Registration for Spring, Intersession and Summer courses now open

Did you know that Laurier offers three academic terms between May and August? Undergraduate Spring, Intersession and Summer courses are now open for registration.  

A wide variety of Spring, Intersession and Summer courses are available across faculties, departments and years of study. More than 150 of these courses are offered exclusively online, including:

• MU121: The History of Rock Music
• RE103: Love and Its Myths
• NO105: Billionaires, Beavers and Banditos
• AS101: Astronomy I: Our Place in the Cosmos
• UNDC204: Wildlife, Forest and Fisheries Crime

You can take these courses wherever you are in the world, as long as you have access to the internet. Find out which online courses are being offered.

Whether you're looking to catch up, get ahead or complete your progression requirements, taking a course or two (or more) over the summer months may be a great option.

You can also choose to take six-week courses in the Summer and Intersession terms to earn credits faster than during the typical 12-week term length. 12-week courses are offered during the Spring term. Learn more about the difference between Spring, Intersession and Summer terms.

If you're unsure which courses to take or retake during the Spring, Intersession and Summer terms, undergraduate students can reach out to Academic Advising for guidance. Graduate students should ask their program advisor for support.

Taking courses in the Spring, Intersession and Summer terms is not mandatory.

In some cases, online courses may have in-person exams. If you are located more than 100 kilometres from campus and cannot write the exam in person, you can arrange for a proctored final exam. You can find more information about proctored exams here.

Laurier’s Spring, Intersession and Summer courses, both in person and online, may also be taken by students at other universities. University of Waterloo undergraduate students can cross-register for courses at Laurier. Read more about the visiting student process.

Laurier undergraduate students have until March 28 to register for Spring, Intersession or Summer courses without a late fee. Graduate students have until March 28 to register for Spring courses and until March 7 to register for Intersession or Summer courses. Find more important dates in the academic calendar.

What is the difference between Spring, Summer and Intersession courses?

Undergraduate students:

• Spring term: May 8 to Aug. 18
• Intersession term: May 8 to June 26
• Summer term: July 3 to Aug. 19 

Graduate students in course-based programs:

• Spring term: May 8 to Aug. 18
• Intersession term: May 8 to June 19
• Summer term: July 3 to Aug. 14

Spring term courses for undergraduate and graduate students follow a similar timeline as Fall and Winter terms. Intersession and Summer term courses offer the same amount of course content as Fall and Winter term courses, but in a shorter timeline. You can expect shorter deadlines and more hours of class and homework each week. You should consider how many courses you plan to take, your workload and schedule, and course load requirements for OSAP.

What courses will be offered during Spring, Intersession and Summer terms?

You can browse available Spring, Intersession and Summer courses on LORIS or through the Visual Schedule Builder. The Visual Schedule Builder also allows you to plan and visualize your class timetable. The Course Registration Guide includes instructions for how to browse classes on LORIS and how to use the Visual Schedule Builder.

Note that all Spring, Intersession and Summer courses are labelled as Spring in both LORIS and the Visual Schedule Builder.

Don’t forget to check the length and term of the course. You can do this in LORIS by clicking on the course title and navigating to the Instructor/Meeting Times tab.

You can register for Spring, Intersession or Summer courses on LORIS, just as you would for Fall and Winter terms. Undergraduate students can review the Course Registration Guide and graduate students can review Course Registration for Graduate Students for more information.

Which courses will be offered online?

When browsing for courses in LORIS, online courses will be labelled “Online Learning” under the Campus column and “OC” under the Section column.

To browse for only online courses in LORIS, navigate to “Registration,” “Browse Classes” and choose the term. Click “Advanced Search” and the drop-down “Campus” menu. Select “Online Learning.” Click Search.

In the Visual Schedule Builder, select the term and click Campuses. Uncheck all boxes except “Online Learning.” Close the window. Search by course code.

How can students from other universities take a course at Laurier?

University of Waterloo undergraduate students can take courses at Laurier through cross-registration.

Undergraduate students from any other university will need a Letter of Permission completed by their home institution and approval from the Laurier department responsible for the course. They can then complete the Intent to Register form. Learn more on the Visiting Students site.

Graduate students must complete an Ontario visiting graduate student application form, available from their home institution’s graduate studies office. Learn more on the Visiting Students site under the Graduate tab.