Weighted Averages

Weighted Averages are used to determine whether or not students are eligible for admission to Year 4 of the Honours Specialization modules offered in the BMSc Program:

  • when a student applies to Year 4 of an Honours Specialization module, a Weighted Average is calculated for them during the adjudication period in May
  • the group of courses used in the calculation of the Weighted Average depends on the specific Honours Specialization module to which the student applies
  • a minimum Weighted Average of 75% (actually 74.45%) is required for admission to Year 4 of any Honours Specialization module in BMSc
  • special permission is not granted for students to register in an Honours Specialization module in Year 4 with a Weighted Average less than 74.45%

Note: a Weighted Average greater than 75% is required for admission to an Honours Specialization module when more qualified students apply than there are spaces available. If this happens, then students are admitted to the module based on descending Weighted Averages until the module reaches its maximum capacity. Additional students may be placed on a waiting list for admission.

Weighted Average Chart

The Weighted Average Chart outlines:

  • which courses must be completed by the end of Year 3 to be considered for admission to Year 4 of each Honours Specialization module in Year 4 BMSc, and
  • the group of courses that is worth 1/3 (33%) of the Weighted Average and the group of courses that is worth 2/3 (67%) of the Weighted Average

How to use the Weighted Average Chart:

  • review the Weighted Average Chart to determine which modular courses must be included in your course selection for Year 3 so that you can apply to Year 4 for a particular Honours Specialization module
  • recognize which group of courses makes up 1/3 (33%) of the Weighted Average and which group of courses makes up 2/3 (67%) of the Weighted Average (see How to calculate your Weighted Average - below)
  • check the Minimum Averages Required for Admission to Honours Specialization Modules to get a feeling as to the approximate average you'll need on your courses in Year 3 to be competitive for the Honours Specialization module(s) in which you're interested.

How to calculate your Weighted Average:

Calculate the following two averages:
X = average of the "Modular courses responsible for 1/3 of the Weighted Average"
Y = average of the "Modular courses responsible for 2/3 of the Weighted Average"

and solve for
Z = the Weighted Average

(0.33 * X) + (0.67 * Y) = Z

Note: If the group of courses used to calculate one of the averages contains both full-year and half courses, consider the full course as if it were two half courses and use the mark twice and divide the sum of marks by the total number of half course equivalents:

  • e.g., the group consists of 2.5 courses - Physiology 3120 (full course), Physiology and Pharmacology 3000E (full course) and 3140A (half course):
    • add the marks as follows: Physiology 3120 + Physiology 3120 + Physiology and Pharmacology 3000E + Physiology and Pharmacology 3000E +Physiology 3140A = sum of marks
    • divide this sum by 5 (the total number of half course equivalents)
    • the result is the average on these 2.5 courses

What average do you need in Year 3 to be competitive for an Honours Specialization?

To figure out the approximate average you will need on the "Modular courses responsible for 2/3 of the Weighted Average" (most are taken in Year 3) to be competitive for Year 4 of a particular Honours Specialization module, follow these steps:

1. Find the Minimum Weighted Averages that have been required for the past few years for admission to Year 4 of the Honours Specialization module in which you're interested and determine the minimum Weighted Average that you wish/need to achieve to be competitive for admission to this module (realizing that the minimum Weighted Average required for admission can go up or down in any given year).

2. Calculate the value for X below, plug in Z as the minimum Weighted Average that you want to achieve, and solve for Y to find out the average you will need on the modular courses you take in Year 3.

(0.33 * X) + (0.67 * Y) = Z

X = the average of the "Modular courses responsible for 1/3 of the Weighted Average"
Y = the average of the "Modular courses responsible for 2/3 of the Weighted Average"
Z = the Weighted Average

Example:
You want to achieve a minimum Weighted Average of 86% (Z) to be competitive for admission to the Honours Specialization in Physiology. You achieved an average of 82% on the six half "Modular courses responsible for 1/3 of the Weighted Average (X).

(0.33 * 82) + (0.67 * Y) = 86

27.06 + (0.67 * Y) = 86

(0.67 * Y) = 58.94

87.97 = Y

You need to achieve an average of 87.97% on (Physiology 3120, 3140A and Phys Pharm 3000E) to achieve a Weighted Average of 86% when applying to Year 4 of an Honours Specialization in Physiology.

Minimum Averages Required for Admission to Honours Specialization modules:

There is not a pre-determined minimum Weighted Average that is required for admission to Year 4 of each Honours Specialization module. There is only a pre-determined maximum capacity for each module and the average of the last student admitted to the module represents the minimum Weighted Average required for admission to that module for that particular year.

See the Minimum Averages Required for Admission to Honours Specialization Modules for each of the Honours Specialization modules for past years.