Changing a Course or a Course Section
Some programs permit course changes. After the first two weeks of classes, students will need the instructor’s approval to join the course. Changing a course may have financial ramifications. (See the Financial Section of this calendar or consult with the Vice-President Student Services, and Registrar. Moreover, if students stay in the same course but switch sections, they must still go through the process (either by signing a form at the Registrar’s Office or using the student log-in online at www.cbu.ca) similar to changing a course.
For example, if a student is in ENGL1600:10 (10 is the section number) which meets at 8:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and wishes to move to ENGL1600:16 which meets on Thursday evenings, the student is still required to drop ENGL1600:10 and add ENGL1600:16.
All course changes, including section changes and drops, at any time, require submission of a Drop/Add Form to the Registrar’s Office, or must be completed online at www.cbu.ca.
There are four main delivery options for course registration. They are scheduled this way in the course catalog.
- Lecture
- In Person or Live Online
- Online (Live)
- Online (Not Live)
Note: Students should look at course locations when registering for classes.
Registration Information
Winter/2024 Timetable Update
Note: Some programs may have limited Registration Periods due to course availability.
Shannon School of Business, Post-Baccalaureate Diploma Students
Important Registration Information: Post-Baccalaureate Diplomas (SSOB).
Registration Deadline: December 1, 2023, for Classes starting on Monday January 8, 2024.
Due to seat availability and program capacity for the Post-Baccalaureate Diplomas in Business Analytics, Business Management, Healthcare Management and Supply Chain Management, all students in these programs must adhere to this registration deadline. Students should not register for courses unless they have their visa.
How to Register:
Students can register for classes using their Compass Student Account. Here is a helpful video that shows the process in full.
Registration Closes for new students on December 1, 2023, for Winter 2024 Intake, Shannon School of Business, Post-Baccalaureate Diplomas. Students who fail to meet this deadline will need to re-apply or defer to a future term. Contact admissions@cbu.ca for admission related inquiries.
Questions related to the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma
New Post-Baccalaureate Diploma students from the SSOB can email pb@cbu.ca to request Academic Advising. Certain registration deadlines apply to these programs.
Dropping a Course
Students may drop a course up until the mid-point of classes during the term that the course is offered without academic penalty. The deadlines for withdrawing from a course without academic penalty are listed in the Calendar of Events and Academic Dates.
When a course is dropped on or before the last date to add courses in a term, the course will not appear on the student’s transcript. A course dropped after the last date to add courses and on or before the course penalty date will appear on the transcript with the legend, WP (withdrew without penalty). The course will not be included in the calculation of the student’s average.
A course dropped after the course penalty date will appear on the transcript with the legend WF (withdrew, failed). The WF will be treated as a grade of zero in the calculation of the student’s average. Courses dropped after the penalty date due to extenuating circumstances (requires both Dean and Registrar to accept) will appear on the transcript with WS (withdrew special circumstances). The course will not be in the average.
Withdrawal from the first term of a pair of related courses (for example, ACCT1203/1204) does not automatically withdraw the student from the second term course. Both courses must be dropped.
Students are cautioned not to simply walk away from a course. Withdrawal must be made official (which means either signing a form in person at the Registrar’s Office or withdrawing online using the student log-in at www.cbu.ca).
Students who leave a course without formal withdrawal will receive a grade of zero for the course and will be charged full tuition and fees for the full course.
The length of time a student stays in a course before dropping will affect the tuition refund to be received. Please check the financial policies on the CBU website for information about refunds.
Students are advised to consult the instructors of courses that they are considering dropping. In addition, there are academic support services available through Student Services. Extra help may be all that is needed to successfully complete the course. Instructors will appreciate being informed of a decision to drop a course.
Alternatives to the Usual Course Load
Five courses are considered as the normal load in degree programs; the normal load in diploma studies depends on the specific program. See the program descriptions in this calendar. Students wishing to take additional courses should consult with the dean of the school. There is usually an additional cost for extra courses. Students may wish to register for fewer than the usual number of courses, but should be aware that registering for fewer than three courses may affect eligibility for student loans.
Repeating a Course
If a student repeats a course, the highest mark in the course will be used in the calculation of the final average as well as in the calculation of the average for all program requirements, prerequisites and for all other internal purposes where an average is calculated. The marks for previous attempts of the course will remain on the student’s permanent record. The number of times a student may take a course is limited to three.
