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Course Registration for Graduate Students

Your graduate program typically requires some combination of seminar courses, and perhaps other milestone events such as a comprehensive exam, and/or an independent research project such as a major research paper, thesis or dissertation.

In order to maintain continuous registration, you must be registered in at least one of the requirements listed, each term.

Note: Students who had no registrarial activity in the previous fall, winter or spring terms must indicate their intention to return by emailing the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office at fgps@wlu.ca.

If you have any questions or trouble registering for courses, contact your graduate program for assistance.

How to Add Courses

You register for courses using LORIS, Laurier's web information system.

For those new to Laurier, LORIS might be intimidating at first; however, you can learn how to register for courses through the Registration Guide or watch the video below. 

Registration Tips

  • Register for courses for all three semesters when registration opens in LORIS to avoid a late registration fee. Consult the academic calendar for significant dates related to course registration, including the final day to add or drop courses for a specific term.
  • Registration in a course may be blocked if you are not eligible to register. Contact your program coordinator if you receive any registration errors, which occurs because the course:
    • Is outside the requirements for your program;
    • Requires a prerequisite that you have not yet completed; or
    • Requires departmental approval.
  • You can register in a course for the winter semester even if you do not have the correct prerequisite. We expect you will select the prerequisite for completion in the fall semester. If you do not register in the prerequisite, you may be eventually removed from the winter course.
  • It is your responsibility to select the appropriate courses. The university does not guarantee your errors will be corrected before classes begin. The university may remove you at any time, even after courses have begun, from any course in which you have registered contrary to official regulations, such as:
    • Registering in more courses than allowed;
    • Courses for which you have exclusions;
    • Courses for which you lack prerequisites; or
    • Courses that are inappropriate due to any other university regulation.

If you're registering for an elective outside of your program offerings:

  1. Complete the Graduate Change form.
  2. The form must be signed by the course instructor and your program's graduate coordinator. 
  3. Return the completed form to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies office. 

Late Registration Fees

Students are expected to maintain continuous registration in each semester (three semesters per year), unless on an approved leave.

The opportunity to register for graduate courses (and degree milestones) begins in summer, for the coming academic year. Early registration is encouraged.

Students who register late, or who fail to register by the last date for late registration, are subject to late registration fees.

Registering in a Capstone Course or a Directed Study

If you need to register in capstone course – for example: a comprehensive, major research paper or thesis course – you will require departmental approval. If you attempt to register in these courses prior to receiving department approval, you will receive an error message. You must consult your program's graduate coordinator for approval to register.

Registration in directed studies courses is not available through LORIS. Students wanting to register in directed studies courses must contact the appropriate graduate coordinator and fill out the Directed Studies Request Form/Letter of Agreement. The form must be accompanied by the course syllabus. 

Selecting a Course at Another Ontario University

Depending on your program of study, you may apply to register for a course at other Ontario university. Students in joint programs registering for courses at a partner institution must also complete the Ontario Visiting Graduate Student Form (as only courses in Laurier’s graduate academic calendar are available on LORIS). 

  • Complete the Ontario Visiting Graduate Student (OVGS) Form to apply to take a course outside of your program of study, or to take a course at a partner institution within a joint program.  
  • Complete the OVGS Withdrawal Form to withdraw from a graduate course taken through the Ontario Visiting Graduate Student (OVGS) program, or at a partner institution within a joint program.