During Your Program

Course Substitution

Approval is required from your Supervisor or Program/Academic Advisor, as well as the Graduate Program Director of your Department. Contact your GPC in the Macdonald Graduate Studies Office as they will make the adjustment in MyProgress.

Taking an Undergraduate Course as an Extra Course

• Prior to submitting this request, you must have already obtained permission from the undergraduate department offering the course. That department must add a “permit restriction override” to your record, allowing you to take the course.

• You must complete the form found at: Form to Request a Course Change where you will indicate that the course should be flagged as “Extra” to your graduate program.
• The course will not count for credit towards the graduate program you are currently pursuing.
• The course will not count in your CGPA and the failure policy will not apply.
• If approved, you will be assessed additional tuition fees.

If at time of admission were required to take an undergraduate course as an “Additional Program Requirement”

• The course is not flagged as “Extra” or separate from your degree requirements. It is an additional requirement for your program above and beyond your regular requirements. You must pass this course with 65% as per graduate grading policy.
• The course credits will be included in your CGPA calculation and the failure policy will apply.

Language Courses / Continuing Studies

• You may take a Continuing Studies course or a language course but it will not go toward your degree requirements. It will be flagged as “extra” and your tuition will be charged separately (over and above) your regular program tuition. Departmental approval is normally required. A Placement Test for the language course may be required.
• International students enrolled in a Bachelor, Master’s or Doctoral program AND who are registered in an eligible French course(s) are eligible for an exemption from international tuition for the French course(s) only.* See if you are eligible here and check out the reduction eligibility requirements for certain French courses here.

Course in Another Quebec University

• You must obtain permission from your Supervisor or Program Advisor to take the course for your program requirements. You may not take an “extra” course outside McGill.
• Submit your request on-line to: https://services.bci-qc.ca/eds/index_eds.html. Your request will be processed and you can check the status of your request.
• Any McGill and the host university deadlines must be respected.
• NO MORE THAN 1/3 of total lectured course credits in the student’s program may be taken outside of McGill– please confirm with your Graduate Program Coordinator.
• McGill Inter-University Transfer Agreement Policy
  • “Transfer” will appear on your transcript once the registration is completed.
  • The credits for the course will only appear on your transcript at the end of the course when your final grade has been submitted by the host university to McGill.

Course in Another Canadian University (outside Quebec)

• You must obtain permission from your Supervisor or Program Advisor to take the course for your program requirements.

• You may not take an “extra” course outside McGill.
• NO MORE THAN 1/3 of total lectured course credits in the student’s program may be taken outside of McGill– please confirm with your Graduate Program Coordinator.
• Please contact your GPC for more information on taking a course in a university in Canada but outside Quebec.

Medical Accommodation During the Term

A student may wish to request accommodation with respect to deliverables required for a course, from an instructor during the term, for health reasons.

• For a graduate student taking a 500-level course or lower in our faculty, procedure is as per: Macdonald Campus Medical Notes
  • Medical accommodation request form with medical note is submitted to Macdonald Student Affairs Office.
  • Procedure will vary for courses taken in other faculties. Please consult the Student Affairs Office for that faculty.

• For a graduate student taking a 600-level course, accommodation arrangements are to be made between the instructor and the student. A doctor’s note or other appropriate supporting document may be required. The student would present this to the instructor. If confidentiality is an issue, in certain cases the student can register temporarily with the McGill Office for Students with Disabilities who can then help facilitate accommodations with the instructor. The goal is for the instructor and the student to find a way to allow the student to complete the course requirements before the end of the term.

Deferral of Final Exam

• A graduate student taking a 500-level or lower course requesting to defer an exam that takes place during the final exam period, must write an email to their Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) requesting the deferral of their exam, along with a medical note or other supporting documentation. The GPC will request approval from the course instructor and GPD/Chair and forward the approved request to Enrolment Services (Graduate Student Records) for approval and processing. Once approved, the Student Affairs Office of the Faculty/Department offering the course will then schedule the deferred exam for the course. The GPC will confirm the graduate student’s name is on the list to take the deferred exam.
• A graduate student taking a 600-level course requesting to defer an exam that takes place during the final exam period, must write an email to their Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) requesting the deferral of their exam, along with a medical note or other supporting documentation. The GPC will request approval from the course instructor and GPD/Chair and forward the approved request to Enrolment Services (Graduate Student Records) for approval and processing. The student and instructor must then arrange a date, time, and location for the student’s deferred exam to take place and communicate this information to the GPC.

Course Failure

• The passing grade for graduate students at McGill is B- or 65%, whether for graduate- or undergraduate-level courses.
• If you are experiencing difficulty in a course, please consult the Course Instructor right away. For additional advice, please contact your Supervisor or Program Advisor. You may also contact your GPC for more information.
• Link to Graduate Failure Policy

Changing your Program Option (thesis/non-thesis) or Concentration

• You should discuss your plan to change program options with your current Supervisor or Program Advisor. If requesting to change to a thesis program, you first need to find a professor willing to supervise you. You need to submit the following form:
• Form to Request a Program Change

Changing to a Program in Another Department

You must apply through uApply and the usual application deadlines apply. Please contact your Graduate Program Coordinator.

Registering for a Part-Time Term

• For Non-thesis students, you simply register for fewer than 12 credits per term.
• For Thesis students you must make the request in writing to your supervisor. If approved, the supervisor will send your request to the Macdonald Graduate Studies Office to process the change.
• However, it is important to consider full-time/part-time status obligations for Immigration, Student Loans, Scholarships, etc.

Withdrawing from your Program

• Please discuss with your Supervisor/Program Advisor and contact your Graduate Program Coordinator. Please make sure to read the Regulations Concerning a University Withdrawal and be aware of the applicable deadlines and fees. You will submit the following form:
• Form for University Withdrawal

Requesting a Leave of Absence

• Apply for a leave: Form to Request Leave
• If a Leave is not granted, you can withdraw from the University. and then submit a form to Request Readmission.
• Leaves of absence must be requested on a term-by-term basis.
• For Master’s non-thesis students only:
  • For the Summer term, IF your program permits it, you simply would not register for the term. No request for a leave is required. Then you may simply register in the following Fall term to continue as usual.

Time Limitation

• When you have exceeded the maximum number of terms permitted for you to complete your degree
• Information on time limitation procedures. Please contact your Graduate Program Coordinator.

• The time limit for completion of a degree is:
  • MSc: By the end of Msc Year 3
  • PhD: By the end of PhD Year 7

Continuing Your Program After Time Away

• If you have not been registered for one or more terms, you will have to request to be readmitted.
  • This is also required for thesis students who were not registered due to time limitation, but must now register prior to submitting their initial thesis.
  • Request for Readmission Form.
  • Please contact your Graduate Program Coordinator.
• If you have been on a Leave of Absence, you can simply register on Minerva as usual for your scheduled returning term. Please alert your GPC.