Undergraduate Admission
Special Student Status
Students are designated Special Students (also known as Visiting Students) if they are enrolled in one or more courses, but are not pursuing a degree. Special Student status is not required to enroll in courses offered through the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education. Common reasons for Special Student status in day or evening courses include:
- To attempt to qualify for admission to a degree program, typically in graduate studies or professional areas of study
- To complete courses on a Letter of Permission from another university
- To meet professional association course requirements
- To complete a post-degree course series
Please see below for the application policy and procedures, admission requirements, and course enrollment details of the Special Student options available at Ryerson University
Admission Requirements Approval is required from the Ted Rogers School of Business Management, Accounting Department, prior to submission of the Ryerson Application. Visit the Prospective Student section of the Ted Rogers School of Business Management website for details. Special Business status will only be granted to applicants seeking access to ACC 703, ACC 706, ACC 801, ACC 803, ACC 821 or BUS 800. All other designation courses may only be completed through the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education. Course Enrollment
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Please visit the Foundations of Management page for details on admission requirements, application process and deadlines, as well as course information. Course enrollment details will be provided at the time of admission. Foundations of Management students have access to Ryerson’s Administrative Management Self Service (RAMSS) for course enrollment. |
Admission Requirements Approval is required from the appropriate program director/associate chair in the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science prior to submission of the Ryerson Application. Visit the Prospective Student section of the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science website for details. Course Enrollment
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Admission Requirements
Written approval from the specific teaching department is required to be admitted to the Special option. It is strongly recommended that you secure the written approval prior to submitting your online Ryerson Application. Application fees are not refundable. The approval must be submitted to Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment after the online Ryerson Application has been submitted.
Not all programs accept Special students. Before applying, please check which Ryerson programs are accepting applications.
Please note the following faculty and program-specific requirements:
- The Faculty of Arts does not consider Special students.
- The Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (FEAS) requires completion of the Special Student Permission Form. The form can be found on the FEAS website.
- The Faculty of Science (FoS) requires completion of the Special Student Permission Form. The form can be found on the FoS website.
- The School of Nutrition will provide a list of approved applicants to Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment. Please visit the School of Nutrition website for details on the approval process and relevant deadlines.
Grade 12 U/M students may be admitted as Special students to take a course, subject to receiving authorization from the teaching department of the course they wish to take and also subject to space in the desired course. Candidates must be recommended by their secondary school and will be considered on an individual basis. If the course forms part of a program to which the student is admitted, credit is applied.
Course Enrollment
- Approval to the Special option permits students to attempt to enroll in individual courses. It does not guarantee, and is not meant to guarantee, enrollment in courses.
- Access to course(s) is subject to approval of the teaching department and availability of space in the selected course(s). Individual faculty members may not grant access to courses.
- Prospective Special students should note that, for some courses, no space will be available to Special students, as enrollment is limited and preference is given to students enrolled in a Ryerson degree program.
- Special students do not have access to enrollment through Ryerson’s Administrative Management Self Service (RAMSS). Course enrollment must be completed by the relevant program department.
Special Student applicants for all options are encouraged to commence the approval and application process as soon as possible. Ryerson cannot guarantee consideration of an application where amendments to applications and supporting documents are received after published deadline dates.
The following timeframes generally apply for the closure of the online Ryerson Application:
- Fall Term – early August
- Winter Term – mid-December
Individual programs may have earlier deadlines, and/or will close applications earlier when enrollment capacity has been reached.
Please note:
- Special Student applicants are NOT required to submit a Supplementary Form or official transcripts to Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment. However, transcripts are often required by program departments for the approval process.
- Special Student status CANNOT be obtained by applying for a full-time or part-time degree program (eg. Business Management or Mechanical Engineering)
- Admission is not guaranteed.
Important Note: If you have previously been admitted as a Special Student, you do not need to submit a new application unless you have been away from studies for six consecutive semesters since admission.
If you are in doubt about your status, please contact our office to confirm prior to submitting a new application. Application fees are not refundable
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