If you are a Faculty of Arts student who has missed a final exam due to incapacitating illness (mental or physical), severe domestic affliction, or circumstances described in the Discrimination, Accommodation, and Harassment Policy (including religious conviction), you may apply to defer your final exam. If you miss a final exam, follow the steps below:

• Notify Native Studies Student Services of your absence within two working days of the scheduled date of the exam. We also recommend notifying your professor.   

• Apply for a deferred exam no later than 5 working days from the date of the exam. Fill out the Deferred Final Exam Application Form found on our website. 

We also recommend that you:

• Check your course syllabus to see if there is a pre-scheduled deferred exam date.

• If your deferred exam is approved, email your professor and let them know. We will also email them the approval information but recommend that you reach out to them to confirm the date and time. If you don't hear back from your professor within a week, contact the teaching department to confirm the date of the deferred exam (if there is no date & time listed on the syllabus).

Note: Deferred examinations are for final exams only. There are no fees associated with applying for or writing a deferred final exam. 

Eligibility for a Deferred Exam

A deferred final exam will not be approved if a student:

1. Has not been in regular attendance where attendance and/or participation are required, and/or

2. has completed less than half of the assigned work (this does not include the final exam).

For more information regarding deferred final exam eligibility see the UAlberta Calendar > University Regulations > Academic Regulations > Attendance > Absence from Final Exams. This section includes information on:

• Acceptable absences

• Application guidelines and required supporting documentation

• Application approval process

If your application is approved, see the UAlberta Calendar > University Regulations > Academic Regulations > Examinations (Exams) > Deferred Final Exams section for details on writing deferred final exams. This section includes information on:

• Guidelines and timelines for writing a deferred exam

• Student responsibilities during the deferred exam process

• What to do in cases of conflicting deferred exams

• What to do in cases of a missed deferred exam

Absence from Term Work

NOTE: Term work is defined as labs, assignments, quizzes, term papers, reports, midterm examinations, or any work assigned by the instructor excluding the final exam.

For missed term work, students should contact their instructor directly to notify them of their absence and discuss options (if any). Approval for an excused absence is at the discretion of the instructor and not the faculty. See the UAlberta Calendar > University Regulations > Academic Regulations > Attendance > Absence from Term Work section for more details.