French for Professional Communication (Certificate in Proficiency) Academic Regulations
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the Certificate of Proficiency – French for Professional Communication:
- Students must sit the Entrance Placement Test (EPT) and place into a level no higher than Intermediate high (CEFN 331 /CEFN 332 ); see Certificate of Proficiency – French for Professional Communication: Entrance Placement Test (EPT) and the McGill SCS Certificate of Proficiency in French for Professional Communication page for details.
- Students must be at least 18 years of age and hold a CEGEP diploma (DEC) or equivalent.
- Students 21 years of age and over who do not have the normal academic background for admission may be admitted as mature students.
- Students between 18 and 21 years of age who do not have a CEGEP (DEC) diploma or equivalent may be accepted into a qualifying program to be determined by the Global and Strategic Communication domain. Formal admission to the certificate program will normally follow upon satisfactory completion of the Qualifying Program.
- Students below 18 years of age without a CEGEP diploma (DEC) will not be admitted to a certificate program, nor will they be permitted to take courses.
Admission Procedures
All students seeking admission to the Certificate of Proficiency – French for Professional Communication must also submit their Entrance Placement Test (EPT) result. Students who are eligible for admission to the program are strongly advised to submit an Application for Admission within their first session of studies.
Residency Requirements and Advanced Standing
- Students are required to complete at least 70% of the program requirements at McGill University.
- Advanced Standing of up to nine (9) credits may be granted for successfully completed equivalent courses taken at the university level within the last five (5) years.
- Students are permitted to be away from the program for three (3) consecutive sessions without reapplying and retaking the Entrance Placement Test.
Time Limits
The program must be completed within four years of the date of admission. Students may request in writing an extension of this time limit, which may be granted under special circumstances with the approval of the Director.
Academic Standing Requirements
A student who obtains a grade of C (55%) or more in a given course is considered to have passed the course and is awarded three (3) university credits. Nevertheless, according to internal program regulations, a student must obtain a grade of B- (65%) or more in each course to be permitted to register for the next level and to qualify for the Certificate of Proficiency – French for Professional Communication.
A maximum of two unsatisfactory grades, below B- (65%), per course/level is permitted in a Certificate of Proficiency program. A student who cannot pass to a higher level after two attempts must have the permission of the relevant program coordinator in order to have permission to remain in the program. Overall, a maximum of three unsatisfactory grades is permitted in any of the Certificate of Proficiency programs.
It is the student's responsibility to ensure that course and program requirements are met. Students who fail to meet these requirements will be denied permission to continue in the course/program.
In order to be eligible for graduation, students must complete all program requirements with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 2.0, which will be computed over all courses (including supplemental and unsatisfactory grades) taken in the program.
Entrance Placement Test (EPT)
All new students are required to take an Entrance Placement Test (EPT) to assess their level of proficiency. The EPT is valid for a period of one (1) year from the test date. Students who do not register for a course within this time will be required to retake the EPT. Students who have no knowledge of French can sign a waiver attesting that they are beginners. Students who decide to sign this waiver after having read its contents carefully will be registered in a Basic French course. However, the Director has the right to transfer any student to another level if the waiver does not reflect the true level of the student.
For information on the Entrance Placement Test dates, please refer to the French Entrance Placement Test page.