Students who would like to take the opportunity to meet with an academic advisor may book an appointment by visiting the SCS advising website. Please note this service is by appointment only.

A minimum grade of C is required in all courses in a program, with the exception of CMSC 000 for which a minimum grade of B- is required. The only other exception is that a grade of D will be allowed in one elective course that is not a prerequisite to other courses to be taken in the program.

A maximum of two unsatisfactory grades, excluding supplementals, is permitted on the record. In this context, an unsatisfactory grade is a grade of F, J, or D in compulsory courses, and a grade of F, J, or more than one D in elective courses. Even if an unsatisfactory grade is improved by means of a supplemental examination, where available, the original grade remains on the record and counts toward the total number of unsatisfactory grades.

Students who have more than two unsatisfactory grades on their record will not be permitted to register in other courses or programs in the School of Continuing and Studies.

In order to be eligible for graduation, students must complete all program requirements with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 2.0, which will be computed over all courses (including supplementals and unsatisfactory grades but excluding corequisite courses) taken in the program. If a student's CGPA falls below 2.0, the student may be asked to withdraw.

Academic Standing Requirements for Special Students

Special Students, although not formally registered in a program, are expected to demonstrate seriousness of academic purpose. Special Students must meet all academic and language requirements stipulated by the School of Continuing Studies (SCS), and must complete all courses, including corequisite and prerequisite courses, with a grade of C or better. A maximum of two grades below C in any course offered through the SCS is permitted on the record. In this context, grades below C include the grade of D (a conditional, non-conditional pass), F (a failure), and J (unexcused absence/failed). Special Students are permitted to repeat the same course only once. Special Students who accumulate more than two grades below C in the SCS and/or whose CGPA falls below 2.0 will not be permitted to register in other courses in the SCS. Please note that even if a grade is improved by means of repetition of the course(s), the original grade remains on the student's record and counts toward the total number of unsatisfactory grades.

Advanced Standing

Advanced Standing may be granted to students who provide evidence of equivalent credit course(s) completed in other programs at McGill University or at another recognized university. Students should note that courses taken more than five years ago will not be recognized for Advanced Standing.

Students wishing to apply for advanced standing must complete an Advanced Standing form at the time of admission. Evaluation requests received after this time will not be considered before registration and will be delayed until the following session. Requests will not be considered unless a student has applied to a program and must be accompanied by all required documentation.

Residency Requirement

A) Students transferring to McGill:

Advanced Standing of up to 30% of the courses in any one certificate program may be awarded for successfully completed equivalent study done at another university within the last five years.

B) Students transferring within McGill:

1. Students who withdraw from a certificate program may transfer credit to another certificate with no limit to the number of credits granted provided the courses are identical, were completed within the last five years and all other requirements of the new certificate are met.
2. Students who withdraw from a degree, graduate certificate, or diploma program and those who have completed a degree program and who have successfully completed courses appropriate to the content, standards, and other requirements of a particular certificate may apply and be awarded credit toward that certificate program up to and including five courses provided they were completed within the last five years. They must complete a minimum of five courses (15 credits) in the certificate program at the School of Continuing Studies after admission to that program.
3. Students who have completed a diploma, graduate certificate, or certificate program may apply for admission to a second certificate program and be given Advanced Standing (if applicable) up to a maximum of 9 credits (three courses) provided the courses were completed within the last five years.

Students wishing to transfer from a graduate certificate or diploma program to a certificate program will receive Advanced Standing only for those courses in which they obtained the minimum passing grade required in the graduate certificate or diploma program.

C) Students taking two programs concurrently:

1. Students may apply for admission to and register in more than one certificate program at a time. Where program course requirements overlap, credit may be granted up to a maximum of three courses (9 credits). Students may be granted exemption for overlapping courses in excess of 9 credits but must choose substitute courses with the approval of the SCS. Courses cannot be counted more than twice.
2. Students may be concurrently registered in a certificate and degree program. Courses taken at the School of Continuing Studies and approved for the degree program by the Associate Dean, which also meet the requirements of the certificate, may also be counted toward completion of the certificate. This form of double counting between certificate and degree programs is limited to five courses. Courses cannot be counted more than twice.

