Program steps and procedures

Mandatory tutorials for all students

Academic integrity tutorial

New students must complete a mandatory online academic integrity tutorial within their first semester.

“It Takes All of Us” program

New students must complete this mandatory online consent education program  within their first semester.

Important information

Student award payments

Graduate student stipend or award

Students should contact their Thesis Supervisor regarding any expected funding, to confirm the funding process and timeline.

To process a stipend/award payment for a graduate student registered in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, please contact the Graduate Program Administrator.

Complete the Graduate Student Stipend Payment Authorization Form

Graduate progress tracking

MyProgress is a tool that tracks the program milestones and/or courses a student has completed, which ones are in progress, and which are yet to be completed. Course substitutions are also tracked in this system.

 

 

 

Courses

Find instructions on how to register at McGill using Minerva, which includes a video tutorial.
See these tips if you encounter problems registering for a course.

Registration

Confirm Your Registration Each Year

Restrictions

  • If a course requires a pre-requisite or permission of instructor, you must e-mail the instructor directly to ask for this permission. Give your full name, student ID, graduate program, the desired course name and number, and the term.
  • For courses in our Faculty, permission of the instructor must then be forwarded to Jocelyne.begin [at] mcgill.ca (Jocelyne Begin) to enter the permission into the Minerva system, before the student may register.

Add/drop after deadline


Extra /Additional Courses and Substitutions

Substitutions

Approval is required from your Supervisor or Program/Academic Advisor, as well as the Graduate Program Director of your Department. Contact your Graduate Program Coordinator 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 eligibility criteria and reduction eligibility requirements for certain French courses


Courses outside McGill

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 a request to the Bureau de coopération interuniversitaire.
  • McGill and 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
    • Credits for the course will only appear on your transcript at the end of the course, once a final grade has been submitted to McGill by the host university

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 Graduate Program Coordinator for more information on taking a course in a Canadian university outside of Québec.

Course accommodations

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 Student Accessibility and Achievement 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


Postdoc Registration

All new postdoctoral students must contact the Graduate Program Coordinator of their Academic Unit at the time of initial registration.

All returning postdoctoral students are required to renew their registration annually.


Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam

Please contact your Graduate Program Coordinator or Graduate Program Director to inquire about your academic unit’s specific procedures and forms for the PhD Comprehensive Exam. Your unit’s web page may also have more information or forms relating to this.

The Comprehensive Exam result is recorded as a Milestone in MyProgress. The exam result with the accompanying GPD-approved Progress Tracking Report or other Examination Result document must be communicated to the Graduate Program Director in a timely manner.


 

Travel/Internships

Study, Field Work, Conference, or Internship Outside Quebec

  • Thesis students: Contact your Supervisor/Graduate Program Director for potential travel funding (GREAT).
  • International non-thesis students in certain programs need to apply for a co-op work permit.

All students: Please contact your Graduate Program Coordinator to open a travel registry for you in Minerva. Please provide the destination, purpose of travel, and term in which you will be travelling. Make sure that you comply with McGill's mandatory orientation and registration.


 

Program Changes

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

Leave of Absence / Time Limitation

Requesting a Leave of Absence

  • Consult Graduate and Postdoctoral Leave of Absence Policy to access an submit a leave request form
  • 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.

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.

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 Graduate Program Coordinator.

Special letters

To access the following list of documents can be accessed by logging into the service desk.

  • Fee Letters or Proof of Payment
  • Semester Dates Letter
  • Language of Instruction of McGill University Letter
  • McGill’s Accreditation Information Letter
  • Immigration Canada (CIC) PhD letter – required for the CIC Federal Skilled Worker program (confirms completion of 2 years in a PhD program and current academic standing)
  • Letters Confirmation Completion of Program

Initial Thesis Submission

Procedure for Initial Thesis Submission

Please refer to GPS Initial Thesis Submission

Consult the Initial Thesis Submission Deadlines

Steps for Master’s and Doctoral Students – New!

All Master's and Doctoral Students must now use the MyThesis platform in MyProgress to submit their thesis.

Master's submission guidelines

Doctoral submission guidelines (including Oral Defence)

Special Letter Confirming Initial Thesis Submission

Log into the service desk to access your initial e-thesis letter – confirming submission of initial e-thesis

Final Thesis Submission

Procedure for Final Thesis Submission

Graduation and Convocation

Applying to Graduate

  • Only non-thesis graduate students need to apply to graduate. This is done via Minerva, in the final semester of your program, mid-way through the term. Be aware of the deadlines to be added to the list of graduating students!
  • Please follow these step-by-step instructions (most students will choose only “Primary Curriculum”). Once you have applied to graduate, “Expected Graduation Term/Year” will appear on your unofficial transcript in Minerva.

Note that once the apply-to-graduate deadline has passed, you must use this webform to submit a graduation request. Upon approval by your Graduate Program Coordinator, the form will be sent to Enrolment Services for processing. If you have any questions, please email your Graduate Program Coordinator.


Convocation

Inviting Family to Convocation

Convocation Ceremony, Diplomas, Caps/Gowns

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