Juris Doctor, J.D.
Degree Requirements
Year 1: Each full-time student is required to take all of the following courses. Additional requirements for students participating in the Access to Justice in French Concentration are described below under Concentrations.1, 3
Year 2: Each full-time student in Second Year is required to take a total of 30 credit hours. Additional requirements for students participating in the Access to Justice in French Concentration are described below under Concentrations.4
Year 3: Each full-time student in Third Year is required to take a total of 30 credit hours. Additional requirements for students participating in the Access to Justice in French Concentration are described below under Concentrations.8
Year 1 | Hours | |
---|---|---|
LAW 1102 | Contracts | 5 |
LAW 1140 | Criminal Law and Procedure | 5 |
LAW 1460 | Constitutional Law | 5 |
LAW 1480 | Torts and Compensation Systems | 5 |
LAW 1500 | Property | 5 |
LAW 1530 | Legal System | 2 |
LAW 1540 | Legal Methods 2 | 5 |
Hours | 32 | |
Year 2 | ||
LAW 2020 | Legal Profession and Professional Responsibility | 3 |
LAW 2602 | Evidence | 3 |
LAW 2650 | Introduction to Advocacy 5 | 3 |
LAW 2680 | Legal Negotiation 6 | 3 |
LAW 2690 | Corporations I | 3 |
LAW 3290 | Indigenous Legal Methodologies and Perspectives | 3 |
LAW 3530 | Administrative Law | 3 |
9 credit hours of Electives from List A or List B 7 | 9 | |
Hours | 30 | |
Year 3 | ||
30 credit hours of Electives from Lists A, B, or C 9 | 30 | |
Hours | 30 | |
Total Hours | 92 |
- 1
Students participating in the Access to Justice in French Concentration must take LAW 1378 Passeport du druit en français (1 cr) in Year One of their program and LAW 2378 Passeport du droit en français 3 (1 cr) in Year Two of their program. Together these courses constitute an ongoing course over the six terms of the J.D. program (equivalent to 0.5 credit per term) in which students in all three years learn together. Each 1 credit is graded on a pass/fail basis at the end of each year. Students are expected to complete all three 1 credit Passeport du droit en français for a total of 3 credits in lieu of a 3-credit elective in Year Three.
- 2
Students participating in the Access to Justice in French Concentration must instead take LAW 1542 Méthodes juridiques (5 cr), a bilingual course substantively equivalent to LAW 1540. Students who do not complete this course will not be eligible for the Concentration.
- 3
Students participating in the Access to Justice in French Concentration will earn 33 credit hours in Year One because they are required to take LAW 1378 Passeport du droit en français 1 (1 cr). Students are expected to complete all three 1 credit Passeport du droit en français for a total of 3 credits in lieu of a 3-credit elective in Year Three.
- 4
Students participating in the Access to Justice in French Concentration will earn 16 mandatory credits in Year Two because they are required to take LAW 2378 Passeport du droit en français 2 (1 cr). They will earn a total of 31 credits in Year Two.
- 5
Students participating in the Access to Justice in French Concentration must instead take LAW 2652 Introduction à la plaidoirie (3 cr), a bilingual course substantively equivalent to LAW 2650.
- 6
Students participating in the Access to Justice in French Concentration must instead take LAW 2682 Négociation juridique (3 cr), a bilingual course substantively equivalent to LAW 2680.
- 7
Must include a minimum of one Writing Course (List A) taken in the Second and Third year.
- 8
Students participating in the Access to Justice in French Concentration will earn 4 mandatory credits in Year Three because they are required to take LAW 3378 Passeport du droit en français 3 (1 cr). They will earn a total of 28 credits in Year Three.
- 9
Must include a minimum of one Writing Requirement Course (List A) taken in the Second and Third year.
List A: Writing Requirement Courses
(Second or Third year)
Course | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
LAW 3012 | International Business Law | 3 |
LAW 3014 | International Trade Law | 3 |
LAW 3018 | Human Rights Law | 3 |
LAW 3030 | Research Paper B | 3 |
LAW 3070 | Gender and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3090 | Children, Youth and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3120 | Philanthropy and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3170 | Dispute Resolution | 3 |
LAW 3230 | Treaties and Land Claims in Canada | 3 |
LAW 3272 | Criminal Justice, Family Law and Indigeneity | 3 |
LAW 3274 | Advanced Family Law | 3 |
LAW 3278 | Indigenous Economic Development and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3282 | Indigenous Peoples, Oral History, and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3284 | International Criminal Justice | 3 |
LAW 3286 | Law and Religion | 3 |
LAW 3288 | Refugee Law | 3 |
LAW 3310 | Aboriginal Peoples and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3370 | The Legislative Process | 3 |
LAW 3334 | Global and Domestic Governance of Tainted Finance | 3 |
LAW 3336 | Law and Popular Culture | 3 |
LAW 3338 | Sentencing | 3 |
LAW 3346 | Access to Justice | 3 |
LAW 3352 | Sexual Expression, Conduct and Work in Canada | 3 |
LAW 3362 | Animals and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3364 | Law and Resistance | 3 |
LAW 3376 | Droits linguistiques | 3 |
LAW 3380 | Issues in Law and Bio Ethics | 3 |
LAW 3394 | Internet and E-Commerce Law | 3 |
LAW 3410 | Canadian Legal History | 3 |
LAW 3620 | Comparative Law | 3 |
LAW 3674 | Advanced Public Law | 3 |
LAW 3740 | Public International Law | 3 |
LAW 3828 | Preventing Wrongful Convictions | 3 |
LAW 3940 | Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms | 3 |
LAW 3980 | Current Legal Problems B | 3 |
List B: Elective Courses
(Second or Third Year)
Course | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
LAW 2378 | Passeport du droit en Français 2 | 1 |
LAW 2400 | Wills and Succession | 3 |
LAW 2490 | Trusts | 3 |
LAW 2640 | Family Law | 3 |
LAW 2642 | Droit de la famille | 3 |
LAW 2672 | Civil Procedure | 3 |
LAW 2700 | Income Tax Law and Policy | 3 |
LAW 3016 | Corporations II | 3 |
LAW 3022 | Insurance Law | 3 |
LAW 3026 | Trademarks and Patents | 3 |
LAW 3050 | Commercial Law | 3 |
LAW 3212 | Immigration Law | 3 |
LAW 3220 | Competitions B | 3 |
LAW 3250 | Current Legal Problems D | 3 |
LAW 3330 | Employment Law | 3 |
LAW 3342 | Agency and Partnership | 3 |
LAW 3348 | Bankruptcy and Insolvency | 3 |
LAW 3354 | Moot Researcher | 3 |
LAW 3372 | Français juridique - droit public | 3 |
LAW 3374 | Français juridique - droit privé | 3 |
LAW 3378 | Passeport du droit en Français 3 | 1 |
LAW 3392 | Securities Law | 3 |
LAW 3590 | Charter Issues in Criminal Law | 3 |
LAW 3600 | Environmental Law | 3 |
LAW 3690 | Real Estate Transactions | 3 |
LAW 3770 | Labour-Management Relations | 3 |
LAW 3824 | Scholarly Publications | 3 |
LAW 3826 | Advanced Scholarly Publications | 3 |
LAW 3832 | Legal Aid Clinic | 3 |
LAW 3852 | Private International Law | 3 |
LAW 3862 | Business Transactions: The Art of the Deal | 6 |
LAW 3880 | Municipal and Planning Law | 3 |
LAW 3980 | Current Legal Problems B | 3 |
List C: Elective Courses
(Third Year Only)
Course | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
LAW 3020 | Clinical Administrative Law | 3 |
LAW 3132 | Clinical Family | 3 |
LAW 3032 | Court of King's Bench Clerkship | 3 |
LAW 3034 | Court of Appeal Clerkship | 3 |
LAW 3302 | Clinical Criminal Law | 6 |
LAW 3340 | Advanced Advocacy | 3 |
LAW 3344 | Internships | 3 |
LAW 3532 | Intensive Criminal Law | 3 |
LAW 3862 | Business Transactions: The Art of the Deal | 6 |
LAW 3360 | Advanced Legal Research | 3 |
LAW 3450 | Remedies | 3 |
LAW 3510 | Corporate Taxation | 3 |
LAW 3520 | Taxation of Trusts and Estates | 3 |
LAW 3790 | Preparing for the Practice of Law | 3 |
LAW 3862 | Business Transactions: The Art of the Deal | 6 |
LAW 3980 | Current Legal Problems B | 3 |
LAW 3990 | Externship | 12 |
Access to Justice in French Concentration Degree Requirements
This section describes the requirements to complete the Access to Justice in French Concentration as part of the J.D. program. The Access to Justice in French Concentration provides J.D. students with the basic skills required to provide legal services to clients in both official languages with a view to increasing the access to justice of French-language communities in Manitoba and other majority English-speaking Canadian provinces and territories.
As part of the courses required to earn their J.D., the following courses are prescribed for students seeking to earn the Access to Justice in French Concentration:
The above mentioned courses are bilingual equivalents of and taken instead of LAW 1540 Legal Methods, LAW 2680 Legal Negotiation, and LAW 2650 Introduction to Advocacy, respectively.
Students must take a total of 26 credits from among the possible 38 credits of Concentration courses below.
Year 1 | Hours | |
---|---|---|
LAW 1378 | Passeport du droit en Français 1 | 1 |
LAW 1542 | Méthodes juridiques | 5 |
Hours | 6 | |
Year 2 | ||
LAW 2378 | Passeport du droit en Français 2 | 1 |
LAW 2652 | Introduction à la plaidoirie | 3 |
LAW 2682 | Négociation juridique | 3 |
Hours | 7 | |
Years 2-3 | ||
Group 1 - Legal Terminology | ||
Select one of the following | 3 | |
Français juridique - droit public | ||
Français juridique - droit privé | ||
Group 2 - Electives | ||
Select three of the following | 9 | |
Droit de la famille | ||
Research Paper B 3 | ||
Competitions B 2 | ||
Internships | ||
Français juridique - droit public 1 | ||
Français juridique - droit privé 1 | ||
Droits linguistiques | ||
Hours | 12 | |
Year 3 | ||
LAW 3378 | Passeport du droit en Français 3 | 1 |
Hours | 1 | |
Total Hours | 26 |
- 1
May not be taken as a Group 2 Elective if taken as a Group 1 Legal Terminology course.
- 2
Counts towards the Concentration only for students mooting in French or otherwise completing a sufficient proportion of their research or written and oral advocacy work in French.
- 3
Must write their research paper in French under the supervision of a bilingual faculty member.
