Note: This is the 2020鈥�2021 eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or .
Jump To:
- Registration for Fall and Winter Terms (Including Additional Session and Non-Thesis Extension Students)
- Fee Policies Related to Registration
- Summer Registration
- Courses Taken in the School of Continuing Studies
- Courses Taken as Extra to a Program
- Registration for Two Degree Programs Concurrently
- Late Registration
- Course Change Period
- Course Withdrawal
- Withdrawal from a Degree Program
Registration
You must inform yourself of University rules and regulations and keep abreast of any changes that may occur. The Registration section of this publication contains important details required by students during their studies at McGill and should be periodically consulted, along with other sections and related publications.
Registration for Fall and Winter Terms (Including Additional Session and Non-Thesis Extension Students)
Registration for Fall and Winter Terms (Including Additional Session and Non-Thesis Extension Students)
All returning and new graduate students must register online at www.mcgill.ca/minerva. It is your responsibility to obtain departmental approval before registering on Minerva.
Courses may be added until the end of the course change period without penalty.
- Returning Students:
- Returning students register via Minerva between April 1, 2020 and August 14, 2020.
- Newly-Admitted Students:
- New students entering in September 2020 register via Minerva between July 7, 2020 and August 14, 2020.
- New students entering in January 2021 register via Minerva between December 1, 2020 and January 4, 2021.
Successful completion of registration is contingent upon acceptable academic standing in the previous session and payment of any previous outstanding fees and fines.
You must register (and pay fees) annually up to and including the term of graduation. Outstanding tuition fees must be paid before graduation. A graduate student registered in the Winter term who graduates in February will have their Winter registration and fees cancelled at the end of February.
Fee Policies Related to Registration
Fee Policies Related to Registration
Refer to University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Fees; particular attention should be paid to Fees and Withdrawal from the University.
Summer Registration
Summer Registration
Detailed summer registration information will be available in the middle of March in individual departments and at www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/registration/dates.
Course Registration
Students taking summer courses register on Minerva respecting Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies deadlines.
Summer Term of Residency
Students in thesis programs who wish to register for a Summer term to count as part of their residency requirements must advise their department in March and complete the appropriate Summer Registration Form in April. Newly admitted students beginning their graduate thesis program in a Summer Term of Residency can get a 100% refund (less $200 minimum or registration deposit if applicable) up to and including the May 15 withdrawal date. Students in thesis programs, who are continuing in their programs at the end of the Winter term, are expected to devote the summer to research and are considered 鈥淐ontinuing Students.鈥�
Courses Taken in the School of Continuing Studies
Courses Taken in the School of Continuing Studies
In the Fall and Winter terms, students may add credit courses (500 level or higher) offered through the School of Continuing Studies (SCS) directly on Minerva. Please see www.mcgill.ca/importantdates for deadlines.
Non-credit general interest or languages courses cannot be added directly by you. You may register for these courses in person at the SCS Client Services Desk, where the course(s) will be added to their record as 鈥�Extra鈥� to their program and course fees will be charged.
Courses Taken as Extra to a Program
Courses Taken as Extra to a Program
Courses that you choose to take outside your program may be classified as "extra" provided that you choose this option at the time of registration. The course will be designated as "extra" ("RX" at the time of registration, and "E" once the course is graded) on your transcript, and the grade earned in that course will not be included in your grade point average (GPA) calculation. This option cannot be added to your record after the course change add/drop deadline. With the exception of those who are eligible for a Graphos tuition sponsorship (see below), you will be responsible for any tuition fees associated with an "extra" course.
Graphos Scholarly Communication Courses
Graphos Scholarly Communication Courses
The McGill Writing Centre (www.mcgill.ca/mwc) offers several 1-credit courses in scholarly communication. Most of these courses form part of the Graphos program for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Graphos courses are not counted toward the requirements of a graduate program (the sole exception being the non-thesis Master's program in Second Language Education, toward which only CESL 641, CEAP 642, CEAP 661, and CEAP 665 may be counted).
