Canvas Catalog is a special installation of Canvas used for non-credit courses at UBC. You can take courses in Canvas Catalog to receive training, fulfill employment or course pre-requisites, and further your professional development.
Using an interface similar to Canvas, Canvas Catalog helps you communicate with instructors and other learners, access course materials, and complete learning activities.
| Access | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | Low demand on internet connections. | |
| Privacy | Complies with UBC’s privacy requirements. |
What will I use it for?
You can use Canvas Catalog to do any of the following:
- Register for free and paid non-credit courses
- Read course content and watch training videos
- Complete course modules, quizzes, and assignments
- Receive course grades or obtain proofs of completion
This tool guide was last reviewed in March 2025.
What do I need to use Canvas Catalog?
A supported web browser
Canvas Catalog runs in your web browser and supports Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari. For more information on which versions work, visit the Canvas supported browser page. Please note that Canvas does not work with Internet Explorer.
A Canvas Catalog login
UBC employees and students can access Canvas Catalog using their UBC CWL (Campus-Wide Login).
If you do not have a UBC CWL, you can register for a Canvas Catalog account while enrolling in a course. The process of creating an account is included in the “Self-enroll in a Canvas Catalog course or program” accordion section below.
Tips
- UBC employees can learn about the educational opportunities available to them in Canvas Catalog by enrolling in the Introduction to Workplace Learning course. This course provides resources to help employees learn how to use Workplace Learning (WPL).
- If you have a Sauder Real Estate Division (RED) account, you can log in to Canvas Catalog with your RED Student Number. If you encounter any issues with Sauder RED courses, please contact info@realestate.sauder.ubc.ca for support.
How do I use Canvas Catalog?
In Canvas Catalog, you will either self-enroll in courses or enroll via an email invitation. Once enrolled, you can complete the courses according to the specific requirements outlined.
Click any accordion bar below to find instructions and tips for using Canvas Catalog.
Self-enroll in a Canvas Catalog course or program
Courses and programs on Canvas Catalog may have a registration fee associated with them. When a fee is associated with a course, it will appear on the enrollment button.
If your department requires you to take a specific course or program, a link to the listing page will be provided to you by an administrator or be accessible through the department's public catalog.
- On the listing page, click Enroll Now for the course or program.
- If you have an account, you will need to log in first by clicking Already have an account? Sign in here. Select Login with CWL or Login with Canvas Catalog account (if you do not have a UBC CWL).
- If you do not have a UBC CWL or Canvas Catalog account, fill in your information and click Register New Account to create a Canvas Catalog account.
- Click Enroll on the checkout page.
- If it is your first time using Canvas Catalog, you will receive an email to complete your account setup. Click Complete Registration; a new browser window will open. Choose your account password and time zone, then click Register.
- Select Go To Course to be redirected to the course.
- Please note, for courses with designated start times, access to course content and materials will be restricted until the first day of the course.
Tips
- Please log in with your UBC CWL, if you have one, to enroll in courses. Using your UBC CWL ensures your course progress is saved with the rest of your UBC information.
- Courses are completed individually; programs will have a list of courses to complete. Once you have completed all a program's courses, the program will be marked as complete.
- If a course is full, you may be prompted to join a waiting list instead. You can see the number of remaining spots in a course above the "Enroll" button.
- UBC employees can view the full Workplace Learning catalog listings and join open courses. These courses can help you learn more in many areas relevant to UBC employees.
- On the listing page, click Enroll Now for the course or program. You will see the registration fee amount listed on the enrollment button.
- If you have an account, you will need to log in first by clicking Already have an account? Sign in here. Select Login with CWL or Login with Canvas Catalog account (if you do not have a UBC CWL).
- If you do not have a UBC CWL or Canvas Catalog account, fill in your information and click Register New Account to create a Canvas Catalog account.
- Check that you are logged in to the correct account. If you have a promotion code, enter it in the "Promotion Code(s)" field on the checkout page and select Apply before proceeding to payment.
- Click Pay and Enroll.
- Enter your credit card information and click Continue to enroll in the course.
- If you are using a UBC credit card, ask the UBC cardholder to complete the credit card information section instead.
- If it is your first time using Canvas Catalog, you will receive an email to complete your account setup. Click Complete Registration; a new browser window will open. Choose your account password and time zone, then click Register.
