What is Transfer and Transfer Credit?

Transfer is the movement of students between post-secondary institutions. Transfer credit is the credit received for prior post-secondary studies.

What is the Online Alberta Transfer Guide?

The Online Alberta Transfer Guide is the official statement of transfer agreements in Alberta. It lists course and program transfer agreements in the province for a specific academic year and other important admissions information.

Important Transfer Information

The Online Alberta Transfer Guide indicates the minimum transfer credit available for prior post-secondary courses and programs, upon admission to a post-secondary institution. Additional transfer credit may be negotiable on an individual basis.

Transfer agreements may be dependent on the particular program you wish to enter and transfer credit is not necessarily reciprocal between programs at an institution. If you switch to an unrelated program, courses may not be transferable.

Each institution has its own requirements and practices for admission of students and awarding of credit. Check institutions' calendar and web site and contact their Registrar's Office for more information.

Types of Transfer

Courses can be transferred individually, as a block or as a program.

A block of courses are courses that are related by subject area but are not part of a specific program, for example Biological Sciences.

A program transfer occurs when you have completed a certificate or diploma program and transfer the credential into the next credential. For example, an Early Childhood Development Certificate can be transferred into Year 2 of a Child and Youth Care Diploma.

University Transfer Programs

University Transfer (UT) programs are offered at ten public colleges in Alberta: Grande Prairie Regional College, Grant MacEwan College, Keyano College, Lakeland College, Lethbridge College, Medicine Hat College, Mount Royal College, Northern Lakes College, Portage College and Red Deer College.

UT programs allow students to begin a degree-level program at a college and then transfer to a university or private college with an accredited degree program to complete the degree. The colleges typically offer up to two years of university-level courses.

Completion of the first or second year of a UT program does not guarantee admission to degree programs at universities or private colleges. Admission is competitive! There may be limitations on the number of students admitted to the degree program.

You must also meet all the admission requirements of the institution. This may mean having the appropriate high school courses and average.

Admission Information

You can access Admissions information for:

• Academic Upgrading courses.
• Accepted grade 12 courses from other provinces for admission.
• Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate course transfers to post-secondary institutions.

Transfer Between Institutions

The Guide includes by-course and by-program transfer agreements between colleges, private colleges, private university colleges, aboriginal colleges, technical institutes and universities.

Of Alberta's four universities, Athabasca University is the only one that lists transfer to other degree-granting institutions. Formalized transfer between the universities of Alberta, Calgary and Lethbridge only exist in the subject areas of Biological Sciences and Engineering.

Generally, universities accept each other's courses for transfer, provided they fit within the student's degree program and have been completed with a final grade that meets the institution's minimum grade requirement for transfer credit. Transfer credit is assessed on an individual basis once a student applies to the university. Contact the Registrar's Office or the Admissions Office at the university you wish to apply for information on having your transfer credit assessed.

Letter of Permission

If you are currently in a program at one institution but wish to take a course at a different institution and have that credit apply to your credential requirements, you will need a Letter of Permission.

A Letter of Permission from your faculty or program head is a guarantee that if you successfully complete the other institution's course, the credit will be applied to your program requirements.

Contact the Registrar's Office and the faculty/program head at your home institution for more information.

Transfer Requirements

Minimum Grade Required for Transfer

All institutions have a minimum grade requirement for transfer courses. Check with the receiving institution regarding their policy.

Number of Courses Transferred

You may receive up to 60 credits for prior post-secondary studies at a receiving institution. Plan your studies to ensure that the courses you take are transferable to the institution you wish to transfer to and are applicable to your program.

Be aware that most receiving institutions have a residency requirement. That is, you must complete a certain amount of courses or credits at the receiving institutions in order to receive the credential.

Transfer Credit Not Listed

If the course you are looking for does not appear in the Online Guide, contact ACAT or the Registrar's Office at the institution where you are taking the course to find out if the course is being evaluated for transfer credit.

Transfer of Past Courses or Programs

Some post-secondary institution programs and courses have time limits, or a shelf life, for granting transfer credit. Subject areas that most commonly have a shorter shelf life include computing science, nursing and business; where an up-to-date curriculum is essential.

You may encounter some transfer credit challenges if you have spread out your studies over a longer period of time. Refer to the institution's transfer policy and the institution's calendar for more information. Be sure to use the Guide that corresponds to the academic year you completed the course or program.

For courses taken in 1993/94 or later, search the Online Guide at www.acat.gov.ab.ca/main.asp. For courses taken prior to 1993/94, contact ACAT at acat@gov.ab.ca of call (780) 422-9021, or toll-free in Alberta, 310-0000, then dial 422-9021.

Reasons Credit Transfer May be Denied

Although courses are listed in the Guide are transferable to another institution, there are reasons why you MIGHT NOT receive the credit noted:

• The courses you took are not appropriate to the program you transferred into
• You have more junior-level courses than the program permits
• You have completed more courses than the maximum allowed by the program or institution
• You did not meet the minimum grade requirement for transfer courses

Click here for information about specific institutions' residency requirements and minimum grade requirements. You can also check out their academic calendars and web sites.

Each institution has an appeal process for students who feel they did not receive the appropriate amount of transfer credit. Contact the Registrar's Office or the academic calendar for more information.

Transfer to or From Another Province

The Guide only includes agreements between institutions within Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. In assessing your transfer credit, post-secondary institutions outside Alberta frequently use the Alberta Transfer Guide as a guide to determine which of your college courses would transfer to a degree-granting institution in Alberta.

For transfer from or to another province, please contact the Registrar's Office or the Admissions Office at the institution you are planning to transfer to. There are also two pan-Canadian protocols supporting transfer between provinces.

College/Technical Institute Transfer

Colleges will generally accept each other's courses for transfer provided the courses are applicable to the program you are transferring into. However, the determination is made by the institution you are transferring to, usually once you have applied to the program.

Contact the Registrar's Office at the institution you are planning to transfer to for their policy. More information about the Association of Canadian Community College's Mobility and Transferability Pan-Canadian Protocolis available at www.accc.ca/english/advocacy/advocacy_priorities/mobility/protocol.htm.

University Transfer

Universities will generally accept each other's courses for transfer provided the courses are applicable to the degree program you are transferring into and that you have the appropriate grades. Transfer credit is assessed on an individual basis, once you apply to the institution. Contact the Registrar's Office at the institution you are planning to transfer to for their policy. More information about the Pan-Canadian Protocol on the Transferability of University Credits is available at www.cmec.ca/postsec/transferabilit.en.stm

International Students

International students should contact the institution's international student office for specific admission and transfer information, and to have any credits or credentials you received outside of Canada assessed.

Checklist

 Research the program and institution you are interested in attending.

 Speak with program advisors when planning your program of studies.

 Make note of GPA requirements and deadlines for application. Remember to have your official transcripts sent.

 Check the Online Alberta Transfer Guide, www.acat.gov.ab.ca/main.asp, for credit transferability.