Academic Concentrations in the Faculty of Law
During their final term of law school, students in the Faculty of Law may choose to declare the completion of the requirements for one concentration, plus the Access to Justice in French Concentration, as part of their Juris Doctor (JD) program. That is, students may declare the fulfilment of the requirements for one of three concentrations, in addition to the Access to Justice in French Concentration. All four concentrations are outlined in this section. Successful completion of a concentration will be noted on a student’s transcript.
- Access to Justice in French (details can be found here)
- Criminal Law and Justice
- Law and Society
- Private Enterprise and the Law
Criminal Law and Justice Concentration
This section describes the requirements to declare completion of the Criminal Law and Justice Concentration. Completing this concentration will distinguish our JD students in the market by demonstrating a foundation of knowledge that includes critical and Indigenous perspectives and issues in Criminal Law and Justice beyond the mandatory JD curriculum. This will assist law students who intend to serve prosecutor or defense attorney roles with expertise and skills that are relevant to the challenges of applying criminal statutes and prosecuting or defending accused persons, while being apprised of the legal and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion considerations relevant to accused persons.
Students who complete 15 credit hours from the following courses (3. credit hours from List A plus 12 credit hours from List B) as part of their JD program may declare a Concentration in Criminal Law and Justice.
Course | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
List A | ||
One of the following: | ||
LAW 3272 | Criminal Justice, Family Law and Indigeneity 1 | 3 |
LAW 3338 | Sentencing 1 | 3 |
LAW 3590 | Charter Issues in Criminal Law 1 | 3 |
List B | ||
Minimum of 12 credit hours from: | ||
LAW 3030 | Research Paper B 2 | 3 |
LAW 3272 | Criminal Justice, Family Law and Indigeneity 1 | 3 |
LAW 3284 | International Criminal Justice | 3 |
LAW 3338 | Sentencing 1 | 3 |
LAW 3352 | Sexual Expression, Conduct and Work in Canada | 3 |
LAW 3532 | Intensive Criminal Law | 3 |
LAW 3590 | Charter Issues in Criminal Law 1 | 3 |
LAW 3828 | Preventing Wrongful Convictions | 3 |
- 1
This course only counts once for the purpose of fulfilling the concentration requirements.
- 2
Students in the JD Program are allowed to do one independent research paper for credit under the supervision of a faculty member during the JD degree, and the topic must be related to the topic of the concentration. All topics must be approved in advance by the Associate Dean in charge of the JD program.
Law and Society Concentration
The Concentration in Law and Society explores how legal and social systems are interconnected, how people live with the law and how law is woven into communities. The objective of this concentration is for students to better understand how law both impacts and reflects culture through its social and historical construction. The Law and Society Concentration will deliver significant long-term value to students and differentiate graduates in the market by demonstrating an understanding of what happens when legal innovations and institutions succeed, and what the outcomes are when they fail. This concentration will support law students in their commitment to the comprehensive practice of law within the context of sociological scholarship and access to justice, as they practice law in public defender offices, legal aid, lower courts, administrative agencies, work with juries or police, as prosecutors, or in academia.
Students who complete any 15 credit hours from the following courses may declare a Concentration in Law and Society:
Course | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
LAW 3070 | Gender and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3090 | Children, Youth and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3120 | Philanthropy and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3170 | Dispute Resolution | 3 |
LAW 3282 | Indigenous Peoples, Oral History, and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3286 | Law and Religion | 3 |
LAW 3334 | Global and Domestic Governance of Tainted Finance | 3 |
LAW 3336 | Law and Popular Culture | 3 |
LAW 3346 | Access to Justice | 3 |
LAW 3352 | Sexual Expression, Conduct and Work in Canada | 3 |
LAW 3362 | Animals and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3364 | Law and Resistance | 3 |
LAW 3380 | Issues in Law and Bio Ethics | 3 |
LAW 3410 | Canadian Legal History | 3 |
Private Enterprise and the Law Concentration
The Concentration in Private Enterprise and the Law is intended to support Indigenous economic development, small and medium enterprises, and family businesses, and to contribute to their success provincially and regionally. Graduates with a Concentration in Private Enterprise and the Law who wish to serve as counsel for businesses will develop skills that may assist with economic development in Indigenous communities, small and medium enterprises, and family firms.
Students who complete 15 credit hours from the following courses (three credit hours from List A plus 12 credit hours from List B as below) as part of their JD program may declare a Concentration in Private Enterprise and the Law.
Course | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
List A | ||
One of the following: | ||
LAW 3030 | Research Paper B 1 | 3 |
LAW 3278 | Indigenous Economic Development and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3282 | Indigenous Peoples, Oral History, and the Law | 3 |
LAW 3310 | Aboriginal Peoples and the Law | 3 |
List B | ||
Minimum of 12 credit hours from: | ||
LAW 2400 | Wills and Succession | 3 |
LAW 2490 | Trusts | 3 |
LAW 2640 | Family Law | 3 |
LAW 3012 | International Business Law | 3 |
LAW 3016 | Corporations II | 3 |
LAW 3022 | Insurance Law | 3 |
LAW 3050 | Commercial Law | 3 |
LAW 3274 | Advanced Family Law | 3 |
LAW 3330 | Employment Law | 3 |
LAW 3342 | Agency and Partnership | 3 |
LAW 3348 | Bankruptcy and Insolvency | 3 |
LAW 3394 | Internet and E-Commerce Law | 3 |
LAW 3450 | Remedies | 3 |
LAW 3510 | Corporate Taxation | 3 |
LAW 3770 | Labour-Management Relations | 3 |
- 1
Students in the JD Program are allowed to do one independent research paper for credit under the supervision of a faculty member during the JD degree, and the topic must be related to the topic of the concentration. All topics must be approved in advance by the Associate Dean in charge of the JD program.
- Admission to the Faculty of Law
- Academic Regulations
- Evaluation
- Appeals
- Deferrals and Extensions
- Juris Doctor Students in Non-Law courses
- Non-Juris Doctor Students
- Reasonable Accommodations
- Residence requirements for the Juris Doctor Degree
- Licence to Practise Law
- Practice-Based Learning
- Internships and Other Academic Opportunities
- Clerkships
- Practice-Based Classroom Learning
- Experience Record Opportunities
- Progression Rules
- Juris Doctor Academic Standings Committee
- Regulations of the Faculty of Law
- Miscellaneous Registration Matters
- Registration
- Other Faculty Regulations
Faculty Academic Regulations
Admission to the Faculty of Law
Course Requirements for Admission to J.D. Program
Robson Hall, Faculty of Law offers three First Year Admission categories:
- Index Score (Regular) Category (50% GPA and 50% LSAT score)
- Individual Consideration Category
- Canadian Indigenous Category
The minimum academic requirement to apply is two (2) full-years of university degree level courses (equivalent to 60 credit hours). Included in the 60 credit hours should be a course to fulfill the University's mathematics requirement. Completion of the JD program fulfills the University's Written English requirement. For additional information about the University's Mathematics and Written English requirements, see the General Academic Regulations of this calendar.
All applicants must write the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).
Please visit the Robson Hall website.
Academic Regulations
All students are asked to note that some academic policies and regulations are under review and are subject to change. Please refer to the Governance website for updated information.
Limited Access will not affect registration for the current Academic Year, which includes Fall, Winter, and Summer terms. See University Policy and Procedures – Repeat Course Policy – Section 2.5 (a) Limited Access.
The provisions of the General Academic Regulations, and the University Policies and Procedures apply to all students. In addition, the Faculty of Law has regulations and requirements, published below, that apply specifically to its students.
Evaluation
The regulations concerning evaluation would include the following:
- Appeals
- Mid-Term Grades
- Final Grades
- Grading Guidelines
- Guidelines for Pass/Fail Courses
- Juris Doctor Grades Appeal Committee
- Membership
- Responsibility to Faculty Council
- Senate Committee on Appeals
- Deferrals and Extensions
- Deferrals of Exams and Accommodation: Brief Extenuating Circumstance
- Deferrals of Exams and Accommodation: Long-term Extenuating Circumstance
- Rescheduled Examinations
- Missed Mid-Term Examination
- Illness or Emergency During Examination
- Scheduling Deferred and Supplemental Examinations and Re-Writing Examinations
- Papers and Assignments
- Rescheduling Exams
- Juris Doctor Students in Non-Law courses
- Non-Juris Doctor students
- Reasonable accommodations
Appeals
Appeals of Mid-Term Grades
Mid-term assignments, papers, or examinations which are considered in the determination of the final grade for a course shall be retained in the custody of the instructor or the faculty until six months after the appeal period for final grades has elapsed.
A student shall be permitted to examine their mid-term assignments, papers, or examinations under conditions prescribed by the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program in consultation with the instructor.
A student may appeal the evaluation of a mid-term assignment, paper, or examination, as a part of a final course grade appeal only. As a professional school, the Faculty of Law does not permit students to appeal mid-term grades during the delivery of any course, though students have the right to challenge marks they received for term-work as part of the appeal of their final grade, in accordance with the Final Examinations and Final Grades Policy of the University.
Appeals of Final Grades
Appeals at the Faculty of Law will be conducted in accordance with the procedure outlined in the Final Examinations and Final Grades Procedures of the University of Manitoba, in addition to the following procedures approved for use at the Faculty of Law by the Law Faculty Council. The word paper(s) in this section means all type of written and documentary evaluative devices, including mid-term assignments, papers, and examinations.
A student may examine their paper(s) under conditions prescribed by the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program in consultation with the instructor. A student shall be entitled to examine their papers either in the Faculty of Law or on premises of comparable security to those in which students are allowed to review their papers elsewhere than in the Faculty of Law (which may be electronic with student-signed confidential disclosure), provided that in the latter case, the student bears any cost involved.
To the extent that the appeal puts their assessment in issue, all of the student's papers in that course will be reviewed, including work submitted during the term.
In the appeal document, the student must specify valid grounds for appeal and provide detailed particulars supporting these grounds. The student's grounds for appeal should center on the academic merit of the work at issue. Examples of invalid grounds for appeal include the following:
- Student is applying for jobs that require excellent marks
- Student was surprised or disappointed by mark
- Student worked very hard on the course
- Student's other marks are higher
An appeal will be considered by the instructor who assigned the original grade and a second reader with appropriate knowledge of the subject matter. Instructors are encouraged to provide a rubric and/or model answer when papers are reviewed. The standard of review for the second reader is whether a reasonable marker could have reached the same conclusion as the instructor, rather than whether the second reader would have assigned a different grade.
All exams, papers, or assignments resulting in a final course grade value of 1.0 or less shall be automatically reread by the instructor and another instructor (second reader) with appropriate knowledge of the subject matter. Instructors are encouraged to provide a rubric and/or model answer when papers are reviewed.
Students who wish to appeal the results of a grade appeal based on procedural grounds must file an appeal with the office of the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program. A request for a review of appeal procedures must be filed within ten (10) working days of receipt of notification of the result of a Grade Appeal.
