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Registration and Course Enrolment

General Information

Course enrolment is a separate step/process from Registration and it may happen before Registration takes place.

The difference between enrolment and registration is that students enrol in a course (i.e. a timetable is created for the student), and students register in a program (e.g. Full-Time MBA, Master of Finance, Master of Financial Risk Management).

All Rotman students in professional graduate degrees and diplomas are automatically enrolled in courses prior to the start of classes. Only students in the Full-Time MBA and Morning and Evening MBA programs select electives as per their programs of study.

Students are considered registered in their program of study when they either pay tuition fees, or register without payment (defer fees). ACORN account will show status as REG(istered) (as opposed to INV(ited)).

Students are eligible to register in their program of study if they are a:

  • New student who has accepted an Offer of Admission from the Rotman School;
  • Continuing/returning student who is within the time limit for your degree program; and/or
  • Student with no outstanding U of T tuition fees.

We make every effort to ensure that registration material is only sent to eligible students. Receiving our material, however, does not override any other notification students may have received about academic status and eligibility to register.

For information on how to Register Without Payment, please visit this page.

Registration and Enrolment Procedure

Step One: Program Registration

This is done at the beginning of a program, by accepting the offer of admission and paying the deposit.

Students must read and agree to the terms outlined in the University of Toronto Code of Student Conduct and Rotman Code of Conduct which must be submitted at the start of the Program. Students are registered in your program as soon as the required minimum fees are paid. This may happen before or after course enrolment.

Additional forms may be required, such as:

  • The online Financing Your MBA Worksheet (for Full-Time MBA program) on the Rotman HUB
  • International students must also submit their study permit.

Update personal information in ACORN, University of Toronto’s central student registration system.

Step Two: Course Enrolment

Rotman graduate students do not use ACORN to register for Rotman graduate courses. Rotman will automatically enrol students in all compulsory core courses prior to first day of classes.

Students in programs with elective courses will be sent information regarding the elective course selection process well ahead of time.

Students who enrol in courses agree, by virtue of that enrolment, to abide by all of the academic and non-academic policies, rules and regulations of the University and the Rotman School. Furthermore, they confirm responsibility for payment of associated fees, and agree to ensure that the accuracy of personal information such as the current mailing address, telephone number, and Rotman email address is maintained in ACORN.

Step Three: Online Invoice and Fee Payment

Registration is complete only after students have paid tuition and incidental fees, or have made appropriate arrangements to defer those fees.

The University of Toronto Student Accounts office will provide students with an online fees invoice via ACORN, only, as early as mid-July (mid-April for Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting). The minimum payment to register (amount as stated on the fees invoice) must be paid by the fees deadline in order to be registered. A monthly service charge of 1.5% (19.56% per annum) applies following the dates outlined in the Services Charges section.

Fee payments are accepted at most Canadian financial institutions; please retain receipt as proof of payment.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they make the fee payment by the deadline and to monitor their student account through ACORN. Any student who registers (pays fees) after the deadline is required to pay a late registration fee of $44.00.

Proof of Program Registration

From time to time, an employer or an application (e.g. tourist visas) may require proof of program registration. Students seeking confirmation of registration should complete the Request for a Letter Confirming Registration Form (PDF) via the School of Graduate Studies (SGS). Please allow five business days for letter(s) to be processed.

Occasionally students require an unofficial letter confirming their tuition allocations on a term or credit hours basis. The Registrar’s Office will produce this letter upon receipt of a Request for Service Form (PDF).

Dropping a Course

Once enrolled in a course, students will remain enrolled unless they officially request to drop the course. There are official dates by which a student must withdraw without academic penalty; otherwise, a failing mark will appear on the academic record. In order to drop a course without academic penalty no more than 50% of the course contact hours may have been completed. Should students need to drop a course, a formal request must be made in writing.

Core Courses

As core courses are required components for degree completion, dropping such courses may only be considered under exceptional circumstances and must be approved by the program’s Academic Director. The drop date is the date by which no more than 50% of the course contact hours have been completed. If students need to drop a course, please consult with the Associate/Assistant Director for their respective program to initiate a formal request.

