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Authorization to Act on Behalf

If a student wishes to have someone “act on their behalf” with respect to any action regarding a student’s record (for example, application status, registration, financial information, transcripts, etc.), they will need to specifically authorize the individual. This can be done either by entering their information on the Information Release portion of their application when applying to be a student at UNBC, or by filling out an Authorization to Act on Behalf form, which can be obtained from the Office of the Registrar (student-info@unbc.ca). Forms may only be submitted by email through the student's UNBC email account.

Students are advised that the use of information placed in a student record complies with the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and with the policies and procedures of the University of Northern British Columbia. In addition to internal administrative uses related to student admission, registration and status, student information may also be used in strict confidence in University research and planning. Certain student information is provided on a confidential basis to Partner Institutions, to Statistics Canada as governed by the Canada Statistics Act, and to the BC Government. The internal use of student records, and the obligatory reporting of student data to external bodies, respects the absolute confidentiality of student information.

Where do I get my ID Card (OneCard), Library Card, and U-Pass?

When you have paid all of your tuition and fees for the semester, you can obtain your ID card from the Cashier’s Office: this also functions as your library card. They will place a U-Pass sticker on your ID card, which you can use for public transit for the semester. Please see the Library for more information about how to use your library card.

Where do I get my gym pass for the Northern Sports Centre?

After paying your tuition and fees, you will need to go to the Northern Sports Centre. The front counter staff there will be able to assist you.

Where do I get my login information?

Students should receive all of their login information along with the e-mail that they receive upon receiving an admission offer from UNBC. After following the steps contained within the e-mail, you will be able to set your password and log in. If you have any further questions regarding your login information, please contact support@unbc.ca

I’m getting a pre-requisite and test score error, how do I register?
(also class restriction, repeat count exceeds 1, field of study restriction, Instructor’s Approval, Chair’s Approval)

Please see our Registration page for specific error message definitions. If you are missing this requirement and still think you are able to be successful in the course, you can attempt to get approval to be manually signed into the course. Contact the instructor of the course (for COMM, CPSC, MATH, HHSC, and STAT courses, you will need to contact the Program Chair, instead) and get their signature on our Undergraduate Course Approval Form, in the appropriate section on the first page. Sign the back of the form, and then submit it to the Office of the Registrar. When the form is processed, we will attempt to register you into the course.

Note: For repeat count exceeds 1, field of study restriction, and Chair’s Approval, you will need to get the course’s Program Chair’s permission instead of instructor permission, regardless of subject.

Note: All permission is granted at the instructor’s or Program Chair’s discretion, and is not guaranteed.

I have a time conflict, how do I register?

This will be similar to above, except you will need the signatures of the instructors of BOTH courses in the area listed “Time Conflict” under Instructor Approval on our Undergraduate Course Approval Form. Note: You do not need Program Chair approval for a time conflict even if it is a COMM, CPSC, MATH, HHSC, or STAT course.

The instructor for the course isn’t listed online, how do I get their approval?

In this case, students are able to obtain permission from the Program Chair of the subject of the course they are attempting to register for, instead.

Who are the Chairs of programs?

Please see this page for a listing of Undergraduate Program Chairs and Contact Information.

Please see this page for a listing of Graduate Program Chairs and Contact Information.

What does “precluded” mean?

Students cannot receive credit for both the course being described and the course listed in this section.

Example: BIOL 312 has BIOL 424 listed as precluded. If a student decides to take both, they only get three credits, not six.

How do I register for an Independent Study, Undergraduate Thesis, Internship, or Special Topics course?

To register for one of the above course types, you will need to use our Undergraduate Course Approval Form. On the very top of the second page, there is a section for Special Course Approval. Check the type of course you are planning to take, and fill in the information in the fields (this usually works best if filling it in with your supervisor for the course): if the dates are not special dates, you can put the semester’s regular beginning and end dates in and the Course Title needs to be the specific course title (for example, Japanese Literature and Conversation, not Independent Study). After you have obtained your supervisor and Program Chair’s signatures (if the Program Chair is your supervisor, you will need to get the Dean’s signature, as well), sign the form and submit it to the Office of the Registrar, along with a syllabus or course outline for the course. Once the form has been processed, you will either be registered in the course, or contacted regarding any issues that may arise.

How do I fill out my Graduate Add/Drop or Registration form?

The front part of the form is pretty basic: fill in your student information, and then select program, status, and campus. Next, please include the course information for your courses in the applicable semesters, including the CRN. You do not need the Instructor’s Signature for your courses unless the course specifically requires it (Directed Reading, Independent Study, Special Topics, and Audit courses), or courses for which a prerequisite has not been met.

Once your courses have been filled in, sign the back of the form, obtain your supervisor’s signature, and Program Chair’s signature (if your supervisor is the Program Chair, you will need the Dean’s signature, as well). Submit the completed form to the Office of the Registrar, and please allow time for processing of registration.

