Special Permission
General Information (about requesting special permission):
A recommendation for Special Permission must be obtained from the department offering the course, and then approved by the Academic Advising Office in NCB 280, before you can register for a course without the prerequisite, despite a timetable conflict, etc.
If special permission is granted for you to take a particular course, then try to register for it online as soon as your enrolment date arrives. You may need to call the Helpline at 519.661.2100 for assistance, depending on the permission granted. There is some new functionality that is used by some departments and faculties to allow more students to register for courses online but it is not available for all special permissions.
Go to "Special Permissions" on the Academic Advising Office's website for the procedure to request permission to register in an increased/unbalanced load (e.g. 5.5 courses) and/or for a course:
- that is full
- for which you don't have the prerequisite
- that has a timetable conflict with another course, or
- that is offered at Brescia, King's and Huron and requires home faculty permission
Special permission for basic medical science courses/modules. Will permission be granted ...
To register in a course without meeting a constraint (priority or restriction)?
Special permission to waive a constraint will likely will not be granted by any Basic Medical Science department. Any recommendation to waive a constraint must be subsequently approved by the BMSUE Office.
See the Access to Courses page for information about the constraints.
To replace a required modular course with another course?
Although this does not often happen, you may ask the department offering the module to send a recommendation to use another course in place of a stated modular course to the BMSUE office. If approved by the BMSUE Office, then the recommendation will be sent to the Academic Counselling Office in NCB 280 for final approval.
To register in Specialization or an Honours Specialization in Year 3 BMSc without having completed all the Admission Requirements?
Unfortunately, no.
As stated in the Academic Calendar, students must complete all the 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements for the Honors Specialization (or Specialization) that they requested during the ITR period to be considered for admission. Students might be able to register in an alternative Honors Specialization or Double Majors (with special permission) in Year 3 BMSc and apply for the Honors Specialization module when entering Year 4.
To register in an Honours Specialization in Year 4 BMSc without having completed all the courses listed in the Weighted Average Chart?
Not usually, no.
The courses that must be completed prior to Year 4 to be considered for admission/progression to Year 4 of an Honors Specialization module are listed in the Weighted Average Chart in the Academic Calendar. The basic medical science departments usually do not grant special permission for students to register in Year 4 of an Honors Specialization module if they lack a course(s) that is listed in the Weighted Average Chart. Exceptions occasionally are made and students may contact the departmental counsellor to inquire if special permission might be granted. Keep in mind that special permission to register in an Honors Specialization module in Year 4 without having completed a course(s) listed in the Weighted Average Chart is much less likely if the particular module typically fills up and has a waiting list each year. In fairness to students who complete all courses listed in the Weighted Average Chart, special permission will likely not be granted.
To register in one of the 4000-level capstone courses without being registered in the Honours Specialization that requires the course?
No.
The 4000-level capstone courses are available only to students registered in the Honours Specialization modules that require these courses. Special permission will not be granted to students registered in other modules, as agreed upon by the BMSUE Program Committee (all undergraduate chairs and the decanal representatives).
The only exception may be the summer offering of Biochemistry 4483E. Students who have the prerequisites for Biochemistry 4483E but are not registered in one of the Honours Specialization modules that requires it may contact Dr. Derek McLachlin about the process to request special permission to take this course in the summer (only).
Note: for students admitted to Year 3 BMSc beginning in 2025/26 and who register subsequently in Year 4 BMSc (Honours) degree with Double Majors, departments may consider granting special permission for these students to replace Medical Sciences 4000E (capstone course for Double Majors) with 4000-level Research Projects. Students admitted to Year 3 BMSc prior to 2025/26 do not have the option of requesting such permission.
