Hey guys my girlfriend is completely freaking out right now and she called Academic Advising and there is no response. Guessing because it is lunch? Figured someone here can help.

She had multiple job interviews lately and thought that she already had 123 units however, she miscalculated (somehow) and actually has 117 units (after this term). She thought she had enough because of a summer school course she took but she forgot that she dropped a course in first year. Therefore, she just dropped this course that was heavier on her work load thinking that shed have enough.

She will take a summer school course to make up for it but she fears that she will not be able to graduate in April. Is this the case? Her marks are fine, she will just be 3 units short until the end of May when summer school ends.

Anyone had an experience like this?

Originally Posted by dr4357

Hey guys my girlfriend is completely freaking out right now and she called Academic Advising and there is no response. Guessing because it is lunch? Figured someone here can help.

She had multiple job interviews lately and thought that she already had 123 units however, she miscalculated (somehow) and actually has 117 units (after this term). She thought she had enough because of a summer school course she took but she forgot that she dropped a course in first year. Therefore, she just dropped this course that was heavier on her work load thinking that shed have enough.

She will take a summer school course to make up for it but she fears that she will not be able to graduate in April. Is this the case? Her marks are fine, she will just be 3 units short until the end of May when summer school ends.

Anyone had an experience like this?

Spring convocation is in the middle of June, but the credit from summer school won't be in on time, so if she waits until summer to make up the credit then she'll have to wait until fall convocation to graduate.

This is why they highly recommend that people check their degree audit after every time they make course changes.

The only possible option I can see is if she took an online course through Athabasca and fast-tracked it, but I'm not 100% sure that's possible either. It's something she should look into on their website.

Edit: http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /convo...es-spring.html
The last day for students to apply to transfer to graduate (which your gf would have to do since she's not currently eligible to graduate) is May 15.

First-term summer courses end around the end of June iirc, and I really don't think they'd give her a "conditional" degree.

Originally Posted by starfish

Spring convocation is in the middle of June, but the credit from summer school won't be in on time, so if she waits until summer to make up the credit then she'll have to wait until fall convocation to graduate.

This is why they highly recommend that people check their degree audit after every time they make course changes.

The only possible option I can see is if she took an online course through Athabasca and fast-tracked it, but I'm not 100% sure that's possible either. It's something she should look into on their website.

Edit: http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /convo...es-spring.html
The last day for students to apply to transfer to graduate (which your gf would have to do since she's not currently eligible to graduate) is May 15.

First-term summer courses end around the end of June iirc, and I really don't think they'd give her a "conditional" degree.

This times a million. She should have found out she was behind 2-3 years ago, let alone before it was too late this year. They even sent out emails telling you to check your degree audit before you regret it since there are quite a few cases of people not being able to graduate when they thought they would. I'm afraid she won't have her degree by spring, but if she's taking summer school, she won't have to wait until next year to graduate. The earliest she could have her convocation and/or degree would be November(??) I think.

However, there is a form she could fill out requesting to have your degree mailed to you in advanced before fall convocation but she would need a few documents, including proof that an employer requires a degree in order to get the job. Here's a link to the pdf:

http://www.mcmaster.ca/policy/AdminA...onvocation.pdf

Originally Posted by alee90

This times a million. She should have found out she was behind 2-3 years ago, let alone before it was too late this year. They even sent out emails telling you to check your degree audit before you regret it since there are quite a few cases of people not being able to graduate when they thought they would. I'm afraid she won't have her degree by spring, but if she's taking summer school, she won't have to wait until next year to graduate. The earliest she could have her convocation and/or degree would be November(??) I think.

However, there is a form she could fill out requesting to have your degree mailed to you in advanced before fall convocation but she would need a few documents, including proof that an employer requires a degree in order to get the job. Here's a link to the pdf:

http://www.mcmaster.ca/policy/AdminA...onvocation.pdf

That document only applies to people who are going to work outside of Canada and who already have the requirements for graduation...for example, I finished my course requirements in April but transferred to graduate in June, so my convocation was November. If I needed my degree early to secure a visa to work abroad, they could have given it to me in September or something, instead of waiting until November.

Originally Posted by starfish

That document only applies to people who are going to work outside of Canada and who already have the requirements for graduation...for example, I finished my course requirements in April but transferred to graduate in June, so my convocation was November. If I needed my degree early to secure a visa to work abroad, they could have given it to me in September or something, instead of waiting until November.

Ah...sorry, you're correct. Misread the 'out of Canada' part. Yeah, so I guess there's no way to get your diploma before convocation if you're in Canada.

online? athabasca? try that.

