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Knowledge Base
Records + Enrollment
General Index
- Temporary Links to APR and Exceptions
(We're working on moving this information into our new pages. Use this link to access the information you need now. The information will have different urls soon!)
Essentials Index
General
Communicate key dates for enrollment windows (e.g., when course registration opens/closes).
Check student status (active/on leave) to prevent enrollment issues and discontinuations.
Ensure holds/service indicators are cleared or addressed (e.g., outstanding conditions or documents).
Assist incoming students with navigating goSFU, course requirements, and registration processes.
Answer student questions about course selection, prerequisites, or program requirements (may defer to supervisor).
Provide enrollment permission or override requests (e.g., course capacity, special permission).
Monitor student course loads for compliance with program or funding requirements (e.g., minimum credits).
Track deferrals, leaves of absence, or program reactivations that affect enrollment eligibility.
Run enrollment reports for program tracking and funding allocation (e.g., TA/RA eligibility).
Coordinate changes like course drops, adds, or swaps — often needing manual adjustments in goSFU.
Support students with late enrollment issues, appeals, or errors in registration.
Contacting Graduate Studies for processing late enrollment changes (after week 5).
Graduate Student Handbook
Refers to the core academic and program requirements, reminds students that by enrolling they agree to adhere to institutional policies — academic honesty, conduct, privacy, etc. It is updated annually.
Graduate General Regulations
GGR 1.4 Enrollment - outlines requirements for graduate student enrollment and leaves of absence, including the need for continuous enrollment every term and the process for applying for various types of leaves
GGR 1.5 Graduate Grading Systems and Policies
GGR 1.12 Time Limit for Program Completion
GGR 1.18 Progress and Withdrawal
Academic Calendar
Published each term, this official calendar outlines key academic dates, current curriculum, fees and regulations.
Dates + Deadlines
Key dates specific to graduate studies.
Visiting + Incoming Exchange
Information and process for Visiting Research Students, Western Dean's Agreement, formal exchanges and non degree options.
Graduate Studies Forms
Public facing forms page; lists student initiated forms.
Users log in to SFU Systems using their SFU computing ID + MFA. Note that some systems require VPN when accessing off campus.
- For GS system access (goGRAD, GA3, eTRACS) use the Access Request Form.
- For goSFU access and help visit goSFU Staff Access and Help.
This section provides a general overview of what users might do in systems related to Awards & Funding. Visit the How To Library for specific instructions and steps.
Units use this system to track and manage enrollment, track student progress, and monitor compliance with Graduate General Regulations (GGRs). Specifically, users may use this system to:
- monitor student enrollment (grad study detail report),
- prevent enrollment issues,
- enroll or drop student,
- add class/drop class,
- find/resolve enrollment holds (service indicators),
- how to run an unofficial transcript,
- view/navigate program plans,
- run grade list report/check grade rosters,
- look up DE grades (2 ways).
Enrollment Process + Dates
Students are responsible for enrolling themselves via goSFU each term. While students are responsible for resolving their own enrollment issues, a courteous reminder from your office—especially early in the term—can help prevent problems before they arise.
- If a student is unable to self-enroll, obtain their written consent (e.g., email, departmental form) before enrolling on their behalf. After enrolling a student, it is good practice to send them a confirmation email, summarizing the course(s) added.
- Avoid using enrollment as a temporary measure - inaccurate enrollment records can create complications with tuition, funding, immigration status, and academic tracking. Always ensure enrollment reflects actual student plans.
Important Dates
The “end of week” doesn’t always fall on a Friday - it depends on the first day of the term. For example, if the term begins on a Wednesday, then the end of week 1 will be the next Tuesday, and each following week will align accordingly.
Public webpage
Dates and Deadlines
| Timeline | Action |
|---|---|
| 2.5 months before term | Academic calendar and course offerings are published. |
| 2 months before term | Online enrollment begins. |
| End of Week 2 | Last day for students to enroll, add, or change courses online. |
| End of Week 5 | Staff access to enrollment in goSFU ends. |
| End of Week 9 | Last day for students to drop courses online themselves. |
| Weeks 6 - 9 | Enrollment changes must go through Graduate Studies staff. |
| Start of Week 7 | Discontinue process runs: students not enrolled or on leave are discontinued. |
| Start of Week 10 | Enrollment changes only approved by Graduate Studies staff in extenuating circumstances. |
Related How To Items
How to monitor and prevent enrollment issues
How to enroll or drop a student
Graduate students must either enroll each term or be on an approved leave of absence. If neither applies, the student must formally withdraw. Students who do not meet any of these conditions will be discontinued and may be required to apply for readmission.
