Transfer Help
Transfer Tip
The Course to Course Transfer Guide shows exactly how your courses transfer. Check your courses prior to registration to make sure they transfer the way you want them to.
In this section:
- Transfer Credit: Assigned, Unassigned and Cluster
- SFU WQB Requirements
- Block Transfer
- Prior Learning Assessment
- Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate
- Program Transfer
Types of Transfer Credit
There are many different ways in which transfer credit can be awarded. Each institution has its own policy regarding the type of transfer credit they award. Here are some of the different ways in which transfer credit can be awarded.
TRANSFER CREDIT
Transfer credit is the most common form of transfer offered. When you apply and are admitted to another institution, your transcript will be evaluated for transfer credit. Depending on the courses you took, transfer credit can be awarded in several different ways:
Assigned Credit - Credit is granted for a specific course.
For example:
- CAP ENGL 100 = UVIC ENGL 115 (3)
- SELK CHEM 110 = UFV CHEM 110 (3)
Unassigned Credit – Credit is granted for a specific subject and year level. If the institution you are transferring to does not offer an equivalent for the courses you have taken, you will often be awarded unassigned credit. This credit can be used as an elective towards your credential.
For example:
- UBC ENGL 1st (3) - 3 credits of first year English at UBC
- TRU COMP 200 lev (3) - 3 credits of 200 level Computer Science at TRU
- UNBC FREN 1XX (3) - 3 credits of 100 level French at UNBC
Cluster Credit – Two or more courses must be completed to receive transfer credit. Because institutions differ in the way courses are instructed, direct equivalencies cannot always be established. In some cases, institutions will create transfer agreements that involve multiple courses. This is known as cluster credit. Both courses must be taken in order to receive transfer credit, unless otherwise specified.
For example:
- LANG HIST 1115 & 1130 = UBC HIST 125
- DOUG HIST 1103 & DOUG HIST 1104 = UVIC HIST 105
To see how your courses transfer, use the Course to Course Transfer Guide .
SFU WRITING, QUANTITATIVE & BREADTH (WQB) REQUIREMENTS
Simon Fraser University has implemented a new undergraduate curriculum designed to enrich the quality of an SFU education. These changes take effect for students entering SFU in September 2006 and after. This effects students seeking to transfer to SFU. All students who wish to complete a degree at SFU will be required to complete a number of courses meeting SFU's Writing (W), Quantitative (Q) and Breadth (B) requirements. To assist students who are planning to transfer, BCCAT is publishing in the BC Transfer Guide whether a course meets one of these requirements at SFU.
A course that meets SFU's Writing (W) requirement will have a W after the transfer credit::
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A course that meets SFU's Quantitative (Q) requirement will have a Q after the transfer credit:
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A course that meets SFU's Breadth (B) requirement, will have a B and a subject area after the transfer credit:
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In some cases, courses can be used to meet more than one of SFU's WQB requirements:
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For more information on SFU's WQB requirements, please visit http://www.sfu.ca/ugcr/.
BLOCK TRANSFER
Block Transfer occurs when a group of courses, often in the form of a certificate or diploma, is recognized for transfer credit. For example, if you completed a two-year forestry diploma at college, you will receive block credit if you are transferring into a Forestry degree program at an institution with which your college has an agreement. You should be able to transfer directly into the second or third year of the degree program depending on the agreement.
Block transfer works well if you complete the entire diploma at your college. If you don’t complete the entire diploma, you’ll probably still receive some transfer credit if the individual courses are listed in the Course to Course Transfer Guide.
To see which institutions have block transfer agreements, use the Block Transfer Guide.
PRIOR LEARNING ASSESMENT AND RECOGNITION (PLAR)
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is a process whereby students receive credit for learning that’s occurred in a non-standard or non-traditional environment. This is different from transfer credit. Most institutions allow students to use some PLAR credits towards a credential, but not all institutions grant transfer credit for credit earned elsewhere through PLAR. If you have this type of credit, carefully check the policy of the institution to which you wish to transfer.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) AND INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)
The International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) programs are enriched secondary school program that provides students with the opportunity to earn advanced credit towards their undergraduate degrees. If you have completed IB or AP courses, you may be eligible for advanced credit.
To find out what type of advanced credit is available for your IB and AP courses, use the IB/AP Transfer Guides.
PROGRAM TRANSFER
Faculty members in many institutions often collaborate to arrange special transfer agreements for their discipline.
To find information on a variety of transfer guides, brochures and career options, check out the Program Specific Transfer Guides.