Petitions & Appeals

A petition is a student’s formal request for an exception to the deadlines, degree requirements and rules and regulations of the Faculty of Arts & Science. This page outlines the different petition types, eligibility and the process for preparing, submitting and appealing the outcome of petitions.

Petition Types

Eligibility for Petitions

Fees for Petitions

The Petitions Process

As an Arts & Science student, you will submit your petition request through the online petition system. Before submitting your petition, connect with your College Registrar's Office to ensure you are choosing the best petition option for your request and to confirm that a petition is the right avenue for you. 

After your petition is submitted in the petition system, it is reviewed by your College Registrar's Office and the Faculty of Arts & Science petitions unit. In most cases, the petitions unit will make a decision and inform you of that decision within five weeks. If your petition was refused, you may have an option to appeal the decision. Follow the steps below to learn how to prepare and submit your petition, check the decision (outcome) and submit an appeal if necessary.

Petition Types

Petitions are usually related to the following deadlines or regulations. Click on the petition type to learn more. 

Petitions cannot address course-related issues such as a course’s organization, grading practices, late penalties or marking schemes. For course-related requests, see the Special Consideration Requests to Academic Department(s) section of the Academic Calendar. Other issues which cannot be addressed through petitions to the Faculty of Arts & Science include late fee refunds, course prerequisite exceptions, late enrolment in a course, exceptions for program requirements or OSAP appeals. Speak to your College Registrar’s Office or an academic advisor for help choosing the best option for your request.

Eligibility for Petitions 

If you are a Faculty of Arts & Science undergraduate student who is experiencing academic difficulties due to circumstances outside of your control, you are eligible to submit a petition. 

Whether you are submitting a petition for an Arts & Science course or a course that you are taking at another faculty/division (e.g., Faculty of Engineering, UTSC, UTM, Daniels), your petition must be submitted through the Faculty of Arts & Science petition system in consultation with your College Registrar’s Office. As a Faculty of Arts & Science student, you must adhere to all A&S deadlines for petitions. For example, if you are taking a course at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), you will be required to submit your petition and supporting documentation for an exam deferral within three business days after the exam date. 

If you are not an undergraduate student registered with the Faculty of Arts & Science, you will need to submit a petition through your divisional Registrar's Office.

Graduating Students

If you are planning to graduate during Fall or Spring Convocation and you submit a petition within four months prior to the graduation ceremony, you should be aware that while the Faculty of Arts & Science makes every effort to process and implement petitions and appeals to allow you to graduate as planned, delays may occur. Students submitting a petition within this four-month timeframe should be prepared to postpone graduation to the next Convocation period if their petition or appeal cannot be resolved before the final deadline for the Office of the Faculty Registrar to confirm students' eligibility to graduate. 
 
Graduating students interested in submitting a petition are strongly encouraged to speak with their College Registrar’s Office. 

Fees & Deadlines for Deferred Exams, Re-deferred Exams & Exam Rewrites

The following approved exam types have fees that must be paid before you are scheduled to write or rewrite the exam:

• Deferred Exam
• Re-deferred Exam
• Exam Rewrite

Effective May 1, 2025, the fee to write a deferred or re-deferred exam or rewrite an exam is $75 per course, up to a maximum of $150 per session (for two or more courses). To pay your fees, follow the instructions noted in the petition decision you receive.

Important Note

If you fail to make the fee payment by the deadline listed in the chart below, you will not receive your exam schedule, nor will you be permitted to write your deferred or re-deferred exam or rewrite an exam. Failure to meet a payment deadline is not considered a valid reason to re-defer an exam.

Graduating Students

If you are planning on graduating in the Fall or Spring, make your payment immediately after receiving the approval to write or rewrite the exam. Not making the payment will impact your ability to write the exam and to graduate on time.

If you have been approved to write a deferred or re-deferred exam or to rewrite an exam due to a disability, and you are registered with Accessibility Services, your fee may be waived. The exam fees are also waived for religious accommodation.

If you have any questions, please contact your College Registrar’s Office.

Fees Payment Deadlines

Refer to the petition decision you receive for information on the type of approved exam and timing of approved exam to determine the correct fee payment deadline.