Grading Guidelines
The grade performance of students in all courses will be recorded according to the University of Manitoba grading guidelines. A change to the grading mode requires Senate approval through the appropriate Senate Standing Committee.
Guidelines for Pass/Fail Courses
In each pass-fail course, ROASS requires that the instructor must communicate in writing to students what is required to earn a pass.
A list of these courses is available online in the University Academic Calendar.
Juris Doctor Grade Appeals Committee
The Juris Doctor Grade Appeals Committee oversees the processing of student appeals related to pass-fail, grade re-calculation, and re-evaluation of final grades in the Faculty of Law. If an appeal document clearly does not raise any valid ground of appeal, the Committee will deny the appeal without it being considered by the instructor or the second reader. To be valid, grounds of appeal must center on the academic merit of the work at issue.
The Juris Doctor Grade Appeals Committee ensures fair and consistent grade appeal processes that maintain the integrity of the Juris Doctor Program. The Faculty of Law Juris Doctor Appeals Committee is the first level of appeal of final grades and oversees the processing of appeals at the Faculty of Law. The committee does not typically decide any given appeal; that is left to the instructor whose grade is being appealed, and the second reader.
Membership
- The chair (Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program)
- Two faculty members of the Faculty of Law elected by Faculty Council
Should an appeal be made regarding a grade assigned by one of the members of the Juris Doctor Appeals Committee, the Dean shall appoint an alternate to perform that member’s duties on the Committee for that appeal only. A Committee member whose grade is being appealed shall still be involved in the determination of the appeal as the instructor who assigned the grade, along with a second reader.
Responsibility to Faculty Council
The Chair of the Appeals Committee will provide an annual report to Faculty Council summarizing the work of the Committee of the previous year. The report will include the number and types of appeals heard and their disposition. It shall also include, where deemed appropriate, any recommendations for change in these procedures, or any other matters arising out of the Committee’s experience of concern to the Council.
Senate Committee on Appeals
The Senate Committee on Appeals is the second level of appeals.
Deferrals and Extensions
Extenuating Circumstances Defined
- Brief Extenuating Circumstance: a situation outside of a student’s control that affects their ability to fulfill their academic obligations and requirements for a period lasting no more than 120 hours (5 days). This means a medical event or condition; a student circumstance requiring compassion, including bereavement; a religious observance; or participation in an inter-university, provincial, inter-provincial, national or international scholastic or athletic event. A scheduled vacation or holiday is NOT a Brief Extenuating Circumstance.
- Long-Term Extenuating Circumstance: a situation outside of a student’s control that affects their ability to fulfill their academic obligations and requirements that lasts longer than 120 hours (5 days), or an accumulation of Brief Extenuating Circumstances for a given student in each semester totalling ten or more business days. This means a medical event or condition; a student circumstance requiring compassion; an accommodation authorized through Student Accessibility Services or a religious observance. A scheduled vacation or holiday is NOT a Long-Term Extenuating Circumstance.
Deferrals of Exams and Accommodation: Brief Extenuating Circumstance
A student who cannot write a particular test, including a mid-term examination and a final examination, due to a Brief Extenuating Circumstance will receive a deferral by submitting a Self-Declaration Form for Brief or Temporary Absence to their instructor and to the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program. The Associate Dean's office will monitor students' use of Brief Extenuating Circumstances at the Faculty of Law.
For any test other than a midterm or final examination, and for any midterm or final examination, the office of the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program, in consultation with the course instructor, shall be responsible for scheduling the deferral.
Deferrals of Exams and Accommodation: Long-Term Extenuating Circumstance
A student who cannot write a particular test, including a mid-term examination and a final examination, due to a Long-Term Extenuating Circumstance must apply for a deferred examination to the office of the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program setting out the reasons for the deferral.
The application must normally be filed within forty-eight (48) hours of the scheduled date of the missed examination or, in a case where more than one examination was missed, within forty-eight (48) hours of the scheduled date of the last examination missed.
The application must be accompanied by a medical certificate or otherwise, appropriate documentation certifying the reasons for the requested deferral, the inability of the student to write the examination at the regularly scheduled time and, where possible, an indication of the period of incapacity. Based on the evidence, the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program shall decide whether the application is approved. Based on the student's ongoing incapacity or in other justifiable situations, a deferral may be granted to a student who applies after the forty-eight (48) hour period has lapsed.
Students requesting a deferred examination due to a known condition must normally apply twenty (20) working days before the day of the scheduled examination with the office of the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program. Students who receive accommodations from Student Accessibility Services must work with the office of the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program to schedule their deferred examinations.
Initial approval of all deferred examinations by the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program shall be conditional upon verification that the student has completed all required components of the course and that it is mathematically possible for the student to pass the course by writing the final examination. Approval will be rescinded if these conditions are not met.
Any students requesting a deferred examination(s) on the grounds that the examination(s) conflict(s) with vacation or holiday plans will not normally be granted a deferral.
Rescheduled Examinations
Upon request, an examination scheduled in the December and April examinations shall be rescheduled by the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program under circumstances specified by the Office of the Registrar and Enrolment Services.
Missed Mid-Term Examination
Where a student is granted a deferral of a mid-term examination, the final grade for the course may be calculated based on the other evaluations used in the course (i.e., assignments, papers, and final exams) weighted at 100% without including the mid-term examination, only if the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program determines that the student has met the bona fide academic requirements for the course based on those other evaluations.
Illness or Emergency During Examination
If a student becomes ill or receives word of a family emergency during an examination and is unable to continue, the student must report at once to the examination invigilator, hand in the examination, and indicate either that they wish to submit their examination paper as: (1) completed; or (2) not completed and with the right to request a deferred examination. The invigilator must record all notifications. Students leaving an examination early in compliance with this section are eligible to apply for a deferred examination.
Only students who do not complete the examination and notify the invigilator of why they cannot complete the examination shall be eligible to apply for a deferred examination.
Scheduling Deferred and Supplemental Examinations (Both Brief and Long-Term Extenuating Circumstances)
The scheduling of deferred, rescheduled, and supplemental examinations shall be at the discretion of the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program.
Deferred and supplemental examinations ordinarily shall be scheduled to enable the results to be communicated by August 15th, annually.
When an application for a deferred examination is approved, the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program, in consultation with the instructor concerned, shall schedule the deferred examination to take place normally within thirty (30) working days from the end of the examination series from which the examination was deferred, considering the following:
- If a deferred final examination is granted for a course that is a prerequisite to another course or courses, students may be permitted to remain registered in those affected courses. However, if the examination is written after the revision deadline and the pre-requisite course is not satisfied, the student will be withdrawn from all courses requiring it. Deferred examinations in pre-requisite courses should be scheduled early in a term to ensure that results are available before the course revision deadline.
The Faculty of Law shall endeavor to schedule deferred examinations as soon as possible for potential graduands so that final grades may be available in sufficient time to meet planned graduation deadlines.
In the event students are unable to write the deferred examination within thirty (30) working days:
- The deferred examination shall be written at the next scheduled examination series in which the course is offered (unless the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program chooses to make other arrangements); subsequent requests for re-deferral may result in the student being denied registration in the current or a future term until all outstanding examination obligations have been completed.
- The Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program in consultation with the instructor concerned may assign a grade without examination. In such cases, the grades shall be assigned based on the term work and assignments.
- The deferred examination must be written within the time frame that enables the examination to be written and graded, and, if necessary, a supplemental examination to be written and graded before the start of the next academic term where the progression rules require the successful completion of an entire academic year before a student is eligible to proceed in the next academic year.
Nature of Deferred and Supplemental Examinations and Re-Writing Examinations
The nature, character, format, length, and content of all examinations, including deferred, rescheduled, and supplemental examinations, shall be at the discretion of the instructor responsible for setting the examination.
Apart from supplemental examinations that a student may be required to write to be eligible to progress or to graduate, a student cannot re-write an examination or assignment to improve a grade.
Papers and Assignments: Brief Extenuating Circumstances
A student who cannot complete a particular assignment, including a final paper, by the deadline due to a Brief Extenuating Circumstances will receive an extension by submitting a Self-Declaration Form for Brief or Temporary Absence to their Instructor and the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor Program.
The Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor Program may grant an extension for an appropriate number of days, not exceeding five business days.
Papers and Assignments: Long-Term Extenuating Circumstances
A student who cannot complete a particular assignment, including a final paper, by the deadline due to a Long-Term Extenuating Circumstance must apply for an extension to the Office of the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program setting out the reasons for the extension.
The application must be accompanied by a medical certificate or otherwise, appropriate documentation certifying the reasons for the requested extension, the inability of the student to complete the assignment by the deadline and, where possible, an indication of the period of incapacity. Based on the evidence, the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program shall decide whether the application is approved, in consultation with Accessibility Services when appropriate.
University policy states that in addition to the grade, the recommendation for extension should indicate the reason(s) for consideration being given, a description of the outstanding work to be completed, and the date by which the work must be submitted. The following maximum extensions are allowed:
- For courses terminated in April - August 1st
- For courses terminated in August - December 1st
- For courses terminated in December - April 1st
Juris Doctor Students in Non-Law courses
Information related to non-law courses is found in the Progression Rules procedures.
Non-Juris Doctor Students
Students not currently in the Juris Doctor program but taking Juris Doctor courses (LLM, MHR students) may have rules particular to their program that apply in addition to these rules about evaluation in the Juris Doctor courses.
Reasonable Accommodations
Upon request and submission of satisfactory documentation, other accommodation, such as extended time for writing an examination, or writing an examination in a separate room, shall be made by the office of Student Accessibility Services, consonant with the National Requirement of the Law Societies of Canada.
Residence requirements for the Juris Doctor Degree
To obtain the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of Manitoba, ordinarily a student must successfully complete two of the three years of the Juris Doctor (J.D.) program at the University of Manitoba. The remaining year may be completed at another law school as approved by the Admissions Committee or the Dean’s office.
Licence to Practise Law
Graduates who wish to practise must apply to the Law Society of the province in which they wish to practice. Law societies generally require applicants to complete a bar admission course. The Law Society must be satisfied as to the good character and repute of its applicants, as well as their academic competence and qualifications. Inquiries with regard to the Province of Manitoba should be made to the Law Society of Manitoba.
Practice-Based Learning
Practice-based learning at the Faculty of Law will be comprised of for-credit and not-for-credit opportunities for students to experience and acquire skills for the effective practice of law under the mentorship of qualified faculty and practitioners. Practice-based learning at the Faculty of Law will adhere to the standards of the National Requirement of the Federation of the Law Societies of Canada. The opportunity requires a substantial investment of time and energy.
