Frequently Asked Questions

Questions? We have answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are registered in the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (B.S.A.) or Bachelor of Science in Renewable Resource Management [B.Sc.(RRM)] degrees, you should declare your major before the end of your first year.

To declare your major, send an email from your USask email account to agbio.studentservices@usask.ca that includes the following information: 1) your name; 2) your student number; 3) your chosen major.

In the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (B.S.A.) degree program, you can choose between the following majors:

In the Bachelor of Science in Renewable Resource Management [B.Sc.(RRM)] degree, you can choose between the following majors:

If you are registered in the Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness [B.Sc.(Agbus.)] degree, the Bachelor of Science in Animal Bioscience [B.Sc.(An.Biosc.)] degree, the Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition (B.Sc.(F&N) degree, the Bachelor of Science in Food Industry Management (B.Sc.(FIM) degree, the Diploma in Agribusiness, or the Diploma in Agronomy, you do not need to declare a major.

If you’re unsure of what major to choose, here are a few suggestions:

  • Explore the Course and Program Catalogue to get an idea of the majors that are available to you. Check out the required courses, course descriptions and previous course syllabi to get a sense of which major will meet your career goals and interests. Be sure to bookmark the Course and Program Catalogue because this is your degree map.
  • Check out the annual AgBio Choose Your Major event in the winter! You’ll get to hear from upper year students and faculty advisors from each major/program area about what makes their major great.
  • Talk to an AgBio Student Services advisor about your options.

In the College of AgBio, a minor consists of 18 credit units in a field of study outside the student's major. If you declare a minor, the number of restricted electives you will have to complete towards your major will automatically be reduced by 12 credit units in DegreeWorks, and a maximum of 6 credit units will be allowed to double-count between your major and minor. A minimum of 12 credit units must count only towards the minor.

Direct-entry students in the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (B.S.A.) degree program with a major in Environmental Science or Agricultural Biology must complete a minor. Declaring a minor is optional for all other B.S.A. majors. The following minors are available for students in the B.S.A. degree program:

Declaring a minor is optional for the Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness [B.Sc.(Agbus.)] degree. The following minors are available for this program:

Declaring a minor is optional for the Bachelor of Science in Renewable Resource Management [B.Sc.(RRM)] degree. The following minors are available for this program:

Minors are not available for the Bachelor of Science in Animal Bioscience [B.Sc.(An.Biosc.)] degree.

If you plan to declare a minor, it is a good idea to do so early because careful planning is required to make sure you can complete your major and minor requirements without having to complete additional courses. Some minors, such as the Animal Science minor, include courses that require the completion of additional prerequisites, so it is a good idea to start planning before you enter your second year. If you’re wondering if a minor is a good fit for your program, you should discuss this with your faculty advisor.

To declare your minor, send an email from your USask email account to agbio.studentservices@usask.ca that includes the following information: 1) your name; 2) your student number; 3) your chosen minor.

If you have been admitted with a prerequisite deficiency, you must clear this deficiency before you enter your second year of study in the College of AgBio. University-level Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus have high-school level prerequisites that must be completed in advance.

You can clear a prerequisite deficiency by upgrading your high school courses. Here are some options for upgrading online or in Saskatoon and surrounding area:

If you completed high school in another community or province, contact your local school division and/or provincial Ministry of Education to find out what other upgrading options are available.

In some cases, course options are available through the University of Saskatchewan, and these courses may count for credit towards your AgBio degree.  

If you need to clear a Chemistry prerequisite deficiency:

You can register in CHEM 100.3: Problem-solving Foundations for University Chemistry at the University of Saskatchewan. This course will count for credit towards your degree. 

If you need to clear a Mathematics prerequisite deficiency:  

You can register in MATH 102.3 Precalculus Mathematics at the University of Saskatchewan. This course will count for credit towards your degree, as long as it is not taken concurrently with or after MATH 104.3. 

90-level courses offered at the University of Saskatchewan

A limited number of seats are available in the following 90-level courses, which will clear a prerequisite deficiency and enable you to register in 100-level university courses in the same subject : Chemistry 90: Introduction to Chemistry, Biology 90: Introduction to Biology and Physics 90: Foundations of Physics.

