In this section:

• Transfer from Another University
• Transfer between Colleges
• Transfer from another province/country

Transfer from Another University

Many students who are currently attending a university in BC look to transfer to another university or college. University to university transfer works the same way as transfer from a college. Students must first apply to the university they wish to transfer to and submit an official transcript of the work they have completed to date. If the university admits the student, they will automatically be evaluated for transfer credit.

Why Can't I Find Transfer Agreements Between Some Universities in the BC Transfer Guide?

Some universities do not create transfer agreements between them but have instead affirmed the principles of the Pan-Canadian Protocol on University Transfer, formulated by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) in 1995. The terms of this protocol state:

All course work completed by transfer students during the first two years of university study in Canada will be recognized and fully credited for the purposes of granting a degree provided that:

the transfer student is deemed admissible and has been presented with an offer of admission; the transfer student has achieved a passing grade in his/her course(s) and has obtained grade levels that would normally be required of continuing students; and the credits earned are related to the program of study in which the transfer student will register, or the credits can be counted as electives for the program of study.

In practice this means that students who transfer between universities will receive transfer credit, however the specific credit awarded will not be determined until after an offer of admission is made.

If a Course Transfers from a College to a University, will it transfer the same way in reverse?

Not necessarily. There can be enough differences between the topics covered and the academic rigour of courses that reciprocity should not be assumed. If you are trying to transfer a university course back to a college, you should speak to an advisor at the institution you are looking to transfer to.

Top

Transfer between Colleges

Transfer agreements between colleges (sending institutions) are not listed in the BC Transfer Guide. Students traditionally begin their first two years of study at a college before transferring to a university to complete their degree programs. Even though students often move between colleges, when they apply to a receiving institution, they will have their transcripts evaluated individually by the receiving institution. Therefore, even if a student is granted transfer credit from one college at another, the receiving institution will re-evaluate all their course work individual for transfer credit.

Students who are seeking information on transfer credit between colleges should contact an advisor at the institution. Most institutions will offer transfer credit for courses taken at other colleges, however the details of the transfer credit will not be determined until after an offer of admission is made.

Top

Transfer from Another Province/Country

The BC Transfer Guide only contains transfer information for institutions located within BC (with the exception of Yukon College). However, many students each year transfer credits to and from BC. The process for transfer from another province or country is fairly straightforward. First, you should apply to the institution you are seeking to transfer to, and arrange to have official transcripts sent directly from your home institution. If an offer of admission is made, you may be evaluated for transfer credit. Check with the institution to find out whether your transcript will be automatically evaluated for transfer credit, or whether you have to request an evaluation.

The following sections provide more details:

Transfer to BC from Outside BC

When a student requests transfer credit for courses completed elsewhere, the most important consideration will be the equivalency of the courses to those offered by the BC institution. The closer the match between the original program and the program to which a student is transferring, the more likely transfer credit will be awarded. For example, arts and science courses from an accredited institution will normally transfer to arts and science degree programs at BC institutions without problem. Receiving transfer credit for specialized programs or courses that do not have a good fit with the institution's offerings is more difficult. Students are advised to provide detailed course outlines or evidence of existing transfer agreements.

Students will only be granted transfer credit if they are admitted to the institution. Application for admission is competitive, and students should be in acceptable academic standing at their current or previous institution. Transfer students normally have completed a full year (24-30 credits) of transferable courses.

For more information, see How Transfer Works.

Transfer from Alberta

Alberta institutions have similar programs to BC institutions and transfer works the same way as in BC. Therefore, if the course transfers to a receiving institution in Alberta, those courses will normally transfer to a receiving institution in BC. Check the Alberta Transfer Guide for information on transferability as a good first step.

Transfer from a University outside of BC

Most universities in Canada have agreed to accept each other's courses for transfer credit, through the Pan-Canadian Protocol on University Transfer. The same principles apply to transfer between any Canadian universities as apply to transfer between universities in BC. However, since BC receiving institutions may have less information on courses and programs at non-BC universities, students are advised to provide detailed course outlines for the courses they have taken.

Transfer from the USA

If the course or program is from an accredited degree granting institution such as a university or a two or four year college with established transfer agreements with the leading State universities, transfer credit is normally granted, provided the courses are similar to those in the program to which the student is applying. Once again, students are advised to provide detailed course outlines

Transfer from Another Country (other than the USA)

Students who have not yet finished a degree and who are seeking transfer credit for courses or programs taken in a country other than Canada or the USA should inquire with the institution they plan on transferring to. Students may have to provide proof of English language proficiency, and have official translations of their transcripts if they are from a non-English speaking country. Because post-secondary programs vary from country to country, students are advised to provide detailed course outlines or evidence of existing transfer agreements.

Transferring out of BC

In general, students can use the information about transferring in to BC as a guide to transferring out of BC. Transfer to another university in Canada or the USA should be fairly straightforward since credit transfer is common. In other countries, credit transfer may be more problematic.

To maximize the chance of successful transfer to an institution outside BC, students are advised to:

Keep course outlines for all courses taken; Refer receiving institutions to the BC Transfer Guide for verification that their courses are transferable to universities within BC

Top