Classification of students and registration

Classification of students

Independent students

Applicants who do not have the minimum qualifications for direct admission into a degree program may request to take courses as an independent graduate student. Likewise, graduate students who are enrolled in degree programs but who wish to take courses outside their degree requirements may request to take undergraduate courses as independent undergraduate students or graduate-level courses as independent graduate students

Independent graduate students enrol in a particular graduate course, without being admitted to the degree program which offers the course.

Normally, independent graduate students take no more than the equivalent of two graduate courses per term, and no more than the equivalent of four graduate courses from the courses of any graduate degree program up to 12 credits.

Only applicants who have the qualifications for admission to the course in question will be given permission to take the course. In every case, permission of the Graduate Program Director and/or Faculty Student Affairs Office must be obtained. Meeting the minimum requirements of an individual course does not guarantee entry to that course, as preference will be given to degree program students.

Independent Graduate Students are subject to the fees and regulations applicable to such categories of students.

Credits earned by independent graduate students may be considered for transfer credit in the event that the students are subsequently admitted to a graduate degree program. Please note that financial credit will not be awarded.

An independent graduate student who receives an F grade is no longer allowed to continue studies.

Graduate independent students are eligible to audit courses. Refer to the section on Auditing Students.

Visiting students

Graduate visiting students are graduate students from other universities who have been authorized by their home universities to take graduate courses at Concordia University. They are subject to the regulations of Concordia University.

Graduate students from other Québec universities must submit requests for courses through the Inter-University Agreement (AEHE/BCI) process.

Graduate students from Canadian universities outside of Québec must complete the Graduate Transfer Agreement between Canadian Universities (CAGS) form or obtain a letter (or form) of authorization from their home university. This document must be submitted to the degree program offering the course in which they are interested.

Graduate students from universities outside of Canada must contact Concordia International if their home university has an exchange agreement with Concordia. They will be considered as Visiting Exchange students. If no exchange agreement exists, the student must obtain a letter of permission from their home university stating which courses they are permitted to take. The students must also provide information on their home university, official transcripts and immigration documents.

Auditing students

Auditing students are graduate students who, with the permission of the Graduate Program Director and/or Faculty Student Affairs Office of the program in which the course is offered, may attend a class that is not a requirement of the student’s program. There is no credit value assigned when courses are audited and students are not required to complete assignments or write examinations. Refer to Tuition and Fees for detailed information on the financial implications.

Student classification: full/part-time status

Graduate Certificate and Diploma Programs
Students in a graduate certificate or diploma program are considered to be full-time students if they register for 9 or more credits in a term.

Students who do not fall in the situations described above are considered to be part-time students.

Master’s and Doctoral Programs
Students in thesis-based master’s or doctoral degree programs are accepted as full or part-time students at the time of admission. These students are considered to be full or part-time according to their status at admission, regardless of the actual amount of credits for which they register. Their classification will change only if they submit a request to change their status.

A student’s status in course-based master’s program is determined on a term-by-term basis by the number of credits for which they are registered by the DNE deadline. In particular, students are considered full-time if they are enrolled in at least 9 credits per term. Students registered in at least 1 credit but less than 9 credits per term will automatically be classified as part-time for that term. Students enrolled in an internship component, project course, or if the first term of study is the summer are considered full-time.

MBA students enrolled in the Executive MBA program and the Investment Management MBA program are considered full-time students as they have to follow an established schedule of courses per term.

Master of Business Administration (MBA) program students are considered full-time if they register for a minimum of 9 credits in each of the Fall and Winter terms. The normal course load for a part-time student is 6 credits of course work per term (Fall and Winter). Part-time students will normally complete the program within three to four years. Students can accelerate their progress by taking courses in the Summer term.

Independent Graduate and Visiting students are considered to be part-time students.

Visiting Exchange students are considered to be full-time students.

Service requests

Applications from full-time or part-time students for exceptions to academic regulations or related matters should be submitted by the student through the Service Request system.