- You will see a page confirming your enrollment. Select Go To Course to be redirected to the course.
- Please note, for courses with designated start times, access to course content and materials will be restricted until the first day of the course.
Tips
- Only Visa or Mastercard credit cards are accepted for payment. If you are using a UBC credit card, payment can be made with a UBC Visa or UBC Purchase Card (PCard).
- If you are using a UBC credit card, you can send the confirmation receipt by email to whoever needs the receipt. For this to work, make sure to list the intended recipient's email address on the payment form.
- Additional steps apply, if you plan to request reimbursement from the UBC faculty or staff professional development fund. Consult the steps for UBC employees to claim expenses from professional development funds to make your claim.
Accept an email invitation to enroll in a Canvas Catalog course or program
Instructors may send an invitation through email for you to enroll in a specific Canvas Catalog course or program—particularly if you do not have a UBC CWL or Canvas Catalog account.
- In your "Course Invitation" email, click Get Started. A new browser window will open.
- If you already have an existing UBC CWL or Canvas Catalog account, choose the I have a Canvas Account option.
- If this is your first time using Canvas Catalog, select Create My Account. You will be prompted to create a password and set a time zone. Click Register to complete the account setup.
- You will be redirected to your course.
Drop a Canvas Catalog course or program
- Log in to the Canvas Catalog learner dashboard using your UBC CWL or Canvas Catalog login.
- Navigate to the course or program you would like to drop. If you do not see it right away, click through the categories ("In Progress", "Completed", "Not Completed") at the top to find it.
- Click the gear icon on the right side of the course, then select either Drop Course or Drop Program, whichever you see.
- This action will open a pop-up asking for confirmation to drop the course. Click Drop to confirm.
Request a Canvas Catalog refund
- Contact the course or program administrator to request a refund. If you cannot find these contact details, please contact us at the LT Hub for help.
- If your request complies with the cancellation policy for the course or program, a refund will be issued to your original payment method.
View and download Canvas Catalog proof of completion certificates
Some courses may issue a proof of completion certificate when you complete all the course's requirements. This document will include your name, your date of completion, and the course name.
- Log in to the Canvas Catalog learner dashboard using your UBC CWL or Canvas Catalog login.
- Click Completed to see courses you have finished.
- If a proof of completion certificate is available for a course, you can click either View to see the certificate or Download to save it as a PDF.
Tips
- UBC employees can also access proof of completion certificates for completed "Workplace Learning" courses from Canvas Catalog in Workday. Workday is UBC's system for managing student enrollments, human resources and financial business processes. Log in to Workday using your UBC CWL. In the search bar at the top, enter "Worker Certifications" and select the matching option from the search results. Click the course you want to view, click "Attachments", and select the file link to view or download your proof of completion certificate.
Canvas Catalog FAQ
Find UBC-specific answers to frequently asked questions by clicking any accordion bar below.
Navigate to the course or program listing page. Once you click Enroll Now, you will be prompted to log in with either your UBC CWL or Canvas Catalog account or to create a new Canvas Catalog account.
When you first log in to Canvas Catalog, you’ll be prompted to set up multi-factor authentication (MFA), which is required to access your account.
To complete setup, you’ll need an authenticator app. We’ve provided recommended options based on your device. Open the tab that applies to you to get started.
If you have an Apple device (e.g., iPhone, iPad, Mac), you may use Apple’s built-in Passwords app to set up your MFA.
-
Log in to Canvas Catalog with your email address. The MFA setup screen should appear with a QR code — keep this open on your device.
- If the MFA setup screen asks for a verification code instead of showing a QR code, even if you haven’t set up MFA, it’s possible your Passwords app has already added one automatically.
- Open the Passwords app on your Apple device.
- Select the password entry you'll use to set up your Canvas Catalog MFA. You can either use an existing entry or create a new one.
- To use an existing entry, open the All tab and select the entry that stores your Canvas Catalog credentials.
- If you wish to create a new entry, tap the plus (+) button, enter the following recommended information, then click the checkmark (labeled Save on Mac).
- Title: Name of the entry (e.g., “Canvas Catalog MFA Code”)
- Username: The email you use to log in to Canvas Catalog
- Website: https://ubccpe.instructure.com/
- On your selected password entry, tap Edit.
