Course Restrictions

Western University strives to accommodate course requests from visiting exchange students; however, some programs have limited enrolment, and availability cannot be guaranteed. These restrictions exist because certain courses require specialized prerequisites, priority for Western degree seeking students, have accreditation requirements, or involve experiential components that are not feasible for exchange students. Please review the following guidelines before selecting your courses.

Courses Generally Not available to Exchange Students:

  • Senior Research Thesis/Project
  • Directed Readings
  • Independent Study or similar courses
  • Experiential Learning, Field courses, or Faculty-Led Study Abroad programs

Affiliate colleges (King’s University College and Huron University College)

Courses at the affiliate colleges are heavily restricted and generally not recommended for exchange students

Subjects offered exclusively at affiliates include: Leadership Studies, Global Studies, Chinese Language, East Asian Studies, Jewish Studies, Theology/Religious Studies, Thanatology, Social Work, Disability Studies, Jewish Studies, Social Justice & Peace Studies, and Childhood & Social Institutions. If your degree is in one of these areas, please check whether your home university has an agreement with one of our affiliate colleges.

Faculties/Programs Not Open to Exchange Students

Exchange students cannot enrol in the courses offered by:

  • The Faculty of Education
  • The Faculty of Law
  • Ivey Business School
  • The School of Graduate and Post-doctoral Studies
  • Professional programs in Health Studies
  • Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry

Prerequisites and upper year courses:

  • Consult Western’s Master Timetable for prerequisites, antirequisites, restrictions, and priorities.
  • Requests are reviewed case‑by‑case, based on academic background and completed prerequisites.
  • 4000‑level courses are generally restricted; special permission may be granted depending on availability and qualifications.

Arts and Humanities

Classical Studies

No course restrictions.

English

All English courses other than ENGLISH 1000–2099 require the equivalent of a 1.0 UWO first-year credit in English or Literature Studies (one full year course, or two term courses).

4000 level seminar courses are designed for students in their final year of an honours English degree.

Restricted Courses

  • 4999E

Film Studies

All Film Studies courses other than FILM 1000–2199 require an academic background in film or a related field of study.

French

All students wishing to take French courses at Western University must complete a French Language Placement Test to determine which courses they are eligible to enrol in. Exchange students wishing to take French Linguistics and Literature courses listed at the 3000 and 4000-level should contact french@uwo.ca to determine if they will be able to enrol. These courses require previous academic background in French Linguistics and Literature.

Languages and Cultures

There are Language Placement Tests required for enrolment in the following language courses offered at Western University, to determine which course level would be the best fit:

  • Arabic
  • German
  • Italian
  • Persian
  • Spanish

Philosophy

All courses other than 1000–2999 require an academic background in Philosophy or another field which has listed prerequisites.

Restricted Courses

  • PHILOSOP 2320F/G – Philosophy for Integrated Science
  • 4900 and above are not available to visiting exchange students

Theatre Studies

Theatre Studies is flexible with prerequisites but generally, an academic background in an Arts and Humanities, Communications, or Social Science field is preferred.

No course restrictions.

Visual Arts

Restricted Courses

  • MCS 3660A/B; MCS 2605E; MCS 4605E
  • AH 3660F/G; AH 3694F/G
  • SA 1605; SA 2602A/B; SA 3602A/B; SA 3623; SA 4603; SA 4605

Women’s Studies

Restricted Courses

  • WOMENST 2200–4999 require an academic background in Women’s Studies, Feminist Studies, Gender Studies, or another related field.

Writing Studies

Faculty-Specific Courses

Writing 1030F/G and 2130F/G are restricted to students registered in Western Nursing and Engineering respectively, and would not be open for enrolment by exchange students. Students from Nursing or Engineering programs may, with approval, be considered for these faculty-specific courses.

Restricted Courses

  • Writing 3300F/G
  • Writing 4999E

Engineering

Engineering courses are highly restricted. Exceptions may be considered on a case‑by‑case basis, depending on course availability, enrolment capacity, and whether the student has the necessary prerequisites in a related engineering discipline. Access to engineering courses cannot be guaranteed, and we strongly encourage engineering applicants to remain flexible when planning their exchange study schedule.

Please refer to the specific additional course restrictions for each engineering program:

Biomedical Engineering (BME)

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering (CBE)

Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)

Engineering Science (ES)

Green Process Engineering (GPE)

Mechanical and Materials Engineering (MME)

Restricted

Any MME 2000 or MME 3000 courses

Restricted Courses

  • MME 4452B
  • MME 4453A
  • MME 4459B
  • MME 4470B
  • MME 4480A
  • MME 4492A
  • MME 4410

Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSE)

Software Engineering (SE)

Health Sciences

Health Studies

4000 level courses are restricted, but special permission may be given, based on course availability and the student’s background.

Restricted Courses

  • HS 4995 A/B
  • HS 4996 A/B
  • HS 4997 (Practicum)
  • HS 4970E (Rehab)

Kinesiology

Restricted Courses

  • Anatomy 2221 – Functional Human Anatomy (students wishing to take an Anatomy course could consider Kinesiology 2222A/B and/or Kinesiology 3222)
  • Kinesiology 2991 A/B, 2992 A/B, 2993 A/B (limited access)
  • Kinesiology 3335 – Leadership in Physical Activity
  • Kinesiology 3336A/B – Practical Aspects in Athletic Injuries (students wishing to take an Injuries course could consider Kinesiology 2236B)
  • Kinesiology 3412A/B – Exercise & Chronic Disease
  • Kinesiology 3413A/B – Exercise, Impairment & Aging
  • Kinesiology 3402A/B – Introduction to Professional Kinesiology
  • Kinesiology 4443E – Senior Bioscience Research Project
  • Kinesiology 4444E – BA Senior Research Project
  • Kinesiology 4495 – Practicum
  • Kinesiology 4560A/B – Advanced Topics in Musculoskeletal Rehab
  • Kinesiology 4585 – Athletic Injuries Practicum
  • Kinesiology 4590 – Professional Kinesiology Placement
  • Kinesiology 4995F/G – Practicum
  • Kinesiology 4996F/G – Practicum

Nursing

No courses offered in Nursing are available to exchange students.

