Things I wish I knew during my first year in Social Sciences

How do I know which programme I've been accepted for?
Am I a full-time or part-time student?
What does being full-time or part-time mean?
To which department do I belong?
Who is my academic advisor?
Can I change my major?
How do I know which courses to take?
How many courses can I take at a time?
Is there a meaning behind the course code?
Where can I find the booklists?
Is there a particular order in which I need take courses?
Uuh. What's a prerequisite course?
So much reading.which of these documents are really important?
I'm having difficulty. Where can I go for help?
How can I get a locker?


Hello all:
Most of you are embarking on a new and exciting phase of your life and are expected to have many questions about what lies ahead. Here are some of the questions that we have been asked:

Things I wish I knew during my first year in Social Sciences.

How do I know which programme I've been accepted for?

Your acceptance letter will indicate the programme in which you've been offered a place. In some instances, this may differ from the programme of first choice.
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Am I a full-time or part-time student?

Your acceptance letter will indicate what place you have been offered. If your letter offered you placement in a three year programme, then you are a full-time student. If you were offered a place in a four year programme then you are a part-time student for at least the first two years at UWI.
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What does being full-time or part-time mean?

This affects the number of courses you can register for in a semester.

Please note that this table is based on programmes within this Faculty only.
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To which department do I belong?

This depends on the programme in which you're enrolled. The Faculty of Social Sciences is comprised of three departments. Below is a list of disciplines for which each department is responsible. Consult your Faculty Handbook for details of your specific programme. Note that if you are pursuing a double major the major listed first indicates the Department responsible for that programme. For e.g. B.Sc. Economics and Accounting is managed through the Department of Economics.

Department of Economics
. Economics
. Banking and Finance

Department of Management
. Management
. Accounting
. Tourism
. Hospitality

Department of Government, Sociology and Social Work
. Political Science
. Psychology
. Sociology
. Social Work

Please note that the following programmes are coordinated in the Dean's Office:
. . B.Sc. Labour and Employment Relations
. . B.Sc. Social Sciences
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Who is my academic advisor?

The Head of Department for your programme will indicate who is available to give academic counseling.
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Can I change my major?

Not in this first academic year. However continuing students can complete a change of option form usually from February through July. Students expecting to graduate in the current academic year cannot change their major.
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How do I know which courses to take?

This depends on the programme into which you've been accepted. Your acceptance letter will indicate the programme in which you've been offered a place. This may differ from your programme of first choice.

Each programme is made up of three Levels: Level I, Level II, and Level III. In order to complete your degree you are required to complete the courses set out at each Level. Most courses within the Faculty are worth 3 credits. For this faculty you must complete 30 credits (equivalent to 10 courses) in each Level.

The Faculty Handbook and your Departmental Handbook provides a detailed list of courses that are required for each Level in your programme. Just follow the list provided.
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How many courses can I take at a time?

Your placement letter will indicate whether you have been accepted as a part-time student or as a full-time student. As a part-time student you are allowed to register for a minimum of 2 courses and a maximum of 3 courses per semester. As a full-time student you are required to register for a minimum of 4 courses and a maximum of 5 courses per semester.
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Is there a meaning behind the course code?

Yes. Each course code is made up of alphabetic characters and four numeric characters for example ACCT1003. The letters ACCT indicates that this course is from the ACCOUNTING discipline which is delivered through the Department of Management Studies. The first number 1 indicates that this is a Level 1 course. Note that if the first number is 2 that indicates a Level II course; if the first number is 3 that indicates a Level III course.

Below is a list of prefixes and its department/discipline

Department of Economics
. Economics: ECON
. Banking and Finance: FINA

Department of Management
. Accounting: ACCT
. Management: MGMT
. Marketing: MKTG
. Tourism: TOUR

Department of Government, Sociology and Social Work
. Political Science: GOVT
. Psychology: PSYC
. Sociology: SOCI
. Social Work: SOWK


Here are some out-of-Faculty course code prefixes that you may encounter:

Faculty of Humanities and Education
. Foundation Course: FOUN
. History: HIST

Faculty of Law
. Law: LAW

Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences
. Mathematics: MATH
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Where can I find the booklists?

Each course's booklist can be found in the department responsible for delivering the course (see Is there meaning behind the course code?). Each booklist should also be available through the Department's webpage.
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Is there a particular order in which I need take courses?

It is strongly recommended that you complete the courses offered at a particular Level before attempting courses at another Level. This is especially important for Level 1 of your programme. These courses collectively ground you as a tertiary level student allowing you to become accustomed to the magnitude and quality of work expected at this stage of your academic development. It therefore provides a solid foundation on which to build as you advance in your disciplines at Levels II and III of your programme.

You will be able to register for a course once it is available to your programme and you have passed the prerequisite(s), if any, for that course. Note that Level I FSS courses have no prerequisite(s).
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Uuh.What's a prerequisite course?

A prerequisite is a course that is required before you can register for another course. The prerequisite course provides many of the foundational concepts required for the more advanced course. If a course in which you are interested has more than one prerequisite, you must pass each before you can register for that course. Consult your Departmental or Faculty books for course details, including prerequisites.

For e.g.

MGMT2023 - FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Prerequisites:
ECON1005 Introductory Statistics
ACCT1002 Introduction to Financial Accounting

This means that you must have passed both ECON1005 and ACCT1002 before being allowed to register for MGMT2023.
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Is it true that Level I courses don't matter?

While it is true that the grades earned for your Level I courses are not used to calculate the GPA to determine the class of degree that you will be awarded on completion of your programme, these grades do appear on your transcript and does form part of your academic history. The Level I year(s) should be used to build the skills and competencies necessary to be successful in your academic pursuits and indeed your career. Many of you are balancing not only your studies but also work and a family and other obligations. The Level I year(s) allows you to develop a plan suited to your individual situation without penalizing you should you encounter difficulties.
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So much reading.which of these documents are really important?

In a nutshell, all of them are. As a new student you have received letters, booklets even books. Each of these documents are relevant to you in some way whether it's your acceptance letter - which tells you the programme that you've been offered, the Examination Regulations, your New Students Handbook- which takes you through the registration procedure, your Faculty Handbook- which gives the Faculty regulations and overview of the programmes or your Departmental Booklet - which gives you more specific detail about departmental courses. Many students encounter difficulties that can be alleviated or have questions that can be answered quite easily if one or more of these documents are referenced.
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I'm having difficulty. Where can I go for help?

This depends on the difficulty or challenge that you are facing:
. For course specific information go to your lecturer.
. For information with regards to your schedule, classes, submission of assignments, handouts and so on go to your Department Office.
. For academic advice go to your Head of Department or nominee.
. For information relating to taking any time away from campus, exemptions, changing your major, go to the Faculty Office.
. Additionally please note that the Office of Student Services provides counseling services.
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How can I get a locker?

Lockers are available for rental in the first week of the Academic Year and you can apply for it in the Dean's Office, Faculty of Social Sciences. Once you have rented a locker, it is yours for the academic year i.e. from September to May.
N.B. There are only 75 lockers available to Social Sciences students so be there early if you want one!!
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