A. Registration, Evaluation and Records
1.0 Course Registration
1.1 Permission to Register
To be eligible to register for an academic term, students must meet the following requirements:
- Students new to Carleton must be formally admitted to a degree or certificate program OR have submitted the required application for Special student studies;
- Returning students must be academically eligible to continue in their programs;
- There must be no outstanding account with the university;
- The student must not have been suspended from the university for disciplinary reasons;
- International students must be enrolled in or have received permission for exemption from the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP).
Registration instructions for the fall and winter terms are mailed to newly admitted and returning students. Information regarding summer term is available from the Registrar's Office normally by February 1 (carleton.ca/summer). Information about registration is also available at
carleton.ca/registration.
1.2 Course Selection and Registration
Course selection must be completed according to the requirements of the faculty or school and major department(s) in which the student is registering. Students should seek the advice of their program adviser, academic unit or the Student Academic Success Centre when making course selections.
Students planning to undertake professional training beyond their undergraduate studies should ensure that their undergraduate programs meet the requirements for admission to, or registration in, their intended post-graduate program.
Acceptance by the university of a course registration does not exempt the student from any academic regulations.
All course selection and course change activity (adds, drops, withdrawals, change of section) is normally completed using Carleton Central at central.carleton.ca. These activities are limited by deadlines set out in the Academic Year section of this Calendar. It is the student's responsibility to understand and meet these deadlines.
1.3 Payment of Fees
A student is responsible for all tuition and other fees resulting from registration in any and all courses. The student remains responsible for paying this debt whether or not the student attends or participates in the class or classes. Student Accounts may be viewed through Carleton Central and are the administrative responsibility of the Business Office.
1.4 Withdrawal
Responsibility for taking all steps necessary for withdrawal from an individual course, from several courses, or from all courses resides with the student. Ceasing to attend classes, or informing an instructor of intent to withdraw does not constitute withdrawal. Withdrawal is normally completed by using Carleton Central at central.carleton.ca. The official date of withdrawal from the course(s) is the date on which the student successfully completes the necessary withdrawal action.
Students must withdraw from courses on or before the appropriate last date for withdrawal as indicated in the Academic Year section of this Calendar. It is not possible to withdraw from a course or courses or from the university after the appropriate designated last date for withdrawal.
Withdrawal activity may affect academic standing as prescribed by regulations governing the program. Consult the Registrar's Office for information and guidance. A student who withdraws from a course retains no academic credit for any part of that course. Withdrawing from a course may have serious consequences for scholarships, OSAP and other student financial support programs. Students are advised to consult the Awards Office for guidance.
Fee adjustments for students who are withdrawing from a course, courses, or entirely from the university will be calculated as of the date of successful completion of withdrawal via Carleton Central.
1.5 Deregistration
The University may cancel a registration under the following circumstances:
- if it is determined that the student does not meet all of the requirements for permission to register as set out in 1.1 above;
- if it is determined that an applicant for admission has, in the process, provided false or incomplete information;
- if the student does not have, or present proof of when requested, the course prerequisite(s);
- if it is determined that the student has not met the additional admission requirements including ESL or CAEL or other English language proficiency requirements;
- if it is determined that the student has not met the requirements of a conditional offer of admission.
1.6 Auditing Courses
Students may register to audit courses (i.e. attend without receiving credit) in addition to those courses being taken for credit. Although audited courses receive no academic credit, they are counted as part of the total course load for both academic and fee assessment purposes. Registration to audit requires the permission of the instructor and the department offering the course. Access to courses for purposes of auditing is also limited by demand for credit space in courses. Some courses are not available for audit purposes. The deadline to change a course enrolment from credit to audit or audit to credit is the last day for course changes (see the Academic Year section of this Calendar).
The course outline (see Section 2.2) may specify conditions, such as attendance, that must be satisfied for successful audit. If these conditions are met the notation Audit (AUD) is given. If the conditions are not met the notation Did Not Complete (DNC) is assigned.
1.7 Credit for Closely-Related Courses
The university recognizes three distinct close relationships between courses.
Courses preclude credit for each other if they contain sufficient content in common that credit may not be earned for more than one of the courses. Should two or more courses be taken that preclude each other, only the most recent attempt will be available for program credit; the remaining earlier attempt(s) will be forfeited. Courses that preclude each other are not necessarily considered equivalent and may or may not be interchangeable in fulfilling degree requirements.
Courses are equivalent if the appropriate academic unit(s) consider the content of the courses to be sufficiently similar that either course may be used to fulfil a program requirement. Courses designated as equivalent to each other preclude credit for each other: credit is retained only for the most recent attempt. Examples of equivalent courses arise frequently in advanced standing and when new curriculum is introduced.
