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First-Year Academic Advising

Welcome to MSVU!

You are at the beginning of an exciting educational journey. We are excited and proud that you have joined our community and look forward to supporting you throughout your program!

The information you will find on this page will help you make a smooth transition to the Mount. You’ll access the first-year course selection guide for your program, read about what to do after being accepted, learn about steps to take throughout your first year, discover how to use the academic calendar, and review some university terminology.

What To Do After Being Accepted

Confirm your attendance: Confirm your attendance by paying your confirmation deposit. Confirming your attendance will guarantee you a seat in your program and allow you to register for courses. Visit our Payment Centre and select the confirmation deposit that applies to you from the drop-down menu. Have any questions about the confirmation deposit? Contact our Financial Services office.

Review your First-Year Course Selection Guide: Every program has required courses as well as electives. Download your first-year course selection guide (below) to learn what courses you should take. You can view course descriptions and program information in the Academic Calendar.

Get to know myMount: myMount is the online student portal where you can register for courses, view financial information, access moodle courses and your student email account, and read about Mount news and events. You will receive a username and password for myMount after you have been accepted.

Plan your Ideal Schedule: Before registering for courses, you should create a draft schedule by searching for the courses you wish to take in myMount and adding them to your schedule in the Registration Centre. You can also use a blank schedule template to map out your ideal schedule for the upcoming year.

Seek Academic Advising: We encourage you to attend our Early Advising and Registration event in the Spring for assistance choosing your first-year courses and registering. If you are unable to attend or have additional questions, you can book an appointment with an academic advisor any time. An advisor can help you select and schedule courses, plan your program, refer you to other on-campus student support services, and more. Academic Advisors are here to support you at every stage of your program. Go to our booking page or email advising@msvu.ca to book an appointment.
Helpful Tip: Be sure to take your ideal schedule to your academic advising appointment to review with an advisor.

Register for your courses via myMount: All course registration is completed online via the Registration Centre in myMount. Check out our video on how to register for courses in the “How to Register for Courses” section of this webpage.

Check out our Next Steps Hub for new students. The Hub covers next steps for all aspects of university life.

Review Your First-Year Course Selection Guide (Listed by Program)

All programs have specific requirements. Use the course selection guide for your program to help you choose your first-year courses.

Bachelor of Science Applied Human Nutrition

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Arts Communications

Bachelor of Public Relations

Bachelor of Business Administration

Diploma in Business Administration

Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management

Diploma in Tourism and Hospitality Management

Bachelor of Arts Child and Youth Study

Beyond your first year, you can use your program checklist to determine your remaining requirements.

Explore Courses Open To First-Year Students

The courses listed below are open to first-year students.

Courses marked with an asterisk (*) have a prerequisite (either first semester or concurrent), or require permission of the instructor. Check the Undergraduate Academic Calendar for further information.

APPLIED HUMAN NUTRITION
NUTR 1010*Introduction to the Profession (prerequisite: Admission to BSc AHN)
NUTR 1102*Foods I (NUTR 102L lab required) (prerequisite: Grade XII Chemistry or CHEM 1005)
NUTR 1103*Foods II (NUTR 103L lab required) (prerequisite: Grade XII Chemistry or CHEM 1005)
NUTR 1106 Introduction to Nutrition
NUTR 2211 Intermediate Human Nutrition (prerequisite: NUTR 1106 and Grade XII Chem or CHEM 1005)
NUTR 2240 Nutrition, Health and Safety for the Developing Child and Adolescent
NUTR 2300 Nutrition for Fitness and Sport (prerequisite: NUTR 1106 and Grade XII Chem or CHEM 1005)

BIOLOGY
BIOL 1114   Human Reproduction, Growth & Maturation (not a credit towards a major in Biology)
BIOL 1152   Introductory Biology I (BIOL 152L lab required)
BIOL 1153   Introductory Biology II (BIOL 153L lab required)

