Prerequisite & Course Upgrading Strategy

This document describes the strategy for generating a unified list of recommended courses for SpaceCat, based on the prerequisites and GPA requirements of all Strong fit and Moderate fit programs across nursing, OT, MSW, and MD.

Purpose

SpaceCat needs to take additional courses to: 1. Satisfy prerequisites for as many target programs as possible 2. Raise her effective GPA by filling the “most recent N credits” window with strong grades 3. Do both simultaneously — each course taken should ideally satisfy a prereq AND count toward the GPA window of multiple programs

This document is designed to be re-run as programs are added or tiers change.

Scope

Included programs: All programs rated Strong fit or Moderate fit in the SpaceCat Fit Notes. Reach programs are also tracked (marked separately) because some become viable if SpaceCat upgrades successfully.

Excluded programs: Not viable (French-only, BSW-only, residency-locked, suspended).

Strategy

Step 1: Extract prerequisites from each program

For each included program file, extract: - Every required prerequisite course (subject area, specific topics if noted) - Minimum grade required for each prereq - Time limit (e.g., “within 5 years”) - Whether online delivery is accepted - Whether a lab component is required

Source: the ### Prerequisites section of each program file, parsed from the markdown table and surrounding text.

Step 2: Extract GPA window info

For each included program, extract: - Number of credits in the GPA window - Type: “most recent” / “best” / “cumulative” / “prereq-only” - Whether post-degree upgrading courses count

Source: the ### GPA section and SpaceCat Fit Notes item 2.

Step 3: Normalize course subjects

Different programs use different names for the same course. Normalize to standard subject areas:

Step 4: Build the cross-reference matrix

For each normalized course, list: - Which Strong fit programs require it - Which Moderate fit programs require it - Which Reach programs require it (for awareness) - The strictest minimum grade across all programs requiring it - The strictest time limit - Whether any program requires a lab component - Known online providers that are accepted

Step 5: Rank courses by value

Score each course by: - Number of Strong fit programs it satisfies (weight: 3) - Number of Moderate fit programs it satisfies (weight: 2) - Number of Reach programs it satisfies (weight: 1) - GPA window coverage — bonus if the course also fills the GPA window for programs that use “most recent N credits” calculation - Dual-purpose bonus — courses that are prerequisites AND fill the GPA window are more valuable than courses that do only one

Step 6: Generate the recommended course list

Produce a prioritized list of ~10-15 courses, grouped into tiers:

Must-take — satisfies 5+ programs across multiple disciplines Strongly recommended — satisfies 3-4 programs or is critical for a key Strong fit program Situational — satisfies 1-2 programs or is discipline-specific

For each course, the output includes: - Course name / subject area - Which programs it enables (with discipline and tier) - Minimum grade to aim for (highest minimum across all programs) - Time limit (strictest across all programs) - Whether lab is required - Recommended online providers - Whether it also fills GPA windows (and for which programs)

Step 7: Suggest a course sequence

Given that SpaceCat likely takes ~10 courses in a single year: - Which 10 courses maximize coverage across the most Strong/Moderate fit programs? - What’s the optimal order or semester grouping? - Are there prerequisite chains (e.g., anatomy before pathophysiology)?

Output Files

• prereq-strategy.md — this document (strategy + learnings)
• recommended-courses.md — the actual prioritized course list for SpaceCat

Learnings (updated after first execution — March 2026)

1. Many Strong/Moderate fit programs have NO prerequisites. 10 of 28 programs require no specific courses at all (McMaster MD, TMU MD, McMaster OT, Queen’s OT, U of T OT, Dalhousie MSW, Calgary MSW, UNBC MSW, UVic MSW, Queen’s MD). For these, the only value of courses is GPA improvement.

2. Statistics is the single highest-value course — enables 13 programs across all four disciplines. However, MSW programs often need research methods (covering qualitative approaches) rather than pure statistics. Taking both is safest.

3. The science-vs-social-science split is real. Nursing programs need anatomy, physiology, microbiology. MSW programs need research methods. OT and MD programs mostly need nothing. The recommended 10-course list bridges this by including 6 science courses + 1 research methods + 1 psychology + 2 flexible slots.

4. Lab requirements are a barrier to fully online study. UPEI, StFX, and Brock require labs for anatomy, physiology, and/or microbiology. StFX accepts virtual labs, but UPEI’s position is unclear. SpaceCat should confirm before committing to fully online study.

5. Time limits matter more than expected. Alberta (nursing and OT) and TMU require prereqs within 5 years. Most others allow 10 years. Courses taken in 2026-2027 satisfy all time limits through at least 2031.

6. Pathophysiology is only needed for UNB but UNB is a Strong fit (40% CASPer). It’s worth taking despite only enabling one program.

7. Indigenous Studies is increasingly required (USask nursing, Alberta OT) and can be done cheaply via the University of Alberta Coursera MOOC. Low-effort, high-optionality course.

8. SpaceCat’s existing BA courses are unknown. The biggest gap in this analysis is not knowing which prereqs she already has from Dalhousie. English, psychology, and social science courses from her BA may already be satisfied, freeing up 2-3 course slots for additional science or GPA-boosting courses.

Recommendations for re-running

• When new programs are added, extract their prereqs and add them to the cross-reference matrix in recommended-courses.md.
• If SpaceCat’s tier assignments change (e.g., a Reach program moves to Moderate after GPA upgrading), re-run the count to see if course priorities shift.
• After SpaceCat reviews her Dalhousie transcript, update the “What SpaceCat’s BA Likely Already Covers” section with confirmed courses.

Programs Included

Strong Fit (11)

Moderate Fit (17)

Reach (tracked but not primary drivers)

Reach programs are extracted for awareness but do not drive the “must-take” recommendations. A course that only serves Reach programs will be listed as “situational” rather than “must-take.”