Letter of Permission

A Letter of Permission (LOP) is a request to take a course at another Institution and have it transfer back to be used towards your UNBC degree. In order to ensure the course you would like to take will work within you degree, we encourage you to speak to your Student Advisor. They know the ins and outs of your program and can help you determine which courses you can take on a LOP.

As transfer credit can change from semester to semester, requesting and receiving a LOP guarantees that you will receive the transfer credit noted on your letter for the semester you requested the LOP for.

In order to receive permission to take coursework at another institution, you must meet a few conditions:

You must have completed 9 credits hours at UNBC;
You may not be in your first semester of admission or re-admission;
You must be in good academic standing (ie: Not on Academic Probation);
You must not have any outstanding obligations to the University, which may include, but is not limited to the following:
- Tuition Fees Owing;
- Library or other fines owing;
- Outstanding Library loans;
- Outstanding equipment or other loans.

LOPs are only issued in advance of taking course work – they cannot be backdated. LOPs are issued directly to institution you are taking the course work at and a copy is sent to your UNBC email address.

Please remember that coursework taken on an LOP does not count towards your UNBC GPA, it will not remove the grade from your UNBC transcript if you have already taken the course at UNBC. However, if you need the course as a prerequisite, the grade you receive while on a LOP will count for the prereq purposes.

Letter of Permission Form

Instructions for completing this form:

Complete all of the sections on this form. Use the course numbers and titles provided for the course(s) you want to register for at the institution (school) you are visiting.
Detailed course syllabi (outlines) from institutions that are out of province or from another university must accompany this form, as a calendar description may not be sufficient to determine course equivalency. Courses listed in the BC Transfer Guide (www.bctransferguide.ca) do not require course outlines.
Pay your LOP application fee at your campus Cashier or by credit card with your Student Online Services Account.
Submit the completed form to the Student Recruitment and Advising Centre (fax, in person or by e-mail scan). It normally takes up to three (3) weeks to process an LOP; at certain times of the year, it may take up to eight (8) weeks.
Letter of Permissions are valid only for the semester for which they are issued; they will not be processed for the current semester after the withdrawal date for that semester. Extensions will require another request for a Letter of Permission which may or may not be granted. If approved, Letters of Permissions may be mailed to the institution requested to attend.

You have responsibilities. As a UNBC student completing an LOP form please ensure you have done the following:

Consult with your Student Advisor prior to applying for an LOP.
Check your unbc.ca email account regularly as a PDF copy of the LOP will be sent to that account.
Submit final transcripts from the institution you were granted the LOP for to UNBC’s Office of the Registrar, as soon as the final grades are received.
Notify your Student Advisor if course work is not completed.
Students who are in their final semester and are completing courses on an LOP are advised that final and official transcripts must be received by UNBC’s Office of the Registrar no later than the first week of May to ensure their eligibility to graduate.
Please let us know what credit you hope to receive. Note that coursework may not transfer over the way you anticipate; approved transfer credit will be indicated on your Letter of Permission.

Once you have completed your form electronically, email it to our office for processing.

It normally takes up to 3 weeks for your LOP to be processed and at certain times during the year, it may take up to 8 weeks.