Courses FAQ

If you have a disability and need academic accommodations or access to support services for your course, register with Accessible Learning Services as early as possible before your first class. Visit the Accessible Learning Services web page for more details.

If you need to complete a General English Assessment, you can book your assessment by calling the Contact Centre. Visit the General English Assessment web page for more details.

In some cases, financial assistance for Continuing Education courses may be available through the George Brown Polytechnic Student Assistance Fund. Visit the Financial Assistance web page for more details.

Student ID numbers and passwords are emailed to all new Continuing Education students after registration. Visit the Student ID Number web page and Passwords web page for more details.

A prerequisite course is a required course that you must complete before you take the course for which you want to register. (That is, you must pass Course A before you take Course B.) A recommended course is not a required course; it is a suggested course that can provide helpful knowledge or skills for the course for which you want to register.

To transfer to another course or withdraw from a course, you must make the request in writing. An administrative fee may apply. Refer to Transfers web page or the Withdrawals web page for more details.

Depending on the course you registered for and when you officially request to withdraw from the course, you may receive a full refund less an administrative fee. Visit the Refunds web page for more details.

The campus building and room number for your class will appear with your class section course reference number (CRN) details on the course web page three days before the course start date (or one day before the course start date if it is a Hospitality and Culinary Arts course). Room numbers are also posted at each campus on the day of the first class. Visit the Room Assignments web page or the Room Assignments Look-up web page for more details.

Textbooks, other course supplies and more can be purchased in person from George Brown Polytechnic campus stores. You can also order textbooks online from the bookstore website. Visit the Campus Stores web page for more details.

Tax receipts are obtained through your online student account. Visit the Tax Receipt web page for more details.

To drop a course, you must formally withdraw from a course. An administrative fee may apply. Refer to the Withdrawals web page for more details.

Distance learning courses offered by Continuing Education at George Brown Polytechnic are delivered online. OntarioLearn courses are also delivered online. For more information about the system requirements, visit the Online Course Requirements and Brightspace web page. For more information about online learning at the college, visit the George Brown Polytechnic Online Learning microsite.

Some of our distance learning courses are term-based. So, as with an in-class course, you need to register in advance of the course start date or shortly after the course starts. (Register early for online courses to ensure course access is in place for the start of your course.) Other distance learning courses are continuous intake. A continuous intake course allows you to register at any time throughout the term. You then have a set number of days to finish the course.

A course that uses scheduled teacher-led online delivery is run like a virtual classroom. You attend face-to-face scheduled class sessions online. A camera and microphone may be required. Our scheduled teacher-led online courses typically use Brightspace but other platforms may be used. Details about what platform your course will use will be provided on the course page. Note that online courses run on Eastern Time (EST/EDT).

You will likely need to do additional self-directed work outside of class hours. Note that self-directed is not the same as self-paced. You are expected to meet all the requirements/due dates outlined at the start of course. Make sure you review the course outline, schedule, and deadlines before you start the course.

A course that uses self-directed online delivery has all its content posted on an online platform (such as the George Brown Polytechnic Brightspace learning management system). You then work through the content independently, though teacher support will be available. Courses with this kind of delivery generally do not involve scheduled classes (with some exceptions). This is also known as "asynchronous learning" because you are not necessarily progressing together (in sync) with the other students.

Note that self-directed is not the same as self-paced. You are expected to meet all the requirements/due dates outlined at the start of course. Make sure you review the course outline, schedule, and deadlines before you start the course.

By partnering together, colleges can provide a greater number of online courses for their students. OntarioLearn is a partnership between 24 Ontario colleges that offers a broad selection of online courses. We have selected courses from the OntarioLearn course inventory that complement our existing distance learning offerings. This means our students get access to a wider range of teacher-directed online courses while enjoying George Brown Polytechnic's high-quality registration and administrative support.

The college responsible for developing a course and its content is called the “host college.” Although you register with and receive your grade from George Brown Polytechnic, the teacher will be provided by the host college and all technical support will be provided by OntarioLearn.com. For more information, visit the OntarioLearn website or contact the Continuing Education OntarioLearn department at 416-415-5000, ext. 6543, or online_learning@georgebrown.ca.

Note that OntarioLearn courses (with a few exceptions) are not equivalent to courses offered in class.