Taking a Course in an Other Institution - Letter of Permission Requests

READ The FOLLOWING CAREFULLY, as it will assist you when choosing what courses to take/look for at the host University.

GENERAL

Students planning to pursue courses at another accredited University have the option of pursuing a Letter of Permission. The courses chosen and approved will count for credit at Western. 

Students must obtain the proper approvals for taking these credits PRIOR to enrolling in the courses at that University. Expect the entire process to take up to 3 weeks (or longer during summer/busy times). We will not rush evaluations. We will not consider retroactive course requests. 

The Registrar’s rules for requesting and applying for a Letter of Permission can be found here.

DAN Management has additional requirements listed below. The onus is on the student to provide all the information necessary for DAN Management to make a decision.

CHOOSING A COURSE

Western policy requires that essay courses must be taken at Western. You cannot obtain a letter of permission for an essay course.

We do not grant letters of permission for courses required for your degree. You should plan to take only elective or optional courses at another university.

We do not grant letters of permission for courses required for any professional designation (e.g. CPA, HRPA). We must uphold our accreditation standing (i.e. any courses required by CPA must be taken in Canada and be of Canadian Accounting practices and regulations).

We only grant letters of permission for courses from universities on the Western International Exchange list and taught by a faculty member with an advanced degree in the appropriate field. This means that in order to receive a letter of permission, your course must be part of the official timetable of the university and the instructor information must be readily available.

FORMAL STEPS FOR OBTAINING YOUR LOP

If you are a DAN Management student, you must obtain permission from DAN Management (this may also require approval from another Department, if your course is not equivalent to a MOS course) and then file a formal request through Social Science Academic Counselling. Please complete all the steps below:

  1. You must obtain the following information:
    1. A link to the University’s course listing in the course calendar showing a brief course description, and any prerequisites that apply.
    2. A link to the course listing in the University’s timetable showing that the course is being offered during the session in which you plan to take it.
    3. The course instructor's official listing (eg., the faculty listing from the instructor’s home university).
    4. The number of contact hours (hours of official instruction - lecture hours; length and frequency of tutorials or labs, etc.) associated with the course.
    5. A link to the current course syllabus (if the current syllabus is not available, you may submit a link to the previous year’s syllabus but please make every effort to provide us with accurate and up-to-date information).
    6. A print copy of the FULL, DETAILED Course Syllabus from the chosen host University. 
      Course descriptions are not sufficient and will be denied.
    7. A copy of the Request for Letter of Permission form with the TOP HALF of the form completed (leave only the Course listing table BLANK) and signed at the bottom.
    8. If this information is not in English, then it must be accompanied by the English translation.

  2. For any courses offered outside of DAN Management (e.g. Philosophy, Psychology, Biology, etc.), take the above material to that Department for approval FIRST. If they approve the course, they will sign the Request for Letter of Permission form.

  3. Submit the above material to us through our Help Portal.

  4. We will respond on the Help Portal and then you must submit it to the Academic Counselling Office to officially request the Letter of Permission (DO NOT skip this step!).

  5. Once the course is completed, you are responsible for ordering an Official Transcript to be sent to the Office of the Registrar.
    The address to have it sent to is: 

    Attn: Letter of Permission, Student Records
    Western University
    Western Student Services Bldg. Rm 2140
    London, ON
    N6A 3K7

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

  • We do not pre-approve courses.
    Do not request that we "look at" a set of courses so you can decide before bringing us the official form.

  • Approval is at the discretion of the DAN Department and Western University.
    Courses found not to meet Western’s standards pertaining to content, rigor, evaluation methods, class time, etc., will be denied. Requests without all the information detailed above will be denied.

  • Evaluations are made on an individual basis. 
    We make decisions for students based on their program, courses and needs. We do not guarantee approval, even if the above requirements are satisfied and even if the course has been approved in previous years.

  • Watch Course Credit Weights.
    We will not approve quarter courses (0.25) for credit. Be aware of the host Institution's credit weight system. For example, European Transfer Credits are 6 ECTS = 0.5 Western credit; 12 ECTS = 1.0 Western credit; 3 ECTS are only 0.25 credits and will be denied.

  • You are responsible for completing the course within the Western Academic Schedule
    (ie: Fall = September to December; Winter = January to April; and Summer = May to August).
    We are aware that some Universities offer courses on a longer schedule. You are bound by Western's terms, not theirs. 
    If you are unable to complete the course by the end of that term, you MUST contact Academic Counselling to make arrangements. Failure to do so will result in an "F" on your transcript.

  • Please do not pay tuition or arrange travel and/or accommodation for a course until you receive official notice that your Letter of Permission has been approved.