BUSINESS
BUSI 1112 Introduction to Business Administration
BUSI 2011 Introduction to Entrepreneurship
BUSI 2012 Work and Career in the Modern Global Environment
BUSI 2060 Personal Finance
BUSI/THMT 2202 Communications and Self-Management Skills
BUSI 2214 Organizational Behaviour: Individuals in Organizations
BUSI 2215 Organizational Behaviour: Groups, Structure and Culture
BUSI 2230 Principles of Marketing
BUSI 2231 Applied Marketing (prerequisite: BUSI 2230)
BUSI 2250 Business Ethics
BUSI 2259 Legal Aspects of Business
BUSI/THMT 2307 Mi’kmaw/Indigenous Tourism
BUSI 2321 Introductory Accounting I
BUSI 2322* Introductory Accounting II (prerequisite: BUSI 2321)
BUSI 2430* Social Media for Tourism (prerequisite: BUSI 2230)
BUSI 2601 Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector

CANADIAN STUDIES
CANA/POLS 1001 Government, Law, and Leaders
CANA/POLS 1002 State, Democracy, and Change in the Global Era
CANA/POLS 1102 Citizenship, Identity, and Diversity in Canada
CANA/HIST 1121 Canoes and Colonialism: A History of Canada to Confederation
CANA/HIST 1122 Consolidation and Conflict: A History of Canada from Confederation
CANA/POLS 2201 Law, Government, and Politics in Canada
CANA/POLS 2202 People, Power, and Politics in Canada
CANA/CULS 2301 Black Culture in Canada

CHEMISTRY
CHEM 1003 Chemistry of Everyday Life
CHEM 1005* Chemical Concepts (CHEM 105L lab required) (prerequisite: Grade XI or XII academic Math ,Math 0027 or Math 1102)
CHEM 1011* General Chemistry I (CHEM 111L lab required) (prerequisite: Grade XII Chem and Grade XI and XII academic Math)
CHEM 1012* General Chemistry II (CHEM 112L lab required) (prerequisite: CHEM 1011)

CHILD & YOUTH STUDY
CHYS 1110 Introduction to Child and Youth Care
CHYS 1120* Essentials of Child and Youth Care Practice (open only to students enrolled in the BA (CYS) degree)
CHYS 1130 Theoretical Frameworks in Child and Youth Study

COMMUNICATION STUDIES/PUBLIC RELATIONS
COMM 1015 Introduction to Communication Technology
COMM/PBRL 2013 Communication: Theory and Practice
COMM 2016 Audiovisual Communications
COMM 2025 Introduction to Social Media
COMM 2101 Relational Communication
COMM/PBRL 2211 Introduction to Public Speaking
PBRL 1010* Foundations of Public Relations (prerequisite: Admission to the Bachelor of Public Relations program)
PBRL 2012* Writing: Theory & Practice (prerequisite: Admission to the Bachelor of Public Relations program)

COMPUTER SCIENCE
CMPS/INTE 1024 Information Technology Fundamentals
CMPS 1155* Introduction to Computer Programming (prerequisite: Grade XI or XII academic math)
CMPS/INTE 1161* Introduction to Media Computing (prerequisite: Grade XI or XII academic math)

CULTURAL STUDIES
CULS 1101 Cultural Studies: An Introduction
CULS 2201 Cultural Studies: Critical Debates
CULS 2202 Music and Culture
CULS 2203 History of Rock and Roll
CULS 2207 Drama in Cultural Context
CULS 2209/RELS 2201 Evil
CULS/POLS 2246 Image and Power
CULS 2293 Understanding Movies
CULS 2294 Film Genres
CULS 2297 Animated Film
CULS/CANA 2301 Black Culture in Canada

ECONOMICS
ECON 1101 Introduction to Microeconomics (prerequisite: Grade 12 Mathematics)
ECON 1102 Introduction to Macroeconomics (prerequisite: ECON 1101)

