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Identification (ID) Cards
Identification (ID) Cards
As a student registered at ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ, you are required to present an ID card to:
- write examinations;
- use libraries and student services, including certain laboratories;
- access residence buildings;
- access meal plans; and
- access the inter-campus shuttle bus.
The Student Identification card is the property of the University, for use by the cardholder only, and is not transferable. If you withdraw from all of your courses, you must return it to Enrolment Services (or the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Student Affairs Office, Macdonald Campus).
- New students must be registered for at least one course to obtain an ID card.
- You must allow for at least 24 hours after you have registered for your first course before requesting an ID card.
- If you do not register for consecutive terms, you should retain your ID card to avoid having to replace it when you re-register.
- If your card has expired, there is no charge for a replacement if you hand in the ID card.
- If you change programs or faculties, there is no charge to issue a new card if you hand in the ID card.
- If your card has been lost, stolen, or damaged, there is a replacement fee; please see the Student Records website for an exact fee amount.
- If you need security access to labs or other facilities, please contact the Area Access Manager (AAM) of the building in which the room is located. To find out who the AAM is, consult the Find the AAM list on the Security Services website.
ID Card Schedule for the Downtown Campus
ID Card Schedule for the Downtown Campus
The locations and opening hours of ID card centres can be found on the Student Information website at mcgill.ca/student-records/personal-information/id.
- New students can obtain their ID card 24 hours after registering for their first course. Registration dates for new students can be found here.
- Returning students must be registered for at least one course and may present themselves at an ID card centre during their operational hours at any time in order to obtain a replacement card. Please refer to the following site for information on the Downtown Campus ID Centre: mcgill.ca/student-records/personal-information/id.
Legal Name and Gender
Legal Name and Gender
Legal Name
Legal Name
Your legal name is the name that will appear on your degree, diploma, or certificate upon graduation, and on your e-bills, tax receipts, and official transcript. It is also used by the Government of Quebec to create a Permanent Code.
After confirming your offer of admission and registering at ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ, the name provided on your admission application is validated and, in the event of a variation, updated to match the legal name appearing on one of the following documents:
- Canadian birth certificate, copy of an act of birth, or citizenship certificate
- Canadian Immigration Record of Landing (IMM 1000 or IMM 5292 or IMM 5688 and Permanent Residence card)
- Canadian Immigration Study or Work Permit
- Certificate of Acceptance of Quebec (CAQ)
- International passport (Note: If you possess Canadian citizenship, a Canadian citizenship card or certificate is required as a Canadian passport is not acceptable)
- International birth certificate (with an official translation in English or French)
- Letter from international student's consulate or embassy in Canada
- Marriage certificate issued outside of Quebec—translated into English or French by a sworn officer if in another language (Note: Quebec marriage certificates are only acceptable if issued prior to 1984)
- Certificate of Name Change or Certificate of Change of Sex Designation and Name issued by the Quebec Directeur de l’état civil or applicable force in any Canadian province
In the case of a variation in the spelling of the name among these documents, the University will use the name on the document that appears first on the above list.
Should ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ require a copy of one of the documents listed above, both or all sides of the document must be copied and presented.
In order to update the legal name on your student record you must:
- Complete a Personal Data Change Form
- Provide us with a copy of the appropriate legal document with the updated legal name (if we don't already have a copy); the list of acceptable documents is listed above
- Submit the completed form and copy of the legal document by email attachment (PDF or TIFF format) to permcode [at] mcgill.ca
Legal Gender
Legal Gender
To update your legal gender you need to:
- Complete a Personal Data Change Form
- Provide us with a copy of the appropriate legal document with the updated legal gender (if we don't already have a copy); the list of acceptable documents is listed in the Legal Name section above
- Submit the completed form and copy of the legal document by email attachment (PDF or TIFF format) to permcode [at] mcgill.ca
Preferred First Name
Preferred First Name
At ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University, a student is registered under their legal name as it appears on their legal documents,—such as a birth certificate or study permit—that have been provided to the University. This name will be used on documents such as an official transcript and diploma.
Your preferred first name is a name by which you are normally addressed and is different from your legal first name. The Preferred First Name Procedure enables students to use an alternate preferred first name for certain purposes while studying at ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ.
Students who wish to use a preferred first name should enter this information into Minerva as soon as possible in order to ensure that their preferred first name is used as widely as possible.
The preferred first name is displayed on all unofficial university documents and tools, such as:
- ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ ID cards
- Class lists
- Student advising transcripts
- For a complete list of examples, please refer to Student Records
The student's legal name must appear on official university documents, such as:
- Official university transcripts
- Reports to government
- Letters of attestation
- Diplomas and certificates
- Tuition fee e-bills
- For a complete list of examples, please refer to Student Records
It is important to note that making a request to use a preferred first name at ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ does not change a student's legal name in the ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ student record or records with government authorities.