Public webpage
Forms
Graduate Courses - within the student's program requirements
This is the most common enrollment category and includes courses that students take to fulfill their program requirements, which may include coursework, thesis, project, extended essays. Unless otherwise restricted, students are expected to self-enroll in these courses through goSFU.
Graduate Course – outside their program requirements
With the approval of their supervisor and academic unit, students may enroll in courses outside their program requirements. If the course is confirmed by the supervisor as supporting the student’s research, no additional tuition fees may apply.
To proceed, the student must complete a Course Add/Drop form, which is submitted to GS for processing by the Graduate Program Assistant.
Audit Course
Graduate students may audit a course if they are enrolled in at least one other graduate course for credit during the same term (see GGR 1.4.1). Audit requests must be submitted through a Course Add/Drop form to Graduate Studies no later than the end of Week 2. Audited courses do not affect a student’s CGPA.
- For each audited course, the student and instructor must develop a written agreement outlining expectations. This typically includes attending all lectures, seminars, or labs, participating in discussions, and completing assigned readings.
- Outcomes are recorded as: AU – Audit Completed (requirements met) OR AN – Audit Not Completed (requirements not met)
Undergraduate Course Enrollment
Graduate students may enroll in undergraduate courses with approval from both their supervisor, GPC and the undergraduate course instructor or advisor. If the course is relevant to the student’s graduate program or research, fees may be covered.
- If the course is not deemed necessary for the student’s research or program requirements, additional undergraduate tuition fees will apply.
- Enrollment in undergraduate courses must be completed by Graduate Studies using the Add/Drop form. While the final grade will appear on the student’s transcript, it will not count toward completed graduate units or be included in the student’s CGPA.
- Per GGR 1.4.1, students may not be enrolled solely in undergraduate courses; they must also be registered in one or more graduate courses during the same term.
GRAD Course – Western Dean’s Agreement (WDA)
Western Deans’ Agreement (WDA) Enrollment for courses offered at most post-secondary institutions in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba:
- Application deadline: requests for WDA enrollment must be submitted at least 6 weeks prior to the start of the term.
- Form submission/processing: the form is submitted to Graduate Studies. Graduate Studies facilitates the communication with the home institution and once approved, enrolls the student in an SFU WDA placeholder course.
- Transcript requirement: after course completion, it is the student’s responsibility and expense to have an official transcript sent from the host institution to Graduate Studies, showing the final grade.
- Credit and grading: to receive credit at SFU, the student must achieve a grade of B or higher. The SFU transcript will note successful completion of the course but will not display the grade and will not impact the student’s CGPA.
GRAD Course - Outside of Western Canada
Through CAGS Mobility Agreement: students may take a graduate course at another Canadian institution outside of Western Canada.
- Process: student completes/submits the form to their SFU home academic unit for approval, which is then submitted to Graduate Studies for final approval. The student is responsible for registering at the host institution, in accordance with their policies.
- Tuition: Tuition at the host institution is not automatically waived. Students are responsible for confirming arrangements and any associated costs with the host institution directly.
- Usage: This option is rarely used due to higher tuition and administrative complexity. When pursued, it is typically because the course is essential to the student’s research and not available at institutions in Western Canada.
Formal Exchanges: International Services for Students (ISS) offers formal exchange programs and field schools, allowing students to take multiple courses abroad over one or two terms. These are competitive, application-based programs, and tuition/fees are separate from regular graduate tuition.
Service Indicators
Service indicators provide or limit access to services for a student. Service indicators appear on the student’s service centre on goSFU (right side, above their student number) and are either positive or negative.
- Positive service indicators (★) are typically to provide the release of information or documents.
- Negative service indicators (⦸) can be for various reasons and may impact enrollment and other services.
