Service requests

Applications from students for exceptions to academic regulations or related matters should be submitted by the student through a service request.

Students may submit service requests through their Student Center under “Graduate Service Requests”. As some requests may be time sensitive, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they are aware of all deadlines and regulations.

Service requests require supporting documentation in order to be evaluated. Failure to provide supporting documentation will result in the refusal of a request.

Examples of supporting documentation:

Medical note
Birth certificate
Communications with department and faculty
Employment letter
Travel documents

Have questions about service requests?

Book a meeting with one of our advisors:

Raja Bhattacharya: Change of grade requests, program continuation or discontinuation requests, changes to option or status, leaves of absence, time limit extensions, and withdrawal from program.

Irene Grigoropoulos: Course waivers, continuing in Program registration in first term, late Did Not Enter (DNE) request, transfer credits, and reinstatements.

Dolly Grewal: Late registration inquiries.

Request type	Detail
Change of Option	Graduate students who wish to switch from course based option to thesis option or vice versa.
Change in Status	A change of student full-time or part-time status may have implications for students receiving loans, bursaries, or awards; students should check the regulations associated with their loans, bursaries, or awards. International students must retain the status as indicated on their Study Permit/CAQ. Changes to a student’s status may also affect the student’s time limit and/or their payment schedule.
Course Exemption	Students who believe they have previously met the objectives of a required graduate course may apply for exemption. If exempted, a replacement course is needed to fulfill program requirements.
Course Substitution	A course substitution is a request for a student to take a course that is not part of their program requirements instead of a course that is. This new course will be used to meet the student’s program requirements.
In-Progress Extension	An in-progress grade extension request is a request to extend a student’s in-progress notation deadline.
Late Academic Course Withdrawal (DISC)	Students who miss the DISC deadline through no fault of their own may submit a Late DISC request to drop the course. The request cannot be reviewed nor approved without supporting documentation and included reason(s). Poor performance in a course is not sufficient reason to late DISC a course.
Late Did Not Enter (DNE)	Students who miss the DNE deadline through no fault of their own may submit a Late DNE request to drop the course. The request cannot be reviewed nor approved without supporting documentation and included reason(s). Poor performance in a course is not sufficient reason to late DNE a course.
Leave of Absence	Graduate students who wish to temporarily discontinue their studies for a few terms may request a leave of absence from their program. Students must apply in advance through the Service Request process, prior to the DNE deadline of the term in which they intend on taking a leave. Students must consult the Graduate Program Director in their program and initiate a Service Request. Students must specify the reason for the leave and provide supporting documentation; for example, a request for leave for medical reasons must be supported by an original medical certificate. Under highly exceptional circumstances (e.g., parental leave, urgent medical situations with appropriate documentation), leave requests may be considered by the School of Graduate Studies following submission subsequent to the DNE deadline of the term in which a leave is sought. Students may not graduate with a Leave of Absence in their graduating term. A leave from a program of study may have implications for students receiving awards, loans or bursaries; students should check the regulations associated with their awards, loans or bursaries. Types of leaves: Leave without access: During a leave without access, a student will not have access to library, university or student services. No fees will be charged. Leave with access: During a leave with access, a student will have access to library, university and student services. Leaves with access are granted only under exceptional circumstances. A flat service fee of $150 per term will be charged. Parental leave: All graduate students are entitled to parental leave of up to three consecutive terms during their program of study on the occasion of the birth or adoption of a child. The student will have access to library, university and student services. Students holding a Concordia Fellowship will receive a deferral of their fellowship for the period of leave. In the case of other fellowships, the regulations of the granting agencies will apply. No fees will be charged.
Late Registration	Students must submit a request for late registration when, due to extenuating circumstances, a student could not register by the registration deadline dates. In such cases, a student may attend classes until they receive a decision. The student must include the reason(s) for late registration.
Miscellaneous	This is used when a request for exceptions to academic regulations cannot be fulfilled by other request types. E.g. Waiver of Continuation and Time Limit fees with an explanation.
Re-instatement into Program	Students who have been withdrawn from a graduate program by the University for non-academic reasons (e.g. non-continuous registration) may wish to submit this request. This request is to be submitted for consideration during the same term in which the student was withdrawn.
Time Limit Extension	Students who will or have exceeded their time limit can submit this request. A Time Limit Extension notation is added to the extended terms and are replaced if a course is registered. The student must submit a timeline for completion of degree, approved by their supervisor.
Transfer Credits	A service request may be submitted to request transfer credits for courses completed less than five years ago. The credits must have been earned for graduate-level studies, and they must not have been used as part of a completed Master’s or Doctoral degree. Please refer to the Graduate Calendar for eligibility of transfer credits. For external credits, students must provide official transcripts which include the number of credits and the grade(s) achieved. Students must be withdrawn from their previous Master’s or Doctoral studies before transfer credits can be evaluated. Effective Fall 2017: Courses from a completed graduate certificate or diploma are now eligible for transfer if deemed acceptable by the department.
Waiving a Course Requirement	Students who wish to have their deficiency course(s) waived must provide a justification as well any supporting documentation.
Withdrawal from Program	Students who wish to withdraw from their program or from the university must do so by the DNE deadline and include the reason(s) for withdrawing. If the student withdraws after the DNE deadline, they will be responsible for paying the term fees. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they have dropped (DNE) their courses by the deadline for the withdrawal to be effective for the beginning of term. Students are encouraged to indicate the reason(s) for their withdrawal.