Welcome week is designed to provide new Dawson students with a first look at the tools and resources offered by the college. On your assigned Welcome Day, you will have the opportunity to:

• familiarize yourself with Dawson and the Dawson community.
• learn out about the tools, services, and support available to you at Dawson.
• connect with staff, faculty, and other new students from your program.
• take your picture for your Dawson student ID card.
• find the locations of your classes before the first day of classes.
• find the location of the locker you chose online, if applicable.
• receive your agenda and water bottle from the Dawson Student Union.

The books you need to buy for your classes will be listed on the course outlines provided by your teachers during the first week of classes.

To find out if the books you need are available at the bookstore, login to your My Dawson portal and click on Bookstore Course List under the My College Services tab.

You can buy your books at the Bookstore located in the Lower Atrium, 1F.2.

You can also look for used books on the Dawson Used Book Exchange or Sale Facebook page.

It is mandatory for all Dawson students to carry a valid Dawson ID card. You will have the opportunity to get your Dawson student ID during Welcome Week.

Once classes have started, Student ID cards are available in room 2E.01. The first card is free, but there is a $10.00 (cash only) replacement fee in the event that a new card needs to be issued to you.

You can rent a locker online through the My Dawson portal under My Omnivox Services. The cost to rent a locker is $6.00 and is payable online by Visa or MasterCard credit cards only. Please note that in order to access the locker selection module, you must have already finalized your schedule.

Lockers are not available to Continuing Education students.
Students in an AEC program must get their lockers through the AEC department in room 3H.1.

You will register for your courses at your designated appointment time during the prescribed registration period. You can find your personal registration appointment time on the MyDawson portal using your student number and password. About a week before registration begins, Go to MyDawson -> My Omnivox Services -> Course Registration to see your registration access time.

You register for your courses online. Login to the MyDawson portal using your student number and password. Click on “My Intranet” and then on “Registration.”

In the registration module, read all instructions, then follow the directions given to register for courses proposed to you for the current semester. For a video that walks you through the registration process, go to New Student Orientation

Students can register from anywhere as long as they have internet access. If you will not have access to the internet, you can give a trusted friend or family member the necessary information, including student number and password, to register online for you. In-person registration, which takes place once online registration is over, is a last resort. Your choices will be limited if you wait for in-person registration, and there is no guarantee that you will get a full course load. Remember, registering for your courses is your responsibility.

Appointment times are organized by program and semester of study. It is not possible to change your appointment time. Remember though, that your appointment time signals the start of your personal registration period, and you normally have several days to complete your registration.

All students choose their own general education courses (English, French, Humanities, and Physical Education) and complementary courses. Students in most programs are assigned all or some of their specific education courses. (These are also called concentration courses.) The exceptions are General Social Science and Liberal Arts students, who select their own specific education courses.

During the online registration period, you can check available course seats online. Within the registration module, on the right-hand side of the “course request form,” there is a box in which you can enter a course number to “check for available seats.” Unfortunately, if a course is full it is not available to you. You can keep checking course seats as outlined above, right up until you finalize your registration online. You can make a change should a seat open up or if a new section of the course is added.

You must write an English Placement Test and have a placement result in order to register for an English course, unless you have already passed a cegep-level English course.

Not necessarily. If you graduated from Secondary V in Quebec, you will be given a French placement based on your final grade in Secondary V French or français. If you have a French placement, you may register for a French course (space permitting).  If you have not graduated from a high school in Quebec or have not passed a cegep level French course, you will be required to write the French placement test in order to know what level of French to take.

There are several possible reasons. Either:

• The course is full.
• The course is not proposed to you.
• The course is reserved for another profile/program.
• You do not have the prerequisite for the course.
• You need special permission to take the course.
• The course is not offered in the current semester.

You can check available course seats within the registration system, and whether the course is reserved for another profile/program in the Timetable and Registration Guide. You may call the Registration Help Line at 514-931-5701 to seek clarification as to why you’re unable to take the course or to request that it be proposed.

An intensive course is an entire college course offered in a condensed time schedule, sometimes before a semester begins or after it ends. Intensives allow you to complete a typical semester-long course in a shorter amount of time. It is very important that you make yourself aware of course start and end dates, as well as the course drop deadline, as these courses don’t follow the traditional timeline of most CÉGEP courses.

If you are not taking all of the courses proposed for the current semester, you must request a reduced course load in order to finalize. (To do so, log on to MyDawson, select my My College Services, and click on Reduced Load Requests. If you haven’t done so, exit the registration module and log in again: you should now be able to finalize.If you are taking an additional course, you must call the Registration Help Line at 514-931-5701 to have a registration permission added for the extra course.

For all other difficulties finalizing, please call the Registration Help Line at 514-931-5701.

Students sometimes wish to take additional university prerequisites that are not part of their program, or to take more than their normal course load. Call the Registration Help Line at 514-931-5701 and ask to speak with an advisor. If the advisor agrees to the extra course, s/he will propose it, and add the necessary registration permission so that you can register for the extra course and finalize on your own.

Videos are available online to help you with the registration process. You will find links to several videos relating to the registration process in our New Student Orientation section.

