FAQ

There is no drop-in option available for academic advising appointments.  

The Academic Advising department has an online appointment booking system through WCOnline. This means students are able to see advisor availability and book their own appointments.  

1. Visit https://stfx.mywconline.com/.  
2. Create a profile (if you haven’t already done so).  
3. Locate the name of the advisor you would like to see. You can book a 30-minute appointment (the default) or a 60-minute appointment (by changing the end time using the drop-down option).  

Note that all advisors can assist with all undergraduate programs.  

A pair is 12 credits in one subject, with at least six credits at the 200-level or higher.  As exceptions, language pairs in French, Celtic Studies, and Classics may be composed of 12 credits at the 100-level.  A student is not permitted to complete a pair in the major, honours, or minor subject, and may complete only one pair in any given subject.  

A pair is not necessarily 2 courses:  a pair could be comprised of two 6-credit courses; four 3-credit courses; or one 6-credit course plus two 3-credit courses. 

A pair may not be completed in any of the following professional or applied program disciplines:  

• Aquatic Resources (AQUA) 
• Business Administration (BSAD) 
• Engineering (ENGR) 
• Human Kinetics (HKIN) 
• Human Nutrition (HNU) 
• Nursing (NURS) 

Electives are courses which are not specified in a degree program.  

• Approved Electives (found only in the BSc programs) are normally science or mathematics courses, though courses from other disciplines can also be included with permission. These electives are approved by the department chair of the student’s major (or advanced major or honours) department.  
• Arts/Science Electives (found in the BA HKIN and BBA programs) are courses from any disciplines other than business administration or the applied/professional sciences.  Courses from the following disciplines do not qualify as arts/science electives:   
  • Aquatic Resources (AQUA) 
  • Business Administration (BSAD) 
  • Engineering (ENGR) 
  • Human Kinetics (HKIN) 
  • Human Nutrition (HNU) 
  • Nursing (NURS).  
• Open Electives can be from any discipline. There are no restrictions on the disciplines that can be used as open electives.   

Note: BA programs do have some restrictions on the total number of credits of Business Administration (BSAD), Engineering (ENGR), Human Kinetics (HKIN), Human Nutrition (HNU), and Nursing (NURS) courses allowable.  See the Notes in Chart 4.1.2 of the Academic Calendar for these specific restrictions. 

If you wish to take a course at another institution, for transfer back to your StFX degree, you MUST obtain written permission PRIOR to taking the course. This permission is granted through a specific form called a "Letter of Permission".  Follow the steps below for course transfers. 

Failure to obtain an approved Letter of Permission prior to taking a course at another school will result in denial of transfer for that course. This requirement also pertains to students wanting to use the French Explore program, or any other language immersion program for credit toward their degrees. 

1. The Letter of Permission form can be found in the list of forms on the Registrar’s Office Service Site, and is submitted electronically. When you submit your "LOP", ensure that you receive an email from "Services@stfx" with your Ticket information.  If you do not receive an email, the submission did not go through, and you will need to resubmit it. The LOP information is sent electronically to a dedicated email account in Academic Advising.  
   • Faculty of Arts:  @email (includes BASc HLTH)  
   • Faculty of Business:  @email   
   • Faculty of Science:  @email (includes BASc CLEN and excludes Nursing)  
   • Nursing programs:  @email  
2. Once received, the Dean of your faculty will review your request. You will be notified of the decision through your StFX e-mail account. Please be aware that Letters of Permission are approved for valid reasons, but not all requests are granted.  
3. Once your LOP has been approved, you will need to apply to the host university as a “visiting student” (the term most commonly used by most universities).  DO NOT apply as a transfer or degree student.  
4. Once admitted as a visiting student, you will need to register in whatever manner the host institution requires. Be aware that many universities allow their own degree students to register before any visiting or non-degree students, so a course in which you're interested may not always be available to you.  Approval of your Letter of Permission request does not guarantee your registration into the course(s) at the host institution. 
5. An approved Letter of Permission gives you the assurance that StFX will accept that course for credit toward your degree. Most universities also require a copy of the form.  Some universities may have other requirements for admission, such as an official copy of your StFX transcript, but many simply require an admission form, the application fee, and your approved Letter of Permission.  
6. Once the course is completed, you will need to order an official transcript from the host university to be sent directly to the StFX Registrar’s Office. The credit will be granted to you upon receipt of the transcript showing you have passed the course and have been granted credit at the host institution.  

