What Are Undergraduate Courses and How Do You Choose the Right Ones?

Undergraduate courses are the credit-bearing courses you take during a bachelor's degree or diploma — the first level of post-secondary study, taken before any graduate work. You choose them by matching your interests and career direction against a program's structure (major, minor, electives, general requirements) and then checking that you meet the admission conditions, such as prerequisite subjects, language requirements and deadlines. The steps below apply to any university; Concordia University in Montreal is used as a concrete example of how to find and evaluate programs.

Undergraduate vs. graduate courses

The distinction is about level, not difficulty alone.

At Concordia, the top-level "Study at Concordia" menu separates Undergraduate, Graduate, Continuing education and Executive education. If you are entering from high school or CEGEP, you are looking at the undergraduate stream.

How an undergraduate program is actually structured

A bachelor's degree is rarely one single subject. Most programs combine several course types:

• Major or specialization — the core subject you graduate in (for example, a major within the Faculty of Arts and Science or the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science).
• Minor or elective courses — secondary subjects or free choices that let you broaden or complement your major.
• General education / breadth requirements — courses outside your main field that the university requires for graduation.
• Prerequisites — specific courses you must complete before taking a more advanced one.

This structure is why two students in the same major can take quite different course loads. When you compare programs, compare the required core, not just the program name.

How to find and shortlist undergraduate courses

1. Start with the program search. Concordia's homepage offers "Find your program" with a search box and a "Browse all programs" option. Use it to filter by subject and level.
2. Narrow by faculty or school. Concordia organizes programs under the Faculty of Arts and Science, the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, the Faculty of Fine Arts, and the John Molson School of Business. Knowing the faculty tells you who administers the program and often what its strengths are.
3. Read the program page for requirements. Check the listed courses, any stated prerequisites, and whether the program has a portfolio, audition or extra application step (common in Fine Arts).
4. Attend an information session or open house. Concordia runs in-person and virtual information sessions for future students and an Open House (the homepage lists one on Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., with registration required). These are the fastest way to ask about admission specifics.
5. Confirm deadlines and documents. Application deadlines, language requirements and required transcripts vary by program and by whether you are a Canadian or international applicant — verify them on the admissions pages rather than assuming.

What to check before you apply

• Prerequisites: Does the program require specific secondary-school or CEGEP courses (for example, mathematics or science)?
• Language requirements: What proof of English or French proficiency is accepted, and at what level?
• Application deadline: Is it the same for all applicants, or earlier for international students or portfolio programs?
• Program length and format: Full-time, part-time, co-op or internship options change how long the degree takes.
• Campus: Concordia has two campuses (Sir George Williams and Loyola); some programs are based primarily on one.

A practical way to decide

Write down three things: the subject you want to study in depth, the skills you want to leave with, and any hard constraints (location, language, budget, schedule). Then check each shortlisted program against those three. If a program's required core matches your first item and its format fits your constraints, it belongs on your list. If it only matches the name but not the core courses, it does not.

For a university like Concordia, the "Find your program" search plus a future-student information session gives you both the official requirements and a chance to ask the questions the website does not answer.