Mar 29, 2024  
2022-2023 Academic Calendar Mount Royal University 
    
2022-2023 Academic Calendar Mount Royal University [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

First-Year Advising Guide - Open Studies



Welcome to the Open Studies at Mount Royal University!

Congratulations on your admission to Mount Royal University! In your year of Open Studies, you will be able to work with your Academic Advisor on a plan for admission to your intended program. It is important that you understand your academic plan and notify your advisor if your plans change throughout the year.

 

Plan for a future program


Successful admission to Mount Royal programs involves meeting the admission requirements as well as presenting a competitive average for admission to that program

Meet Admission Requirements

  • Every MRU program has a list of specific courses that are required for admission to that program. These requirements can be found on each program’s individual home page under Admission Requirements & Costs.
  • If you are missing an admission requirement you will have until June 30, 2023, to complete it.

Meet Competitive Average

  • You must present a competitive average for admission to most programs at Mount Royal University.
  • Please see the chart below to see what admission category you qualify for based on the number of post-secondary courses you have completed, or plan to complete in the next academic year. 

Apply for your New Program

To be eligible for a new program for Fall 2023 at Mount Royal, it is recommended that you apply during early admission (October 1- February 1). Some programs at Mount Royal have application deadlines for February 1, so please ensure that you are aware of any specific application deadlines that might be in place.

Competitive Admission


Mount Royal uses several different applicant categories for admission evaluation.  The applicant category you fall into will depend on the number of post-secondary credit-level you have completed within a specific time from. The table below explains how the applicant category and competitive averages are calculated.

Admission Categories

High School Mature Post-Secondary
Completes seven or fewer credit courses by June 30, 2023 (including transfer credit). Completes seven or fewer credit courses by June 30, 2023 (including transfer credit).
21 years of age or older by Sept.1, 2023.
Completes four or more credit courses by Dec. 31, 2022 (including transfer credit) AND
Completes eight or more 3-credit courses by June 30, 2023.

 

Competitive Average Calculation
High School Mature Post-Secondary
Competitive average will be based on your top two “Group A” High School subjects (or equivalents) completed by Dec. 31, 2022. Competitive average will be based on your top two “Group A” High School subjects (or equivalents) completed by Dec. 31, 2022. Competitive GPA will be based on the four most recently completed 3-credit courses by Dec. 31, 2022.

Choosing credit classes


  • Every degree at Mount Royal includes General Education (Gen Ed) courses. Open Studies students will be able to find courses from the list of Tier 2 General Education courses .
  • Undergraduate studies UGST 1001 , UGST 1002 , UGST 1003 , and UGST 1004   are courses designed to make you a better university student and can be used as an elective towards most programs.
  • For course descriptions, please follow this link to the online Academic Calendar.
  • Courses from your intended major can sometimes be difficult to get into, but if you can, go ahead! Have a look at the advising guide for the program you intend to take next year for a list of first-year classes in that major. Most first-year courses can be found in Tier 2 General Education, Open Studies students should focus on choosing courses from this area.

Your academic year at a glance


The information below provides possible pathways for students to plan their year in Open Studies.  No matter which applicant category you may fall into, we recommend that you investigate Undergraduate Studies courses (UGST 1001 , UGST 1002 ) as possible course options for this year. 

High School & Mature Applicant Admission Plan

Fall semester

  • Upgrade two strongest Group A subjects to create your strongest competitive average. View Academic Upgrading  courses here. 

  • May add credit-level courses from General Education  (would need 9 credits to be full-time)

Winter & Spring semesters

  • Complete outstanding high school admission requirements
  • Continue completing additional credit-level courses as desired (would need 9 credits to be full-time)


Post-Secondary Applicant Admission Plan

Fall semester

  • Complete four credit-level courses, focussing on courses in your strongest subject areas

Winter & Spring semesters

  • Complete an additional four credit-level courses
  • Complete any outstanding admission requirements

 

Registering for courses


It is your responsibility to register in your courses and ensure that the courses you select meet the program and graduation requirements as outlined in the information above.

Use the online Academic Calendar to explore possible courses of interest and to check that you meet prerequisites. You will register for courses using the registration system found in mymru.ca, Register & Pay tab.

Visit our Tutorials page for useful videos to guide you on using MyMRU, our degree audit system (mruGradU8), and how to register for your courses.

We also have an online tool to help you plan your courses for the year: My Schedule Builder. View schedule options and create a timetable that works best for you. Access My Schedule Builder through your mymru.ca account under the ‘Register&Pay’ tab, in the ‘My Schedule Builder’ section.  

Loan application information


To be a full-time student, you must take three 3-credit courses in a semester (9 credits per semester qualifies as full-time).

Apply through Student Aid AlbertaStudent loan applications will open in June.  Visit the Financing Your Education page for more information about financing your education. 

Academic Advising


We are looking forward to working with you throughout your Open Studies year! Advising appointments are limited to 30 minutes and will not normally cover how to use the registration system. Please review the information above regarding how to use the registration system. You are strongly advised to register for courses before meeting with an advisor. If there are changes to be made, your advisor will discuss them with you.

We are always available to answer your questions by email at advising@mtroyal.ca. Please ensure you are using your .mtroyal.ca email address and always include your MRU ID number and intended program(s). You are encouraged to look at the Academic Advising Guides  for your desired program for possible course suggestions. These guides include a list of courses that a first-year student in the program would take.

You can also read through your Welcome Guide which contains great information about transitioning to MRU and the support services that are available.