The deadline for online registration is listed in the Internet Registration Timetable & Registration Guide, which is available on the College’s website and on your student portal. Login to the -> My College Services. These deadlines are also publicized on the MyDawson portal.

In-person registration, which takes place once online registration is over, is a last resort. It is not recommended.  Your course choices will be limited if you wait for in-person registration, and there is no guarantee that you will get a full course load.

Yes. You can give a trusted friend or family member the necessary information, including student number and password, to register online for you.

Proxy registration is permitted for in-person registration. If you cannot attend registration, please pick up and complete a Proxy Registration Form at the Registrar’s Office (2D.6) to have someone else register for you. This form is also available online.

You can try to change a course during the designated course change period, which is at the start of the semester. There must be space in the course you want, it must be open to you in your particular program, and it cannot conflict with other courses in your schedule. There is a fee for changing courses.

Classes generally begin in the third week of August for the fall semester, and the third week of January for the winter semester. For specific start dates, consult the academic calendar for the current academic year. You can access the Academic Calendar from the Dawson homepage.

Bring your course schedule, a binder so you can safely store the course outlines you’ll be given, and a pen. If you have a Phys. Ed. course, be dressed for gym and ready to go.

There is a map of the College in each wing of the building, on every floor. You can also seek directions at the Info Desk on the second floor, in the upper atrium.
Decoding a room number: 4E.5 – This room is on the 4th floor, in the E wing, room 5.
If your course is offered in a room with “P” in the number, it means that the course takes place in the Pepsi Forum at the corner of St. Catherine Street and Atwater.

As soon as you’ve finalized your schedule during the registration period, email your teachers to let them know. Ask if an electronic copy of the course outline is available so that you can be prepared for your first class when you do return. Please note that course change normally takes place during the first week of classes, and no course changes take place once the deadline has passed.

If you feel that you are not in the right level of a course (for example, French), you should speak with your teacher and discuss your options.
If you can no longer make it to school for the course (although you believed you could when you initially registered for it), you can try to change the course during the course change period at the start of the semester. You can change courses on line or in-person; see the College website for details.
If you feel that you need to take fewer courses than you initially registered for and would simply like to drop a course, see an advisor at drop-in to discuss the implications of dropping the course.

The first few days in a new system are often stressful; don’t rush to any snap judgments. You have several weeks at the start of a semester to try out courses before the course drop deadline. Give your courses a fair chance, but be aware of the course drop deadline. (The deadline to officially drop a course is usually 3 about weeks after school starts each semester, but please check with an Advisor to be sure.) If, a few weeks in, you still feel that your program is a poor fit, speak to an advisor to explore your options. There is a program transfer deadline every semester (November 1st to be in a different program in winter, and March 1st to be in a different program in fall). Please note that we don’t admit to any of our 3-year programs in the winter semester.

In the first week of classes, advisors are available at drop-in, in room 2D.4, with no appointment necessary. Please see the Academic Advising website for posted drop-in hours. To check drop-in hours, go to https://www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/academic-advising/

Course change generally takes place over a 4-day period at the start of the semester. For specific dates, log onto MyDawson, check the Internet Registration Timetable & Registration Guide ( – Go to MyDawson -> My College Services, or ask at the Info Desk (2nd Floor, atrium) or Registrar’s Office (2D.6).

Maybe. It depends on whether the course you would like to take instead…

• is offered in the current semester.
• is proposed to you.
• Is not reserved for another profile/program.
• has room in it.
• doesn’t conflict with other courses in your schedule.

There are both online and in-person processes for course change. In the online process, you can change:

1. one section of a course for a different section of the same course
2. one course for another course that sits in the same box of your progression chart (e.g., a complementary)
3. or make several of the above changes at once, to arrive at a whole new schedule.

You must come to in-person course change to add a course or to change into a course that is not proposed to you. Please go to your student portal for details about these course change processes. There is a $20 fee for successful course changes carried out in.

To simply drop a course, please go to drop-in at Academic Advising (room 2D.4).

To do a straightforward course addition, you must complete a Course Add form, available from the 2nd Floor Info Desk or from Academic Advising (room 2D.4) during drop-in hours. Please verify that the course you are requesting does not conflict with other courses in your schedule. You must indicate, in the comments/rationale box on the form, the reason you are requesting this course addition. Please submit the completed form to Academic Advising (2D.4).

Your request should be addressed within 24 hours. If the course addition is possible, the course will be added to your schedule. If it is not possible, you will be contacted by MIO/email.

If you wish to both drop and add a course(s), please go to in-person course change on the prescribed date (see College website for details).

Official forms must be completed and signed in order to drop a course. During the official course change period, at the beginning of the semester, you can come to a posted drop-in period at Academic Advising (room 2D.4) to drop a course. No teacher’s signature is required, and the course is dropped on the spot.Once the official course change period is over, course drop forms are available from the Registrar’s Office (2D.6). A teacher’s signature is required, and first-semester students must see an advisor at drop-in to review the possible consequences of the course drop. The course drop deadlines are normally September 19th for the fall semester and February 14th for the winter semester. Please note that the course drop deadline varies for intensive courses; check your course outline or the Timetable for specifics. There is no fee to drop a course.

