Courses taken with a letter of permission replace courses in their program and failures incurred in connection with this registration count towards their program of study.
Important: Before submitting a request for a letter of permission, be sure to check the eligibility criteria of both institutions, the unit value for the course (s) you wish to take as well as their availability, because when your request for a letter of permission is accepted, the administrative cost for the evaluation of your file will be billed to your student account. These administrative fees are non-refundable, even if you decide to no longer take the course or if the course is no longer available. If the course is no longer available at the host institution, you may submit a second choice for the same institution at no additional cost. Additional fees may apply for the assessment of a second institution.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible to take a course by Letter of Permission, you must:
- Be admitted to a degree program at the University of Ottawa;
- Have completed a minimum of 24 units;
- Be in good academic standing (i.e.: not be on probation);
- Have no outstanding fees with the University of Ottawa.
Please note that, when taking a course by letter of permission, the units are transferred but the grades are not, meaning that they will not be included in the calculation of your CGPA.
Courses taken at another university with a letter of permission do not count towards residence requirements at the University of Ottawa: faculties must require that at least 50 percent of the credits be completed at the University regardless of specific requirements (Academic Regulation 12.6: Residence requirements). Only courses that meet your degree requirements can be approved.
Procedure for obtaining a letter of permission
Prepare your request
If you meet the eligibility criteria mentioned above, you can submit a Letter of Permission request by following these steps:
- DECIDE which university you wish to attend, and which courses you wish to take.
- COMPLETE the University of Ottawa online Letter of Permission form et carefully read the instructions. You are also requested to submit an outline (syllabus) of the course or courses in which you intend to register at the host university.
- SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST before the registration deadline.
- PAY the administrative fees required for the evaluation of your application (non-refundable), which will be automatically billed to your student account.
Evaluation result
Before registering with the host University as a special student, you must OBTAIN APPROVAL from the Faculty of Engineering.
Request denied
If you submit a Letter of Permission request knowing that you do not meet the requirements, the Faculty will deny you the privilege.
If your request is denied, you will receive an email with the reason(s) outlining the Faculty's decision.
Approved request
Once approval has been given, it means that you will be authorized to follow the course(s) listed on the Letter of Permission form. We will add the letter of permission administrative fee to your account by registering you on a letter of permission (LPR1000 will appear in your schedule) for the term you requested and you will be required to pay the non-refundable administrative fee associated to this evaluation. You will be able to pay the same way you would your tuition fees.
You will also receive a confirmation email from the Faculty with a signed copy of your Letter of Permission form. You will need to present this version of your form to the host institution in order to register with them.
Important: Please note that the Faculty nor the University of Ottawa take care of the course registration/withdrawal process at the host University, therefore it is your responsibility to ensure that you meet the deadlines of both institutions.
Modification of enrolment
If you no longer want to take course(s) through Letter of Permission, you are responsible for informing us, before the course withdrawal deadlines for the appropriate term. Otherwise, the mention "NC" will appear on your transcript. Withdrawal proof may be required.
Official transcript
Once the course(s) are completed, you are responsible for asking the host University to send an official transcript, in a sealed envelope, to the Faculty as soon as the grade(s) are available. Our mailing address is the following:
Faculty of Engineering
Undergraduate Studies Office
SITE Hall, room 1020
800 King Edward Ave
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
Important: If you wish to graduate during the Spring/Summer convocation, we must receive the official transcript from your host University no later than May 15, or September 15 for the Fall convocation. If we receive the official transcript from the host University after the deadline, you will be eligible to graduate at the next convocation ceremony.
Failure to obtain a final grade of at least 60% (at a Canadian institution) will result in the entry of a NON-CREDIT "NC" on your University of Ottawa transcript. The credits marked NC will be included in the maximum allowable failed credits for your program of studies.