She definitely should've known earlier this year. There is literally a box on MUGSI/SOLAR and on your degree audit stating whether you are fit to graduate this year or not... I'd suggest she goes in to see an academic advisor to see what she can do. She is too late to start an Athabasca course this month and may be too late for the April start date. I know the cut-off is pretty early in the first week of the prior month.

Thanks everyone for the help! It is definitely great to have a place where people can give honest/helpful feedback.

Again, (as she admits), it was a silly decision. She had a job offer and the class would directly interfere so she dropped it forgetting about the course she dropped first term, of first year. She assumed she was 1 ahead because of an elective this past summer she took. As far as Athabasca is concerned, it may be too late. However, they do have "challenge exams" which is interesting. She has an extensive math background without officially taking math courses so this would be an interesting option. Don't know how McMaster views this though. Worst case scenario, shed have to wait the month and a half to do the summer school class. Luckily, its an elective shes missing (which sort of sucks even more), but it is good in the sense that she can work, and fulfill the requirement. Live and learn I guess. Sucks that there is such a set back though. Thanks again everyone!

I don't think McMaster considers the challenge exams as an actual completed course if I remember right.

According to the course calendar, they do:
http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /calen...2-13/pg94.html
So it'd be pass/fail and not count towards your GPA, but you would get the credit. If you do fail though, it counts as a failed course and you can't reattempt the challenge.

Although I'm not sure if/how this extrapolates to challenges at other universities such as Athabasca. The wording makes it seem like they wouldn't but that's just a guess.

Yeah, that's what I meant starfish: that Mac wouldn't accept Athabasca's challenge for credit.

hmmm thats interesting..she lives in Hamilton, so I think it might be best to just wait for the summer term...especially because there would be a time constraint to get the course to be approved, etc. Just out of curiosity, I know attempted courses count towards CA however, I assume they don't count for the total units achieved?

On another note though, Athabasca does provide some pretty sweet courses that just aren't offered at Mac...wished I learned about it earlier...I literally found it today through you guys!

Originally Posted by dr4357

hmmm thats interesting..she lives in Hamilton, so I think it might be best to just wait for the summer term...especially because there would be a time constraint to get the course to be approved, etc. Just out of curiosity, I know attempted courses count towards CA however, I assume they don't count for the total units achieved?

On another note though, Athabasca does provide some pretty sweet courses that just aren't offered at Mac...wished I learned about it earlier...I literally found it today through you guys!

What do you mean by "attempted courses"?

If you attempt a course and aren't successful, that implies that you failed the course. In those cases, you get a zero on your transcript that counts towards your GPA (weighted for the number of credits the course was worth), but you don't receive the credits to count towards your degree.

If you're talking about the challenge courses then it would say "Fail". Pass/fail courses don't count towards your GPA, although it can create problems (whether you pass or fail) if you're applying to other schools. I'm 90% sure that if you fail the course it won't affect your GPA, since passing the course wouldn't affect it either, but that might be something to double check.

If you're talking about courses through letters of permission (like if you did an Athabasca course), then those count towards the number of credits you have, but NOT your McMaster CA.

Originally Posted by starfish

What do you mean by "attempted courses"?

If you attempt a course and aren't successful, that implies that you failed the course. In those cases, you get a zero on your transcript that counts towards your GPA (weighted for the number of credits the course was worth), but you don't receive the credits to count towards your degree.

If you're talking about the challenge courses then it would say "Fail". Pass/fail courses don't count towards your GPA, although it can create problems (whether you pass or fail) if you're applying to other schools. I'm 90% sure that if you fail the course it won't affect your GPA, since passing the course wouldn't affect it either, but that might be something to double check.

If you're talking about courses through letters of permission (like if you did an Athabasca course), then those count towards the number of credits you have, but NOT your McMaster CA.

Buuuttt, the Athabasca courses through letter of permission DO count towards your GPA that other Universities look at. So, it wouldn't affect me getting a Senate scholarship but it would count towards the average that U of T looks for with a program I'm applying to. Hopefully that makes sense

Originally Posted by sarahsullz

Buuuttt, the Athabasca courses through letter of permission DO count towards your GPA that other Universities look at. So, it wouldn't affect me getting a Senate scholarship but it would count towards the average that U of T looks for with a program I'm applying to. Hopefully that makes sense

Sarah thank you for the clarification. That raises a bunch of new questions as to whether U of T would view Athabasca courses equal or inferior to McMaster? Like the classic question of whether a 3.5 gpa from like Brock is on par to a 3.2 from McMaster (no offense to Brock - it is a great school. The point is to emphasize the disparity in "rankings"... as arbitrary as they may be)