Practice-based learning at the Faculty of Law responds to the needs of legal practice and is established and reviewed according to the following general guidelines:
- All for-credit opportunities must be initially submitted to the Faculty of Law Academic Affairs Committee for consideration and ultimately be approved by Law Faculty Council.
- The maximum number of Pass/Fail for-credit opportunities for Juris Doctor students in third year will be restricted to 18 credit hours.
- The maximum number of Pass/Fail for-credit opportunities for Juris Doctor students in second year will be restricted to 12 credit hours.
Procedures for the following topics are outlined below:
- Externships
- Competitions
- Internships and other Clinical Opportunities
- Clerkships
Externship
General Requirements
- Externships are for 3L students.
- Co-requisite course LAW 3024 Legal Professions and Professional Responsibility in the Fall term
- Some externships may have additional pre-requisite and co-requisite course requirements.
Academic Credit
Externships involve an 8-month placement spanning the fall and winter terms. Students earn six (6)credits per term for twelve (12) credits over both terms.
Typical enrolment limits:
- Legal Help Centre Externship: normally up to ten (10) students.
- University of Manitoba Community Law Centre (UMCLC) Criminal Law Externship: up to normally ten (10) students.
- Manitoba Law Reform Commission Externship: normally up to one (1) student.
- L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic Externship: normally up to (10) students.
- Cochrane Saxberg Indigenous Community Legal Clinic Externship: normally eight (8) ten (10) students.
- RobsonCrim Attorney General Externship: normally one (1) - two (2) students.
A stated, these are typical enrolment limits. The Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program has discretion to increase or reduce these numbers in consultation with the Director of Clinical Practice.
Application Criteria
- 3L
- Completion of required externship application forms
- If required, an interview
Application Process
- To apply for externships, students must fill out the appropriate externship application package(s).
- Each externship has a separate package to be filled out and submitted to the UM Faculty of Law Externship Online Application Portal, and application deadlines vary from year to year and across the Externships.
- Students may apply for more than one externship and must rank each application according to their preference.
- Student interviews, if necessary, will take place after the application deadline has passed.
- Following interviews, students will be ranked by the placement organizations. Successful students will be informed of their placement.
Externships Include
Legal Help Centre Externship
The Legal Help Centre is a legal clinic in Winnipeg that offers legal and social service information and summary legal advice to those who meet the financial eligibility guidelines. Students assist clients through legal clinics and fieldwork. They can also expect to conduct research and prepare legal documents, participate in the court process, participate in outreach services and community involvement, and engage in other learning experiences.
University of Manitoba Community Law Centre (UMCLC)
Criminal Law Externship This course is meant to develop a student’s skills in criminal law by having the student participate in seminar instruction, court observation, and assisting supervising lawyers in relation to criminal law activities and case conduct. Students can expect to be taught foundational criminal law knowledge and engage in student representation of Legal Aid Manitoba clients charged with summary conviction offences.
Manitoba Law Reform Commission
Externship The Manitoba Law Reform Commission is Manitoba’s official law reform agency. Students will be given the opportunity to assist with all stages of Commission reform projects, from proposals to final reports. The students will mostly assist in the projects' legal research and consultation stages.
L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic Externship
This externship provides students with fundamental corporate and commercial law skills. Students will be exposed to work from various entities such as not-for-profits, charitable, community-based, and start-up enterprises. The legal skills learned will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of business law.
Saxberg Indigenous Community Legal Clinic Externship
Students will work with supervising lawyers in numerous locations near Winnipeg to provide free legal assistance to Indigenous community members. During the externship, students will learn how to interview clients, provide counsel, develop and manage client files, and conduct qualitative research. Significant focus on decolonization and indigenizing the law will be part of this externship opportunity.
RobsonCrim Attorney General Externship
A unique externship opportunity placing students within the Manitoba Department of Justice in the Public Safety Division. The focus of this externship will be for students to work with government lawyers and staff on matters related to policing.
Competitions
Participation by the Faculty of Law in any competition in each academic year is at the discretion of the Dean, with input from the Director of Clinical Practice. Note: a moot or competition may or may not happen each year, due to resource constraints.
General Requirements
- Competitions are for 2L and 3L students
- Tryouts for oral presenters
- Writing sample if applying as a researcher
- Any competition must be approved by Law Faculty Council, relying on recommendations from the Academic Affairs Committee
Academic Credit
Moot competitions count as 3 credit courses. The Solomon Greenberg moot is part of the LAW 2650 Introduction to Advocacy class program and does not count for 3 credits.
Usual per student limits on the number of competitions
- A student may participate, either as an oralist or as a researcher, in no more than one external Appellate Advocacy Moot for academic credit in each academic year. For the purposes of this rule, “Appellate Advocacy Moot” includes the Jessup International Moot, the Gale Cup Moot, the Fox Moot, the Corporate Securities Moot, and the Bowman Moot.
- In addition to an appellate advocacy moot, a student may participate in one of the following competitions for credit in the same year as the appellate advocacy moot: the Kawaskimhon National Aboriginal Moot, the McIntyre/Sopinka Cup, the National Family Law Negotiation Competition, and the Canadian Negotiation Competition. The rationale for this rule is that these competitions provide a different educational experience than an appellate advocacy moot. For example, a student could participate for academic credit in the Kawaskimhon National Aboriginal Moot, or the Bowman Moot, or both the Bowman Moot and the Kawaskimhon Moot, in the same year.
- Any participation in external competitions, either Appellate Advocacy Moots or otherwise, must not exceed the maximum number of Pass/Fail for-credit opportunities for a given year, as outlined above in the general guidelines to this Procedure.
- A student is generally prohibited from participating in the same competition in the same role in two successive years. For example, a student shall not participate in the Bowman Moot as an Oralist in their second year and then again in that moot as an Oralist in their third year; however, a student may participate for example, in the Bowman Moot as an Oralist for one year, and as a Researcher in the next.
- The Director of Clinical Practice has the discretion, in collaboration with Academic Affairs, to waive these limits in appropriate circumstances, such as when there are more spaces than students who would be eligible under the usual limits.
- The Director of Clinical Practice will inform students of their selection for moots in advance of course registration.
Application Process
- Students must sign up for tryouts and rank the moots they wish to participate in by preference.
- A tryout will be held during which students argue for a prescribed number of minutes in front of the Moot Selection Committee.
Competitions Descriptions
Donald G. H. Bowman National Tax Moot
Moot is based on taxation in Canada.
Jessup International Law Moot Court
This moot involves a simulated dispute between states before the International Court of Justice.
The Laskin Moot
Bilingual moot concerning administrative and constitutional law.
Kawaskimhon Moot
A consensus-based, non-adversarial moot that incorporates Indigenous legal traditions with federal, provincial, and international law. This includes roundtable negotiations on a topic pertaining to Indigenous law.
Solomon Greenberg Trial Moot > Western Canada Trial Moot (MacIntyre Cup) > Sopinka Cup
The Solomon Greenberg Trial Moot is an in-house advocacy moot. Eight (8) competitors are chosen by the professors of the 2L LAW 2650 Introduction to Advocacy course, who select the top students from that class to compete. The top two students from the Solomon Greenberg Trial Moot will go on to represent the Faculty of Law in the Western Canada Trial Moot and, if successful, will move on to the Sopinka Cup Moot.
National Family Law Negotiation Competition (NFLNC)
This competition will simulate legal negotiations in which law students, acting as lawyers, negotiate a series of family law issues. The National Family Law Negotiation Competition is a competition for students who have studied family law and negotiation. Working in teams of two, the law students will negotiate with opposing teams in three successive rounds of increasing complexity. The competition will be judged by senior family law practitioners and judges from across Canada. Preference will be given to students who have already completed both Negotiation and Family Law, but students who are enrolled in either or both of those courses during the Fall Term after the selection process may also be considered.
Bastarache Moot
A French-language legal advocacy competition centered around an appeal from a lower court decision concerning statutory or constitutional language rights.
Canada Negotiation Competition
A competition where students engage in a simulated legal exercise to negotiate a series of legal issues.
Julius Alexander Moot
An equity and diversity issues moot.
Gale Cup Criminal Appellate Moot
Concerns a previously decided Supreme Court of Canada Decision on criminal and/or constitutional law topics.
Harold G. Fox Moot
Intellectual property law competition.
Moot Researcher
Engages in research to assist the moot team before and at the competition. Generally, a 3L student.
Selection Criteria
Preference is given to third-year students.
Internships and Other Academic Opportunities
General Requirements
Internships and clinics are for 3L students. Some internship and clinical courses have prerequisite and co-requisite course requirements.
Academic Credit
Academic credit is determined by the Academic Affairs Committee and endorsed by Law Faculty Council.
Application Processes
Application processes are laid out in the syllabus for each course.
Internships
Public Interest Law Centre Internship 1 & 2 (PILC)
Normally one (1) – two (2) students work with the PILC under the supervision of a PILC lawyer. They will engage in significant legal research projects relating to current or potential PILC cases; interviews, assessments, and referrals of persons seeking to employ the PILC’s services; and they will be responsible for conducting one (1) or two (2) files.
Other Clinical Course Opportunities
UMCLC (Legal Aid Clinic)
Students will assist in the operations of Legal Aid Manitoba. No limit on student numbers.
Clinical Administrative Law
Students learn and develop legal skills through classroom work and simulated exercises focused on administrative law. Normally up to sixteen (16) students.
Rights Clinic
Students work on real-world litigation files under the supervision of a lawyer. Students also engage in community advocacy and legal information delivery. Usually up to ten (10) students.
Selection Criteria
Selection criteria are laid out in the syllabus of each course.
Clerkships
General Requirements
The twenty-five (25) students with the highest-grade point average in 2L are invited to apply.
Clerkships Include
- Court of Appeal Clerkship
- The Court of King's Bench Clerkship
- Provincial Court Clerkship
Academic Credit
- The Court of Appeal Clerkship spans the entire year in the form of two 3 credit hour courses. The students who take this clerkship will take the Court of Appeal Clerkship in the fall semester and the Court of Appeal Clerkship Advanced in the winter semester.
- Normally four (4) students.
- The Court of King’s Bench is 3 credits and offered in the Fall and Winter terms.
- Normally two (2) students per term.
- The Provincial Court Clerkships are 3 credits each and are offered in the fall and winter terms.
- Normally two (2) students per term.
Application Process
Students who apply for a clerkship will be selected by a committee of faculty members chosen by the Dean’s Office.
Selection Criteria
The committee considers a range of factors in making their decisions, including:
- Proven academic strength.
- Proven research strength.
- Genuine interest in the program.
- Other considerations students wish to raise.
