Selecting and customizing your degree
UCalgary is your launch pad. Explore the many ways you can further customize your degree.
As part of your application, you'll be required to select a major
In an upper year, you can customize your degree in several ways.
Step 1: Select your major
Choosing your major is the first big step in your university journey. Your major is the main subject you'll study and focus on throughout your degree. It’s what you’re passionate about and will shape the courses you take. With our tools, guidance and resources, you'll feel confident in making the best choice for your future.
Need help understanding an application term or phrase?
As you prepare to apply for university, view definitions on some common terminology you may encounter throughout the application process.
Unsure about what major to choose?
Explore these tools and resources to learn more:
Degree profiles
This tool helps you find clarity and gain confidence on your career path. These profiles look at potential jobs, key skills and attributes, as well as associations and professional development as they relate to degrees and career paths.
The Career Wheel
Are you looking for some inspiration to start thinking about your career development? The Career Wheel is an excellent place for you to start your planning and review the common stages of the career-development process.
First-Year Degree Guide
Review the First-Year Degree Guide to see which courses are included in your first year of study.
Hear about our student's experiences in their degrees at the Choose UCalgary podcast
Step 2: Customize your degree (optional)
As you move into your upper years, you have the option to make your degree unique to you. You can choose a minor in a subject that interests you, add an embedded certificate to gain extra skills or even take a combined degree option. These choices let you explore different areas and make your education fit your future goals.
Choosing a minor in an upper year
A minor is an optional secondary area of focus that can be added to a degree in an upper year. It requires fewer courses (10-12 courses) than a major. When added, a minor should be completed as part of the standard four-year duration of a degree. The following outlines the list of all minors offered by each faculty. Some minors are competitive in nature and not all minors are available with all major programs.
Architectural Studies
- African Studies
- Anthropology
- Applied Energy Economics
- Arabic Language and Muslim Cultures
- Archaeology
- Chinese
- Communication and Media Studies
- Dance
- Drama
- Economics
- English
- Film Studies
- French
- Gender and Sexuality Studies
- Geography
- German
- Global Development Studies
- Greek and Roman Studies
- History
- History and Philosophy of Science
- International Indigenous Studies
- Italian Studies
- Japanese
- Law and Society
- Linguistics
- Medieval, Renaissance and Reformation Studies
- Museum and Heritage Studies
- Music
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Russian
- Security Studies
- Sociology
- Speech-Language Sciences (open to Linguistics and Psychology majors)
- Urban Studies
- Visual Studies and Art History
- Adapted and Therapeutic Physical Activity
- Bioinformatics
- Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies
- Health and Society
Management and Society
- Aerospace Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Digital Engineering
- Energy and Environment Engineering
- Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Mechatronics
- Petroleum Engineering
- Software Engineering
- Structural Engineering
- Transportation Engineering
- Actuarial Science
- Astrophysics
- Biological Sciences
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Data Science
- Energy Science
- Geology
- Geophysics
- Mathematics
- Nanoscience
- Physics
- Statistics
Integrating an embedded certificate in an upper year
Embedded certificates are completed as part of a bachelor’s degree, at no extra cost. They're designed to focus on a thematic area and be available to students across faculties. An embedded certificate totals 4-8 courses (12-24 units) and is typically integrated with your degree in upper years.
Taking a combined degree option
A combined degree is when a student registers in two different bachelor’s degrees (including honours degrees) at the same time and graduates from both degrees concurrently. Degrees can be combined in the same faculty or across two faculties and take a minimum of five years to complete. Explore our combined degree options below.
| Faculties | Degree | Years | Major |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arts | BA/BA, BA/BSc, BSc/BSc BFA/BA, or BFA/BSc | 5 | Most Majors in Arts (see Faculty of Arts 3.3.5 Combined Degrees) |
| Arts/Science | BA/BA, BA/BSc, BSc/BA, or BSc/BSc | 5 | All Majors in Arts/All Majors in Science |
| Arts/Werklund School of Education | BA/BEd, BFA/BEd, BMus/BEd, or BSc/BEd | 5 | See Werklund School of Education 4.3 Five-Year BEd (Concurrent) Program for a list of eligible Majors in Arts/Education. (see the Concurrent Degree Combinations) |
| Cumming School of Medicine/Arts | BCR/BA or BSc/BCR | 5 | Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies/Psychology |
| Haskayne School of Business/Arts | BComm/BA or BComm/BSc | 5 | See Haskayne School of Business - Combined Programs for a list of eligible Majors in Arts/Commerce |
| Haskayne School of Business/Kinesiology | BComm/BKin | 5 | Commerce/Kinesiology (Kinesiology) |
| Haskayne School of Business/Science | BComm/BSc | 5 | Commerce/Actuarial Science, Mathematics or Computer Science |
| Kinesiology/Arts | BKin/BA | 5 | Kinesiology (Kinesiology)/Dance |
| Kinesiology/Werklund School of Education | BKin/BEd | 5 | Kinesiology/Education (see the Concurrent Degree Combinations) |
| Schulich School of Engineering/Arts | BSc (Eng)/BA or BSc | 5 | All Majors in Schulich/All Majors in Arts |
| Schulich School of Engineering/Haskayne School of Business | BSc/BComm | 5 | Majors in Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Geomatics, Mechanical, Oil and Gas, Software, or Sustainable Systems Engineering, or Engineering Physics, in Schulich/Commerce. |
| Schulich School of Engineering/Science | BSc/BSc | 5 | All BSc majors in Science and all majors in Schulich. See Schulich School of Engineering |
| Science | BSc/BSc or BSc/BA | 5 | Most Majors in Science (see Faculty of Science Regulation) |
| Science/Werklund School of Education | BSc/BEd | 5 | General Mathematics/Education, Natural Sciences/Education (see the Concurrent Degree Combinations) |
Additional ways to enhance your university experience
Explore options to pursue work-integrated learning, conduct original research or participate in a study abroad opportunity.
Campus tours
The best way to get to know your future campus is to experience it through a virtual or in-person campus tour. Guided by one of our current students, you’ll explore our classrooms, residences, athletic facilities and more.