First Year Course Requirements by Major/Program
Course availability for undergraduate students varies by major.
If you need help with course selection or registration, please visit our Academic Advising website .
Note for January start undergraduate students: Course availability can vary by major and we encourage you to book an appointment with an Academic Advisor to review your course selection and registration options.
Note for all majors: All students are required to take a 0.5 Indigenous studies course from the approved Indigenous Course Requirement list. This is an important part of your journey at Trent. We encourage you to take your Indigenous course in first year. Please note that some majors already have an Indigenous course built in to the program requirements (e.g. Child &Youth Studies). Please visit the Academic Calendar for more information.
- Required: ANTH 1001H
- A Bachelor of Arts Honours can be completed at Trent Durham
- Please note that 2121H, 2122H, 2123H are open to first year students.
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- Arts Honours is not a major. If you receive notice that you are in Arts Honours either you have entered ‘undeclared’ or you have accepted an alternate offer to the direct entry program to which you applied. This is not a ‘problem’!
- Since this is not a major there are no ‘required’ courses. Please review the required courses for majors available (see above). Now is the time to ‘explore’ courses!
- Required: ADMN 1000H, ADMN 1221H, ECON 1010H, ECON 1020H, and ECON 1250H.
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- For those considering a specialization visit the Business Administration website for more information as several specializations require specific 1000 level courses.
- Students may obtain only one Business Administration specialization as part of a BBA or joint-major Honours degree
- Required: CHYS 1000H, CHYS 1001H, CHYS 1002H, SOCI 1001H, PSYC 1020H or 1030H
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
Required: COMM 1000H, COMM 1001H, WRIT 1001H
- Recommended for all Communications majors: ADMN 1000H
- Recommended for students taking a single-major in Communications: CUST-MDST 1535H
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- Required: COIS 1010H, 1020H, MATH 1350H, 1550H, 1005H (PTBO campus only) or 1110H
- Consider taking COIS 1620H and COIS 2750H
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- Required: COIS 1010H, 1020H, 1620H
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- Required: CRIM 1615H, FRSC 1100H, INDG 1001H, SOCI 1001H, SOCI 1002H, WRIT 1001H
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- Required: 1.0 credit (2 half-credit courses) in ENGL at the 1000 level
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- Required: GESO 1001H, GESO 1002H
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- Required: COIS 1010H, 1020H, 1620H
- Consider taking COIS 2750H
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- For those interested in a science degree (BSc), consider taking your required MATH credit (MATH 1001H, 1080H, 2081H and 2082H, do not satisfy the Mathematics requirement for a Bachelor of Science degree).
- *Direct entry program only ( if interested in entry into second year of program email bonniecaruana@trentu.ca for more information).
Year 1 – Full-time at Trent University Durham GTA
Fall Semester: ENGL 1851H, INDG 1001H, MDST 1535H, WRIT 1001H, 0.5 elective credit
Winter Semester: ENGL 2001H, ENGL 2855H, ENGL 2859H, MDST 1010H, MDST 2535H
- Required: LSCM 1001H, ADMN 1221H, COIS 1010H, COIS 1620H, ECON 1010H, ECON 1020H, and ECON 1250H
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- Required: MDST 1010H, MDST 1535H
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits but you may want to consider taking a 2nd year course from the ‘Media Studies Course List’ found on page 396 of the Academic Calendar (www.trentu.ca/calendar).
- Recommended that you take 1.0 credit (2 half-credit courses) in PHIL at the 1000 level
- PHIL 1000H, 1100H, and 1200H are strongly recommended for all students in Philosophy
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- Required: PLCW 1001H, PLCW 1002H, FRSC 1100H, SOCI 1001H, SOCI 1002H
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- Required: PSYC 1020H and PSYC 1030H
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- Please note:
- For those considering a Bachelor of Science, you may want to take another science credit (Sc) as part of your year one electives. We recommend meeting with an Academic Advisor.
- For those considering a joint major PSYC science degree (B.Sc.) 1.0 MATH credit will be required, consider taking it in your first year (MATH 1001H, 1080H, 2081, 2082 and 2080Y, do not satisfy the Mathematics requirement for a Bachelor of Science degree).
- Science Honours is not a major. If you receive notice that you are in Science Honours either you have entered ‘undeclared’ or you have accepted an alternate offer to the direct entry program to which you applied. This is not a ‘problem’!
- Since this is not major there are no required courses. Please review the required courses for majors available (see above). Now is the time to ‘explore’ courses!
- Science options at Durham Campus: Psychology, Computer Science
- Required: SWRK 1000H and SWRK 1001H and 3.0 credits at the 1000 level in Psychology and/or Humanities and/or Social Sciences (for a list of disciplines in the Humanities and the Social Sciences see the Academic Calendar p.20)
- 1.0 credit in addition to the above (can be a science)
- Refer to www.trentu.ca/socialwork for further details on the program.
- Note: We suggest that you also take the required courses for other majors should you choose to prepare for an alternate major. We strongly recommend connecting with an Academic Advisor in your first semester.
- Required: SOCI 1001H and SOCI 1002H
- The rest of your course selection is flexible and consists of elective credits. Consider taking the required introductory courses in a few programs that you find interesting to open multiple pathways for the future.
- Education is not a major. If you have not already chosen a major, you will still need to choose one—review list of majors above. However, the following 2 courses are required in first year:
- EDUC 1050H and EDUC 1051H
- For information on teaching divisions (teachable subjects) click here: B.Ed. Admissions - School of Education - Trent University
- Please connect with an academic advisor about your course selection.
- The following majors are available on the Durham campus: Business Administration, Communications, Criminology, English, Gender & Social Justice, Media Studies, Philosophy and Sociology. Please visit www.trentu.ca/law for program details.
- Please review the ‘special programs and opportunities’ section of the academic calendar for details on first year course selection for your intended major.
Post-Graduate Certificate - all certificate programs at Durham
More Possibilities
- If you are intending to do a ‘joint-major’ or ‘minor’ follow guide above for 1st year courses in each major or minor you intend to pursue. There might be some slight differences, so please refer to the Academic Calendar.
- We also have "options" available on the Durham Campus such as, Legal Studies, Communications, and Marketing (consult ‘Options’ section of Academic Calendar)
- Specializations available on the Durham Campus:
- Psychology: Psychological Development, Psychological Health and Well Being
- Business: Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Finance, HR, Info Systems & E-commerce, Marketing and Consumer Culture
- Sociology: Health Studies, Socio-Legal Studies, Social Justice & Equity Studies