- All Graphos courses are pass/fail
- Thanks to a sponsorship program, nearly all doctoral students and most master's students can take Graphos courses at no extra cost provided that they do not withdraw at any time and submit all required assignments. For eligibility details, check this page.
- Since these courses finish before the end of term, the Graphos add/drop and withdrawal (with and without refund) dates are often earlier than the standard University dates for full term courses.
- Graphos courses are exempt from the "J" grade assignment percentage policy set out in the University Student Assessment Policy (see 3.1.7).
- Before registering, please consult the Graphos website for further details.
List of McGill Writing Centre/Graphos Courses
List of McGill Writing Centre/Graphos Courses
- CEAP 642 鈥� Cornerstones of Academic Writing
- CEAP 652 鈥� Fundamentals of Academic Presentations
- CEAP 661 鈥� Literature Review 1: Summary and Critique
- CEAP 665 鈥� Literature Review 2: Establishing Scholarly Niches
- CESL 631 鈥� Strategies for Academic Communication in English
- CESL 641 鈥� Fundamentals of Academic Writing in English
- CESL 651 鈥� Pronunciation for Effective Communication
- CESL 614 鈥� Communicating Science to the Public
The Redpath Museum also offers courses on scientific and research writing open to graduate students. For course availability and other information, please consult the Redpath Museum website.
Registration for Two Degree Programs Concurrently
Registration for Two Degree Programs Concurrently
No student may register in two degree programs or in two departments or faculties or two institutions concurrently without special permission granted by the Graduate 香蕉视频 Committee (composed of the Dean and Associate Deans of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies) and in consultation with the Graduate 香蕉视频 Unit of Enrolment Services, you are advised that permission is never granted to attempt two full-time programs concurrently. Letters of recommendation, including details of the proportions of time that the student intends to allot to each program, must be received from the Chair of each department concerned. Each year, a progress report must be submitted from the two departments concerned to the Graduate 香蕉视频 Committee c/o the Graduate 香蕉视频 Unit of Enrolment Services before a student in this category will be permitted to register.
Late Registration
Late Registration
If you fail to register during the normal registration period, you can register within the period designated by the University for late registration with the payment of a late registration fee. For late registration fees, see Late Registration and Course Change Charges on the Student Accounts website at www.mcgill.ca/student-accounts/tuition-fees/non-tuition-charges/other.
Returning Students: You may register late via Minerva from August 15 until and including September 15, 2020.
New and Readmitted Students (Fall): You may register late via Minerva from August 15 until and including September 15, 2020.
New and Readmitted Students (Winter): You may register late via Minerva from January 5 until January 19, 2021.
Special Late Registration: If you cannot register online during the late registration period, usually due to late admission, you may receive special permission to register in person. This information is included with your letter of acceptance.
Course Change Period
Course Change Period
You may make changes to your course registrations (add or drop courses), subject to the requirements and restrictions of your program and individual courses from the opening date of registration until the end of the Course Change period. The Course Change deadline coincides with the deadline for late registration. See www.mcgill.ca/importantdates.
If you are registered in the Fall term, you may add and drop Winter term courses throughout the Fall term until the Winter term deadline for course change/late registration.
After the Course Change deadline, you may add courses exceptionally only with written permission of the instructor and your department, and the approval of Enrolment Services. A fee will be charged for each course you add.
Course Withdrawal
Course Withdrawal
听WINTER 2021 NEW ACADEMIC DATES: Updates
On 2 Dec 2020, a motion was passed to delay the start of classes for the Winter 2021 term by 3 days. As a result, all academic dates (add/drop deadline, withdrawal deadlines, etc.) have changed. Please disregard the below Winter 2021 dates and refer to Key Academic Dates for the updated Winter 2021 Term academic dates.
After the course change deadline in the Fall and Winter terms, there is a period of a few days during which you may withdraw, with a grade of W, and receive a full refund of course fees.
After the Withdrawal (with refund) deadline, there is a period during which withdrawal from a course will also result in a grade of W but no course fees will be refunded.
