Letter of Permission

Thinking about taking a course at another post-secondary institution? 

For a variety of reasons, you may be thinking about taking a course offered at another university while still enroled as a student at Lakehead. If this is the case, it is important for you to understand what a Letter of Permission is and the process involved. 

A Letter of Permission is formal authorization to take a course at another accredited post-secondary institution for credit towards your Lakehead University degree or diploma. If you are interested in completing a course external to Lakehead, you must be approved on a Letter of Permission prior to registering for the external course. In some instances, Chair and Dean support is also required.

If you are going on an International Exchange, you must initiate their Letter of Permission through Lakehead University International. 

How to Apply for a Letter of Permission

  1. Read and understand the Important Facts About Letters of Permission and the Letter of Permission University regulations. 
  2. Fill out the Letter of Permission request form and drop off at Student Central. 
  3. The Letter of Permission fee must accompany the request.  
  4. Course description and/or teaching outline must accompany the request. 
  5. If you are requesting to take a course at more than one institution, you must complete a separate request for each new institution.  Incomplete requests will not be assessed.
  6. Note that specific programs need to have pre-approval from their department Chair/Director prior to request submission.

For International Exchange Students
Please make sure you have already spoken with Lakehead University International about your exchange.  Upon submission of a request for Letter of Permission, submit the completed "Lakehead University International Exchange Program Department Information Sheet" in addition to your request.

For Explore Program Candidates
Be sure to include your institution "choices" as well as the approval of the Chair of Languages.

Important Facts About Letters of Permission

  • Students must currently be pursuing a Lakehead University degree or diploma and must be in good academic standing in order to be considered for a Letter of Permission.
  • The course to be taken may not be a duplication of material already covered.
  • Equivalent courses offered at Lakehead University at either campus or online will not be considered for a Letter of Permission.
  • A Letter of Permission may be granted if the student has taken or plans on taking no more than 5 full course equivalents at another institution (for transfer students, this number may be lower, depending upon the number of courses transferred upon admission to the university).
  • Students wishing to take a course on a Letter of Permission in their final year of study must have approval from their Department Chair and their Faculty Dean. Faculty Dean approval must include a written statement as to how/why the program could not be completed at Lakehead.
  • Letter of Permission take a minimum processing time of three weeks during regular periods. During peak office periods of April-June and August-October, processing time will increase.
  • An approved Letter of Permission will be mailed to the address provided on the request form. It is the student's responsibility to apply to and register for the approved course at the external institution. Some institutions require a Letter of Permission for admission purposes, so make sure to submit your request well in advance of when it is needed.
  • Students will be informed via their Lakehead University email account if a Letter of Permission is refused.
  • Immediately following completion of the approved external course, it is the student's responsibility to ensure an official transcript is sent directly from the host institution to Enrolment Services.
  • Deadlines for transcripts to be received for graduation purposes are: May 1st for spring graduation, October 1st for fall graduation.
  • Credit will be granted for a course successfully completed with an equivalent grade of 60% or above.
  • Transfer credit will be annotated with "TCR" for the equivalent Lakehead University course.
  • Transfer credit has no numeric value and will not be included in average calculations.
  • Students are expected to complete the approved course during the term specified in the letter.  Any extensions and/or changes to a Letter of Permission will require submission of a new request with payment.
  • Students will not be considered for a Letter of Permission if they already have one on file that is outstanding.