Negative service indicators can prevent enrollment for the term it is valid for AND future terms:
- Example 1: Simon has a negative service indicator for 1257 (Fall 2025) and is trying to enroll in 1254 (Summer 2025). Simon will be able to enroll because the indicator is set on a later term.
- Example 2: Fraser has a negative service indictor for 1261 (Spring 2026) and is trying to enroll in 1264 (Summer 2026). Fraser will not be able to enroll because the service indicator is set on Spring and has impacted a future term.
Related How To Items
Time limits for program completion are based on a student’s admit term. These limits are not intended to reflect the normal duration of a program, but rather account for a range of factors that may extend the time required to complete a degree.
Standard time limits, as outlined in GGR 1.12:
- Certificate, Diploma, and Master's students: 9 terms.
- Doctoral students: 18 terms.
Master’s and doctoral students who require additional time to complete their program may request an extension within the guidelines of the extension policy.
Related How To Items
What happens when a student is beyond their time limit?
A process is run in goSFU (during week 6) which assigns a service indictor (C09) to which blocks the student’s enrollment in the following term. Once an extension is submitted and approved, the service indicator is moved to a subsequent term.
In addition, a service indictor (C08) is applied which blocks student’s ability to generate a confirmation of enrollment letter. Letters must be run manually by GS staff because a system generated letter will contain incorrect information.
Leave of Absence
To maintain continuity of enrollment, if a student is not enrolled in classes, they must be on an approved Leave of Absence (LOA) or they will be discontinued. Leaves are listed in the GGR.
For international students: SFU’s ISS advisors can explain how a leave impacts study permit conditions, future post-graduation work permit (PGWP) eligibility and whether a leave qualifies as an “authorized leave” under IRCC rules.
A leave of absence typically begins on the first day of an academic term. Enrollment status and leave status can only apply to a full term (ie., students cannot enroll for a partial term).
- If the student is entering the first term of a new program, they must apply for an admission deferral not a leave of absence.
- Retroactive leave requests are generally not permitted.
- If a student enrolls and subsequently decides to take a leave of absence, they are responsible for any drop penalties even if it is a medical leave.
- Students who receive a grade or notation cannot be considered for a retroactive leave.
- During a leave of absence, students are not permitted to use university facilities or resources or undertake academic, or research work related to their program. The exception is Health and Counseling - students on leave still have access to this resource.
It is possible to retroactively change the type of leave. For example: Simon has a medical condition and wishes to take a medical leave of absence. He is not able to get to the doctor’s note by the start of the term so he applies for a personal leave. Once Simon goes to the doctor, he can submit the doctor’s note which verifies that he should be on a medical leave and Grad Studies will change the leave type. This will mean the term away will now not count towards his time limit as it is reclassified as a medical leave of absence.
Related How to Items
Leaves and Awards/Funding
Depending on the timing of the leave, some awards may be reversed on the student account, resulting in a balance owing. Although most awards can be deferred to a new term, some awards cannot be moved into the next academic year. Tri-agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) and various other external awards may offer leave payments.
Public webpage
Award Payments + Policies
Parental Leave Timing
The student must make a decision based on their timing and personal circumstances whether to enroll in the term or to request a leave for the duration of a term. Click View Examples below to see items students may want to consider when timing a parental leave.
View Examples
Student #1: chooses to take a leave for the full term although their due date is in the middle of the term. If they choose to go on leave, tuition is not assessed, and their status is on leave for the full term.
- They are not paid awards but may be eligible for parental leave from external agencies.
- The term on leave does not count towards time in program.
Student #2: chooses to enroll although their due date is in the middle of the term. They are enrolled in their thesis course but no class-based courses. Although they stop working on their research part way through term, their academic record does not show this as a leave (ie., they show as enrolled for the full term).
- They may have been paid awards at the beginning of term.
- They would not be eligible for external agency parental leave during this term, but may be in a subsequent term on leave.
- Their record shows as enrolled (for the full term), which counts towards time in program.
Discontinuation, Reactivation + Readmission
If a student is not enrolled and is not on an approved leave of absence by the end of the 6th week of classes in any term, they will be discontinued from their program.
- If the discontinuation was intended and the student wishes to return in future, they will need to follow the admission process.