Term 4 Core Elective Courses (Full-Time MBA)

Full-Time MBA students wishing to drop a Term 4 core elective course must consult with their Assistant Director to initiate a formal request. The drop date is the date by which no more than 50% of the course contact hours have been completed.

MBA Elective Courses

Rotman drop dates are posted under Important Dates. Please consult the MBA Electives Guide for the process and dates to drop elective courses. Requests to drop an elective course after the Rotman drop deadline, but within 50% of the course contact hours requires both the instructor’s and Rotman’s approval, and must be made using the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Add/Drop Form (PDF).

For information about enrolling in, adding or dropping elective courses, see the MBA Electives Guide.

Dropping a Course After the Deadline

After the official deadline to drop a course without academic penalty has passed, students wishing to drop a course must request for a late withdrawal. This request will be reviewed by Rotman’s Registrar’s Office, however:

  • Final decision rests with School of Graduate Studies (SGS).
  • Registrar’s Office may or may not support the request based on the reasons submitted by students and supporting documentation.
  • Generally, extraordinary, unexpected circumstances are considered as valid reasons for wanting to drop a course after the official deadline.
  • This could be a personal or medical situation, but the situation must be one that was unforeseeable and that was sufficiently serious that it prevented the student from completing the course.
  • Students are expected to continue attending classes until a decision is made by SGS.

Underlying Assumptions

The official date to drop a course without academic penalty is roughly halfway through a course. The underlying assumption is that graduate students will have had an opportunity to assess their situation by this date. In deciding whether or not to withdraw from a course, students should consider the following factors:

  • performance in the course(s) up to that point;
  • interest in the subject;
  • course load;
  • personal circumstances;
  • work and/or extracurricular activities; and
  • health issues, if any.

After the official drop date has passed, students are responsible for their decision.

As indicated above, the only reasons the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) is willing to consider are those that are unforeseeable or unexpected. Something must have happened after the drop date that prevented students from completing the course. Examples include:

  • Medical issues: illness or existing medical situation which grew worse over the course of the term.
  • A serious personal situation which was unexpected and unforeseeable.

It is important to note that something must have happened that prevented the student from staying in the course. If this is the case, please contact the Assistant/Associate Director for assistance.

Requesting a Late Withdrawal

  1. Download the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Add/Drop Form (PDF). The form must be printed and physically signed; digital signatures are not accepted.
  2. Email the instructor for permission to drop the course, copying the Registrar’s Office Add/Drop email address, or ask the instructor to sign the Add/Drop form.
  3. Submit a formal letter as to why there is a need to drop the course at this time. Students will need to explain why they did not assess their circumstances/progress in the course before the drop deadline. Note the requirement for a formal letter, as it needs to be submitted to SGS.
  4. If group work is involved, ensure that the team is aware of the request to drop the course.
  5. Remember to continue attending class until the RO confirms the final decision from SGS.

Requests based on medical reasons must be accompanied by the Verification of Student Illness or Injury form. This medical certificate must:

  • Confirm that the student was adversely affected by her/his health problems;
  • Show the dates of illness; and
  • State that the physician/health care professional was consulted at the time of illness

Note: This form is based on examination and applicable documented history at the time of illness or injury, not after the fact.

Students registered with Accessibility Services or Health and Wellness must submit a medical certificate (Verification of Illness (VOI)), to the above offices, confirming that their condition grew worse and prevented them from continuing in the course after the official drop date. For more information, and to access the required form, please see Verification of Student Illness or Injury. We can only accept this form to confirm illness/injury.

Results

The Registrar’s Office will communicate with students who have requested a Late Withdrawal once the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) confirms their decision. There are only two possible outcomes:

  1. Approved petitions for Late Withdrawal from a course carry no academic penalty. The course(s) will still appear on the student’s transcript, but a WDR (withdrawal) will be entered next to the course in lieu of a mark. This designation does not affect a student’s GPA (Grade Point Average).
  2. Denied petitions will be assigned whatever marks the student has earned for completed work and zero for incomplete work.

Students should keep in mind that a Late Withdrawal is a last-resort remedy and that there may be other less-final solutions available to them. Timing is always important; students should seeks advice from their Assistant/Associate Director on issues that may jeopardize their ability to successfully complete a course, sooner rather than later.

Last Updated: 2022-09-30 @ 4:51 pm