Policies

Refunds

Individual Courses

The following refund policy applies to individual courses, including courses that are part of a certificate or diploma program.

• We issue refunds in the original method of payment and to the original payee only. Include your payment receipt when you request a refund.
• Email your refund request to learn@sfu.ca at least five business days before the course start date.
• All refunds or transfers are subject to a 20 per cent administrative charge per course, to a maximum of $50 per course.
• Refunds and transfers are not possible if your request is submitted less than five business days before the course start date.

Programs prepaid with StrongerBC future skills grant funding 

Refunds are possible only if requested at least five business days before the first course in the program begins. After that date, no program or course refunds are possible.

Cohort Programs

The following refund policy applies to non-credit certificates, diplomas and programs that have a single tuition fee.

The deposit fee is non-refundable as applicable. The tuition fee is non-refundable once the program starts. If you must cancel, the following fees will apply:

• More than 4 weeks before start date: $75 administrative fee
• 2–4 weeks before start date: 10 per cent of full tuition fee
• Less than 2 weeks before start date: 20 per cent of full tuition fee

Any request for cancellation must be received in writing.

We may consider one-time exceptions to our refund policy in rare circumstances such as illness, bereavement or other unplanned incidents, on a case-by-case basis. Please send such requests, with a short description of your circumstances, to learn@sfu.ca.

Course cancellation and instructor substitution

We reserve the right to cancel courses with low enrollment or substitute instructors without liability. If we do cancel a course, we will make every effort to provide adequate notice and we will issue you a full refund.

Withdrawals

If you intend to withdraw from a course, you must inform us in writing. A grade of W will be entered on your student transcript. Email your withdrawal request to learn@sfu.ca.

Transfer credits

All courses and programs offered through SFU Continuing Studies are non-credit—they do not carry university credits. The work doesn’t transfer toward other university degrees, and most institutions, including SFU, will not accept the course work completed as transfer credits towards undergraduate or graduate programs.

The one exception is the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (GDBA) program at SFU’s Beedie School of Business. You may be eligible for admission to this program with at least eight years of work experience and completion of one of the following certificate programs (no undergraduate degree required):

• Business Analysis
• Business Management
• Executive Leadership
• Human Resources Management
• Non-Profit Management
• Social Innovation

Class cancellations

In the event of an emergency such as severe weather or instructor illness, we will notify you as soon as possible if we need to cancel your class. For severe weather updates, visit SFU.ca. We are unable to issue a refund and cannot guarantee a make-up class in such instances. 

English language requirements

To succeed in our programs and courses, you will need an advanced level of written and spoken English. If you are unsure whether your English language skills are sufficient, we recommend you complete the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum overall band score of 6.5. 

Courses that indicate Advanced English Language Requirements also need: 

• No band below 6.0
• Writing band score minimum 8.0

If you have questions or concerns about your English language proficiency, we encourage you to contact your local IELTS Test Centre.

Please note we can’t refund your registration fees after the course start date if you find your English language skills are not adequate.