To submit a Service Request, the student must access their Student Centre, next click on “Graduate Service Request”.

A statement from the student confirming support for the request submitted with relevant supporting documentation should be included with the request. A request is not deemed to be approved until authorized by the School of Graduate Studies.

Changes to student classification: full/part-time status

Students in thesis-based programs must submit a Service Request for a change in status. Requests for changes to student classification (from full-time to part-time or vice-versa) must be submitted prior to the DNE deadline of a given term. A change of student classification may have implications for students receiving loans, bursaries, or awards; students should check the regulations associated with their loans, bursaries, or awards. International students must retain the status as indicated on their Study Permit/CAQ.

Changes to a student’s classification may also affect the student’s time limit and/or their payment schedule.

Registration

Most programs currently offer web registration. In these programs, it is the student’s responsibility to add, change or drop their courses on-line, by the deadlines indicated in the Academic Calendar.

Students in programs not offering web registration must contact the Graduate Program Director in order to add, drop or change their course(s).

All students are responsible to verify that their registration has been processed and that the course registration appears on their student record. Any errors or omissions must be addressed prior to the registration deadlines of the term in question.

Registration for a course(s)

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that course registrations have been processed and/or requested from their program by the deadline dates listed in the Academic Calendar.

If not officially registered in a course, students are not entitled to attend the course or to receive grades for any completed work. Refer to the Academic Calendar for a detailed list of deadline dates.

Late registration for a course(s)

If, due to extenuating circumstances, a student could not register by the registration deadline dates, they must submit a Service Request for late registration. In such cases, a student may attend classes until they receive a decision. Late registration is allowed only in special circumstances, with the approval of the Graduate Program Director and the School of Graduate Studies. Service requests for late registrations must be supported by appropriate documentation.

Students will incur a late registration fee when they register on, or after, the date that classes officially begin across the University.

Withdrawing from Course(s)

Withdrawing from a course leads to either a Did Not Enter (DNE) or a Discontinued (DISC) notation.

It is the student’s responsibility to meet all deadlines and follow all necessary steps to withdraw from a course(s), or from the University. Not attending classes or informing an instructor of the intent to withdraw does not constitute official withdrawal. It is not mandatory for an instructor to provide students with any evaluation or feedback of their progress in a course before the withdrawal deadline. Students who do not properly withdraw before the published deadlines will receive failing grades.

Did Not Enter (DNE)

A DNE means that the student has officially withdrawn from the course. The DNE’d course(s) will be removed from the student’s academic record, and will not appear on the record. Refer to Tuition and Fees for detailed information on the financial implications and the Academic Calendar for deadline dates. Non-standard DNE dates are available through the Graduate program office.

Discontinued (DISC)

A DISC is an academic withdrawal from a course. This means that the student is still registered in the course, but no longer has to attend classes or complete the course work. The student will not be academically penalized (i.e. receive a failed grade). A DISC notation is permanent and appears on the student transcript next to the relevant course. Failure to comply with the DISC withdrawal deadline results in the course(s) in question being graded Fail, F, or Fail/Absent (F-ABS). Refer to F rule for academic standing. Non-standard DNE dates are available through the Graduate program office.

Withdrawal from program or from the University

Students who wish to withdraw from their program or from the University must do so by the DNE deadline and include the reason(s) for withdrawing. A Service Request for withdrawal from program must be completed and submitted. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they have DNE’ed their courses by the deadline for the withdrawal to be effective for the beginning of term. If the withdrawal from program request is submitted after the DNE deadline, it will be effective the beginning of the following term. If the student does not wish to complete their course(s), it is their responsibility to ensure they have withdrawn from their courses by the DISC date. Failure to comply with the DISC withdrawal deadline results in the course(s) in question being graded Fail/F/Fail/Absent (F-ABS). The student’s record will reflect “withdrew from program”.

Refer to Tuition and Fees for detailed information on the financial implications.