- Click Set Up Code.
- Choose Scan QR Code with Camera, then point your camera at the QR code on the MFA setup screen.
- If you’re using a Mac, you can use the Secret Key instead of the QR code. See the “Tips” section for details.
- Click the checkmark (labeled Save on Mac).
- Enter the 6-digit code generated by the app into the “Verification Code” field in the MFA setup screen.
- Optionally, check Remember this computer to reduce how often you’re prompted.
- Click Verify.
Tips
- You may also use the camera on your iOS device to scan the QR code. Open the Camera app and point your camera at the QR code. Click the “Add Verification Code” button that pops up. This will redirect you to the Passwords app, where you can either select an existing password entry or create a new one to store the verification code.
- If you are on a Mac but do not have an iOS mobile device, you may use the Secret Key instead of the QR code. Copy the “Secret Key” from the MFA setup screen and paste it into the “Setup Key” field on your Passwords app. Then, click “Use Setup Key” to generate your 6-digit code.
If you have an Android mobile device, you may use the “Duo Mobile” app by Cisco Systems, Inc. to set up your MFA. You may download this app from Google Play.
Once Duo Mobile is installed on your device, please follow the steps outlined below.
- Log in to Canvas Catalog with your email address. The MFA setup screen should appear with a QR code — keep this open on your device.
- Open Duo Mobile on your Android device.
- Tap Use A QR code, then point your camera at the QR code on the MFA setup screen.
- Enter the account name (e.g., “Canvas Catalog MFA Code”).
- Select Save.
- Enter the 6-digit code generated by the app into the “Verification Code” field in the MFA setup screen.
- Optionally, check Remember this computer to reduce how often you’re prompted.
- Click Verify.
If you are using a Windows device and have no mobile device at hand, you may use Proton Authenticator to set up your MFA. You may go to the Proton Authenticator site to download Proton on your computer.
Once Proton Authenticator is installed on your device, please follow the steps outlined below.
- Log in to Canvas Catalog with your email address. The MFA setup screen should appear with a QR code and a Secret Key — keep this open on your device.
- Open Proton Authenticator and click + Add.
- Enter a name for this code (e.g., “Canvas Catalog MFA Code”).
- Copy the “Secret Key” from the MFA setup screen and paste it into the “Secret” field in Proton Authenticator.
- Click Save Code to finish the setup.
- Enter the 6-digit code generated by the app into the “Verification Code” field in the MFA setup screen.
- Optionally, check Remember this computer to reduce how often you’re prompted.
- Click Verify.
When you first log in to Canvas Catalog, you should be prompted to set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) by scanning a QR code. However, some users may instead be asked to enter a verification code without having completed MFA setup and may not see a QR code.
If you are using an Apple device (e.g., iPhone, iPad, Mac), it is possible that Apple’s built-in Passwords app has already generated an MFA code for your Canvas Catalog account.
- Log in to Canvas Catalog with your email address. You will be prompted to enter a verification code.
- On your Apple device, open the Passwords app.
- Go to the Codes tab.
- Look for a password entry associated with your Canvas Catalog account (e.g., it may be titled “Canvas”).
- Enter the 6-digit code into the “Verification Code” field in the MFA screen.
- Optionally, check Remember me to reduce how often you’re prompted.
- Click Verify.
To complete a Canvas Catalog course, engage with all provided course materials, including video lectures, readings, and any interactive content. As you progress through the course, completed tasks will be marked by a green checkmark and pending tasks will be indicated by an empty circle. Depending on its setup, your course may have specific completion requirements. Upon fulfilling all requirements, a proof of completion certificate, if offered, will be issued.
Canvas Catalog functions similarly to regular Canvas. For additional support, refer to the course guidelines within Canvas Catalog and consult our UBC Canvas student guide.
When accessing Canvas Catalog, we recommend using a single account for all your course activities, ideally your UBC CWL. Course progress does not sync across multiple accounts, so work completed under one account will not be reflected if you switch to another account. Using a single account ensures your course progress and records are maintained in one place.
If you have multiple Canvas Catalog accounts and would like to merge them together, please contact us at the LT Hub for assistance.
