Using Acorn

Students enrol in courses online through U of T’s Accessible Campus Online Resource Network (ACORN). Within established deadlines, students can use ACORN to add, waitlist, drop courses, change sections, list current courses, obtain final grades, and confirm intention to graduate.

Students using ACORN can view their entire academic record, request or declare programs (minors, majors, specialists), order transcripts, print tax forms, print invoices and view their financial account balances and detailed charge and payment information. A step-by-step guide on how to use ACORN is available online.

Year of Study

Each student is assigned a course enrolment start time based on their year of study. A student's year of study depends upon the total number of credits that have been passed, and/or awarded as transfer credits:

Choosing Courses

Students plan their own program, selecting from among all courses offered, subject to the following rules:

1. The degree and program requirements, distribution requirements and other regulations set out in the Calendar and departmental handbooks must be satisfied.
2. All prerequisite, corequisite and exclusion requirements must be met.

It is the student’s responsibility to check course prerequisites, corequisites and exclusions prior to enrolling. Students who enrol in a course for which they are ineligible may be removed from the course.

Definition of Registration

Registration is a two-step process:

1. enrolling in the courses for which you are eligible; and
2. paying or deferring your fees by the published deadline.

Any student enrolling in courses after the registration deadline will be charged a late registration fee. Students should be aware that permission to register after the end of the registration period may be refused.

Registration Status

After course enrolment, students are required to complete their registration by paying or deferring their fees. This will change their ACORN registration status from invited to registered. A registered status will secure a student’s enrolment in the courses that they have selected.

Students requiring written proof of registration may download Confirmation of Enrolment letters on ACORN under the "Transcripts & Enrolment Confirmation" section. All other requests should be submitted through the AskRegistrar service. 

Course Loads

Full-Time versus Part-Time Status

Students who are enrolled in 3.0 credits or more in the Fall-Winter session (September to April) are considered to be full-time, and should attempt to balance their course load evenly between the Fall and Winter terms.

Students who are enrolled in 1.5 credits or more in the Summer session (May to August) are considered to be full-time.

Students are considered to be part-time if they are enrol in 2.5 credits or less in the Fall-Winter session, or 1.0 credit or less in the Summer session.

The standard course load for a 20.0 credit, four-year honours degree is 5.0 credits per year.

Course Overloads

The maximum credit load in the Fall-Winter session combined is 6.0 credits (a maximum of 3.0 credits per term) and in the Summer session it is 2.0 credits (a maximum of 1.0 credits per term). Students who wish to exceed these limits are required to complete an online course overload petition before registering in the course.

Enrolment in credits over the maximum must be approved prior to registration but no later than the first day of classes. The Office of the Registrar will make every effort to consult with students in unapproved course overloads. Students who enrol in more than the maximum course load without prior petition approval, may not receive accommodations for conflicting tests, assignments, lecture material, in-class participation, etc.

To calculate course loads, students need to consult the Timetable to determine when the course is offered and the duration of the course.

Course Conflicts

Students are strongly discouraged from enrolling in courses where scheduled lectures, tutorials or practicals conflict with other courses in which they have already enrolled.

Students who enrol in courses with conflicting lectures, tutorials or practicals may not receive accommodations for conflicting exams, assignments, lecture material, in-class participation, etc.

Corequisites, Exclusions, Extras, Prerequisites, Recommended Preparation

Corequisite

A requirement to be undertaken concurrently with another course. A student who withdraws from a course must also withdraw from any course for which the cancelled course is a corequisite, unless the department giving the latter course agrees to waive the corequisite. The corequisite will be waived if a student has previously obtained standing in it, or if the department consents.

Exclusion

An exclusion is a course that is deemed to have content that significantly overlaps with another course. Exclusions will be listed below the course description.

Students should not enrol in a course that lists a current course they are taking, or a course they have already passed, as an exclusion. Where a student needs to take a given course for program requirements, but has already successfully completed a course that is listed as an exclusion, they should consult with the departmental advisor of their program. If the departmental sponsor confirms that the given course is required for program and the exclusion the student has taken is not allowable to fulfill program requirements, then the course may be taken as an extra (EXT).

The most recently taken course is assigned as extra (EXT) with one exception. An exception occurs when the required course is a full course and the previously taken exclusion is a half course; in this case, the previously taken half course exclusion becomes extra (EXT) and the current full course retains its degree credit standing.

Although it might not be noted in this Calendar, some courses offered at other U of T campuses may be exclusions to U of T Mississauga courses and vice versa. If courses have similar titles or content, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the offering department at U of T Mississauga to determine if the course can be taken for credit.

Extra Course

These appear on official transcripts with the notation "EXT." Extra courses do not count towards the total number of credits required for a degree and are not included in the GPA, but may be used to satisfy distribution, program, prerequisite, or corequisite requirements.