Note: Continuous registration is mandatory for all graduate students (September, January and May semesters). If you are not taking course work, please  register in your Thesis, Comprehensive Examination, Project, or SOCW 732 (MSW practicum-option students only).

Note: if you are registering for a thesis or project course in May that does not yet have a CRN (if you cannot find the section with your supervisor listed), simply leave the CRN field blank for that course.

How do I declare or change my major?

Students can use our Declaration of Major form to declare their major, which is required before the end of the semester in which they will complete 30 credit hours. Completion of the double major entails completion of the requirements for each major. Once the form is completed, submit the form to the Office of the Registrar. If you have any further questions regarding declaration of major, please contact advising@unbc.ca.

How do I declare an Honours major?

Please contact advising@unbc.ca to arrange an appointment with your Student Advisor.

How do I apply to graduate?

Applying to graduate or convocate can be done online through Student Online Services. Once logged in, click on Student Online Services, Student Records, and then Apply to Graduate. Choose your more recent semester (the newest semester listed will be the last semester that you have coursework completed in, so don't worry if your graduating semester is not available for selection), and press Submit. Confirm that the details about your program are correct, and then press Continue.

IMPORTANT: If your curriculum is incorrect, or if you receive an error message, DO NOT PROCEED! Please contact the Office of the Registrar at credentials@unbc.ca.

Confirm your Convocation year, and then press Continue. Indicate if you will attend the ceremony or not, and then select Continue. Confirm the name that will be printed on your parchment, and then press Continue (if the name is not correct, you will likely need to submit a Change of Name Request form to correct it). Select the address that you would like your parchment couriered to, if you do not plan to attend the ceremony (there will be a courier fee for this option, please contact the Cashier's Office for more information) and press Continue (if you do not wish to have it couriered to you, still select an address, as it's just to have on file in case you change your mind). Confirm the address, and press Continue. The next page will list the Graduation Fee: select it and press Continue. The final page will ask you to confirm all your information. At the bottom of the page, please input the e-mail address you would like your receipt sent to, and then press Submit Request. It will take you to our secure payment page, where you can enter your billing information and complete the process.

I lost my parchment (or it was destroyed), how do I get a new one?

The first step would be to fill out our Parchment Replacement Request form. A Parchment Replacement Fee (see form) will be charged to replace lost, destroyed or damaged original parchments. This fee must be paid to the University Cashiers before your request will be processed. If the original parchment is damaged, or you have had a name change, the original must be returned with this form. This form should be completed and returned to the Office of the Registrar for processing. When your new parchment has been created, you will be contacted.

If only one copy of my parchment can exist at a time, how do I submit it to an institution requesting it?

In this scenario, we would instead create a Certified True Copy using our Certified True Copy Request form. A Certified True Copy of an official document (i.e. degree, international transcript) is a certified true and correct photocopy of the original document. A Certified True Copy Fee (see form) will be charged per request to duplicate an official document. This fee must be paid to the University Cashiers before your request will be processed (see payment section on form). In order to proceed with certifying a true copy of your official document, the original document must be attached to this form, and together be submitted to the Office of the Registrar for processing.

Where do I find the exam schedule?

Once the exam schedule is released, you can view your final exams through your Student Online Services, under Student Online Services, Registration, and Student Detail Schedule. Underneath each of your course’s time and location will be another line detailing the exam’s time and location (it will say Final Exam) underneath the “Schedule Type” column. A print-schedule of all of the exams is also displayed outside of the Office of the Registrar on the kiosk.

What if I am forced to miss my final exam due to illness?

Taken from the UNBC Calendar:
“Satisfactory explanation, with supporting documentation as appropriate, for any final examination missed must be made by the student or designate to the Office of the Registrar within 48 hours from the time the examination was written... Normally, for explanations of sickness, a doctor’s certification is required.”At this point, it is recommended that the student contact the instructor of the course immediately in order to arrange an alternate time to write the examination.

I have more than three exams in a 24-hour period! What should I do?

UNBC schedules exams to avoid this situation. Please remember that they need to be within a 24-hour period. 9 AM, 6PM, 9AM is not within 24 hours, as the next morning’s exam is 24 hours away from the first exam. Please know we do our best to try and avoid this from happening! If you do have three exams within 24 hours (9AM, 1:30PM, 6PM), please contact the Office of the Registrar immediately and we will attempt to resolve the situation for you.

What happens if I have a conflict with two exams?

UNBC schedules exams to be conflict-free. Please contact the Office of the Registrar immediately and we will attempt to resolve the situation for you.

What should I bring to my final exam?

It would be best to contact your instructor to find out what is required or allowed for your final exam. The Office of the Registrar only schedules the final exams.

How much are my tuition and fees?

To view UNBC's tuition and student fees, please visit our Finance Department's webpage.

My question isn't here, what should I do?

Please don't hesitate to contact us at studentinfo@unbc.ca with your question, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.