Registrar’s Office

Welcome to the Office of the Registrar   

We are your source for a wide range of academic services and information and are responsible for maintaining the integrity of your official academic record. We strive to provide high-quality services to the entire University community: students, faculty, administrators, graduates and the general public. The Office of the Registrar provides information on things like services, courses, resources, exams, grades, graduation, academic integrity and academic appeals. This site provides the latest news and updates, as well as hours of operation. As your primary source of information, we help you navigate the admissions process, course enrolment, tuition fees and academic progression. The Office of the Registrar and Admissions is the intersection of key administrative processes that are vital for student success and the academic life of the university.

Hours of Operation (Marvin Harvey Building)
Monday – Friday,  9:00am – 4:00pm

Contact Information
Email: enrolment@cbu.ca
Phone: 902-563-1330
Note: Due to a high volume of requests, it may take 3-5 business days to receive a response.

Frequent Service Requests

Students must have a valid CBU ID to access services

Current or former CBU students who require any of the following documents and/or services must submit a service request.  Typical processing time is estimated at 3-5 business days (plus delivery time), but can exceed 5 business days during peak times (September, January, & May). Many of the requests below can only be made through our CBU virtual form and most of these services are not available for walk in. Documents and services include:

• Proof of Enrolment Letter
• Transcript
• Parchment Replacement
• Program Change (New Students)
• Program Change (Current Students)
• Declare an Area of Study
• Change of Information (Current Students)
• Program Reactivation
• Supplemental Exam Request
• Degree Audit Request
• Letter of Completion Request
• Appeals: Final Grades & Academic Performance
• Leave of Absence (International Students Only)

For all other items that do not fall into the categories on this page, please email enrolment@cbu.ca.

Additional Support Services and Information

The Registrar’s Office at Cape Breton University provides a wide range of administrative, and systems support services to students, faculty, and staff.  Many of our Services can be found by using the CBU ServiceHub.

In addition, the Registrar is the University’s chief record keeper and overseer of the academic regulations. The department is responsible for the creation, maintenance and safeguarding of all student records. Admissions, registrations, recording of course outcomes and verification and issuing of credentials occurs under the Registrar’s supervision.

Located in the Marvin Harvey Building, the department is also responsible for:

• Canadian and International Admissions (See also: CBU.ca/Admissions or Contact: admissions@cbu.ca)
• Information on Transfer Credits and Articulation Agreements  (Contact: Transfer_Credits@cbu.ca)
• The publication of the Academic Calendar  
• Advice on understanding our systems and Academic Policies including:
  • Academic Performance Review  
  • Academic Integrity Policy  
  • Exam Regulations
• Degree Audit and Academic Progression, check your progress in your Compass Student Account 
• Program Changes  
• Produce the Dean’s List 
• Convocation/Graduation 

New Students

All new students (not registered for any classes) need to receive Academic Advising before they can register for classes. First-Year students will receive their individualized advising information via their CBU Email Account. Please continue to monitor this inbox on a regular basis for more information as it becomes available. New students can also request specific advising help using this form.

How to Register

Students can register for classes  using their Compass Student Account. Need help adding or planning your courses? Here is a helpful video that shows the process in full.   

Returning Students

Returning students can register online for courses through their Compass Student Account once the registration window opens for their program/semester.

Degree Audit

Returning students can use My Progress section of their Compass Student Account to access their personalized degree audit, providing a snapshot of their program(s)’s requirements. My Progress will list complete and/or incomplete requirements and the courses needed to fulfil each requirement.  You can also use it to see how your requirements might change if you switch to a different program.

If returning and/or in-progress students require additional Academic Advising, please log in to your Compass Student Account and book an appointment with a faculty advisor from your Student Success Team. If you need additional advising support, reach out to the advising team using this form.

Course Delivery Information

CBU offers four main course delivery options for students. They are scheduled this way in the course catalog. When registering for classes you will see the delivery option in the course catalog.

• Lecture
• In Person or Live Online
• Online (Live)
• Online (Not Live)
• CBU has various classroom locations for teaching,  the main campus on Grand Lake Road, Sydney, NSCC Marconi Campus, Grand Lake Road, Sydney, and our Cineplex location downtown Sydney. When you are registering for classes the location is included in the registration information.  Coded in the course Catalog: MAIN – Cape Breton University, MCI – NSCC Marconi, and CPLX – Cineplex-Sydney
• Review course prerequisite requirements and any other items that may restrict you from registering.
• Review curriculum information (your degree, major, faculty, etc.) for every new academic term.
• If your Academic Standing prevents registration or you have a registration restriction, please contact enrolment@cbu.ca.
• Financial holds may prevent students from registering for classes. Contact studentaccounts@cbu.ca if you have a financial hold on your Compass Student Account.

If students encounter registration errors, you will have to reconsider your schedule carefully. You do have a few options when you receive an error message:

• you may try adding a different section or another course to fill your timetable
• you can join a waitlist for courses that are full and that have a waitlist enabled

Courses taking place during the spring and summer of 2023 have various course delivery options. Please make sure to follow the various deadlines related to registration and fees. It’s also important to understand the implications as it relates to your registration.

Also, please ensure you understand when registering for classes the location of the course. CBU has various locations for teaching. We have the main campus on Grand Lake Road, Sydney and our Cineplex Campus downtown Sydney. When you are registering for classes, the location is included in the registration information.

Information on Requests for 3rd Party Forms

A 3rd Party form is a form from outside Cape Breton University that requires confirmation of registration by a member of the Registrar’s office. A 3rd Party form is one where the form itself must be submitted and a Proof of Enrolment Letter cannot be used in place. These forms can include, but not limited to, Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPPD), Registered Education Saving Plan (RESP), etc.

Students have two options on how they can submit a 3rd party form to be completed by the Registrar’s office- in person, or via email. The student’s portion must be completed filled out before the Registrar’s office can verify and complete its portion of the form.

Students can bring all pages of the form to the Registrar’s office on campus to be filled out in person. Typically, the form will be filled out immediately and given back to the student who will then need to submit it to wherever it must go.  Alternatively, students can email all pages of the form to enrolment@cbu.ca. The Registrar’s office staff will verify the information and complete their portion of the form before emailing it back to the student’s email address. If the student requires the completed form to be sent directly to a separate person, they must specifically state the person and email address in their original email to enrolment@cbu.ca. In this instance, the completed form will be sent to the separate email address and the student will be cc’d to confirm that it has been sent.

Please note: The Registrar’s office may need to adjust information on the form to confirm that it is correct. In this instance they will change and initial to indicate the confirmed change. As well, if a required field is not completed by the student, the Registrar’s office may need to send it back to the student to complete before they can verify and complete their own section of the form.