Prerequisite

A course (or other qualification) that a student has successfully completed that is required as preparation for a course. If students consider that they have equivalent preparation, they may ask the department concerned to waive the stated prerequisite. Students who enrol in a course for which they lack the prerequisite may be removed from the course at any time.

Recommended Preparation

Background material, or courses that may enhance a student's understanding of a course.

Supplemental Courses

These are courses taken after the maximum number of courses allowed (for degree credit) at the 100 level and courses with the same three-letter designator have been passed. These supplemental courses will not count for degree credit but will count in the GPA, program and distribution requirements.

Auditing Courses

The U of T Mississauga does not recognize the auditing of courses. However, the Committee on Standing may recommend that a current student do so when permission has been received to write a deferred exam and where the instructor and/or course content could be different from when the student originally took the course.

Taking Courses at U of T St. George/U of T Scarborough

U of T Mississauga students are eligible to take courses at other U of T campuses. Enrolment for U of T Mississauga students in U of T Scarborough or U of T St. George courses opens when enrolment restrictions are lifted later in the enrolment period providing there is still space available in the course, and providing the course is not restricted

Students must check with their U of T Mississauga academic department before enrolling in a course on other U of T campuses if they wish to have it fulfill their program requirements. The academic department can ensure that the courses are acceptable toward program requirements

Students should check the Calendar and Timetable from the other campuses for eligibility in individual courses. U of T Mississauga academic and financial deadlines still apply to courses taken at other campuses, with the exception of the Late Withdrawal after the Drop Date (LWD), and Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR) option.

Taking Courses at Other Universities with a Letter of Permission (LOP)

A letter of permission is prior confirmation from U of T Mississauga that an intended course at another Canadian university is acceptable for transfer credit.

Students may take a maximum of 5.0 credits elsewhere for transfer credit on a letter of permission, but only 1.0 transfer credit may be used to satisfy the degree requirement of 300/400 level courses in accordance with the course requirements listed under each degree type (see Degree Requirements).

To be eligible for a letter of permission, and receive credit, students must:

1. have a cumulative GPA of 1.50 or more;
2. earn a minimum grade of 60% for the credit to be transferred (provided that the passing mark in the course is 50%).

NOTE: The grade associated with a transfer credit will not appear on a student's transcript and is not included in the calculation of GPAs.

Letters of permission are only granted for study at universities in Canada. Before students leave to study at the other institution, they should contact their academic department to determine if the course(s) are appropriate in content. Students who study in other countries must submit the Post-admission Transfer Credit Application after they have completed the course(s) and have returned from studying abroad.

Students have one year from the date of their original transfer credit assessment, or from the date of their first registration at U of T Mississauga, whichever is later, to request changes to their assessment. There is no guarantee that they will receive transfer credit for these courses.

The deadline to apply for a letter of permission is generally four to eight weeks before the start of the semester in which they wish to study elsewhere (refer to the Office of the Registrar website for deadlines).

After students have completed the courses for which they have been approved for a letter of permission (earning a minimum grade of C- or 60%), they must have a transcript of results sent to U of T Mississauga's Transfer Credit Unit, Office of the Registrar, from the other institution at which they studied. Students who do not send a transcript of results will not receive credit for the course(s) taken on that letter of permission and will not be granted another letter of permission.

If a student fails a course taken elsewhere on a letter of permission, they may not be granted another letter of permission

Students admitted with transfer credit should consult U of T Mississauga's Transfer Credit Unit, Office of the Registrar, about the number of courses they may take on a letter of permission. Refer to the regulations on the Letter of Permission request form for further details.

Studying Elsewhere without a Letter of Permission (LOP)

If students do not obtain a letter of permission before they study elsewhere, they must apply afterwards for Post-admission Transfer Credit Assessment for the course(s) completed elsewhere. There is no guarantee that they will be awarded any transfer credit for these courses. See also www.utm.utoronto.ca/lop.

A student who is suspended from the University will not be eligible to earn transfer credits from another institution during the suspension period.

In order to obtain Post-admission Transfer Credit Assessment, students must apply and pay a processing fee using the form available at https://student.utm.utoronto.ca/transfercredit/choose.php.

Students have one year from the date of their original transfer credit assessment, or from the date of their first registration at U of T Mississauga, whichever is later, to request changes to their assessment.  

Repeating Passed Courses

Students may repeat a specific passed course only once, regardless of the grade earned. Students (both degree and non-degree) may only repeat any course in which they have already obtained credit (i.e., a mark of 50% or higher or CR) under the following conditions:

1. When students need to achieve a higher grade in a course for entry to a limited-enrolment program;
2. When students need to achieve a minimum grade in a course to satisfy a course prerequisite;
3. When students need to demonstrate a level of performance for an external credential or future graduate study.

Both the original and the repeated course will appear on the student’s academic record. The repeated course will be designated “extra” (will not be included in GPA calculations or in the degree credit count) unless the student designates it as a Second Attempt for Credit (see below). If the student chooses the Second Attempt for Credit option, the first attempt will be designated “extra.”