Faculty of Information and Media Studies

Please note that Media, Information, and Technoculture, Media and the Public Interest, and Digital Communications courses are coded as “MIT”.

Restricted Courses

  • MIT 2000F/G
  • MIT 2025A/B
  • MIT 2100F/G
  • MIT 2200F/G
  • MIT 2500A/B
  • MIT 3000–4999 (all restricted)

Faculty of Music

Music

Restricted Courses

  • Music 1639U

Dance

No course restrictions.

Medical Sciences

Courses in the following study fields require previous academic background in the field. Please refer to the Bachelor of Medical Science’s webpage for incoming exchange students for a complete list of courses with restrictions.

Science

A background in science courses or a related field is required for all courses offered by this faculty. Please see the prerequisites for individual courses in each program.

Biology

Restricted Courses

  • BIO 4999E (Thesis)
  • BIO 4920F/G
  • BIO 4944G (Seminar)
  • BIO 4583F
  • BIO 4950F/G
  • BIO 3596F/G
  • Genetics

Biochemistry

Restricted Courses

  • 2288A/B
  • 4455F/G
  • 4483E
  • 4999E
  • 4500E

Chemistry

No course restrictions.

Computer Science

Restricted Courses

  • COMPSCI 4490Z
  • COMPSCI 4480Y
  • COMPSCI 4470Y
  • COMPSCI 3380F/G/Z
  • COMPSCI 4460Z
  • COMPSCI 4475A/B

Earth Sciences

EARTHSCI 2000-level courses require completion of one course in each of Calculus, Chemistry, and/or Physics.

EARTHSCI 3000 and 4000-level courses require pre-requisite Earth Science courses that will be evaluated prior to approval.

No course restrictions.

Environmental Science

Restricted Courses

  • 4970
  • 4999

Mathematics

4000 level courses in Mathematics are often cross-listed as graduate courses and are very small, so enrolment may be limited.

No course restrictions.

Physics and Astronomy

Restricted Courses

  • 2950Y – Year Two Seminar
  • 3950Y – Year Three Seminar
  • 4950Y – Year Four Seminar
  • 4999E – Honors Research

Statistical and Actuarial Sciences

Actuarial Science Courses

Restricted Courses

  • AS 1021A/B
  • AS 2427A/B
  • AS 3424A/B
  • AS 4426F/G
  • AS 4824A/B

All other actuarial science courses are open to exchange students, subject to fulfilling the prerequisite requirements.

Statistical Science Courses

Restricted Courses

  • SS 2864A/B
  • SS 3843A
  • SS 3869B
  • SS 4844B
  • SS 2141A
  • SS 2143B
  • SS 4960F/G

Social Science

American Studies

No course restrictions.

Anthropology

All 2000, 3000, and 4000-level courses in Anthropology require an academic background in a related field. Enrolment in these upper-year courses will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

No course restrictions.

Business Administration

Restricted Courses

  • Restrictions not specified.

Commercial Aviation Management

Courses in Commercial Aviation Management are only open to students studying aviation or airport management at their home institution. These courses require an intermediate to advanced level of knowledge of the aviation industry. Please see the DAN Management and Organizational Studies information below.

No course restrictions.

Economics

All courses require background in mathematics or economics. Please see prerequisites for each course to determine if you are eligible to enrol. Eligibility is subject to the approval of the department.

Restricted Courses

  • ECON 2166A
  • ECON 2166B
  • ECON 2288F
  • ECON 3352A
  • ECON 3364G

Indigenous Studies

All courses offered in Indigenous Studies are available to students interested in studying the culture, history, and languages of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada.

No course restrictions.

Geography

Restricted Courses

  • Field camp courses
  • GEOG 3000Y
  • GEOG 3901B

History

Open Courses

HISTORY 2200–4999 requires a background in History or a related field for enrolment. For example, if a student wishes to enrol in an American History course but has not taken a prior History course, a background in American Politics or Literature may be considered an appropriate prerequisite. Enrolment is at the discretion of the department.

No course restrictions.

Linguistics

A background in Linguistics is required for all other courses offered by the Department of Linguistics.

Restricted Courses

  • LINGUIST 4247F/G
  • LINGUIST 4248F/G

DAN Management and Organizational Studies

Restricted Courses

  • MOS 4410A/B – Strategic Management

Political Science

A background in Political Science is required for enrolment in all other courses listed 2200–3999. International Relations courses must be approved by the History Department.

Restricted Courses

  • 4000-level courses have priority given to Western students. Exchange students must wait until priority is lifted to determine availability. Enrolment is very limited.
  • IR 2702E
  • IR 4702E
  • PPE 2200F/G

Psychology

PSYCH 3000–4999 typically have priority given to Western students. Incoming students must wait until priority is lifted to determine if space is available.

No course restrictions.

Sociology

All 3000 and 4000-level Sociology courses have priority given to Western students and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Criminology courses are very popular for Sociology students, so availability may be limited. Some 2000-level courses also have priority given to Western students.

No course restrictions.

Transitional Justice

TJ 3001F/G requires a prerequisite in Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Reconstruction studies or special permission from the instructor.

No course restrictions.