These courses are offered through the Indigenous Student Achievement Pathways (ISAP) program. 

ISAP is a program that brings Indigenous students with common academic goals together. Students registered in ISAP will be given priority access to these courses. Throughout the summer, seats will also become available for students who are not registered in ISAP. 

These courses will have an emphasis on Indigenous perspectives in the discipline. To indicate your understanding of this and to request a seat in one of the above courses, please complete the ISAP Student Sign-Up online. . Once completed, you will be granted permission to register, or you’ll be placed on a waitlist. All students who are offered a seat will be notified by mid-August via their PAWS email. 

Please note, the 90-level courses will not count for credit towards your degree; however, if you complete all three courses you will be eligible to receive the STEM Accelerator Certificate. For more information, please contact isap.info@usask.ca. 

You may be able to take a course at another university for credit towards your AgBio program, but you must first request a letter of permission from the college. A letter of permission ensures that the course you wish to register in will transfer for credit towards your AgBio program. To request a letter of permission, email agbio.studentservices@usask.ca. Before requesting a letter of permission, please review the unofficial list of previously evaluated transfer credit. If the course you wish to take has not already been evaluated, you will need to submit a detailed course syllabus along with your email request so that the course can be evaluated for transfer credit.

The best resource for understanding your program requirements, checking your registration status, and searching and registering for courses is the Classes and Registration page. This page includes step-by-step instructions, a link to the Registration Channel in your PAWS account, and easy-to-follow videos on how to register in and withdraw from courses.

Pay attention to the information in the error message you are receiving, as this will help you to understand the issue. Check out the list of common registration error messages in PAWS for information and options for resolving the issue. Make sure that you are registering for classes that are available on the campus that you will be attending. Classes offered at regional colleges (e.g., Parkland College) or St. Peter’s College are only open to students who have signed up to attend those campuses.

If a course you need to take is full (meaning there are no seats left and you can’t register in it), we recommend that you try the following:

  • Check the class every day, multiple times a day to see if a seat opens up. As students finalize their courses schedules, they may make changes to their registration. It’s not uncommon for seats to open up, especially close to the beginning of term. Checking regularly gives you a better chance to register if a seat becomes available 
  • Submit a request for a class limit override, which means you are asking the instructor or the Department for permission to register in a class that is full. Not all instructors or departments will approve an override, but you can still try submitting the request. 
  • Try registering for the course in a different semester, or plan to register in the course later in your degree. Talk to your academic advisor for advice about how this will impact your progress.
  • Rethink your course sequencing. If you are unable to register in a class and you have tried all of these options, you may need to re-think your course sequencing.  An academic advisor can assist you with this.

Please note, AgBio Student Services does not maintain class waitlists.

Please watch this video for step by step instructions.

There are a number of other reasons you may need to request a course override:

  • If a class/lab/tutorial section is full
  • If the class is restricted to a program or major that you are not enrolled in
  • If there is a time conflict
  • If a class requires special approval from an instructor or department
  • If you haven’t completed a prerequisite or corequisite requirement

Many courses have prerequisite or corequisite requirements, which are listed in the course description. Prerequisites or corequisites have been established by the college after thorough examination of courses and programs; therefore, you should not request a prerequisite or corequisite override if you do not have the necessary academic preparation for a course. Prerequisite or corerquisite waivers are granted in rare instances and are only waived if an equivalent alternative learning experience can be identified.

If you were admitted to the College of AgBio as a block transfer student and receive prerequisite registration errors, contact agbio.studentservices@usask.ca for assistance.

You can apply for a class override using the online override request form. It is very important that you fill out all of the information on this form correctly in order to avoid delays in having your override request processed. Pay attention to your registration error message—this will help you to understand which type of override you need to request. Make sure you enter all course information correctly, including the information for any lab or tutorial sections, and choose the correct approver.