Two courses are cross-listed if they are the same course listed under two different subject codes, usually by two different academic units.
In all cases, credit will be given for only one of the courses in any equivalent, precluded or cross-listed pair. Students planning to enrol in such courses are advised to consult with their academic adviser in advance of registration to ensure that the course number under which they will be enrolling is appropriate to their program. Changes to resolve incorrect course selection due to equivalence, preclusion or cross-listing may not be made after the last day for course changes in the term (see the Academic Year section of this Calendar).
1.8 Two-term Courses
Certain courses may be taught over two academic terms. Students are required to register in such courses twice, once in each term. The student must register in the same section in each term. These courses will be clearly identified in the registration material. The most common example is a 1.0-credit course taught over the fall and winter terms.
In place of a grade, the first term course will be assigned the notation CTN . The second term course will be assigned the final grade for the entire course. Credit will be given only for the complete course taught over two consecutive terms in corresponding sections. No credit will be given for part of the course.
1.9 Challenge for Credit
Challenge for credit is a Carleton University policy that enables students to gain undergraduate academic credit for their own learning and experience through work and related professional development. It is not intended to overlap in scope with transfer of credits or admission with advanced standing.
This policy gives the student the opportunity to be examined on, and receive credit for, a recognized Carleton course without meeting the normal requirements of registration, attendance, and instruction. Students wishing to challenge for credit should inquire at the Registrar's Office and provide documentation to support the challenge. If the academic department, after an interview, is satisfied that the student has adequate experience and learning related to the course in question, it sets an appropriate examination. If the student is successful in the examination, the course is credited to his or her academic record.
Not all courses offered at the university are open to challenge for credit. Students seeking more information should contact the Registrar's Office.
Challenge for credit is available only to students formally admitted to and registered in a program leading to a degree or certificate. Special students are not eligible to apply for challenge for credit. Students may challenge for credit in a course only if they are in good standing academically. A student may not challenge for credit more than once in the same course.
A successful challenge for credit is denoted on the student's record by the notation CH. An unsuccessful challenge attempt is denoted by UCH. These notations have no impact on the CGPA calculation. Credits obtained by challenge may not be used to satisfy the residency requirement for the student's degree program or major discipline (see Section 5.2).
1.10 Academic Petitions and Appeals
1.10.1 Undergraduate Academic Petition
The Senate of the University establishes academic rules, regulations and deadlines, which are designed to ensure that academic standards are upheld and that all students are treated fairly and equitably. However, the University does understand that extenuating circumstances, beyond a student's control, can occur and adversely affect a student's ability to meet academic obligations. In those instances, a student may submit a petition, which is a formal request for accommodation with regard to normal rules, regulations and deadlines of the University. The following procedures are concerned with academic regulations and admission decisions. There is a separate review and appeal process for reconsideration of grades in term work and final examinations (See Sections 2.7 and 2.8). Concerns related to the offering of a particular course are within the jurisdiction of the Dean of the Faculty offering the course.
There are two types of circumstances that might warrant a request for an exception to published rules, regulations, or deadlines. One type of petition concerns personal circumstances such as illness, unanticipated occupational commitments, or other unanticipated serious events. The second type concerns whether a rule or regulation has been properly or fairly applied to a student's record.
A student seeking accommodation with respect to an academic regulation, rule, or deadline submits a petition in writing to the Registrar's Office. Unless subject to an earlier deadline, petitions must be submitted by the following deadlines:
January 30
- for petitions arising from the fall term
June 30
- for petitions arising from the winter term
September 30
- for petitions arising from the summer session
Students can obtain from the Registrar's Office the required Academic Petition form, information about the procedures to be followed, and details regarding the documentation needed to support a petition. Students seeking reconsideration of an admission decision must submit an application in writing to the Admissions Service Office.
1.10.2. Undergraduate Appeal
An appeal is the process by which a student may challenge, in writing, the decision on a petition. Students may initiate an appeal by submitting an Academic Appeal Form to the Registrar's Office. Such appeals must be submitted within 14 days of receiving the decision on the original petition. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the appeal submission is complete and includes all relevant matters which the committee should consider in rendering its decision. The Senate Undergraduate Studies Committee makes the final decision on an appeal.
1.10.3. Procedural Review
Students may request a procedural review of decisions made by the Senate Undergraduate Studies Committee. The review is initiated by a communication, in writing, to the Clerk of Senate. Procedural review is restricted to confirmation by the Clerk that (i) proper procedures have been followed as set out in the appropriate approved policy, (ii) that issues of bias have been properly addressed, and (iii) that the decision reached is within the scope of the delegated authority and is consistent with previous practice. The Clerk will decide either that proper procedures have been followed or that the matter shall be referred to an appropriate committee.
