4.4 Special Registration Requests
4.4.1 Auditing Courses
Students who wish to audit courses must receive written permission from the instructor(s) and the Registrar. Permission to audit courses and the conditions of attendance and participation are at the discretion of instructors.
Students do not receive academic credit for audited courses. Official transcripts are issued with the designation AU (audit) recorded in the place of course grades.
Students may change courses from audit to credit, or from credit to audit, according to the dates indicated in the Academic Schedule, section 2.0.
4.4.2 Course Challenge
Any student enrolled in a Concordia University of Edmonton degree program may apply to take a challenge examination. Students may obtain up to a maximum of 12 credits through course challenges. Credit received through a challenge may not be used to fulfil part of the residency requirement.
Students may not challenge:
- a 400-level course;
- a course for which they have been granted transfer credit;
- a course from which they have been exempted;
- a course which they have previously challenged, withdrawn from, passed, failed, or audited;
- a course for which they have not successfully completed the prerequisites; or
- a course which is considered to be equivalent.
Students submit an application for a course challenge through the Registrar’s Office in Student & Enrolment Services. The application will be accepted or rejected within two weeks of the application; the examination must be completed within four weeks of acceptance. Two weeks after applying, students should contact the Registrar’s Office to find out whether the challenge has been accepted, and if so, which instructor will administer it. Students are then responsible for contacting the instructor to obtain the course syllabus, to ascertain the requirements to be met for the challenge, and to determine the dates by which those requirements are to be met. Students may contact the Registrar’s Office eight working days after the completion of the challenge to learn the result.
A fee is assessed for each challenge at the time of application (section 5.1) and is refundable only if the challenge is rejected. Students may withdraw, without refund, before taking the examination; a grade of W (withdrew) will then be recorded on their transcript. The result of a challenge examination will be recorded as a Credit (CR) or No-credit (NC) on students’ transcripts. Students may not appeal the results of a course challenge.
4.4.3 Applying Credits Earned Elsewhere
A. Visiting Student Permission
Concordia University of Edmonton degree students may, in the course of their education, apply credits earned elsewhere. They must, however, request permission from the Registrar before registering in courses for credit at other institutions.
Request forms are available online or at Student & Enrolment Services and take at least two weeks to process. Permission to use the credits earned at another university toward the student’s Concordia University of Edmonton degree may be granted on an individual basis.
Care must be taken to satisfy Concordia University of Edmonton’s residency requirements, while gaining the benefit of applying credits earned elsewhere.
B. International Exchange Programs
Concordia University of Edmonton’s students may enrich their education by participating in student exchange programs that have been especially established by Concordia University of Edmonton with universities in other countries. Please refer to the following website for a current list of eligible institutions: https://concordia.ab.ca/international/study-abroad/international-partner-universities/.
Concordia University of Edmonton students who are interested in studying abroad through an international exchange program and applying the credits earned toward their Concordia University of Edmonton degree program should first consult with an Admissions Advisor. Refer to International Exchange Student Admission, Section 3.10. Transfer credit arrangements, including an Outbound Undergraduate Student Exchange Permission Form, must be approved in advance. For the purpose of residency and other program requirements, Transfer Credit earned as part of a study abroad program through one of Concordia University of Edmonton’s formal exchange agreements is considered credit earned at Concordia University of Edmonton.