Students who wish to repeat a course under these circumstances should obtain appropriate advising in the Office of the Registrar prior to submitting their Course Enrolment Exception Form online. Eligible students may enrol provided there is space available and only after other degree students have had an opportunity to enrol.

Second Attempt for Credit (SAC)

Degree students at the University of Toronto Mississauga may designate up to a total of 1.0 repeated credits to be counted toward GPA calculations and in the degree credit count (referred to as Second Attempt for Credit, or SAC). In these cases, the first attempt will be designated “extra” (will not be included in GPA calculations or in the degree credit count), and the second attempt will count toward credit totals and GPA. SAC will not be applied to the second attempt of a course, if the final earned grade is a failing grade (or No Credit, if Credit/No Credit is selected).

SAC requests are made by submitting their Second Attempt for Credit (SAC) form online. The choice is restricted to repeated courses previously approved with a Course Enrolment Exception form but is not restricted as to year, level of course, or campus.

In courses with a final exam, the SAC option must be requested no later than the last day of classes in the term in which the course was offered. In courses with no final exam, the deadline to request SAC is before the date of the final test or the due date of the final assignment.

This option is not available for non-degree and second-degree students.

Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR)

Students at the University of Toronto Mississauga may select up to a total of 2.0 credits to be assessed on a Credit/No Credit basis.

To achieve a status of CR (Credit), a student must achieve a final mark of at least 50%. Marks below that will be assessed as NCR (No Credit). Courses with a final status of CR will count as degree credits but will have no effect on the student's GPA. These courses may be used to meet Distribution Requirements, but cannot be used to satisfy program requirements.

Courses with a final status of NCR will not count as degree credits and will not be included in the GPA calculation.

Students may exercise this option for a total of 2.0 credits within the total number of credits required for a degree. CR/NCR requests are made on ACORN. The choice is not restricted as to year, level of course or campus. This option is not available to non-degree students.

In courses with a final exam, the CR/NCR option must be requested or cancelled no later than the last day of classes in the term in which the course was offered. In courses with no final exam, the deadline to request or cancel CR/NCR is before the last assessment is due in the course or by the last day of classes in the term, whichever date comes first.

The CR/NCR option cannot be used for a course in which the student has committed an academic offence. If a student has requested the CR/NCR option in a course in which they commit an academic offence, the CR/NCR option will be revoked and the percentage grade will stand as the course grade.

Warning: Some programs specify that courses with a grade of CR/NCR will not count as part of the 4.0 credits required for program entry. Program entry requirements are detailed in departmental listings in this calendar.

Dropping Courses

Students who wish to drop a course, or courses, must do so on ACORN by the academic drop deadline. Academic dates and deadlines can be found on the Office of the Registrar website.

Students who have been charged or sanctioned with an academic offence may not drop a course. For information regarding dropping of courses after the deadline dates, see Petitions.

Students should note that non-attendance is NOT the same as dropping a course. If a student does not attend class, they are still responsible for all fees associated with that course and will be assigned a grade.

Deadlines for Dropping Courses

Academic and financial deadlines are very different. Pay close attention to the dates as financial deadlines are much earlier than academic deadlines.

• An academic deadline is the last day to drop a course from your academic record and GPA.
• Students who wish to drop a course after the posted academic deadline must request a Late Withdrawal after the Drop Date (LWD) online by the last day of classes.
• A financial deadline is the last day to drop a course(s) and receive a refund.
• For all U of T Mississauga students, U of T Mississauga academic and financial deadlines apply to courses taken at other campuses, with the exception of the Late Withdrawal after the Drop Date (LWD) option, and Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR) option.

Visit the Office of the Registrar website for a full list of important academic and financial dates and deadlines.

Late Withdrawal after the Drop Date (LWD)

Once the academic deadline for dropping a course has passed, the only method of dropping a course without petition is by using the Late Withdrawal after the Drop Date (LWD) option online.

Students may request to withdraw from a course via the LWD option from a total of no more than 3.0 credits, provided such a request is made by the last day of classes in the relevant term provided that they have not completed the course at the time of requesting LWD. In a course with a final exam, completing a course means writing the final exam. In a course without a final exam, completing a course means writing the final test/assignment.

Withdrawals under this procedure will be noted on a student’s academic record by the course status LWD (Late Withdrawal after the Drop Date), but will not have an effect on a student’s GPA or other elements of the academic record. A student may not request to have the course reinstated once an LWD has been applied for and granted.

Please note: students who are granted an LWD remain responsible for the course fees. Students who have been sanctioned for committing an academic offence in a course, written the final examination or completed the final assignment/test in a course without a final exam are not permitted to request LWD from a course.

Late Withdrawal Without Academic Penalty (WDR)

In the event there are extenuating circumstances preventing a student from completing a course, students would need to petition for Late Withdrawal Without Academic Penalty (WDR).