a course that is required before you can register for another course. The prerequisite course provides many of the foundational concepts required for the more advanced course. If a course in which you are interested has more than one prerequisite, you must pass each before you can register for that course. Consult your Departmental or Faculty Handbooks for course details, including prerequisites.
For e.g.
ECON3035 Economic Forecasting
Prerequisites:
ECON1004 Maths for Social Sciences II
ECON2026 Statistical Methods II
This means that you must have passed both ECON1004 and ECON2026 before being allowed to register for ECON3035.
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Is it true that Level I courses don't matter?
While it is true that the grades earned for your Level I courses are not used to calculate the GPA to determine the class of degree that you will be awarded on completion of your programme, these grades do appear on your transcript and does form part of your academic history. The Level I year(s) should be used to build the skills and competencies necessary to be successful in your academic pursuits and indeed your career. Many of you are balancing not only your studies but also work, family and other obligations. The Level I year(s) allows you to develop a plan suited to your individual situation without penalizing you should you encounter difficulties.
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So much reading….which of these documents is really important?
In a nutshell, all of them are. As a new student you would have received your acceptance letter, emails about orientation, registration, Student Services, the new student webpage and Cave Hill Online (CHOL) which all have important information and documents useful to new students including the New Student Handbook and the various Faculty Handbooks. Each of these documents are relevant to you in some way whether it's your acceptance letter – which tells you the programme that you've been offered, your New Students Handbook- which takes you through the registration procedure and your Faculty Handbook- which gives the Faculty regulations and overview of the programmes.
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I'm having difficulty. Where can I go for help?
This depends on the difficulty or challenge that you are facing:
- For course specific information contact your lecturer.
- For information with regards to your schedule, classes, submission of assignments, handouts and so on go to your Department Office.
- For academic advice go to your Head of Department or academic advisor.
- For information relating to taking any time away from campus, exemptions, changing your programme, transferring to another campus or faculty, go to the Faculty Office.
- If you are experiencing personal challenges and need advice or just someone to listen the Office of Student Services provides counselling services.
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What should I do to obtain special permission to pursue an additional course beyond my maximum as a full time student?
During the online registration period students can submit a sixth course request form online for consideration by the Dean to exceed the maximum credit limit. This form can be found on the Student Resources page. If approval is granted, the course will be added to the student’s registration.
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If a student fails a course and repeats it how does this affect their GPA?
Failed courses are included in the GPA calculations therefore failing a course serves to depress one’s GPA. If the course is repeated and passed, the grade obtained is also used in the calculation of one’s GPA.
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What happens if I get sick before or during an exam (e.g. midterm & final exams)?
You should visit the Student Health Clinic to be assessed by the doctor.
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What do I do if I have a question/issue of a financial nature?
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If a student pursues enough credits in any discipline will he/she automatically be awarded a major/minor in that discipline?
No, this will not be automatic. A student must submit a change of option form to the Dean’s Office for consideration of change of programme.
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Am I eligible to graduate?
In order to qualify for the award of a degree a student must:
- have completed a minimum of ninety (90) credits (normally equivalent to thirty (30) semester courses) of which:
- at least thirty (30) credits are from Level I semester courses (including the Foundation course requirements), and
- at least sixty (60) credits from Levels II and III semester courses.
2. have satisfied the requirements for the degree in which he/she is registered (i.e. completed all required courses in the programme and take electives at the correct level for your degree.
3. have attained a minimum GPA of 2.0 from Level II and III courses.
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What is Required to Withdraw “RTW” status?
A student is placed on RTW status after two consecutive semesters of GPA below 2.0. A student on RTW status must stay out of the University system for one academic year and then apply for re-entry to the University. The application period is normally November to January.
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How can I apply for an exemption based on courses completed at another institution of higher learning?
A student must complete the Request for Credits/Exemptions form and attach the relevant course outlines from the institution where credits were attained. This form can be found on the Student Resources page.
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How many co-curricular courses/credits am I permitted to register for during my degree programme?
You can pursue a maximum of 3 co-curricular credits (one course) at Cave Hill Campus. Note that in the Faculty of Social Sciences, a co-curricular course can only be used in place of a Level II/III elective.
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Where can I access my time table for each semester and for final examinations?
The semester timetable is available after you have registered for courses on Cave Hill Online (CHOL). Click on Registration and choose Student Detail Schedule to view your class times and locations. For the end of semester examination timetable click on CHOL on the University’s main page and choose the Examinations tab for details or view the timetable on the notice board in the foyer of the Roy Marshall teaching complex. Please note that there is usually a draft timetable posted before the final timetable is posted. You MUST CHECK THE FINAL EXAMINATION TIMETABLE just in case your examination time changes.
