Courses & Course Enrollment

The graduate courses offered in RSI are listed below. Detailed course descriptions*, instructors and schedules for the courses offered in the current year may be obtained from the RSI website. Courses may not be offered every year and course offerings** are subject to change. Course requirements, by program, are outlined in sections below:

^{*See RSI website for Course Descriptions. **Students interested in a course that is not offered in the current academic year should consult with the RSI Student Administration office for further information.}
 

Course Abbreviations

Y Course – a full credit course
H Course – a half credit course
 

Course Enrollment

All RSI students register for their courses via the student web service: ACORN.

ACORN stands for Accessible Campus Online Resource Network and is the new student web interface to the University's student information system. Sign into ACORN to enroll in courses, check fees and finances, update your address and emergency contact information, and more.
 

Individual Reading and Research Course

Students who wish to take an Individual Reading and Research Course should review the Independent Reading & Research Course Standards & Policy and contact the course coordinator before completing the Independent Reading & Research Course Request Form. Once approval is given, the student should contact the RSI office to be enrolled in the course.
 

Requesting Courses

Students may begin requesting courses on July 15, 2024. Students must request their courses by no later than September 18, 2024 and January 20, 2025 for Winter session courses.

The web service requires full information about a course when a request is being made. Be sure to enter:

^{*Some courses may require instructor's approval in addition to that given by the coordinator/academic advisor.}
 

Course Waiting Lists

ACORN and the Student Web Services (SWS) have the capacity to maintain waiting lists in courses. Not all courses or meeting sections have waiting lists. If the department offering the course has opted to allow a waitlist and either your enrollment category in the course or the course itself is full, you can choose to join a waiting list. If a space is opened in your category then ACORN will automatically place you in the course.

It is your responsibility to check your status on SWS as you will not be contacted by phone or email

The SWS will inform you of your place on the waiting list and how many spaces are allotted for your category. You may “wait” in multiple meeting sections but if you are enrolled in one meeting section you may not simultaneously wait for another. Before the final date to enroll in courses, all waiting lists will be suspended and normal enrolment procedures will apply. Please consult the offering department for more information. Consult the unit offering the course to see if a waiting list is being used.

Students are responsible for knowing the status of their course requests at all times. This information can be obtained via the SWS. The following are the possibilities:

Canceling or Withdrawing from Courses

You may cancel or withdraw from individual courses up to certain deadlines. Before doing this, however, you are advised to consult with your supervisor and the RSI office (rsi.admin@utoronto.ca).

The deadlines to drop courses are as follows:

If you miss the deadline to drop a course:

1. Complete the Add/Drop Course(s) Form  and submit it to the RSI office, along with a letter of rationale with supporting documentation (e.g., medical certificate).
2. RSI will consider the request and, if supported, will forward the request to SGS for review.
3. If approved by SGS, the transcript notation of WDR (Withdrawn without Academic Penalty) will be assigned by SGS to the course. The WDR notation carries no credit for the course and is not considered for averaging purposes.

Some graduate units offer modular courses which have enrolment deadlines that do not conform to the deadlines above. Modular courses with non-standard start/end dates require the graduate unit to establish suitable drop dates. Please check with the graduate unit offering modular courses for the drop dates.

Dropping courses may have implications for your progress in the program. For details, check with your departmental graduate administrator. 

Please note that withdrawing from all your courses does not constitute a withdrawal from your program. To do so, you must complete a Program Withdrawal Form. Dropping courses prior to deadlines or withdrawing from a program does not guarantee a refund. Information on fee refunds and deadlines is outlined at www.studentaccount.utoronto.ca.

Final Results

Final grades in courses can be accessed in ACORN by selecting Academic History.

Grades can be viewed after the following dates. If a grade is not available after these dates, contact your instructor or the graduate unit offering the course.

Important Dates and Deadlines

Important dates and registration deadlines are available on the on the SGS Calendar.

Courses Outside of RSI

Students wishing to take courses outside RSI should consult the department offering the course on their registration procedures. This usually involves the completion of a course Add/Drop Form. See the SGS Calendar for important dates and deadlines. Initial contact should be sent to graduate administrator, Loida Ares at rsi.admin@utoronto.ca to determine the appropriate steps required to enroll in the external course of interest.

It is wise to initiate registration in external departmental courses early. Students must contact the course instructors to indicate their interest and seek permission to enter. 

The SWS will inform you of your place on the waiting list and how many spaces are allotted for your category. You may “wait” in multiple meeting sections but if you are enrolled in one meeting section you may not simultaneously wait for another. Before the final date to enroll in courses, all waiting lists will be suspended and normal enrolment procedures will apply. Please consult the offering department for more information. Consult the unit offering the course to see if a waiting list is being used.

Students are responsible for knowing the status of their course requests at all times. This information can be obtained via the SWS. The following are the possibilities: