Enrolment and Registration

Regular and Provisional Students

Each Regular or Provisional student will enroll in a program of study in the jurisdiction of one of the following academic units:

1. a single department or school,
2. an interdepartmental committee, or
3. a centre/institute offering graduate programming; i.e. either the Guelph-Waterloo Centre for Graduate Work in Chemistry and Biochemistry (GWC2) or, the Guelph Waterloo Physics Institute (GWPI).

For all programs, the student shall be registered with a single department/ school, normally the department/school of which the advisor is a member. Students enrolled in programs under (b) or (c) above will meet the degree requirements as arranged with the department/ school in which they are registered.

Special Students

Each Special student will be registered in a single department, as per the information above regarding Regular and Provisional students. The chair of that department, or the chair's designated faculty member, shall oversee the student’s progress in the course(s) or program.

Registration Procedure

A student is considered as registered for a particular semester only when courses to be attempted for that semester have been reported to the Registrar no later than the end of the Add period (see Chapter I - Schedule of Dates) and financial arrangements, satisfactory to Student Financial Services, have been made for the associated tuition and other fees.

Students must register for UNIV*7500, Research/Writing in each semester that they are working towards their master’s or doctoral thesis and/or are not taking any other courses for which an active section exists.

Provisional or Special students in a non-degree program are not permitted to use WebAdvisor for course selection; in these cases, students continuing in a non-degree program shall submit a Graduate Student Add/Drop & Change form to Enrollment Services in the Office of the Registrar in order to activate registration for the upcoming semester. The form must be approved in the academic unit concerned before it is submitted to Enrolment Services. New students may register through WebAdvisor by mail or in person up until the last date for Add/Drop as set out in the Schedule of Dates (Chapter I).

Upon a student’s initial registration, Campus Cards, which are used for student identification and for library and bus pass purposes, are produced and validated at the Campus Card Office in the University Centre, Room 008. If your Campus Card has been lost or stolen, follow the instructions on the Campus Card Website. 

Normally, the registration procedure must be completed within the dates set out in the Schedule of Dates (Chapter I). In special circumstances a student may be permitted to register up to 14 class days after the opening date with assessment of a late fee.

Financial statements are available on WebAdvisor following the course selection period for all preregistered students approximately four to six weeks prior to the beginning of each semester. Payment of account by the published deadline will complete the registration process. Late payment will result in the assessment of late fees. Failure to make appropriate payment arrangements by the end of the add period for the semester will result in late fees and a restriction on future semester registration.

Students wishing to register in any undergraduate course or course for audit must obtain the instructor's signature on the Graduate Student Add/Drop & Change form.

Students registered in multi-semester courses must register in each semester in which they are actively engaged in course requirements, unless otherwise stated in the course description.

Registration Changes

Changes to a student's classification (i.e. Full-time or Part-time) are made only on the recommendation of the Graduate Program Coordinator and with the approval of the Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies). In many cases, students can add or drop graduate courses on WebAdvisor. When this is not allowed (e.g. provisional students, late add/drop, instructor consent), students must submit a Graduate Student Add/Drop & Change form signed by the Graduate Program Coordinator. The deadline to drop a one-semester course is the last day of classes. When dropping two-semester courses, both semesters of the course must be dropped. Students who wish to re-take a two semester course must re-take both parts of the course. The deadline to drop a two-semester course is the last day of classes of the second semester of the course (See the Schedule of Dates in Chapter I).

Continuity of Registration

Students are required to register each consecutive semester of study until graduation. Students must be registered in each semester in which they are actively engaged in course work or research (including any semester in which they are in contact with university faculty/staff, or are using any university facility, in relation to their academic program), even if not on campus.

Students may not register at the University of Guelph while they are registered as a student at another university unless they have received prior written permission from the Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies).

Once enrolled, students must complete their degree according to the schedule and time limitations as stipulated in the Program Duration policy. 

A student who has not completed all the requirements for the degree by the due date for thesis submission in a particular semester must register for the subsequent semester. Students must be registered in the semester in which they qualify for the degree.

Leave of Absence

Leave of Absence for Registration at Another University

University of Guelph graduate students, with prior permission from the Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies), may arrange a Leave of Absence (LOA) to register at another university. Students should consult the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies about the options available when planning such activities.