Practice-Based Classroom Learning
The following mandatory courses in the Juris Doctor curriculum provide practice-based learning:
- LAW 1540 Legal Methods or LAW 1542 Méthodes jurisdiques
- LAW 1530 Legal System
- LAW 2680 Legal Negotiation to Advocacy or LAW 2682 Négociation juridique
- LAW 2650 Introduction to Advocacy or LAW 2652 Introduction à la Plaidoirie
Several elective (optional) courses in the Juris Doctor curriculum provide practice-based learning, including the following:
- LAW 3360 Advanced Legal Research
- LAW 3340 Advanced Advocacy
- LAW 3532 Intensive Criminal Law
- LAW 3020 Clinical Administrative Law
Experience Record Opportunities
Optional, not-for-credit learning opportunities will be made available to students in the Juris Doctor program. Where a given learning opportunity requires a substantial investment in time and energy, it will be recorded on the participating students’ experience records.
Progression Rules
To earn a Juris Doctor degree, a student will undertake a comprehensive program of study to obtain an understanding of the complexity of the law and the interrelationships between different areas of legal knowledge in line with the National Requirement of the Federation of the Law Societies of Canada.
Procedures
The Juris Doctor program of study is ordinarily a three-year full-time degree. Ordinarily, a student must complete two years of the program in residence to obtain the Juris Doctor degree. However,
- with the permission of the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program, a student may take one year of the Juris Doctor program at another university.
- with the permission of the Juris Doctor Academic Standings Committee, in special circumstances, a student may take more than one year of the Juris Doctor program at another Canadian university toward their University of Manitoba Juris Doctor degree.
Academic Program
The University of Manitoba's Academic Program for the study of Law consists of three full-time academic years or equivalent, for a total of 92 course credits.
The course of study consists primarily of in-person instruction and learning and/or instruction and learning that involves direct interaction between instructor and students.
Faculty-specific policies are permitted under the Final Examinations and Final Grades Policy of the University.
The Faculty of Law Juris Doctor Prerequisites
Many of the courses in the Juris Doctor program have prerequisites. A list of these courses and a progression chart are available on the Faculty of Law website.
General Progression Rules
A student must complete an academic year according to the prescribed accumulation of credits before being allowed to progress to the following year or to graduate.
Students may be prevented from re-registration in the following circumstances:
- Withdraw from the program for medical or compassionate reasons
- Received deferred examinations for all exams in a final examination series
- Who fail to write deferred examinations as scheduled
In these situations, students may be required to establish, through appropriate medical consultation, preparedness to resume studies.
Non-Law Courses
Juris Doctor students may take a non-LAW course in addition to their LAW courses. In first year, law, JD students are required to take 32 credits. They may, with the approval of the Associate of the Juris Doctor program, take a non-LAW course in addition to those 32 credits. In second and third year law, JD students require 30 LAW credits each year. They may, with the approval of the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program, take a non-LAW course in addition to those 30 credits. Grades obtained in non-law courses are not applied to JD degrees.
Outside Courses
With the prior approval of the Office of the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor, admitted JD students may take a maximum of 6 credit hours of courses offered by other university law programs during an inter-session or summer session and these courses may count toward their University of Manitoba Juris Doctor degree.
Students may receive credit only for studying at approved institutions. "Approved institutions" are institutions that are party to an exchange agreement with the Faculty of Law, courses which are offered or administered by another Canadian law school, those approved by the Association of American Law Schools, or those offered by any other well-reputed university approved by the Associate Dean’s Office.
Part-Time Students
Per academic year, a student enrolled in 18 or fewer credit hours is a part-time student in the Faculty of Law.
Course Requirements for Part-Time Students
In a part-time student’s first year, they must take LAW 1460 Constitutional Law, LAW 1530 Legal Systems, and LAW 1540 Legal Methods (or Méthodes jurisdiques), in addition to at least one additional course from the first-year curriculum. The Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program has the authority to waive this requirement. In a part-time student’s second year, they must take all outstanding first year courses. The Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program has the authority to waive this requirement.
Time for Completion
The time to completion for all requirements of the Juris Doctor degree is three (3) full-time equivalent years, or up to six (6) years with exceptions for accommodation consonant with the National Requirement, determined through the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program in consultation with the Academic Affairs Committee.
Juris Doctor Academic Standings Committee
Membership
- The Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program as Chair (non-voting)
- Two Faculty Members (elected by Law Faculty Council)
- Two Student Representatives (one appointed by MLSA, one appointed by MILSA)
- Student Advisor or Indigenous Legal Studies Coordinator, as applicable
Good Academic Standing
To be in good academic standing, a Juris Doctor student must satisfy the following requirements:
- Achieve a degree grade point average (DGPA) in the Faculty of Law of 2.0 or higher, and
- Achieve a grade of C or higher in any graded mandatory course in the Faculty of Law; and
- Achieve a Pass in any Pass/Fail course in the Faculty of Law
Procedure for students whose DGPA does not meet the standard
Student grades shall be reviewed by the Student Advisor at the conclusion of each academic term in which they receive a final grade, to flag any students whose TGPA (Term Grade Point Average) is below 2.0 or has received a grade of less than C in any mandatory course. The Student Advisor will notify the Chair of the Academic Standings Committee with these student numbers and grade information for consideration and action by the Committee.
Academic Warning. The first time a student’s DGPA drops below 2.0 they will receive an Academic Warning from the Chair of the Academic Standings Committee. Students who receive such a warning are required to meet with the Academic Advisor to explore the potential need for additional support.
Academic Probation. The second time a student’s DGPA drops below 2.0 the student will be placed on Academic Probation by the Chair of the Academic Standings Committee and must meet with the Academic Standings Committee and provide a plan for addressing the matters that led to academic probation.
Required to Withdraw. The third time a student’s DGPA drops below 2.0 the student is required to withdraw from Law and will be ineligible to take courses from the Faculty of Law for a period of one academic term. The student must submit a written request for reinstatement to the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program who will confer with the Academic Standings Committee. The decision of the Academic Standings Committee may be that the student is found to be ineligible to proceed in Law. This decision may be appealed to the Senate Committee on Appeals.
Written requests for reinstatement must be received by the office of the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program by May 1 for Fall term reinstatement, and by November 1 for Winter term reinstatement. Oral submissions may also be considered. If the student is reinstated to take courses in the Faculty of Law, that student will be in Good Academic Standing until and if the student's DGPA drops below 2.0.
First Year Law Students
Any student who earns a grade of less than C in any mandatory first-year course may write one supplemental examination or assignment in that course.
Second Year Law Students
In any mandatory second year course, the Committee has the discretion, if it believes circumstances warrant, to permit any student who earns less than a grade of C to write a supplemental examination or assignment. If a student receives less than a grade of C on any supplemental examination or assignment (in any year of the JD Program), the student must repeat the course.
Third Year Law Students
Any student who earns less than a D in any mandatory third-year course may write one supplemental examination or assignment in that course.
Senate Committee on Appeals
The Senate Committee on Appeals is the second level of appeals.
Regulations of the Faculty of Law
Regulations of the Faculty of Law, as amended from time to time governing attendance, evaluation, prizes, and progression may be consulted at the Faculty’s website.
Miscellaneous Registration Matters
The Associate Dean’s office shall, subject to appeal to the Academic Affairs Committee, consider and determine all applications from students admitted to the faculty for permission:
- to take part of their law studies at another university under a letter of permission with conditions;
- to defer their law studies for a period of one or more academic years after successfully completing first or second year, and to permit such students to re-register following such an absence with conditions;
- to withdraw before completing the academic year for which they are registered and to permit, in the case of a student who withdraws from first year under exceptional circumstances, that student to re-register for a subsequent academic year as a supernumerary student, and in the case of a second or third year student, to permit such student to re-register for a subsequent academic year; in all cases with or without conditions;
- to switch from the full-time program to the half-time program and vice versa.
Registration
All students will need to register themselves through Aurora. Please check the Faculty of Law website for detailed information.
Other Faculty Regulations
Regulations of the Faculty of Law, as amended from time to time governing attendance, prizes and other may be consulted at the Faculty’s website.
- Introduction
- Residence and Written English and Mathematics Requirements
- Course Identification
- Grades and Grade Point Average Calculation
- Academic Evaluation
- Academic Integrity
- Appeals of Grades
- Attendance and Withdrawal
- Deferred and Supplemental Examinations
- Final Examinations
- Hold Status
- Graduation and Convocation
- Personal Information
Introduction
This chapter contains the regulations and requirements that apply to all students, regardless of faculty or school.
Each faculty and school has its own supplementary regulations and requirements. These are published in the faculty or school chapters of the Academic Calendar. Some faculties and schools also have additional regulations and requirements governing their programs; these are available from the faculty or school.
It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the academic regulations and requirements of the University of Manitoba in general and of the specific academic regulations and requirements of their faculty or school of registration. Accordingly, students are asked to seek the advice of advisors in faculty and school general offices whenever there is any question concerning how specific regulations apply to their situations.
Residence and Written English and Mathematics Requirements
Residence Requirements For Graduation
Each faculty and school recommends to the Senate the number of credit hours each student must complete in order to graduate from its programs. Senate also requires each student to complete a minimum number of credit hours at the University of Manitoba -- this is called the “residence requirement.”
Unless otherwise stated in faculty and school chapters, the minimum residence requirement of the University of Manitoba is the work normally associated with one year in the case of programs of three years’ duration, and two years for programs of four years’ duration. Some faculties and schools may have additional residence requirements specified in their program regulations. However, in all cases, the residence requirement is assessed following an appraisal of the educational record of the student applying to transfer credits from another institution or applying to earn credits elsewhere on a letter of permission. The residence requirement is not reduced for students whose “challenge for credit” results in a passing grade.
University English and Mathematics Requirements for Undergraduate Students
All students are required to complete, within the first 60 credit hours of their programs, a minimum of one three credit hour course with significant content in written English, and a minimum of one three credit hour course with significant content in mathematics.
Some degree programs have designated specific written English and mathematics courses to fulfil this requirement.
Price Faculty of Engineering have their own written English requirements.
Some degree programs require that the written English and/or mathematics requirements be completed prior to admission.
See the program descriptions in the faculty and school chapters of the Academic Calendar for details.
Exemptions to the Written English and Mathematics Requirement
- All students with completed baccalaureate degrees and who transfer into any program to which these requirements apply.
- Registered Nurses entering the Bachelor of Nursing Program for Registered Nurses.
- Students admitted before the 1997-98 Regular Session.
- Written English exemption only: Students transferring from Université de Saint-Boniface who have completed a written French requirement (at the university) before transferring to the University of Manitoba will be deemed to have met the written English requirement.
Approved English and Mathematics Courses
A complete list of all courses which satisfy the university written English and mathematics requirement is provided below. (When searching for courses in Aurora, students may search Course Attributes for courses that satisfy the written English and Mathematics requirements).
