Undergraduate Student Forms

A student may not repeat a course more than once without permission from their Faculty per the Academic Calendar. 

If you wish to take a course for the third time, please write a letter to the Associate Dean, Dr. Donna Senese, at fass.students.ubco@ubc.ca that provides the following:

• Your full name, student number, course number, and the term in which you wish to retake the course;
• An honest account of why you failed or withdrew from the course twice before;
• What you have done to prepare to take this course again (e.g. sought assistance from the Learning Hub);
• What you will do differently if you are approved to take the course for a third time (be specific);
• A detailed plan for academic success.

If you are an international student, we recommend you meet with an advisor in International Programs and Services (IPS) for assistance in preparing a plan for academic success.

If you are an Indigenous student, we recommend you meet with an advisor in Indigenous Programs and Services for assistance in preparing a plan for academic success.

Students may also seek assistance from Academic Advising.

Please be aware that if the request is approved, your registration eligibility will be restricted to a maximum of 9 credits in Winter Session, and a maximum of 3 credits in Summer Session.

A third repeat of a course is approved only once.

UBC students are expected to complete their coursework at UBC. In exceptional circumstances, students may apply for a Letter of Permission (LOP) to study elsewhere and transfer the credit to UBC to be applied to their BA, BFA, BMS and BSc degrees. To obtain a LOP, a student must demonstrate via an articulate academic rationale that the course at the other institution is a unique opportunity that will enhance their UBC degree.

Permission will not normally be granted when the requested course is a degree- or program-required course. Normally, letters of permission are issued only for students in good standing who are taking first- and second-year electives at an accredited institution. Normally, requests for upper-level courses will be considered only if they provide a unique learning opportunity (e.g. a field course not offered at UBC).

Students who take a reduced course load during the winter terms should be prepared to take courses during summer sessions, or take an additional year to complete their degree. Proximity to home or lower cost of taking the course at another institution are not sufficient reasons for taking a course elsewhere. Students may be asked to provide documentation supporting claims made in the request.

Degree-required first-year ENGL courses must be completed on campus. Normally, LOP requests will not be approved for courses that fulfill the language requirement for the BA degree.

• The student cannot be on Academic Probation or Failed Standing or have a Standing Deferred for any courses.
• Normally, the student must have successfully completed a minimum of 24 credits at UBC before submitting a LOP request.
• The student must have a minimum GPA of 60%, with no failed courses in the previous term.
• The student cannot be away from UBC on Go Global, or on leave due to Failed Standing.

• Retroactive LOPs will not be approved; students must obtain a LOP before taking a course elsewhere.
• Normally, only one course at a time will be approved on a LOP request.
• Normally, students can apply a maximum of six credits (or two courses) taken on a Letter of Permission to their BA, BFA, or BMS degree.
• The student cannot be attending classes at UBC while completing a course elsewhere (an exception is when a student is repeating a course at Okanagan College).
• The requested course must include a supervised final examination.
• The approved course must be completed within the term for which the LOP was requested.