- If the discontinuation was not intended, follow the applicable process below.
| Category | Reactivation | Readmission |
|---|---|---|
| When It's Used | Student was discontinued and applies within the same term | Student did not apply for reactivation within the term of discontinuation |
| How to Apply | Submit Reactivation Form (found on SFU Forms page) | Submit a new online application through the SFU admission system |
| Enrollment Requirement | Must enroll in courses or be on approved LOA once reactivated | Must wait for readmission decision before enrolling |
| Fees | No reactivation fee | Application fee required |
| Funding | May retain previous funding (case-dependent) | Previous funding offers are no longer guaranteed (PhD minimum funding must be honored) |
| Time Limit Impact | Time away counts toward program time limit | Same—time continues to count toward time limit |
| Retroactive LOA | Not permitted for a previous term | Not permitted |
| Admission Guarantee | Generally processed administratively | Not guaranteed – subject to program review and approval |
Related How To Items
How to find/resolve service indicators
How to resolve a discontinuation
Grading (Missing grades, DE grades, grade changes)
Instructors must submit grades by the university’s grading deadline (typically 4 days after the last day of exams). Once submitted, grades go through an approval workflow, which typically involves the graduate program chair or designate.
Most grade changes are submitted through the online Grade Change form (E-Form) and are routed for the required approvals at instructor, department and/or faculty level.
- A Deferred Grade (DE) is a temporary grade assigned to individual students who have incomplete course work and are expecting to finish within the first month of the following term.
- All DE grades are automatically assigned a lapse deadline (expiry date) of the last day of the first month of the following term (i.e.: Spring DEs will expire May 31st).
- If a grade or extension request is not received by the deadline, the DE grade will be converted to Not Completed (N).
- For grade changes older than the previous term, use the Grade Change Form.
Related How To Items
How to check Grade Roster
How to find/resolve missing or DE grades
A Grade Change Security Roster is used by Records/Student Services to verify that grade change requests come from authorized individuals.
For changes to approvers, contact the goSFU team who handles the grade change roster.
Interesting note - university policy states the grade deadline must be 96 hours after the last exam.
For grade changes older than the previous term use:
Withdraw from courses – up to the end of week 9
Drop Deadline: Students may drop courses in goSFU up to the end of Week 9. Tuition will be recalculated accordingly, and a WD (Withdrawal) notation may appear on the transcript. If dropped between weeks 4 - 9 a WD notation will be assigned.
Student Responsibility: Students are encouraged to drop courses themselves via goSFU. If a student is unable to do so, they must provide written confirmation authorizing staff to process the drop on their behalf, which will be subject to the tuition refund deadlines.
Dropping All Courses: If a student drops all enrolled courses in a term, they must apply for a leave of absence. Failure to do so may result in the student being discontinued from their program.
For technical issues: students experiencing technical issues dropping courses in goSFU should submit a ticket to Graduate Studies.
Extenuating Circumstances - after week 9
- Application: a withdrawal under extenuating circumstances (WE) is granted by application only and is not guaranteed. Graduate Studies will typically only review a WE request after it has been approved by the academic unit.
- Review Process: WE requests are evaluated by a committee, and the decision timeline can vary depending on when the application is submitted. Graduate Studies may contact the student or the department for additional information.
- Decision Notification: Graduate Studies will notify the student once a decision has been made and will update the student’s transcript accordingly, if the WE is approved.
If the WE application is denied, the student may need to retake the course.
Financial Considerations: students should pay any outstanding fees while awaiting the WE decision. If a WE is approved and a tuition refund is granted, it will be applied as a credit to the student’s account. Tuition refunds are not guaranteed and do not occur without approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Withdrawal from the University
If a student decides to withdraw from their graduate program, they should complete and submit the Withdrawal from Graduate Studies form.
A common misconception is that withdrawing from the program will automatically cancel a student’s current term. This is not the case—all relevant academic and financial deadlines still apply. Courses not officially dropped by the WD deadline will remain on the transcript and receive a final grade unless a Withdrawal Under Extenuating Circumstances (WE) is approved.
Students should ensure they understand the implications of withdrawing and take appropriate steps to manage their enrollment and tuition obligations before submitting the form.
Public webpages
Related How To Items