You can provide a preferred first name on your application for admission or, once admitted, on Minerva, under the Personal Menu. From the Personal Menu, select Name Change and then add your preferred first name in the preferred first name field.
You can also request that your preferred first name be part of your ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ email address by submitting an in IT's Service Now. For further details, see Student Records, which includes the Preferred First Name FAQ.
Verification of Name
Verification of Name
You should verify the accuracy of your name on ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ's student records via Minerva (mcgill.ca/minerva). To do this, go to Personal Menu > Name Change, where you can make minor corrections such as changing case (upper/lower), adding accents, and spacing. You can also add a preferred first name that is different from your legal first name, and it will be used internally at ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ. For more information on the Preferred First Name Procedure, see mcgill.ca/student-records/personal-information/address.
You cannot change your legal name via Minerva. To change your name, please refer to Student Records. A name change request must be submitted along with official documents (see Legal Name and Gender and Preferred First Name).
Updating Personal Information
Updating Personal Information
It is important to keep your ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ record up to date with your personal information, especially a mailing or billing address, as these are used by the University year-round. Upon initial registration, students are prompted to provide this information. Every six months thereafter, students are prompted to update this information as needed.
You must update your address(es) and/or telephone number(s) and emergency contact information on Minerva under the Personal Menu.
If you need to change important personal information that requires the University to verify official documents—such as a name change, gender, or a correction of your birth date—refer to the instructions at mcgill.ca/student-records/personal-information/name-gender. Macdonald Campus students can request changes in person at the Macdonald Campus Student Affairs Office, Laird Hall, Room 106.
Online (Distance) Programs
Online (Distance) Programs
Students registered in exclusively online (sometimes referred to as 'distance') programs are required to declare where they are geographically located while studying for every term they are registered in the online program. For students pursuing an online program, location while studying is considered — along with the fee residency status (i.e. Quebec Resident, Canadian or International) — when determining what fees are charged.
The following programs are designed to be offered exclusively online and, with some exceptions, are not offered on one of ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ's campuses:
- Graduate Certificate (Gr. Cert.) Chronic Pain Management (15 credits)
- Graduate Certificate (Gr. Cert.) Cybersecurity (15 credits)
- Graduate Certificate (Gr. Cert.) Educational Leadership 1 (15 credits)**
- Graduate Certificate (Gr. Cert.) Educational Leadership 2 (15 credits)**
- Graduate Certificate (Gr. Cert.) Educational Leadership 3 (15 credits)**
- Graduate Certificate (Gr. Cert.) Healthcare Management (15 credits)*
- Graduate Certificate (Gr. Cert.) International Leadership in Educational and Administrative Development (15 credits)*
- Certificat d’études supérieures (Cert.ed.sup.) pédagogie de l'immersion française (15 crs)
- Graduate Certificate (Gr. Cert.) Public Relations & Communication Management Practice (15 credits)
- Graduate Certificate (Gr. Cert.) Teaching English as a Second Language (15 credits)**
- Master of Management (M.M.) IMHL (Non-Thesis) (45 credits) *
- Certificate (Cert.) Applied Cybersecurity (30 credits)
- Certificate (Cert.) Computers and Information Technology (30 credits)
- Certificate (Cert.) Indigenous Business Management (30 credits)
- Certificate (Cert.) Public Administration and Governance (30 credits)
- Diploma (Dip.) Public Administration and Governance (30 credits)
- Graduate Diploma (Gr. Dip.) Legal Translation (30 credits)
Most regular university charges will apply to all students in all online programs, but certain fees may be reduced or eliminated for students located outside the province while studying. For example, the Athletics & Recreation Fee is not charged to students located outside Quebec, and International students located outside Quebec but within Canada may request to opt-in to the International Health Insurance through mcgill.ca/internationalstudents/health.
Online program students must self-declare their location while studying for every term they are registered in the online program via Minerva under Student Menu > Location of Study - Online (distance) program. Students are notified by email that the Minerva form for the upcoming term is open and can be accessed. The form opens to all registered students in the above programs on:
- Fall term: July 16
- Winter term: November 16
- Summer term: March 16
- Students in a Continuing Studies program should call 514 398-6200 or email info.conted [at] mcgill.ca.
- All other students should contact Service Point at mcgill.ca/servicepoint/contact.
Students will be asked to support their application for a change in location with appropriate documentation which can include, for example, Quebec Medicare Card, Quebec Driver's License, rental agreement, mail addressed to them at a Quebec address, etc. If the change of location occurs by the last day of classes in the Fall/Winter terms, and August 15th for the Spring/Summer terms, then the change will affect that term. After these dates, a student must wait for the opening of the new term to make the new self-declaration for the new term. If the proof cannot be provided by the last day of classes for the term of the requested change, then Enrolment Services reserves the right to refuse the application.
Where it is determined that a student has falsely declared themselves to be in Quebec, then the University reserves the right to re-assess tuition at the deregulated rates for their program and — in addition — the student would be subject to the rules contained in the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.