Special Students

Special Students are undergraduate students who have already earned a degree at Western or another recognized accredited university.

If you completed your first degree at Western

If you earned your first degree at Western and have not attended another post‑secondary institution since graduating, you may reactivate your status as a Special Student in Science by submitting a Degree/Module Change Request through the Academic Advising Help Portal.

Reasons students may be admitted as Special Students include: 

  • Taking courses out of interest
  • Upgrading before applying to graduate and professional programs
  • Earning a certificate to add to your Western degree
  • Completing a second degree

If you completed your degree at another university

You must apply to Western through the Admissions Office before meeting with an Academic Advisor.

If you have questions, connect with us through the Academic Advising Help Portal

Special Students – Next Steps

Once you’ve accepted your offer to the Faculty of Science, follow the steps below.

Questions about advising? Use the Academic Advising Help Portal.
This is the fastest way to reach Science Academic Advising and ensures your question is directed to the right team.

Step 1

Submit a ticket through the Academic Advising Help Portal using your Student Center login credentials. If you haven’t activated your Western Identity, complete the Identity and Access Setup first.

Step 2

An Academic Advisor will review your request and let you know which academic departments you need to submit course outlines to, based on the module(s) you intend to pursue.

Only course outlines relevant to the module(s) you intend to pursue should be submitted. Course outlines that are not relevant to your chosen module(s) will not be evaluated. 

Please note: Course evaluations can take 6-8 weeks. Submitting materials as early as possible helps ensure departments have sufficient time to complete their review without affecting your ability to enroll in courses.

Step 3

Once prerequisite standing has been assessed, a special permission will be added to your record. To view your special permissions in Student Center, select Academics, then Permissions & Transfer Credit, and choose Special Permissions.

Step 4

If you’re pursuing a second degree, request a Second-Degree Outline Appointment after all special permissions have been added to your Student Center. During this appointment, an Academic Advisors will explain which courses you will be required to take to complete your second degree at Western.