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process a withdrawal
Course Withdrawal:
- Students can withdraw from courses through goSFU self service within the first nine weeks of a term. If they do so between weeks 4-9, the student will be assigned a WD notation on their transcript.
Program Withdrawal:
- Students may withdraw from their graduate program at any time by following the program withdrawal process.
- If, at a later date, the student wishes to resume their studies, they must reapply for admission.
This page outlines the processes for course and program withdrawal.
Course Withdrawal
Standard Withdrawal: students may withdraw from a course for any reason up to the end of ninth week of the term. This can be done through goSFU without special permission. Some course withdrawals must be processed by Graduate Studies or the program; these include courses with restricted enrollment access (eg., co-op courses).
- For withdrawals done between weeks 4-9 the student will be assigned a WD notation on their transcript. This notation has no impact on their CGPA.
- International students must maintain full time enrollment to be in compliance with their study permit. Any withdrawals should be done in consultation with International Services for Students office.
Withdrawal Under Extenuating Circumstances (WE): If unforeseen events (e.g., medical or compassionate reasons) prevents a student from completing a course after the ninth week, they can apply for a WE.
This requires:
- a personal statement explaining the circumstances.
- supporting documentation (e.g., medical certificate).
- submission of the WE application form to Graduate Studies.
If approved, a "WE" notation appears on their transcript, and the course does not affect the student's CGPA.
Program Withdrawal
Voluntary Withdrawal: If a student decides to withdraw from their graduate program, they should inform their supervisor (if applicable) and program. The student must then complete the Withdrawal from Graduate Studies form and submit it to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Implications:
- tuition and fee refunds depend on the timing of the withdrawal. Withdrawing early in the term may result in partial refunds; however, certain fees are non-refundable.
- they must reapply for admission if they wish to return. When a student withdraws and applies for re-admission, their original offer of funding is no longer valid.
- time away will count toward their program's maximum time limit if they decide to return.
Withdrawals and Awards: any awards or funding is prorated to the withdrawal date, and future payments are forfeited.
To avoid an account reversal (money owed), withdrawals or changes to a degree program should occur as soon as possible.
Notes:
- When it comes to processing leave requests, Graduate Studies staff ensures records changes meet university regulations, and that Graduate General Regulations are complied with.