D) Students admitted to degree, graduate certificate, or diploma programs after completing a certificate program:

Students who apply for admission to a degree or diploma program after having completed a certificate program may be granted Advanced Standing at the discretion of the Associate Dean of the faculty in which the degree, graduate certificate, or diploma is offered.

E) Special Students:

Please consult the Special Student Status page.

Corequisites

This refers to academic course requirements that may be completed before or concurrently. In course terminology, this means that Course A is corequisite to Course B if Course A must be taken concurrently with (or may have been taken prior to) Course B. Corequisite courses must be respected for all courses—including all courses for which deferrals (L) have been granted.

Prerequisites

Admission to certain courses is restricted to students who have reached a certain level of knowledge by having completed other required work. In course terminology, this means that Course A is prerequisite to Course B if a satisfactory pass in Course A is required for admission to Course B. Prerequisite courses must be completed prior to course registration - including all courses for which deferrals (L) have been granted. Therefore, students are required to drop all courses in which they have obtained a grade of D, F, L, or J in the prerequisite and re-register for the prerequisite and corequisite course(s) as required.

The prerequisite course(s) or conditions are specified in the course description; see the Continuing Studies Course Information and Regulations page. Students must observe these prerequisites. If you fail to meet the prerequisite requirement, you will be denied permission to register in the course. Students unsure of their status with regard to a prerequisite must inquire at the School of Continuing Studies.

Note: Any student in violation of the above regulation may have the course in question immediately removed from their student record. Please note that this will affect course load, which may result in part-time registration status.

Required Courses

Programs may frequently comprise a number of required courses. In course terminology these represent mandatory courses that must be completed to fulfil the requirements of a program unless the student receives an exemption(s).

Complementary Courses

Programs may comprise a number of complementary courses. These are courses selected from a restricted list, a particular subject area, or a discipline. In some programs, students must include a number of these complementary courses to meet program requirements.

Certain programs require specific corequisites. These may be completed after admission to the program. It is highly recommended that students complete all corequisite courses for a program at the beginning of the program. Please note that all program corequisites must be completed in order to graduate from the program.

All our programs are structured to be taken on a part-time basis. Therefore, students are advised to register for no more than two courses per term. If, however, a student with a special reason wishes to take a full-time load, the following conditions are applicable:

• A student would be permitted, if the schedule allows it, to register for a full load in the first term.
• If a student then has one failure, the course load will be reduced to three courses in the subsequent term.
• If a student has two failures, the course load would be reduced to two in the subsequent term.
• If a student has three failures, the course load would be reduced to one in the subsequent term and the student would not be permitted any further failures.
• If a student has accumulated four failures, the student will be asked to withdraw.

Information sessions are held throughout the year. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about specific programs and courses and to talk to academic advisors. Members of the School of Continuing Studies staff will be available to explain and discuss the requirements of the various programs and courses offered. Academic advisors and Academic Program Coordinators will be available at these sessions to answer your questions and you will be given the opportunity to meet with industry representatives, course lecturers, and instructors. Please call the School of Continuing Studies at 514-398-6200 for further information.

Please consult the Undergraduate Courses section of the Special Student Status page.

For a single certificate requiring ten courses (30 credits) the program must be completed within four years of initial registration. For corequisite certificates, the two certificate programs (20 courses, 60 credits) must be completed within eight years of initial registration. Where a certificate program requires more than 10 courses, the time limit will be adjusted accordingly. Time limits will be adjusted accordingly for those students who are granted Advanced Standing or who transfer from one program to another. Students exceeding the time limits may request an extension in writing to the undergraduate advisor. A recommended revision of the program of study must be approved by the Director.

Students who do not register for a course in their program for one year will be required to reapply, pay the application fee and meet any new program requirements.

For more information, see the School of Continuing Studies' Program Transfers page.