PLEASE NOTE: StFX does not represent the grades of other institutions on its official transcripts. The StFX transcript only indicates that credit has been granted from the other school.  If you apply to another university in the future, you will be required to submit to that institution official transcripts directly from every post-secondary institution at which you were registered in the past (even those from which you took only one or two courses). 

Before you drop a course:  

If you are feeling like you are not able to recover from a failing midterm or assignment, you are not alone. However, we want you to know that there may be options and additional considerations before you make it official and drop the course.  

1. Talk to your professor. They are there to help.  
2. Do the math; it may still be possible to recover. Perhaps this midterm or assignment is only worth 10% of your final grade. Review your syllabus before deciding to drop the course. 
3. Are there other academic implications?  
   • Is this course a prerequisite for a course you need to take next year? If so, have you discussed options with Academic Advising?  
   • Is this a course required for your program? (Example: progression requirement)  
   • Would dropping the course prevent you from continuing in your program? 
   • Dropping a course could put you slightly off track. What are your plans to pick up a replacement?   
4. Are there financial implications?

Do you have a scholarship, student loan, or external funding that may require registration in a minimum number of credits?  

• Have questions about StFX Scholarships? Contact @email.  
• Have questions about student loan funding? Contact @email.  

How do I drop a course?  

To drop a course, you would complete the following steps:  

1. Ensure the deadline has not passed. 
2. Log into Banner (the same location at which you registered for your courses).  
3. In the Registration menu, click Add/Drop Courses.  
4. Choose the appropriate term (Full Academic Year, Spring, or Summer, as appropriate).  
5. Find the course you wish to drop and click the drop-down menu. In the drop-down menu, there should be an option to Drop.  If not, contact Academic Advising as soon as possible.  
6. Once you have selected the drop option for that course, click the Submit Changes button at the bottom of the screen.  
7. Look at your registered courses on-screen to ensure that you see a notation that the course has been dropped.  

Please be aware of the deadlines to drop courses. If you have a financial hold on your record, please discuss the hold with the Student Accounts office and seek assistance with the Registrar’s Office or with Academic Advising to drop the course if it is before the deadline to drop.  

If you are adding a course in 2nd term, to replace a dropped course in 1st term, please also be aware that there may be additional tuition charges, particularly if you are dropping a 6-credit course.  

To change your minor:  

• If you are in a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science program, you can complete a new Declaration of Major form and submit it to your Dean’s Office. There is no need to have the chair of your major sign the new form if you are not changing your major.   
• If you are in a Bachelor of Business Administration program, you can complete a new Declaration of Major form and take it to the Dean’s Office, or email the new form to the dean’s assistant, Anne Marie Durant at @email. 

To remove an optional minor:  

• If you are in a Bachelor of Business Administration program, send an email to @email and request that your minor be removed.  
• If you are in a Bachelor of Science program, complete a new Declaration of Major excluding the minor, and submit it to the Dean’s Office. There is no need to have the chair of your major sign the new form if you are not changing your major.  

Program Pattern Worksheets for the BBA program can be found below.   

Please note, these forms are NOT declaration forms. If you wish to access the formal declaration form for BBA degree programs, click here

When you click a link below, the document selected should automatically download.  

Major Program Sheets:  

• BBA Major in Accounting
• BBA Major in Enterprise Systems
• BBA Major in Entrepreneurship
• BBA Major in Finance
• BBA Major in International Business
• BBA Major in Management and Leadership
• BBA Major in Marketing

Advanced Major Program Sheets:  

• BBA Advanced Major in Accounting
• BBA Advanced Major in Enterprise Systems
• BBA Advanced Major in Entrepreneurship
• BBA Advanced Major in Finance
• BBA Advanced Major in International Business
• BBA Advanced Major in Management and Leadership
• BBA Advanced Major in Marketing

Honours Program Sheets:  

• BBA Honours in Accounting
• BBA Honours in Enterprise Systems
• BBA Honours in Entrepreneurship
• BBA Honours in Finance
• BBA Honours in International Business
• BBA Honours in Management and Leadership
• BBA Honours in Marketing

Joint Honours Program Sheets: 

• BBA Joint Honours - BSAD & ECON
• BBA Joint Honours - ECON & BSAD