Courses that Begin in the Winter Term
Courses that Begin in the Winter Term
Deadline for withdrawal (grade of W) with refund:
Deadline for withdrawal (grade of W) without refund:
- Single-term courses: Tuesday, March 09, 2021
- Multi-term courses that begin in Winter term (refund for the Summer or later portion of the course only): May 15, 2021*
* If you are in multi-term courses with course numbers ending in N1 and N2 (course begins in the Winter term, skips the Summer term, and is completed in the subsequent Fall term) you may withdraw after May 15 and until the end of the Fall term course change period by contacting your faculty Student Affairs Office.
After the withdrawal (without refund) deadline but before the end of term, and only under exceptional circumstances, you may be granted permission to withdraw from a course. Permission will not be granted merely because you are doing unsatisfactory work. A grade of W or WF, as appropriate, will appear on your transcript but will not be calculated in your GPA. For further information, consult your faculty Student Affairs Office.
- To withdraw from required or complementary courses after the withdrawal (without refund) deadline, you may need to obtain permission from your adviser, and you must fill out and submit a course withdrawal form, available from your faculty Student Affairs Office. Additional restrictions for Music courses are indicated in Schulich School of Music.
- It is solely your responsibility to initiate a course withdrawal on Minerva. Neither notification of the course instructor nor discontinuing class attendance is sufficient. The date on which you withdraw on Minerva is the official date of withdrawal, even if you had stopped attending lectures earlier.
- You may still withdraw from a course after the course change deadline without academic penalty provided that you do so within the appropriate withdrawal deadlines for the term. Otherwise, after this time, your name will continue to appear on the class list and grade reports and, in the event that you do not take the exam, you will be given a J grade.
- Fee refunds, if any, will be in accordance with Fees and Withdrawal from the University.
- Withdrawing from one or more courses during the semester may鈥攚here applicable鈥攁ffect your government aid and/or McGill's Work Study Program eligibility. For international students, it may also impact your immigration status and/or permission to work in Canada. Please ensure that you are aware of any consequences related to the course withdrawal request; consult with the Scholarships & Student Aid Office, International Student Services, and/or your faculty Student Affairs Office, where relevant.
Graduate students who wish to withdraw from McGill should consult University Withdrawal, and submit a "Request for a University Withdrawal" form available at Student Records Forms. Please note that this form is sent to the Management of Academic Records Office, Enrolment Services.
- To withdraw from required or complementary courses after the withdrawal (without refund) deadline, you may need to obtain permission from your adviser, and you must fill out and submit a course withdrawal form, available from your faculty Student Affairs Office. (Note 1 is not applicable to Medicine, Dentistry, and Nursing. For information, you should refer to your Faculty/School section in this publication.)
- It is solely your responsibility to initiate a course withdrawal on Minerva. Neither notification of the course instructor nor discontinuing class attendance is sufficient. The date on which you withdraw on Minerva is the official date of withdrawal, even if you had stopped attending lectures earlier.
- You may still withdraw from a course after the course change deadline without academic penalty, provided that you do so within the appropriate withdrawal deadlines for the term (see deadlines above). Otherwise, after this time, your name will continue to appear on the class list and grade reports and, in the event that you do not take the exam, you will be given a J grade.
- Fee refunds, if any, will be in accordance with Fees and Withdrawal from the University.
If you are blocked from withdrawing from a required course on Minerva, and have permission to do so, you must contact the Student Affairs Office, who will provide you with the proper forms.
Withdrawal from a Degree Program
Withdrawal from a Degree Program
You are withdrawn from the program if you have failed two courses for your program, or you failed the comprehensive examination. You may be withdrawn from the program if your progress is not satisfactory. Please see Failure Policy.
Any student who withdraws from the University must complete a Request for a University Withdrawal form available at www.mcgill.ca/student-records/forms. Fees will then be refunded according to the conditions outlined in Course Change Period and in Course Withdrawal.