Continuing In Program (CIP) registrations

(for students in thesis-based master’s or doctoral programs)

After a student’s first registration has been processed, the registration system will consider thesis-based master's and doctoral students to be continuing in their program when they are not otherwise registered in academic courses. Students who are still within their program time limit but are not registered in course credits, will be identified as “Continuing in Program” on their student record. This notation is an academic notation and not a registration for academic credit. Students with a CIP notation will be charged either tuition or a Continuation fee. Refer to the Tuition and Fees for detailed information on the financial implications.

Students in thesis-based programs who are not registered for courses in the first term of admission must get approval from the School of Graduate Studies for a CIP notation, through the submission of a Service Request.

The CIP notation cannot be applied to students in course-based master’s programs.

The notation on the student record will show Continuing in Program (CIP) or Time Limit Extension (TLE), respectively, unless replaced by a course registration. The CIP is an automatic process. Should a student subsequently register for courses, the automatic CIP will be removed.

Automatic CIPs will occur for returning students only if there are no restrictions on record (e.g. academic, financial, expired time limits). Students will be withdrawn from their program if the automatic CIPs cannot be processed each term.

Time Limit Extension registrations

Students who have exceeded their time limit and have been granted a time limit extension will automatically be registered in “Time Limit Extension” (TLE) by the system until they have reached their program time limit extension. If a course is registered, the TLE notation is replaced with the course. Refer to Tuition and Fees for detailed information on the financial implications.

Withdrawal from program due to lack of registration

Graduate students in thesis-based master’s and doctoral programs will be withdrawn from their program if course registration or academic course notation (CIP/TLE) cannot be processed each term due to any outstanding admission, immigration documents, unpaid accounts, missing progress report, outstanding Academic Success Integrity Module, or poor academic standing.

Graduate students in Graduate Certificate, Diploma, or course-based master's programs will be withdrawn due to inactivity for three consecutive terms (see Lapsed Student Status), or once their time limit has expired.

Refer to the sections on Continuing in Program (CIP) Registrations as well as Re-Instatement of Withdrawn Students.

Lapsed student status

Students in diploma, certificate, and course-based master’s programs who have not registered for courses for three consecutive terms will be withdrawn from the program and must submit a Service Request for reinstatement to the program.

Independent graduate students and graduate visiting students who have not registered for courses for three consecutive terms or more will have their student status lapsed and must submit an authorization to register as a non-degree student.

Inter-university agreement (AEHE/BCI)

Québec universities have agreed to permit the transfer of academic credits between them using the AEHE/BCI Registration system. Using this system, Concordia students may take courses at another Québec University (the host university) and the credits will be transferred back to Concordia to be used to meet the requirements of their degree.

Up to a maximum of 6 credits may be transferred in any one year. In exceptional cases, a student may be authorized to take up to 12 credits at another university.

The host university has the right to accept or refuse a request for registration from a student in another university, in any of the courses or programs which it offers. Students are subject to the rules and regulations of the host university.

Eligible students

Only students enrolled in a degree program are eligible to register under the Inter-University Agreement. Authorization for a Concordia graduate student to register at another university must be given by the student’s Graduate Program Director, the Dean of Graduate Studies, and the Office of the Registrar. Only students in good academic standing will be approved to register under the Inter-University Agreement. In addition, in order for students to be approved, their admission file must be complete and finalized. Concordia students wishing to take a course at another university cannot have an outstanding account balance.

Eligible Courses

The agreement normally covers only graduate degree students and graduate-level courses, and is intended to include only those courses not given at the home university which fit a student’s program requirements. In exceptional cases, graduate students may be authorized to take undergraduate courses to meet the requirements of a concurrent qualifying program.

Transfer of Grades

The grades achieved at other institutions for courses taken under the Inter-University Agreement will be recorded on Concordia records and transcripts using a conversion table. These grades will be included in the calculation of grade point averages in the same manner as any grade achieved in a course taken at Concordia and subsequently transferred into the student’s program.