Note that some programs may restrict the choice of English or Mathematics courses. See the program descriptions in the faculty and school chapters of the Academic Calendar for details.
Written English Courses
Course | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
AGRI 2030 | Technical Communications | 3 |
ANTH 2020 | Relatedness in a Globalizing World | 3 |
ARTS 1110 | Introduction to University | 3 |
ASIA 1420 | Asian Civilizations to 1500 (B) | 3 |
ASIA 1430 | Asian Civilization from 1500 (B) | 3 |
CATH 1190 | Introduction to Catholic Studies | 3 |
CATH 2010 | Literature and Catholic Culture 1 | 3 |
CATH 2020 | Literature and Catholic Culture 2 | 3 |
CLAS 2612 | Greek Literature in Translation | 3 |
CLAS 2622 | Latin Literature in Translation | 3 |
ENGL 0930 | English Composition | 3 |
ENGL 0940 | Writing About Literature | 3 |
ENGL 1XXX | All English courses at the 1000 level | |
ENGL 2XXX | All English courses at the 2000 level | |
ENVR 2810 | Environmental Critical Thinking and Scientific Research | 3 |
FAAH 2930 | Writing about Art | 3 |
FILM 2280 | Film and Literature | 6 |
FORS 2000 | Introductory Forensic Science | 3 |
GEOG 2900 | Geography of Canadian Prairie Landscapes (A) | 3 |
GEOL 3130 | Communication Methods in the Geological Sciences | 3 |
GMGT 1010 | Business and Society | 3 |
GMGT 2010 | Business Communications | 3 |
GPE 2700 | Perspectives on Global Political Economy | 3 |
GRMN 1300 | Masterpieces of German Literature in English Translation (C) | 3 |
GRMN 1310 | Love in German Culture in English Translation (C) | 3 |
GRMN 2120 | Introduction to German Culture from 1918 to the Present (C) | 3 |
GRMN 2130 | Introduction to German Culture from the Beginnings to 1918 (C) | 3 |
GRMN 2500 | Special Topics in German in English Translation (C) | 3 |
GRMN 2510 | German Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm to Hollywood (C) | 3 |
GRMN 2520 | Spies: Stories of Secret Agents, Treason, and Surveillance (C) | 3 |
GRMN 2530 | My Friend the Tree: Environment and Ecology in German Culture in English Translation (C) | 3 |
GRMN 3262 | Representations of the Holocaust in English Translation (C) | 3 |
GRMN 3270 | Studies in Contemporary German Cinema (C) | 3 |
GRMN 3282 | Sex, Gender and Cultural Politics in the German-Speaking World in English Translation (C) | 3 |
GRMN 3390 | German Representations of War (C) | 3 |
GRMN 3510 | Special Topics in German in English Translation (C) | 3 |
GRMN 3530 | Special Topics in Comparative German and Slavic Studies (C) | 3 |
HIST 1XXX | All History courses at 1000 level | |
HIST 2XXX | All History courses at 2000 level | |
HNSC 2000 | Research Methods and Presentation | 3 |
HYGN 1340 | Communications | 2 |
INDG 2020 | The Métis in Canada | 3 |
INDG 2110 | Introduction to Indigenous Community Development | 3 |
INDG 2530 | Introduction to Indigenous Theory | 3 |
KPER 2120 | Academic Skills in Kinesiology and Recreation Management | 3 |
LABR 1260 | Working for a Living | 3 |
LABR 1290 | Labour Unions and Workers' Rights in Canada | 3 |
LABR 2200 | Labour History: Canada and Beyond (C) | 3 |
LABR 2300 | Workers, Employers and the State | 3 |
LABR 4510 | Labour Studies Field Placement Seminar | 3 |
LAW 1540 | Legal Methods | 5 |
LAW 2650 | Introduction to Advocacy | 3 |
LING 2740 | Interpretation Theory | 3 |
PHIL 2612 | A Philosophical History of Science | 3 |
PHIL 2614 | Philosophy of Science | 3 |
PHIL 2790 | Moral Philosophy | 6 |
PHIL 3220 | Feminist Philosophy | 3 |
POL 1900 | Love, Heroes and Patriotism in Contemporary Poland | 3 |
POL 2600 | Polish Culture until 1918 | 3 |
POL 2610 | Polish Culture 1918 to the Present | 3 |
POL 2660 | Special Topics in Polish Literature and Culture | 3 |
POLS 1502 | Introduction to Political Studies | 3 |
PSYC 2500 | Elements of Ethology | 3 |
PSYC 3380 | Nature, Nurture and Behaviour | 3 |
PSYC 4520 | Honours Research Seminar | 6 |
RLGN 1440 | Evil in World Religions | 3 |
RLGN 2032 | Introduction to the Study of Religion | 3 |
RLGN 2036 | Introduction to Christianity | 3 |
RLGN 2052 | Conservative Christianity in the United States | 3 |
RLGN 2112 | Medicine, Magic, and Miracle in the Ancient World | 3 |
RLGN 2116 | Cognitive Science and Religion | 3 |
RLGN 2140 | Introduction to Judaism | 3 |
RLGN 2160 | Hebrew Bible (Tanakh/"Old Testament") | 3 |
RLGN 2162 | Great Jewish Books | 3 |
RLGN 2170 | Introduction to the New Testament | 3 |
RLGN 2222 | The Supernatural in Popular Culture | 3 |
RLGN 2590 | Religion and Social Issues | 3 |
RLGN 2770 | Contemporary Judaism | 3 |
RLGN 3102 | Myth and Mythmaking: Narrative, Ideology, Scholarship | 3 |
RLGN 3280 | Hasidism | 3 |
RUSN 1400 | Masterpieces of Russian Literature in Translation | 3 |
RUSN 1410 | Love in Russian Culture in English Translation | 3 |
RUSN 2280 | Russian Culture until 1900 | 3 |
RUSN 2290 | Russian Culture from 1900 to the Present | 3 |
RUSN 2310 | Exploring Russia through Film | 3 |
RUSN 2410 | Russian Literature after Stalin | 3 |
RUSN 2600 | Special Topics in Russian Culture in English Translation | 3 |
RUSN 2740 | Literature and Revolution | 3 |
RUSN 3770 | Tolstoy | 3 |
SLAV 3530 | Special Topics in Comparative German and Slavic Studies | 3 |
SOC 3100 | Practicum in Criminological/Sociological Research | 6 |
SOC 3350 | Feminism and Sociological Theory | 3 |
UKRN 2200 | Ukrainian Myth, Rites and Rituals | 3 |
UKRN 2410 | Ukrainian Canadian Cultural Experience | 3 |
UKRN 2590 | Ukrainian Literature and Film | 3 |
UKRN 2600 | Special Topics in Ukrainian Studies | 3 |
UKRN 2770 | Ukrainian Culture until 1900 | 3 |
UKRN 2780 | Ukrainian Culture from 1900 to the Present | 3 |
UKRN 2820 | Holodomor and Holocaust in Ukrainian Literature and Culture | 3 |
UKRN 3970 | Women and Ukrainian Literature | 3 |
WOMN 1500 | Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies in the Humanities | 3 |
WOMN 1600 | Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies in the Social Sciences | 3 |
WOMN 2560 | Women, Science and Technology | 3 |
WOMN 3520 | Transnational Feminisms | 3 |
Mathematics Courses
Course | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
AGRI 2400 | Experimental Methods in Agricultural and Food Sciences | 3 |
ECON 2040 | Quantitative Methods in Economics | 3 |
FA 1020 | Mathematics in Art | 3 |
GEOG 3810 | Quantitative Research Methods in Geography (TS) | 3 |
MATH 1XXX | All Mathematics courses at 1000 level | |
MATH 2XXX | All Mathematics at 2000 level | |
MATH 3XXX | All Mathematics at 3000 level | |
MATH 4XXX | All Mathematics at 4000 level | |
MUSC 3230 | Acoustics of Music | 3 |
PHIL 1300 | Introduction to Logic | 3 |
PHIL 2200 | Intermediate Logic | 3 |
PHYS 1020 | General Physics 1 | 3 |
PHYS 1030 | General Physics 2 | 3 |
PSYC 2260 | Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology | 3 |
SOC 2294 | Understanding Social Statistics | 3 |
STAT 1XXX | All Statistics courses at 1000 level | |
STAT 2XXX | All Statistics courses at 2000 level | |
STAT 3XXX | All Statistics courses at 3000 level | |
STAT 4XXX | All Statistics courses at 4000 level |
Course Identification
Credit Hours (Cr.Hrs.)
Each faculty and school develops courses for its degree credit programs, subject to Senate approval, and assigns a credit hour value to each course.
The credit hours for a course are expressed as a number associated with the course which indicates its relative weight. There is a correlation between class hours and credit hours (i.e. 6 credit hours = 3 hours a week, two terms; and 3 credit hours = 3 hours a week, one term).
For the purposes of registration, courses taught over both the Fall and Winter Terms have been divided into two parts. The credit hour value of the course are divided equally and applied to each part of the course. For example: for a six credit hour spanned course each of the Fall and Winter Term parts of the course will be assigned the value of three credit hours. Students registering for term spanning courses will receive one grade for the course and only when the second part is completed. The course grade will be applied to both the Fall and Winter parts of the course.
Prerequisite and Co-requisite Courses
Prerequisite: If a course is prerequisite for a second course, the prerequisite must be met in order to begin the second course. To determine whether or not a course has a prerequisite, see the course descriptions in the chapter of the faculty or school offering the course. Normally, a minimum grade of “C” is required in all courses listed as prerequisites, except as otherwise noted in the course descriptions.
For some courses, the prerequisite may be completed before registering for the second course or may be taken concurrently with the second course. To determine if a course may be taken concurrently, see the course descriptions in the chapter of the faculty or school offering the course.
Co-requisite: If a first course is a co-requisite for a second course, the first course must be completed in the same term as the second course. To determine if a course has a co-requisite, see the course descriptions in the chapter of the faculty or school offering the course.
Course Numbers
First Two to Four Characters
The two, three or four characters in every course number are a shortened version of the subject of the course.
Last Four Digits
At the University of Manitoba the last four digits of the course number reflect the level of contact with the subject.
For example:
ECON 1210
ECON is the code for Economics.
1210 indicates that it is an introductory or entry level course.
If the course requires a laboratory, this will be shown following the credit hours immediately following the title.
For example:
BIOL 3242 (lab required)
The 2000, 3000, 4000 course numbers indicate the second, third, and fourth levels of university contact with a subject.
Numbers in the 5000 range are normally associated with pre-Master’s work or courses in the Post Baccalaureate Diploma and the Post-Graduate Medical Education programs.