ENGLISH
WRIT 1120 Writing Theory and Practice
ENGL 1155 Introduction to Literature: Gender and Form (This course is 1.0 unit so it will run from Sept until April)
ENGL 1170 Introduction to Literature: Literary Genres
ENGL 1171 Introduction to Literature: Literary Transformations
NOTE: Students may not take both ENGL 1155 (1.0 unit) & ENGL 1170/1171 for credit. WRIT 1120 cannot be used toward the major or minor in English.
FAMILY STUDIES AND GERONTOLOGY
FSGN 1100 Introduction to Family Studies
FSGN 1101 Introduction to Gerontology
FSGN 2100 Health Aging
FSGN/PHIL 2202 The Roots of Peace and Conflict
FSGN 2212 Perspectives on Parent-Child Relations Across the Life Course
FSGN 2312 Resilient Families
FSGN 2315 Program Planning in Family Life

HISTORY
HIST 1102 The West and the World: From the Middles Ages to the Enlightenment
HIST 1103 The West and the World: From the French Revolution to the Modern Day
HIST 1121 Canoes and Colonialism: A History of Canada to Confederation
HIST 1122 Consolidation and Conflict: A History of Canada from Confederation
HIST 2200 History of Greece
HIST 2201 History of Rome
HIST 2207 History of European Women from the Eighteenth Century to the Modern Day
HIST 2211 Explorers, Artists and Reformers: Renaissance and Reformation Europe
HIST/POLS 2219 Canadian Foreign Policy
HIST 2225 Canadian Environmental History
HIST 2230 History of the Atlantic Colonies to Confederation
HIST 2231 History of the Atlantic Colonies Since Confederation
HIST 2234 Firebrands, Flappers and Feminists
HIST/RELS 2237 American Religious History
HIST 2251 Plagues and Peoples: A World History of Epidemics
HIST 2255 History of Food from Gatherers to Gourmands
HIST 2261 A History of Pirates
HIST 2265 An Introduction to African Civilizations
HIST 2281 History of Childhood: The European Experience
HIST 2282 History of Childhood: The North American Experience
HIST 2288 The Soviet Experiment
HIST 2300 A History of Ancient Egypt

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
INTE/CMPS 1024 Information Technology Fundamentals
INTE/CMPS 1161 Intro to Media Computing (prerequisite: Grade XI or XII academic math)

LIBRARY
LIBR 2100 Introduction to Research in the Information Age

MATHEMATICS
Students must take the Math placement test to register for Pre-calculus (MATH 1102), Calculus (MATH 1113), or Math 2500 (Statistical modeling and data analysis). Visit www.msvu.ca/mathematics for information on how and when to write the placement test. Students who will be taking MATH 2208 are advised to take a self-test online at www.msvu.ca/mathematics. Contact MSVUMath@msvu.ca if you have questions. NOTE: Students taking MATH 2208 and MATH 2209 via distance are required to register for a lab offered via distance. The distance labs are identified as MATH 208D and MATH 209D.

MATH 0027 Statistics and Math Preparation (non-credit)
MATH 1102 Pre-calculus I: Algebraic Functions
MATH 1103* Pre-calculus II: Transcendental Functions (prerequisite: MATH1102)
MATH 1113* Introductory Calculus I (prerequisite: high school precalculus mathematics and mathematics placement test, or MATH 1103)
MATH 1114* Introductory Calculus II (prerequisite: MATH 1113)
MATH 2208* Introduction to Statistics I (lab required-MATH 208L or MATH 208D) (prerequisite: Grade XI or XII academic Math or Math 0027 with a grade of C or higher)
MATH 2209* Introduction to Statistics II (lab required-MATH 209L or MATH 209D) (prerequisite: MATH 2208)
MATH 2500* Statistical Modeling and Data Analysis (prerequisite: Math placement test or MATH 1102)

MODERN LANGUAGES (CHINESE)
CHIN 2288 Introduction to Chinese Culture

MODERN LANGUAGES (FRENCH)
Students are advised to take a placement test to determine which course they should take.
FREN 1101 Basic Practical French I
FREN 1102 Basic Practical French II
FREN 2201 Practical French I
FREN 2202 Practical French II
FREN 2205 Practical French III
FREN 2206 Practical French IV
FREN 2214 Intermediate Grammar & Composition I
FREN 2215 Intermediate Grammar & Composition II
FREN 2253 Introduction to French Literature I
FREN 2254 Introduction to French Literature II

MODERN LANGUAGES (SPANISH)
SPAN 1101 Beginning Spanish I
SPAN 1102* Beginning Spanish II (prerequisite: SPAN 1101 or equivalent)

PHILOSOPHY
PHIL 1010 Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL/FSGN 2202 The Roots of Peace and Conflict
PHIL 2212 Freedom and Responsibility
PHIL/POLS 2214 Social and Political Justice
PHIL 2220 Reasoning and Argumentation
PHIL/RELS 2229 Contemporary Moral Problems

PHYSICS
PHYS 1101* General Physics I (PHYS 101L lab required) (prerequisite: Math 1103 or high school precalculus Math and placement into MATH 1113)
PHYS 1102* General Physics II (PHYS 102L Lab required) (prerequisite: PHYS 1101)
PHYS 1120 Introduction to Astronomy I: The Sky and Planets
PHYS 1130 Introduction to Astronomy II: Stars and Galaxies

POLITICAL STUDIES
POLS/CANA 1001 Government, Law, and Leaders
POLS/CANA 1002 State, Democracy, and Change in the Global Era
POLS/CANA 1102 Citizenship, Identity, and Diversity in Canada
POLS/CANA 2201 Law, Government, and Politics in Canada
POLS/CANA 2202 People, Power, and Politics in Canada
POLS 2203 Introduction to Public Policy and the Public Interest
POLS/PHIL 2208 Introduction to Political Philosophy
POLS/PHIL 2214 Social and Political Justice
POLS/HIST 2216 Allies and Anti-Americanism: A History of Canadian American Relations
POLS/HIST 2219 Canadian Foreign Policy
POLS/WOMS 2223 Women and Politics
POLS 2244 Contemporary World Events and Issues
POLS/CULS 2246 Image and Power
POLS/WOMS 2300 Global Women and Gender Issues

PSYCHOLOGY
PSYC 1110 Introduction to Psychology as a Natural Science
PSYC 1120 Introduction to Psychology as a Social Science
*Students who complete PSYC 1110 in Fall semester may take PSYC/BIOL 2217 in the Winter.
*Students who complete PSYC 1120 in Fall semester may take: PSYC 2213 and PSYC 2270 in the Winter semester.

RELIGIOUS STUDIES
RELS 1020 Western Religious Traditions
RELS 2201/CULS 2209 Evil
RELS/PHIL 2229 Contemporary Moral Problems
RELS/HIST 2237 American Religious History

SOCIOLOGY/ANTHROPOLOGY
SOAN 1502 Questioning Society
SOAN 2500* Introduction to Social Theory (prerequisite: SOAN 1502)
SOAN 2520* Family Marriage & Kinship (prerequisite: SOAN 1502)
SOAN 2531* Making a Living (prerequisite: SOAN 1502)
SOAN 2540* Power, Inequality & Social Justice (prerequisite: SOAN 1502)
SOAN 2550* Diversity & Identity (prerequisite: SOAN 1502)
SOAN/WOMS 2570* Gender & Society (prerequisite: SOAN 1502)
SOAN 2580* Deviance (prerequisite: SOAN 1502)

TOURISM & HOSPITALITY
THMT 1101 Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality
THMT 1116 Introduction to Food Service Management (THMT 116L lab required)
THMT 1201 Health and Safety Regulations in Tourism Management
THMT 2201*Alternate Forms of Tourism (prerequisite: THMT 1101)
THMT/BUSI 2202 Communications and Self-Management Skills
THMT 2205 Human Geography for Tourism and Business
THMT 2216* Planning and Management of Food Service Operations (THMT 216L lab required) (prerequisite: THMT 1201 and either THMT 1116 or NUTR 1103)
THMT 2244* Sustainable Tourism (prerequisite: THMT 1101)
THMT 2301* Tour Operations and Management (prerequisite: THMT 1101)
THMT/BUSI 2307 Mi’kmaw/Indigenous Tourism
THMT/BUSI 2430 Social Media for Tourism (prerequisite: BUSI 2230)