Course change normally begins on the third day of classes and continues for 4 days. See the College website for the specific course change deadline each semester.

The course drop deadlines are normally September 19th for the fall semester and February 14th for the winter semester.

If you have questions about course change, see an advisor at a posted drop-in time (room 2D.4) or check out the video posted on the College website.

At mid-term, you will receive notification from each of your teachers as to whether you are passing, failing or at risk of failing in their course. If you are failing or at risk of failing any of your courses, you should speak to your teacher to find out what you need to do to improve your grade, and seek out help from student support services if needed (e.g., go to Academic Skills Centre (4E.3) for help building stronger study skills or essay writing skills, or to line up a tutor for a particular course).

Mid-term assessments are available to you by logging onto your MyDawson portal and looking under the heading “Results – Mid-term Report.”

Mid-term assessments are not official grades and do not appear on your transcript.

Start by speaking to your teacher to find out what you need to do to improve your grade. Seek help from student support services if needed:

• Academic Skills Centre (4E.3) for assistance with study skills, essay writing, to line up a tutor
• CLEO (4E.10) for help with French reading comprehension and oral or written expression
• Counselling and Career Development (2D.2) regarding personal issues or career exploration
• The Library (5C.) for assistance in carrying out research
• Student AccessAbility Centre (2E.8A) for specialized services or accommodations relating to a learning challenge or medical condition
• Academic Advising (2D.4) for advice on academic matters, educational planning and transferring programs

A transcript is a permanent academic record, listing all courses taken and final grades in those courses.

If courses have been dropped officially, using the appropriate form and by the stated deadline, and bearing all necessary signatures, they do not appear on your transcript.

You can find grades for course you have completed on your MyDawson portal under the heading “Results – Final Grades.”

No, grades are not mailed to you each semester; they are made available on your MyDawson portal.

Due to exceptional circumstances, a student may have reason to ask to drop a course after the course drop deadline has passed. An Authorized Absence may be requested only for serious medical reasons which prevented the student from attending school for more than three weeks in a given semester. Supporting documentation from an independent medical professional is required. Other requests will be considered in exceptional cases for grave and serious reasons. Students must submit their requests before the end of the semester concerned.

A request for an authorized absence must be completed (available at the Registrar’s Office, room 2D.6), and supporting documentation from an independent medical professional is needed. The form (and, ideally, the supporting documentation) must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office before the end of the semester concerned.

A student can ask to have a committee review and, if necessary, re-evaluate his/her grade in a particular course. This is a grade review. The committee will be composed of 3 teachers including the teacher who assigned the disputed grade. Your grade may go up, may go down, or may remain unchanged.

You must complete the Request for Grade Review form and submit it to the relevant Dean along with supporting documentation. The Dean will review the request and determine if a grade review committee should be struck.

You must fill out a Program Transfer Application, which is available online at the College’s website or at the 2D.6 counter, and submit it by the stated deadline (to room 2D.6). An admissions committee will determine if you can be offered admission to your requested program. It is important that you find out if a portfolio, interview, or anything else is required when requesting a transfer.

Provided you meet the admissions criteria, you may request a transfer into any program for the fall semester.
You may request a transfer into most Social Science or Creative Arts/Arts, Literature and Communication or Science profiles for the winter semester. Transfers into three-year career programs are not possible for the winter semester.
Generally, you cannot request a program transfer for the summer semester.

Admissions are competitive and it is possible that your program transfer request will not be approved.

If your program transfer request is not approved, you stay in your current program, academic standing permitting.

There is no fee for a program transfer request.

If you are not a current student in a day or evening program, you must complete a full College application.

The deadlines to request a program transfer are as follows:

• November 1st (to be in a different program in winter)
• March 1st (to be in a different program in fall)

No, not all courses have final exams. Generally, all math and science courses do. Consult your course outline to be sure.

Please follow this link for regulations governing final exams, in particular the rules that will result in disqualification from writing a final exam.

Only I.D. cards, pens, pencils, erasers, rulers and any other allowed course specific materials can be on your desk.

Students must be available for any examination scheduled during the examination period. No special arrangements will be made in the event of personal time conflicts.
For special circumstances, the examination coordinator may allow a final examination to be scheduled outside the final examination period (e.g. students who are on a stage or internship during the final examination period).

Students must be available for any examination scheduled during the examination period. If you miss an exam, you may fail the course. In the event of a personal emergency preventing you from writing an exam, please contact your teacher and/or Dean immediately. Supporting documentation will be required.

Please go to the Records Office (2D.6) to request proof of enrollment.

If you are aged 18 or over, your parents may only access your personal student information with your consent.

Contact your teacher using the email address and/or phone number listed in your course outline to attempt to line up an alternate meeting time, or send him a MIO (an email message system available when you log onto your student portal, under “My Services”).

This score is used by Quebec universities to compare and rank students for university admission purposes. Students receive individual scores for each of their courses as well as an overall R Score. This score is calculated by the Ministry of Education and accessed by the College, which in turn makes it available to students. R Scores are updated in February, June and September. Click here for detailed information on the R Score.