Distance Education Courses
Courses offered by CBU in any format and at any site are considered to be regular university courses. This includes distance courses.
Course Challenge
CBU recognizes that some students may have achieved competence in certain subject areas. A challenge involves a special assessment administered by the relevant school at a time determined in consultation with the student. The following guidelines apply to course challenge:
- The student applies through the Office of the Registrar and Admissions and the assessment is administered through the relevant school.
- Course challenges are available to students registered in any program.
- The assessment must be completed within 30 days of the receipt of the application. Applications will be entertained only in the period from August to April.
- A specific course may be challenged only once.
- Students may not challenge a course for which they have already received a final grade.
- All course challenges will be recorded. The results of course challenges will be treated like any other course and will be included in the calculation of the student’s average.
- Payment of the appropriate fee is due at the time the application for challenge is filed. The fee for course challenges is 25% of the normal tuition fee.
- Students may challenge a maximum of 30 credit hours or the equivalent of five, 6-credit courses. Students may not challenge (human) language acquisition courses.
- No course challenges for Community Studies courses.
Spring-Summer Courses
CBU courses taken during spring/summer session are considered to be regular university courses and no limitations or restrictions are placed on such courses, with one exception: because of the condensed format of the spring and summer sessions and, except where their program requires otherwise, students normally take only two courses concurrently. Those wishing to take more than two courses concurrently must have the permission of the dean.
Tutorial Courses
Tutorial courses are those courses listed in the CBU calendar which are not included in that session’s timetable and are offered in special circumstances to very small groups of students. Tutorial courses are arranged between the student and an instructor and require the approval of the dean.
Audit Courses
Registration is limited. Some courses are not available for audit; consult the Registrar’s Officer for details.
A student normally audits a course out of personal interest. Students who wish to audit courses may attend with the permission of the instructor, but normally would not participate in written assignments or examinations set for the course. Students may change from audit to credit up to the final date for registration and adding of courses. They may change from credit to audit, up to the final date for dropping courses without academic penalty. Students changing from audit to credit will be assessed course tuition and fees. Credit will not be awarded for audit courses. Audits cost substantially less than the fee for the same course taken for credit. Courses taken for audit may not be challenged. Please see Calendar of Events for the relevant dates.
Audited Courses Regulations:
- Do not require proof of meeting academic pre-requisites
- Are not transferable for Academic Credit and are not able to be challenged for credit
- Are subject to space availability
- Because space in many classes is limited, auditors are not permitted to register in courses which are at capacity.
- Fall under the same financial policies for refunds as credit courses
- Registrar’s Office has final approval on all audits
- A grade of AUD will be applied to the Official University Transcript after completion of the course
- The number of audits might be limited to each student (Maximum one per term)
- This does not apply to CBU Inclusive education students
- Some programs/courses may have restrictions related to Auditing
- Audited courses cannot be used to meet admission requirements or as prerequisites for other courses.
Taking Courses at Other Institutions
Students formally registered at CBU may take courses from another institution and have them transferred, with the prior permission of their school dean, into their CBU program. Normally, the total number of courses accepted shall not exceed 50% of the total number of courses required to complete the program. CBU has special agreements with some institutions which may allow students to utilize more courses than normal. Students should consult with their school dean for further information.
Distance Courses at Other Institutions
Students formally registered at CBU may wish to take advantage of those courses offered through correspondence from other recognized institutions. The conditions for correspondence courses are the same as those listed above for taking courses at other institutions. CBU cannot give credit for a correspondence course if that same course is offered at CBU during the period the student wishes to enroll. However, a student may take a correspondence course if the same course at CBU is filled.
Other Academic Paths
Traditionally, students have entered university studies on a full-time basis as recent high school graduates. But this traditional student profile is changing and alternative ways of responding to students’ needs are being introduced. Many students are older, have significant work experience, have work schedules which do not allow full-time study and, in a number of cases, have difficulty travelling to the CBU campus. In response to changing needs, CBU provides alternate paths for students to reach their academic goals. All courses, regardless of mode of delivery, are subject to the standard procedures, criteria and checks and balances as outlined in the CBU Academic Regulations.