Courses numbered 6000-8000 are graduate courses of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Course numbers in the 9000 series are used to identify courses taken at the University of Winnipeg by students in the University of Manitoba/University of Winnipeg Joint Master’s Programs. The 9000 numbers do not indicate the level of the course taken (see Graduate Calendar or University of Winnipeg Calendar).
In most cases, some correlation exists between the course number and a student's year of study; that is, students in the third year of a program will generally carry course loads comprised primarily of 3000-level courses.
Other course numbering information
Courses with numbers that end in 0 or an even number are taught in English, most of which are offered on the Fort Garry or Bannatyne campuses or through Distance and Online Education.
Courses with numbers that end in odd numbers are taught in French at Université de Saint-Boniface.
Grades and Grade Point Average Calculation
Introduction
Final grades in most courses are expressed as letters, ranging from F, to A+ the highest. A grade of D is the lowest passing grade, however the minimum grade required to use a course as credit toward a degree or diploma program may be set higher by a faculty or school. Refer to faculty and school regulations. Each letter grade has an assigned numerical value which is used to calculate grade point averages. Grading scales used to determine the final letter grade may vary between courses and programs.
Some courses are graded on a pass/fail basis and because no numerical value is assigned to these courses, they do not affect grade point averages. Courses graded in this way are clearly identified in course descriptions and program outlines.
The Letter Grade System
Letter Grade | Grade Point Value | Description |
---|---|---|
A+ | 4.5 | Exceptional |
A | 4.0 | Excellent |
B+ | 3.5 | Very Good |
B | 3.0 | Good |
C+ | 2.5 | Satisfactory |
C | 2.0 | Adequate |
D | 1.0 | Marginal |
F | 0 | Failure |
P | Pass | |
S | Standing |
The grade of “D” is regarded as marginal in most courses by all faculties and schools. It contributes to decreasing a term, degree or cumulative Grade Point Average to less than 2.0. Courses graded “D” may be repeated for the purpose of improving a GPA. Note that some faculties and schools consider a grade of “D” as unacceptable and will not apply the course toward the program as credit. In most cases the course will need to be repeated to attain the acceptable grade. Refer to faculty and school regulations.
Calculation of Grade Point Average
The University of Manitoba will report cumulative and term grade point averages for all students through Aurora Student.
Please also refer to the Grade Point Averages Policy found in the University Policies and Procedures..
Quality Points
The quality points for a course are the product of the credit hours for the course and the grade point obtained by the student; e.g., 3 credit hours with a grade of “B” (3.0 points) = 3 credit hours x 3.0 = 9.0 quality points.
Quality Point Total
The quality point total is the sum of quality points accumulated as students proceed through their program of studies.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
The grade point average (GPA) is the quality point total divided by the total number of credit hours.
Example:
Course | Credit Hours | Grade | Grade Points | Quality Points |
---|---|---|---|---|
Course 1 | 3 | B | 3 | 9 |
Course 2 | 3 | B+ | 3.5 | 10.5 |
Course 3 | 3 | C+ | 2.5 | 7.5 |
Course 4 | 3 | B | 3 | 9 |
Course 5 | 3 | A | 4 | 12 |
Totals | 15 | 48 |
Grade point average: 240 Quality Points / 15 Credit Hours = 3.20
Poor Grades and Program Progression
A course in which a “D” standing is obtained may need to be repeated by probationary students in certain faculties or where a minimum grade of “C” is required in a prerequisite subject or to meet degree requirements.
Students in doubt as to the status of their record should consult an advisor in their faculty or school.
For minimum grade levels, especially as they affect progression requirements, see the faculty or school regulations in the Academic Calendar or consult an advisor.
Academic Honours
Students qualify for the Honour List (Dean’s, Director’s, University 1) when they achieve qualifying grade point averages, as specified by the faculty/school or program regulations.
In addition, outstanding academic achievement will qualify students for other honours and awards. These include:
- the University Gold Medal, which is awarded at graduation in each faculty or school to the student with the most outstanding academic record;
- program medals, which are awarded by faculties and schools to the best student graduating from a specific program;
- graduation “with distinction”, which is recorded on the transcripts of all students who attain a qualifying grade point average;
- and other medals and prizes that are specific to programs or disciplines.
Academic Evaluation
Methods of Evaluation
Students shall be informed of the method of evaluation to be used in each course, as specified in the Responsibilities of Academic Staff with Regard to Students Policy, found in the University Policies and Procedures.
In departments where a course is offered in more than one section, the department offering the course endeavours to provide instruction so that all sections cover similar topics and that all students achieve a similar level of competency in the topic. However, there will be differences in evaluation as well as in teaching style, readings and assignments from one section to another. Students may contact the department for additional information before registration.
Credit for Term Work
In subjects involving written examinations, laboratories, and term assignments, a student may be required to pass each component separately. If no final examination is scheduled in a course, the student’s final grade will be determined on the basis of the method of evaluation as announced in the first week of lectures.
If credit is not given for term work, the student’s final grade will be determined entirely by the results of the final written examination. Where the final grade is determined from the results of both term work and final examinations, the method of computing the final grade will be as announced within the first week of classes. Should a student write a deferred examination, term grades earned will normally be taken into account as set out in the immediately preceding paragraph.
Repeating a Course
A course in which a “D” standing is obtained may need to be repeated by probationary students in certain faculties or where a minimum grade of “C” is required in a prerequisite subject or to meet degree requirements.
Elective courses graded “F” may either be repeated or another elective substituted. All electives in a program must be approved by the faculty or school.
Probation and Academic Suspension
Failure to meet minimum levels of performance as specified in the regulations of the faculty or school will result in a student being placed either on probation or academic suspension in accordance with the faculty or school regulations.
A student’s status is determined, following final examinations, at the end of each term (Fall, Winter or Summer terms) or at the end of an academic session as specified in faculty regulations. A student placed on probation is advised to discuss his/her program prior to the next registration with a representative of the dean or director to determine which courses, if any, should be repeated.
A student placed on academic suspension will normally be permitted to apply for re-entry to the faculty or school after one year has elapsed, but reinstatement is not automatic and individual faculty or school regulations must always be consulted.
While on suspension, students are not normally admissible to another faculty or school.
Other Forms of Earning Degree Credit
Letter of Permission for Transfer of Credit
Students in degree programs at this university may take courses at other recognized colleges or universities for transfer of credit provided such courses are approved at least one month prior to the commencement of classes at the other institution by the faculty or school in which they are currently registered. The approval is subject to individual faculty/school regulations and is granted in the form of a Letter of Permission. The student must obtain a Letter of Permission whether or not the course/s being taken are for transfer of credit to the University of Manitoba. Failure to obtain a Letter of Permission may have serious academic implications.
To obtain a Letter of Permission, application must be made to the Registrar’s Office as early as possible and at least one month prior to when required at the other institution.
Each application must be accompanied by the appropriate fee. The fees are for each application and a separate application is required for each session and institution regardless of the number of courses being considered. Students planning to seek permission to take courses elsewhere for transfer of credit to the University of Manitoba are cautioned to check the current Academic Calendar for the residence and degree requirements of the degree programs in which they are enrolled.
Transferred courses will be given assigned credit hour values and grades. The transferred grade will be included in the student's degree and cumulative GPA.
Challenge for Credit
The purpose of Challenge for Credit is to provide students of the university with some means of obtaining academic credit in University of Manitoba courses (not otherwise obtainable as a transfer of credit from other institutions) for practical training and experience, or reading and study previously completed. Students who have registered to challenge would normally not attend classes or laboratories. Courses which have previously been taken at the University of Manitoba may not be challenged for credit.
To be eligible to challenge for credit a student must first be admitted to a faculty or school of the University of Manitoba. Eligible students will be required to demonstrate their competence in the courses which they are challenging for credit. Where formal, written examinations are required, these will be generally scheduled during the regular examination sessions in April/May, June, August, or December.
For information regarding requirements, procedures, applications and fees a student should contact the office of the faculty or school in which the student is enrolled, or in the case of new students, the faculty or school to which the new student has been admitted.
Application of Course Credit when transferring between Programs within the University of Manitoba
When students transfer into program from another faculty or school within the University of Manitoba, some course credits previously earned may be applied to the new program. The credit hour value assigned by the faculty or school that offers the course is used. That is, there can only be one credit weight designated for a course with a particular course number.
Appeal of Academic Decisions, Admission Decisions and Academic Accommodation Decisions
The Senate Committee on Appeals will consider appeals of Academic Decisions, Admission Decisions and Academic Accommodation Decisions, in accordance with the Senate Committee on Appeals policy and procedure.
Academic Decisions: Decisions of Faculty/School Councils or their Appeal Bodies, of Professional Unsuitability Committees, of Faculty/School Award Selection Committees and of the Comité d’appels de l’Université de Saint Boniface upon application by Appellants.
Admission Decisions: Decisions of Faculty/School/College admission selection committees, and these only when the Appellant has sought reconsideration by the admission selection committee as set out below:
i) Administrative decisions which affect the admission process
ii) Decisions of Faculties/Schools/Colleges or Admissions Office personnel regarding eligibility requirements
iii) Decisions of Faculties/Schools/Colleges regarding granting transfer of credit at the point of admission and possible granting of advanced standing
Academic Accommodation Decisions: Decisions of the Director of Student Accessibility Services (SAS) regarding a request for reconsideration of a proposed accommodation.
The Senate Committee on Appeals policy and procedure as well as an Appeal Form may be obtained from the Governing Documents website.
Academic Integrity
The University of Manitoba takes academic integrity seriously. As a member of the International Centre for Academic Integrity, the University defines academic integrity as a commitment to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage. (International Centre for Academic Integrity, 2014)
To help students understand the expectations of the University of Manitoba, definitions for the types of prohibited behaviours are in the Student Academic Misconduct Procedure and provided below.
"Academic Misconduct" means any conduct that has, or might reasonably be seen to have, an adverse effect on the academic integrity of the University, including but not limited to:
(a) Plagiarism – the presentation or use of information, ideas, images, sentences, findings, etc. as one’s own without appropriate attribution in a written assignment, test or final examination.
(b) Cheating on Quizzes, Tests, or Final Examinations – the circumventing of fair testing procedures or contravention of exam regulations. Such acts may be premeditated/planned or may be unintentional or opportunistic.
(c) Inappropriate Collaboration – when a student and any other person work together on assignments, projects, tests, labs or other work unless authorized by the course instructor.
(d) Duplicate Submission – cheating where a student submits a paper/assignment/test in full or in part, for more than one course without the permission of the course instructor.
(e) Personation – writing an assignment, lab, test, or examination for another student, or the unauthorized use of another person’s signature or identification in order to impersonate someone else. Personation includes both the personator and the person initiating the personation.