Payment of Courses

Payment for the courses is due at the student’s home university. Refer to Tuition and Fees. Any additional costs (i.e. lab materials) are payable to the host university.

Registration/Cancellation of Courses

All requests for registration and/or cancellation of courses are done through the BCI website. Students are responsible for accessing the BCI website to check the status of their request on a regular basis. Requests go through several stages of processing and e-mails will not necessarily be sent to update the student on the status at each stage.

Deadlines

Requests for registration or cancellation of courses at other universities must be submitted by the deadline of the host university. Students are advised to inform themselves of the host university’s deadlines, since they may be different from Concordia’s.

Students should refer to the BCI website for detailed information.

Financial implications

Refer to Tuition and Fees for detailed information on the financial implications related to late registration, DNEs, DISCs Continuation fees or TLEs.

Student portal

Students can access information concerning their personal class schedule, current course grades, account balance, tuition and enrolment receipts for educational tax credit, loans and bursaries, personal book list, permanent code status and registration dates in the Student Hub. Students can also update their mailing address(es) and e-mail address(es) on the student portal; students are responsible for ensuring that the contact details listed are current.

Tuition and other fees are automatically assessed and charged to the student’s account once a student has registered in a course(s) or has a Continuing in Program (CIP) or a Time Limit Extension (TLE) academic notation on their student record. The student’s account balance is available in the Student Centre. Refer to Tuition and Fees for detailed information.

Within minimum residence

All master’s and doctoral programs have a minimum residence requirement of at least three terms for master’s degrees and six terms for doctoral degrees. This is the minimum period of time which must elapse between a student’s initial registration in the program and the student’s graduation. There is no minimum residence requirement for diploma and certificate programs.

Leaves of absence from program

Graduate students who wish to temporarily discontinue their studies for a few terms may request a leave of absence from their program through a Service Request. Before requesting a leave, students should confirm with their Graduate Program Director and supervisor that all required components of their degree programs will be available when they return. The beginning and end of a leave should coincide with the beginning and end of an academic term.

Leaves are granted only to students in good academic standing. Refer to the relevant Academic Regulations section.

Students cannot be on Leave in terms where a course with a DISC notation appears since a discontinued course is still considered as a registration. Refer to the Withdrawal from a course or courses section.

No changes to the student’s academic status will be made during a leave.

Students may not graduate with a Leave of Absence in their graduating term.

Time Limit & Other Deadlines

While on Leave without access, Leave with access or Parental Leave, the student’ program time limit will be extended by the period of the leave. All deadlines for work in progress will be extended by the period of the leave.

Access to University Services

During a leave of absence (of any type), students are not entitled to take courses, write exams, submit outstanding work and/or request guidance on thesis and research work. However, they may have access to some university services depending on the type of leave they request. There are three types of leaves available to students and one administrative leave:

Types of Leaves & Fees

Leave without access: During a leave without access, a student will not have access to library, university or student services. No fees will be charged.

Leave with access: During a leave with access, a student will have access to library, university and student services. Leaves with access are granted only under exceptional circumstances. A flat service fee of $150 per term will be charged.

Parental leave: All graduate students are entitled to parental leave of up to three consecutive terms during their program of study on the occasion of the birth or adoption of a child. The student will have access to library, university and student services. Students holding a Concordia Fellowship will receive a deferral of their fellowship for the period of leave. In the case of other fellowships, the regulations of the granting agencies will apply. No fees will be charged.

Required Administrative Leave: Students who are removed from studies resulting from expired Study Permits/CAQs, a delay in requesting reinstatement into the university or other administrative issues will be assigned a required administrative leave of absence from their program. A student will not have access to library, university or student services. No fees are charged. A Required Administrative Leave will not extend a student’s program Time Limit.

Except for Parental leave, students are normally permitted only a maximum of three terms of leave (with or without access) during their program of study. Leaves beyond three terms are only approved on an exceptional basis and with supporting documentation. Parental leave can be requested on the occasion of each birth or adoption of a child.

Awards, Loans, Bursaries

A leave from a program of study may have implications for students receiving awards, loans or bursaries; students should check the regulations associated with their awards, loans or bursaries.

Medical Coverage

• While on an approved leave of absence Canadian students do not pay fees for the Student Health and Dental Plan. Therefore, they are not covered by (insured under) this insurance plan.
• International student’s medical coverage is dependent on their registration status and therefore medical coverage may be cancelled. Please visit the International Students Office for information regarding Health Insurance eligibility. In addition, since the visa status of international students may possibly be affected by a leave of absence, it is very important that these students visit the International Students Office for additional information.

Applying For a Leave

With the exception of the Required Administrative Leave, students apply in advance through the Student Request process, prior to the DNE deadline. Students must see the Graduate Program Director in their program in order to initiate a Student Request. Students must specify the reason for the Leave and provide supporting documentation; for example, a request for leave for medical reasons must be supported by an original medical certificate.

End of a Leave

Once a student’s leave is over, the student will be considered as continuing in their program. Students in thesis-based master’s and doctoral programs will receive a Continuation in Program notation on their record if they do not take any courses in the term in which they return from leave. A student returning from leave will be charged tuition and fees accordingly.

Graduate Certificate, Diploma, and course-based master’s students will only be charged once they register for courses.

Exemptions

Depending on the policy of the degree program, students may be granted an exemption from a required course in their program curriculum. Students who are granted an exemption must replace the exempted course with another course in order to fulfill the credit requirements of the program. This replacement course must be selected in conjunction with their Graduate Program Director.

Students who have been granted an exemption for a course cannot subsequently take that course for credit toward the graduate certificate, diploma or degree.

Transfer credits

Students may transfer credits from previous studies completed within the past five years to their current program. The credits must have been earned for graduate-level studies, and they must not have been used as part of a completed Master or Doctoral degree.

Credits earned from a completed graduate Microprogram, Certificate or Diploma may be eligible for transfer. Students should contact their department for eligibility prior to submitting a Service Request.

Requests to transfer credits must be approved by the students’ degree program and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Transfer credits must normally be requested in the student’s first term of admission. Students are encouraged to read their program’s calendar section for further information.

As part of a service request to transfer credit, students must provide official transcripts showing that they have completed the course. The grade and number of credits they received for the course must appear on the transcript. The transcripts must be accompanied by official course descriptions for the relevant courses. In addition, the transcripts must show that the students have withdrawn from the Master or Doctoral program from which the requested credits are being transferred.

Transfer credits to programs requiring a graduation GPA of 3.00 will be permitted only if the final grade for the course is B or better. Transfer credits to programs requiring a graduation GPA of 2.70 will be permitted only if the final grade for the course is B- or better.

The grades associated with transfer credits do not appear on the students’ transcript and therefore will not affect their Grade Point Average. The two exceptions to this rule are credits transferred from previous studies at Concordia University and credits for courses taken under the Inter-University Agreement (AEHE/BCI).

Courses taken previously at Concordia and courses taken under the Inter-University Agreement will appear on Concordia records and transcripts, under the new program, along with the grades associated with the courses. The transferred grades and credits will be included in the calculation of students’ grade point averages.

The grades for INTU courses will be recorded using a conversion table that can be accessed at the Registrar’s website.

Re-instatement of withdrawn students

Students who have been withdrawn from a graduate program by the University for non-academic reasons (e.g. non-continuous registration) may wish to submit a Student Request for reinstatement to the program. Students must see the Graduate Program Director in their program in order to initiate a Student Request. This request is to be submitted for consideration during the same term in which the student was withdrawn.

Students who withdrew from their program for non-academic reasons, and who are still in good academic standing according to the regulations of the university may request to be reinstated into their program. The request for reinstatement must be for an academic term no later than one year (3 academic terms) after the term of withdrawal.