New & current independent students

Independent students begin registering for courses after degree program students have the chance to register. This is approximately one month before the beginning of the academic term.

*You must submit an Independent Student Request Form [PDF] to be considered for late registration.

International Students: You will only be able to register for courses once you have shared your Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (CAQ) and study permit with the International Students Office.

“I don’t know what course(s) I should take.”

• Check out the Recommended Courses list to learn what courses you should take now if you hope to qualify for program admission in the future. 
• Browse the list of elective courses open to all students to see if any interest you. 
• Contact an academic advisor from your target faculty for course selection advice. 

“I need help using Concordia’s online course registration system.”

• Read through the Course Registration How-To Guides. 
• Contact the Welcome Crew Mentors, who can show you how to navigate the course registration system. 

“The course I want to take is full.”

• The registration period for independent students only opens one month before classes begin, whereas students in programs can start registering months in advance. This means that sometimes the classes you want to take will already be full. 
• Add yourself to the waitlist, if the course has one. In the first two weeks of classes, the waitlist will begin to move as students will be attending their courses and dropping them for different reasons. It’s important to watch your email and portal for updates on the waitlist. 
• If the course doesn’t have a waitlist, frequently check the course registration numbers in case a spot becomes available. 

“The course I want to take has spots available, but I can’t enrol in it.”

• Confirm that you have completed any prerequisite requirements for the course. 
• There are many courses that independent students cannot take because they are reserved exclusively for students in a degree program (such as most Fine Arts and John Molson School of Business courses). 
• Add yourself to the course waitlist if this option is available. Seats may open up closer to the start of classes. 
• Contact the department offering the course to find out their policy for allowing non-program students to take the class. 

“The course I want to take has a prerequisite requirement, so I can’t register.”

• Refer to the course description to check the prerequisite requirements. 
• If you want to take a course with prerequisites, you will need to show that you have already completed the equivalent course by submitting a Prerequisite Waiver Form with your transcripts. Prerequisite waivers can be a time-consuming process, so don’t wait until the last minute to submit one!  

“I want to take 12 credits in the winter semester.”

• Independent students can take courses on a part-time basis, which means up to 9 credits per term in the fall and winter and a maximum of 12 credits over the summer terms. 
• If you want to request an exception to this rule to take 12 credits in the fall or winter semester, you can request a course overload by submitting a Student Request Form to undergrad.independent@concordia.ca. 

• Courses you take as an Independent student may count towards a degree program or certificate, if you achieve a minimum grade of C-.
• The acquired credit and final grade transfer to the degree program, if eligible. 
• Up to a maximum of 30 credits earned as an independent student can transfer to a degree program. This will be determined once you are admitted to a degree program.

While independent students are not admitted to a particular faculty, you can meet with academic advisors in each faculty for academic advising!

Advisors can also be reached at the Student Service Station every Wednesday at 11:30 on Zoom.