(f) Academic Fraud – falsification of data or official documents as well as the falsification of medical or compassionate circumstances/documentation to gain accommodations to complete assignments, tests or examinations.
Note that the above applies to written, visual, and spatial assignments as well as oral presentations.
Over the course of your university studies, you may find yourself in situations that can make the application of these definitions unclear. The University of Manitoba wants to help you be successful, and this includes providing you with the knowledge and tools to support your decisions to act with integrity. There are a number of people and places on campus that will help you understand the rules and how they apply to your academic work. If you have questions or are uncertain about what is expected of you in your courses, you have several options:
- Ask your professor, instructor, or teaching assistant for assistance or clarification.
- Get support from the Academic Learning Centre or Libraries:
- Visit the Academic Integrity site for information and tools to help you understand academic integrity.
- Make an appointment with the Student Advocacy office. This office assists students to understand their rights and responsibilities and provides support to students who have received an allegation of academic misconduct.
Appeals of Grades
Appeal of Term Work
Students may formally appeal a grade received for term work provided that the matter has been discussed with the instructor in the first instance in an attempt to resolve the issue without the need of formal appeal. Term work grades normally may be appealed up to ten (10) working days after the grades for the term work have been made available to the student.
The fee which is charged for each appealed term work grade will be refunded for any grade which is changed as a result of the appeal.
Appeal of Final Grades
Final grades are not released to students who are on “Hold Status”; the deadline for appeal of assigned grades will not be extended for students who were unable to access their final grades due to a hold.
These regulations expand on the Final Grades Procedures found in the University Policies and Procedures.
Attendance and Withdrawal
Attendance at Class and Debarment
Regular attendance is expected of all students in all courses.
An instructor may initiate procedures to debar a student from attending classes and from final examinations and/or from receiving credit where unexcused absences exceed those permitted by the faculty or school regulations.
A student may be debarred from class, laboratories, and examinations by action of the dean/director for persistent non-attendance, failure to produce assignments to the satisfaction of the instructor, and/or unsafe clinical practice or practicum. Students so debarred will have failed that course.
Withdrawal from Courses and Programs
Voluntary Withdrawal
The registration revision period extends two weeks from the first day of classes in both Fall and Winter terms. Courses dropped during this period shall not be regarded as withdrawals and shall not be recorded on official transcripts or student histories. The revision period is prorated for Summer terms and for parts of term.
After the registration revision period ends, voluntary withdrawals (VWs) will be recorded on official transcripts and student histories.
The following dates are deadlines for voluntary withdrawals:
- The Voluntary Withdrawal deadline shall be the 48th teaching day in both Fall and Winter term for those half-courses taught over the whole of each term;
- The Voluntary Withdrawal deadline for full-courses taught over both Fall and Winter term shall be the 48th teaching day of the Winter term; and
- The Voluntary Withdrawal deadline for full-and-half courses taught during Summer terms or during some other special schedule shall be calculated in a similar manner using a pro-rated number of teaching days.
The exact Voluntary Withdrawal dates that apply to courses offered in the current academic session are published in the Academic Schedule.
Authorized Withdrawal
Subject to the provision of satisfactory documentation to the faculty of registration, Authorized Withdrawals (AWs) may be permitted on medical or compassionate grounds.
Required Withdrawal from Professional Programs
Senate, at the request of some faculties and schools, has approved bylaws granting them the authority to require a student to withdraw on the basis of unsuitability for the practice of the profession to which the program of study leads.
This right may be exercised at any time throughout the academic year or following the results of examinations at the end of every year.
This right to require a student to withdraw prevails notwithstanding any other provisions in the academic regulations of the particular faculty or school regarding eligibility to proceed or repeat.
Where Senate has approved such a bylaw, that fact is indicated in the Academic Calendar chapter for that faculty or school. A copy of the professional unsuitability bylaw may be obtained from the general office of the faculty or school.
Deferred and Supplemental Examinations
These regulations expand on the Deferred and Supplemental Examinations Procedures found in the University Policies and Procedures.
Accepting Standing in Course without Examination
In the event that a student is unable to write a deferred examination as it has been scheduled, a grade may be assigned without examination (please refer to the Deferred and Supplemental Examinations Procedures). A student who accepts standing in a course without examination may not, at a later date, request permission to write a deferred examination in the course.
Supplemental Examinations
Supplemental Examinations are offered by some faculties to students who have not achieved the minimum result in required courses.
Students who are granted supplemental privileges are normally required to sit the examination within thirty (30) working days from the end of the examination series in which the supplemental grade was received, unless the progression rules of a faculty or school require the successful completion of an entire academic year before a student is eligible to proceed into the next. In this case, students are obliged to sit the examination at the next ensuing examination period.
Final Examinations
These regulations expand on the Final Examinations and Final Grades Policy and Procedures found in the University Policies and Procedures.
General Examination Regulations
Students (with the exception of students auditing courses) are required to write all final examinations. Those who absent themselves without an acceptable reason will receive a grade classification of “NP” (No Paper) accompanied by a letter grade based on term work completed, using a zero value for incomplete term work and for the final examination. If no credit for term work is involved, a grade of “F” will be assigned. Under certain conditions a student may apply for a deferred examination; see Deferred and Supplemental Examinations.
Examination Schedules
For most faculties, schools and colleges, final examinations are normally conducted in December for Fall Term courses; in April/May for Winter Term and Fall/Winter Term spanned courses; and in August for Distance and Online Education Summer Term courses. Exact dates for the exam period can be found in the Academic Schedule.
The Schedule of Final Exams for Fall and Winter is made available by the Registrar’s Office approximately one month after the beginning of the term. This schedule is made available on the Registrar’s Office Website and includes finalized dates and times for each exam. Exam locations are added to the schedule at a later date. Summer Term courses, final exam details will be made available 1 – 2 weeks before the posted exam period.
Students must remain available until all examination and test obligations have been fulfilled. Travel plans are not an acceptable reason for missing an exam.
Examination Personations
A student who arranges for another individual to undertake or write any nature of examination for and on his/her behalf, as well as the individual who undertakes or writes the examination, will be subject to discipline under the university’s Student Discipline Bylaw, which could lead to suspension or expulsion from the university. In addition, the Canadian Criminal Code treats the personation of a candidate at a competitive or qualifying examination held at a university as an offence punishable by summary conviction.
Hold Status
More details about being on Hold can be found online on the Registrar's Office website.
Students will be placed on "Hold Status" if they incur any type of outstanding obligation (either financial or otherwise) to the university or its associated faculties, schools, colleges or administrative units.
Some typical reasons for holds are:
- Program/course selection must be approved
- U1 student must transit into the Faculty of Arts or Science
- Required Major, Minor and/or Concentration declaration
- Transcripts or documents required from other institutions
- Unpaid tuition and/or other university fees
- Outstanding library books and/or fines
- Parking fines
- Pending disciplinary action
Depending on the reason for the hold, limited or no administrative or academic services will be provided to students on Hold Status until the specific obligations have been met.
Students must clear their holds prior to registration by contacting the appropriate office. Students with outstanding financial obligations to the university will not be permitted to register again until the hold has been cleared or permission to register has been obtained from the Office of the Vice-President (Administration).
Advisor and Program Holds
Students enroled in some programs are required to discuss their course selections and program status with an advisor prior to registration. Advisor and Program Holds normally only restrict registration activity; other administrative services remain available.
Students can verify whether their program requires consultation with an advisor by checking their faculty/school section of the Academic Calendar, or by viewing their Registration Time and Status in Aurora.
Graduation and Convocation
Graduation
Students may graduate from the University of Manitoba in May/June, October, and February of each year. (Convocation ceremonies are held in May/June and October only).
Students are eligible to graduate when they have completed all of the requirements for their degree program in accordance with the regulations described in the chapter General Academic Regulations and the regulations available from the general offices of their faculties and schools.
It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the graduation requirements of the program in which they are enrolled. Consultation with academic advisors is advised to ensure that graduation requirements are met.
Please refer to the Registrar’s Office website for Frequently asked Questions about Graduation and Convocation.
Application for Graduation
Every candidate for a degree, diploma or certificate must make formal application at the beginning of the session in which he/she expects to complete graduation requirements.
Application is to be made through Aurora Student. (Log into Aurora Student; click Enrolment and Academic Records, then Declarations, then Declare Graduation Date.)
Changing a Graduation Date
If you need to change your graduation date after you have made your declaration, you must contact the general office of your faculty, college, or school as soon as possible.
Receipt of Information about Graduation
After you have declared your graduation, you will be sent a series of e-mails to your University e-mail account, requesting you to verify your full legal name, asking you about your attendance at convocation, providing convocation information, and so on. It is imperative that you activate your University of Manitoba email account and check it regularly.
Convocation
Convocation ceremonies are held in May/June and October of each year.
February graduates are invited to attend the May/June ceremonies.
Graduating students are encouraged to attend with their families and friends because it is the one ceremonial occasion that marks the successful conclusion of their program of studies.
Graduates who wish to attend Convocation, verify their attendance at the Convocation ceremony by reserving their academic attire through the University approved supplier.
Students who, for any reason, do not attend Convocation will receive their degrees in absentia.
The Registrar’s Office will hold unclaimed parchments for a maximum of twelve months after graduation when any unclaimed parchments will be destroyed. These will include those not given at Convocation, those that were to be picked up in person but not claimed, those that were mailed but returned to the Registrar’s Office by the postal outlet or courier depot, those that were not issued due to a financial hold on a student’s records, and those that were reprinted immediately after convocation due to corrections.
It is critical that you update your address, phone number and email through Aurora whenever changes occur. Note that any changes made with the Alumni Association are not reflected in your University of Manitoba student records.
If you do not receive your parchment, it is your responsibility to follow up with the Registrar’s Office within a twelve-month period. Any requests for parchments after this time will be processed as replacements; there is a fee charged for replacement parchments.
Academic Dress
Students are responsible for making arrangements to reserve their academic attire through the University approved supplier. Rental fees apply. Details will be provided via e-mail once Convocation planning begins.
Convocation Information
Information on Convocation may be found on the Graduation/Convocation website.
Personal Information
Mailing Address
In order to receive University mail, it is essential that you to provide the Registrar’s Office with your current address. All mail will be directed to the address you provide. You may change your mailing address and phone number by accessing Aurora Student and then selecting Personal Information.
Change of Name
If you have changed your name since you were first admitted or if the name on your record is incomplete or inaccurate, official evidence of the name change or correction must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office along with a completed Request for Change of Name form. The University of Manitoba uses your full legal name on its records, transcripts, and graduation documents (a full legal name, for example, includes all names on your birth certificate - first, middle, and last - or on your study permit). Abbreviated names, Anglicized names, or initials should not be used unless they have been proven with appropriate documentation.