Student Services

Our program orientation for part-time students is designed specifically for working professionals. A completely online experience which can be completed at your convenience. Our orientation allows you to enter your first class with a full understanding of the expectations and the confidence to meet them, even if you’ve been away from the classroom for some time. 

Our orientation for full-time students is designed to provide the academic tools you’ll need to be successful in your studies regardless of your country of origin or the jurisdiction in which you studied. But orientation isn’t all work: it’s also an opportunity to get to know future colleagues, familiarize yourself with all Toronto has to offer, and have a little fun! 

As our students come from a wide range of academic, professional, and geographic backgrounds, we don’t believe that a one-size-fits-all approach is an effective way to set students up for success. Instead, the diversity of our student body is reflected in the diversity of our introductory course offerings. Our introductory courses allow students to do a deep dive into the Canadian legal system, legal research, and writing, without rehashing material already covered in previous studies.  

Recognizing that everyone’s academic background is different, we run regular workshops to help students polish the academic skills they’ll need to be successful in the program. From how to tackle a take–home examination to refining your research topic, our workshops are taught by subject matter experts. If you miss a workshop, you’ll have access to a video recording so you can watch or re-watch it whenever you want.  

Students have access to a curated selection of academic resources on specialization-specific topics, as well as the Canadian legal system, legal research, and writing more broadly. Osgoode is home to the largest law library in Canada, so if you are ever unable to find what you’re looking for, our expert law librarians can help.  

Need to take a break? It’s as simple as letting us know. We can put your studies on hold for one term or up to one year. If you need more time away, we have a simplified process for re-admission and are always happy to welcome students back.  

Each course has a course website that contains all the required readings, syllabus, etc. You won’t have to spend time searching for articles – everything you need is on the website for you to read, download, or print. You can begin your preparation at your own pace, because websites are available 4-6 weeks before the beginning of class.  

Some courses have required textbooks. Information about textbooks is available approximately three months in advance of the course start. Textbooks can be purchased online through the York University bookstore and shipped to your home address for a flat rate. 

Prior to your first course in the program you’ll have a one-on-one meeting with one of our distance learning experts to walk you through set up, step-by-step. One of our distance learning technicians sits in on every class to handle filming logistics and to resolve any issues as they occur, so students and instructors can focus on learning.  

Our program administrators are here to support your journey by doing much of the administrative heavy lifting for you. They will ensure you’re on track by helping you complete your enrollments each term, will flag important information, and are always there to help whenever you have a question.