Leave of Absence (LOA) from Graduate Studies

A graduate student may make arrangements in advance, subject to recommendation by the Graduate Program Committee and approval by the Admissions & Progress Committee (A&P), for an LOA from graduate studies for no more than three consecutive semesters. Requests for parental leave will be accommodated under the LOA regulations. The written approval of an LOA by A&P will include a specified adjustment to the program duration stated in the Program Duration policy (Registration/Program Duration section). Withdrawal in the first semester of study will be permanent. If the student wishes to re-activate the application file for a future semester, it must be done through their academic department/school. A new application fee will be required; a decision form will be required from the department/school before a new offer of admission will be issued.

The Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies) may routinely approve a recommendation from the Graduate Program Committee for a student request for a one semester LOA in which there is no adjustment to the program duration contemplated.

Requests to continue an LOA beyond three consecutive semesters must be submitted to the Graduate Program Committee who shall forward their recommendation of approval to A&P.

Additional requests for a further LOA must be submitted for approval to A&P and are unlikely to be considered except in exceptional circumstances. As well, repeated requests for multiple semester leaves will not be considered except under highly exceptional circumstances.

During an approved LOA, graduate students shall not engage in activities related to their academic program; i.e. the student shall not engage in academic courses or activities including completion of incomplete courses from previous semesters, or research/writing activities related to their academic program; the student shall not engage in communications or request feedback from their advisor or advisory committee related to their academic program; the student shall not use university research facilities related to their academic program.

Failure to obtain prior approval for LOA will be considered as a voluntary withdrawal from graduate studies at the University of Guelph. A formal application for readmission to the program will be required in order to resume studies, conditional on acceptance. Students who are readmitted are subject to the policies and regulations of the calendar under which they were readmitted.

Academic Break

An academic break can be taken when no required courses are available, no research/supervision is available, and no resources directly related to your studies/program are available within a particular semester, or there is a scheduled break within a program (e.g., summer term). 

A graduate student may make arrangements in advance, subject to recommendation by the Graduate Program Committee and approval by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, for an academic break from graduate studies, normally for no more than one semester per year with no consecutive academic breaks. The written approval of an academic break by OGPS will include a specified adjustment to the program duration stated in the Program Duration policy (Registration/Program Duration section). An academic break may not be taken in a student's first semester of study.

During an approved academic break, graduate students shall not engage in activities related to their academic program; i.e., the student shall not engage in academic courses or activities including completion of incomplete courses from previous semesters, or research/writing activities related to their academic program; the student shall not engage in communications or request feedback from their advisor or advisory committee related to their academic program; the student shall not use university research facilities related to their academic program.

Failure to obtain prior approval for an academic break will be considered as a voluntary withdrawal from graduate studies at the University of Guelph. A formal application for readmission to the program will be required in order to resume studies, conditional on acceptance. Students who are readmitted are subject to the policies and regulations of the calendar under which they were readmitted.

Cancellation of Registration/Voluntary Withdrawal/Required to Withdraw

A student who wishes to withdraw from the university should consult with the departmental Graduate Program Coordinator prior to submitting the withdrawal notice to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Within the time limits stipulated in the Schedule of Dates (Chapter I), approval of a voluntary request to withdraw may entitle the student to a refund on a prorated basis. No such refund shall be approved without the authorization of the Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies).

In the event that a student fails to achieve satisfactory standing, or fails to achieve satisfactory progress either in course work or in research, the student may be “Required to Withdraw” (see sections on “Academic Standing/ Departmental Review”, “Grade Interpretation”, and “Unsatisfactory Progress”). The student’s registration will be cancelled as of a date specified by the Board of Graduate Studies. A refund of fees may be authorized depending on the date that the “Required to Withdraw” status is effective.

A student who withdraws voluntarily or is “Required to Withdraw” from the university must return all outstanding loans from the library immediately upon withdrawal, regardless of the original due date. Any items not returned will be declared lost and their cost will be charged to the student's account.

Program Duration

Program Duration Schedule

A Program Completion Period is the normal timeframe during which a graduate student is expected to complete their graduate program. The following table outlines Program Completion Periods for graduate students at the University of Guelph, as defined by Class Level¹.