If you have multiple UBC CWL accounts and would like to merge them together, please contact the UBC IT Service Centre for assistance.
Only Visa or Mastercard credit cards are accepted for payment. If you are using a UBC credit card, payment can be made with a UBC Visa or UBC Purchase Card (PCard).
If you encounter trouble during the payment process, an initial troubleshooting step is to refresh the payment page. You can also clear your browser cache and cookies, open the payment page in an incognito window, or use a different web browser.
If you are still encountering issues when making a payment, please contact us at the LT Hub for help.
There are several common reasons why a course may not be visible on your Canvas Catalog learner dashboard.
- If you have multiple UBC CWL or Canvas Catalog accounts, you may be logged in to a different account than the one used for enrollment. Try logging in with any alternative account(s) you may have. If the issue persists, please contact us at the LT Hub for assistance with confirming your course enrollments and/or, if necessary, merging accounts.
- The course may have been cancelled. In this case, a cancellation notice would typically be sent to your email with instructions for dropping the course and requesting a refund if necessary. Please contact us at the LT Hub if you need further help with this process.
To purchase or claim multiple seats in a Canvas Catalog course or program, you can use the "Bulk Purchase" or "Bulk Enrollment" feature. This option may be available for both paid and free courses or programs, allowing learners to manage multiple enrollments. However, please note that this feature is controlled by the course administrator and may not be available for all course offerings.
If you do not see this option or if you have any questions regarding the enrollment process, please reach out to the course administrator or contact us at the LT Hub for further assistance.
- On the listing page for a free course/program, click the two people icon ("Bulk Enrollment").
- Set the number of seats required, then click Claim Seat(s).
- If you have an account, you will need to log in first by clicking Already have an account? Sign in here. Select either Login with CWL or Login with Canvas Catalog account (if you do not have a UBC CWL).
- If you do not have a UBC CWL or Canvas Catalog account, fill in your information, and click Register New Account to create a Canvas Catalog account.
- The reservation confirmation is displayed at the top of the checkout page. To complete enrollment, click Claim Seat(s).
- Please note, for courses/programs with a student cap, there is a 10-minute timer for completing enrollment.
- To invite students to enroll in the course/program using your bulk enrollment, click Invite Students to Enroll. Enter the email(s) and click Send Invite.
- On the listing page for a paid course/program, click the two people icon ("Bulk Enrollment"). This button may be labelled with text or appear as an icon with two people.
- Set the number of seats required, then click Purchase Seat(s).
- If you have an account, you will need to log in first by clicking Already have an account? Sign in here. Select either Login with CWL or Login with Canvas Catalog account (if you do have a UBC CWL).
- If you do not have a UBC CWL or Canvas Catalog account, fill in your information, and click Register New Account to create a Canvas Catalog account.
- Check that you are logged in to the correct account. If you have a promotion code, enter it in the "Promotion Code(s)" field and click Apply before proceeding to payment.
- To complete enrollment and pay, click Purchase Seat(s).
- Please note, for courses/programs with a student cap, there is a 10-minute timer for completing the enrollment.
- Enter your credit card information and click Continue to enroll in the course.
- If you are using a UBC credit card, ask the UBC cardholder to complete the credit card information section instead.
- You will see a page confirming your enrollment. To invite students to enroll in the course/program using your bulk enrollment, click Invite Students to Enroll. Enter the email(s) and click Send Invite.
Where can I get more support with Canvas Catalog?
Technical support
If you have trouble with Canvas Catalog:
- For help with using Canvas Catalog to complete your course, please visit our Canvas student guide.
- For inquiries related to Workplace Learning courses and refunds, contact the Workplace Learning Ecosystem team at support.wpl@ubc.ca as your first point of contact.
- For general inquiries and refunds, contact us for further assistance:
604 827 4775 or LT.hub@ubc.ca or visit the LT Hub online.
For trouble with live components of courses specifically:
- Reach out to your course facilitator(s) with questions related to real-time activities such as a synchronous exam or online seminar.
Learn more
- For more how-to instructions available to UBC employees, enroll in the Introduction to Workplace Learning course.
- All new UBC employees must complete a set of required courses as part of their on-boarding process. Check out the required UBC Workplace Learning courses to view descriptions and enroll.