As per our College Regulations on Timetable Conflicts, “Normally, the College of Agriculture and Bioresources does not approve or permit ongoing timetable conflicts involving any component of a course including lectures, laboratories, or other requirements stated in the syllabus such as tutorials and seminars.”

If there is a time conflict between two courses that you want to register in, check to see if there is another section or course that you can register in at a different time, or speak to your academic advisor to find out if you can take one of the courses in conflict at a later point in your program.

A failed course can be retaken. The highest mark in this course from the University of Saskatchewan will be used in the average.

A course in which the grade was 50 to 59% can be retaken once and only the highest mark will be used in the average. A course in which the grade was 60% or higher cannot be retaken. For more information, please consult our College Regulations. To apply for a repeat override, contact agbio.studentservices@usask.ca .

 

Contact agbio.studentservices@usask.ca so that we can look into this for you. If you have questions about taking a different course in place of a required course for your major, please contact your faculty advisor for approval.

Here are some options if you are having difficulties in a course:

Talk to your professor
If you are having difficulty with the course content, requirements, and/or assignments, contact your instructor and ask to schedule a meeting. Prepare a list of questions or concerns before your meeting so your professor can clarify key points and recommend solutions. 

Seek extra help
Student Learning Services offers a number of helpful (and free!) resources for students, including Study Skills workshops and tip sheets, writing help, Math and Stats help, and more! You can also hire a tutor through the USSU Tutor Registry.

Inquire about options for extenuating circumstances
If extenuating circumstances (medical, compassionate, or personal circumstances beyond your control) prevent you from submitting an assignment on time, contact your professor before the assignment is due to discuss your situation. If circumstances prevent you from contacting your professor in advance, you must contact them as soon as your situation allows you to do so. Be aware that regulations for late assignments vary across courses and instructors. Be sure to read your course syllabus so you are aware of the late assignment penalties for each course.

Consider dropping the course
If you have tried all of the above options and feel that you cannot successfully complete a course, or if you feel that the effort required to improve one course will negatively affect your success in other courses, you can withdraw before the final registration withdrawal deadline for the term. Withdrawing from a class before this deadline will result in a 'W' on your transcript, which carries no academic penalties and will not count towards your average calculation. 

Multiple failing grades can pull your average below promotion and graduation standards. A low average means that you are at risk for being placed on academic probation or being required to discontinue from your studies for a year. For more information about promotion standards, academic probation, and RTD faculty action, consult the College Regulations section of the Course and Program Catalogue.

If you aren't sure whether to drop a course and would like to discuss your options, speak to your faculty advisor (upper year students) or an AgBio Student Services advisor (first year students and students who haven't declared a major) as soon as possible.

Make sure you are aware of the class registration and withdrawal deadlines for the academic year. It is your responsibility to follow these deadlines when making changes to your registration.

If you miss a midterm exam due to medical, compassionate, or extenuating personal circumstances, contact your instructor immediately to discuss the situation.

If you miss a final examination for valid, verifiable reasons, such as medical, compassionate, or extenuating personal circumstances, you can apply for a deferred final examination using the deferred final exam application form.

Before your application can be considered, you must arrange to have your instructor complete the instructor section of the form. If they prefer, instructors can submit their responses by email to agbio.studentservices@usask.ca. It is your responsibility as a student to follow up with the instructor and/or AgBio Student Services to ensure that the instructor information section of the form is submitted by the deadline. Signatures are not required if the e-mail is sent from a USask e-mail address.

Applications for deferred final examinations must be submitted to agbio.studentservices@usask.ca within 3 working days of the missed examination(s). The completed deferred exam application form, along with detailed supporting documents, can be submitted to agbio.studentservices@usask.ca. If it is not possible for you to submit your application within that time frame, please contact AgBio Student Services as soon as possible to advise us of your extenuating circumstances.

Aside from exceptional circumstances, students cannot apply for a deferred final examination if they were present for 50% or more of the time allotted for their final examination, or if they have handed in their examination for grading.

Students must not make travel plans or schedule other activities during the examination period. Deferred exams are not granted due to conflicting travel plans.