Students whose progress has been delayed due to extenuating circumstances and who seek to continue beyond their Program Completion Period and/or beyond Maximum Program Duration may reference the below subsections.

Program Duration schedule for Master's, DVSc and PhD students with FT (Full-time), PT (Part-time), and DE & T (Direct entry and transfer from a master's program or DVSc to the PhD) status.

¹

Class Level is the cumulative total of full-time and part-time (if any) semesters valued at 1 and 0.3 for each, respectively.

²

These Program Completion Periods apply to all programs, unless a specific program has received approval from the Board of Graduate Studies for a different period. Students will be advised about their Program Completion Period in their offer of admission letter.

Note

If a student transfers from full-time to part-time within the Program Completion Period, the number of part-time semesters remaining in the Completion Period will be twice the number of full-time semesters remaining. If a student transfers from part-time to full-time within the Completion Period, the number of full-time semesters remaining in the Completion Period will be half the number of part-time semesters remaining. The number of semesters between the revised Completion Period and Maximum Program Duration is the same for both full-time and part-time students.

Doctoral Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology completion will be granted an exception recognizing the additional year of internship. Expected Completion Period will be 15 full-time semesters with a Maximum Program Duration of 21 full-time semesters.

Continuation Beyond the Program Completion Period

Graduate students who do not complete their graduate program within the prescribed Program Completion Period will be notified early in the next semester that subsequent registration will require submission of a Plan of Study. The student, in consultation with the advisory committee, will be asked to submit the Plan of Study to the Admissions & Progress Committee (A&P) via the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (OGPS) before the end of the semester of notification. On approval of the Plan of Study by A&P, master's students may continue up to Maximum Program Duration. Doctoral students may continue for up to three semesters, after which a second Plan of Study and progress report must be submitted to A&P to continue up to Maximum Program Duration.

If the student and the advisory committee do not submit the Plan of Study as required, the student will be withdrawn from their graduate program, and must apply to A&P for readmission. A Plan of Study will be required as part of the application for readmission.

Appeal for Extension Beyond Maximum Program Duration

Students who do not complete their graduate program by the end of Maximum Program Duration will be withdrawn from the program. Students who are withdrawn must apply for readmission.

Students who wish to appeal the requirement to withdraw and request an extension beyond Maximum Program Duration must submit an “Appeal for Extension of Maximum Program Duration” to A&P. The appeal form must be submitted before the end of the semester of Maximum Program Duration, and must include the following documentation:

• An approved Plan of Study for timely program completion, signed by the student, the faculty advisor, the Graduate Program Coordinator, and the other members of the student's advisory committee
• An indication of the progress made since submission of the previous Plan of Study
• A recommendation from the Graduate Program Committee or Department Chair/ School Director
• A recommendation from the Associate Dean, Research & Graduate Studies of the college

Note: If the student, faculty advisor, and members of the student's advisory committee are unable to agree on a Plan of Study for program completion, the Graduate Program Coordinator shall provide a letter commenting on the feasibility of the Plan of Study provided by the student.

In considering a request for an extension, A&P shall review all departmental Student Progress Reports submitted to date. (As per existing policy, such reports shall have been provided to the student each semester via their advisor.) For students in course-based programs that do not provide Progress Reports, a supporting letter from the Graduate Program Coordinator will be required and provided to the student with an opportunity for comment.

A&P will grant or deny the request for the extension based on all the documentation provided. Where A&P supports the request, it may also provide advice and recommendations on the proposed Plan of Study.

Should the student fail to complete the graduate program within the approved extension period, the student shall be withdrawn for failure to complete.

Decisions of A&P may be appealed to the Senate Committee on Student Petitions. Such appeals will include an examination of all relevant documents and evidence used by A&P in making its decision. Information on the procedures for submitting appeals to the Senate Committee on Student Petitions are set out in the regulations included in the bylaws for the Senate Committee on Student Petitions, available on-line at http://www.uoguelph.ca/secretariat/senate/ or through Student Judicial Services at http://www.uoguelph.ca/judicial/ (See “Appeals of Decisions” for more information.)