WOMEN’S STUDIES
WOMS 1110 Focus on Women I
WOMS 1112 Focus on Women II
WOMS 1114 Introduction to Queer Studies
WOMS 2221 Women and Health
WOMS/POLS 2223 Women and Politics
WOMS 2231 Women and Culture
WOMS/PSYC 2265 Psychology of Gender (prerequisite: WOMS 1110 or PSYC 1110 & 1120)
WOMS 2281 Women and Caregiving
WOMS/POLS 2300 Global Women and Gender Issues
WOMS/SOAN 2570* Gender & Society (prerequisite: SOAN 1502)

How To Select and Schedule Your Courses

1. Select your courses: Use the first-year course selection guide above, along with the list of courses open to first-year students (also above) to select the courses you will take in your first year.

Helpful Tip: Select two or three back-up choices for each semester…sometimes, courses fill up quickly.

2. Schedule your courses: Use myMount to search for the courses you want to take. Some courses have required labs and they must be scheduled (and registered for) separately. Some courses and labs will have multiple sections. Choose the section at the time that works best for you.

Helpful Tip: When you select courses in the Registration Centre in myMount, you can view your schedule to ensure there are no conflicts before registering for courses. If you prefer, you can use a blank schedule template to map out your ideal schedule for the upcoming year.

More Helpful Information

Click on the courses you wish to take in myMount to read the course descriptions. You can also read the course descriptions in the Academic Calendar. This will help you decide which courses you wish to take.
Most courses are 0.5 unit. This means they run for one semester. Some courses are 1.0 unit. This means they run from September to April.
Most courses take place two times per week for one hour and fifteen minutes. Some courses only take place once per week for two and a half hours.
We offer a variety of online courses every semester. Typically, online courses are identified by their section numbers (ex. 18, 19, 20, etc.). Online courses may be offered in a variety of ways. Visit our online learning department to learn more about the different course delivery modes.
See the video below on how to use myMount to register for your courses.

How To Register for Courses

You can register for courses through the Registration Centre in your myMount account. Follow the steps in this video for assistance.

myMount Registration

Steps To Take Throughout Your First Year

Complete Mount 101: Mount 101 is a free, online program designed to help you learn more about the Mount and build on what you already know about being a student. Mount Mentors are students who can answer your questions about Mount 101 and other aspects of university life. Learn more about the Mount 101 and Mount Mentor program.

Learn your program requirements: Being aware of what your program entails in your first year will help you plan your program successfully. Knowing your requirements will ensure you take the appropriate prerequisites and give you the opportunity to take interesting electives. You can keep track of your progress using your program checklist. While you are responsible for keeping track of your degree requirements, an academic advisor will help you with the process. Go to our online booking page or email advising@msvu.ca to book an appointment. On-Campus, Online and Telephone appointments are available.

Ask for help: If you are having trouble adjusting to university course loads, are unsure about what courses to take, or have general questions about university, there are many people on campus you can ask for help, including academic advisors, professors, counsellors, tutors, etc. We are all here to support you throughout your time at the Mount.

Prepare for additional study time: For every hour you spend in class, expect to spend 2-3 additional hours working on homework.

Meet with an academic advisor: You should meet with an academic advisor before you register for your first-year courses and again when you are about to declare your major and/or select your second year courses. You can also meet with an advisor at any time throughout the year when you have questions or would like to talk about your program. While you are responsible for keeping track of your degree requirements, an academic advisor will help you with the process. Go to our online booking page or email advising@msvu.ca to book an appointment. On-Campus, Online and Telephone appointments are available.

Start thinking about your major: You will be required to declare your major before you begin your sixth unit of coursework. If you are unsure what to major in, book an appointment with an academic advisor to discuss it or check out our section on choosing a major.

Get to know the Mount community: Check out the services available to you such as the Learning Strategist, Career Planning Centre, Writing Centre.

Take time for yourself: It is important to stay balanced while at university. Extracurricular activities can help you relax after a day of studying. Find something that you enjoy, whether it be listening to or playing music, spending time with friends, joining a club or society on campus, or playing a sport or joining the gym, there is something for every student at the Mount. Try something new and have fun!