Academic Services

Our programs and courses

Explore your options and upgrade your prior education with flexible programs and courses to help you gain admission into a post-secondary program, enter the job market or move ahead in your career.

Academic Upgrading

If you're interested in a postsecondary program but don't meet the admission requirements, our upgrading program will help you fix that.

We offer English, math and science courses equivalent to those in the Alberta high school curriculum.

Once you've applied for upgrading, your transcripts will be reviewed by our team to determine the appropriate courses you need. Placement tests may also be required.

Learn more about upgrading

English Language Foundations

English proficiency is an admission requirement for all programs offered at SAIT.

Our English language program will help you build the confidence and skills you need to succeed in postsecondary studies in Canada.

English language courses

Open Studies

Sometimes known as General Studies, Open Studies is for you if you'd like to take a course or two in a specific subject area to ensure it's a good fit for you before officially applying and committing to a longer-term program.

Open Studies courses also offer flexibility to students in our programs who need to adjust their course schedules semester-to-semester and take a certain course during another term.

See Open Studies courses

Financial aid

The Foundational Learning Assistance Program provides funding for Albertans on a first-come, first-served basis to qualified applicants in our English Language Foundations, Academic Upgrading or the Indigenous Pathways programs.

Funding details

Your guide to our courses

You're registered in one or more of our courses. Here's what you can expect.

During the course registration process, courses may be offered through several different delivery methods.

Online Synchronous - Courses are held online and scheduled at a specific time that the students are expected to attend.
Online Asynchronous - Courses are held online but are not scheduled at a specific time. Students should consult Brightspace D2L for specific course completion dates and deadlines.
Daytime - Courses are held in-person Monday - Friday, before 6 PM.
Evening - Courses are held in person on weekdays from 6 PM or later.
Online - Your course activity is done online Monday - Friday, before 6 PM.
Blended Delivery - Both On-Campus and Online - Some of your coursework will be in-person, on-campus and some will be done online.

Regular attendance is linked closely with student success in courses. This attendance and retention policy aims to help students succeed by providing them with avenues to meet with staff to address issues affecting attendance and course success.

Attendance is taken during each class. Students will be recorded as present, late, absent-excused, or absent-unexcused. Instructors will monitor attendance and marks regularly. If you have any concerns about your attendance or other matters affecting your performance in class, you can book a meeting with us or call to make an appointment.

Please review the following policy and procedure documents.

Absences

Students may be withdrawn from their course based on their absence record in any of the following scenarios. Students who are withdrawn will be sent notifications to their SAIT email accounts.

Unexcused absences
- Students who do not attend (in person or online) the first three days of their classes without prior notification and approval from the Academic Services office and their instructors.
- Students who accumulate 12 hours of unexcused absences from any course (6 two-hour classes for fall/winter; 4 three-hour classes in spring/summer).
Total absences (excused or unexcused combined)
- Students who accumulate 18 hours of any combination of excused and unexcused absences from any course (9 two-hour classes for fall/winter; 6 three-hour classes in spring/summer).
- An absence will be considered “excused” at the discretion of the instructor. Each instructor will discuss with students on the first day of class what is considered an “excused” absence and what documentation is required.

Appeals

Students who want to appeal an instructor assigning an unexcused absence versus an excused absence or other attendance-related matters must speak to their instructor first to attempt to resolve the matter. If this is not possible, the student can contact the Learner Services office and request an appeal appointment with the chair. The decision of the chair is final and binding.

Missed/late assignments, quizzes, labs, exams, and other assessments

Instructors will discuss their policies on missed/late assignments, quizzes, exams, and excused and unexcused absences on the first day of class.

Withdrawals

To withdraw from a course, consult the Academic Services office. Except in extenuating circumstances approved by the Registrar’s office, withdrawals cannot be processed after the withdrawal deadline.

If a student has enough absences to result in withdrawal from the course, staff will process the withdrawal. However, if some of the absences occur close to the withdrawal deadline, there may be insufficient time to process a withdrawal, resulting in a failing percentage (<50%) on the student’s transcript. If absences occur after the withdrawal deadline, except in extenuating cases approved by the Registrar, withdrawals are no longer possible and the student will receive a failing percentage.

FLP/SIP funded students

Students unsure of the AEI attendance policy can contact the Foundational Learning Program/Skills Investment Program (FLP/SIP) office.

SFLP/SIP-funded students will have their attendance, and marks as requested, reported to the funding office regularly.

Athletes

The Learner Services office will report athlete attendance, and marks if needed, to Athletics on request and also if an athlete has missed the number of classes specified in this document. Withdrawal from a course can remove a student from athletic eligibility.

Feedback is a vital part of any learning process — it improves course content and helps instructors enhance their teaching. Watch your SAIT student email towards the end of the academic year for a link to our student feedback questionnaires.

Ways to give feedback

Did you know?

Academic Services instructors deliver many foundational and elective courses in your program.

They often teach classes in communications and liberal arts studies, math and engineering sciences, philosophy, business math and technology literacy.

Upcoming events and information sessions

Contact us