FAQ and Contacts

Questions About Transfer Credit

1. What is transfer and transfer credit?
2. Who decides what credit will transfer?
3. I took some courses a long time ago. Will they still transfer?
4. Can I transfer from a university outside Alberta to a university in Alberta?
5. How do I transfer credit from one institution to another?
6. If I’m currently attending one institution as a student in a program (i.e., not Open Studies or Continuing Education), and would like to take one course elsewhere, what is the process to transfer credit back?
7. I received transfer credit with XX in the number (e.g., CHEM 2XX, PSYC 2XXX). What does this mean?
8. I’m planning on transferring more than once. How does that work?

Questions About Admissions and Transfer Resources

9. Do you still produce a printed copy of the Alberta Transfer Guide?
10. How do I use the Transfer Alberta Search Tool?
11. How often is information in the Transfer Alberta Search Tool updated?
12. If a course I’ve taken isn’t listed in the search tool, how do I know if I’ll get transfer credit for it?
13. If all of the courses I’ve taken are listed in the search tool, does that mean I am guaranteed transfer credit for them?
14. Why are there generally very few transfer decisions between the University of Alberta, Athabasca University, University of Calgary and University of Lethbridge in the Transfer Alberta Search Tool?
15. Is there a common undergraduate student grading policy and grade point average (GPA) calculation at publicly funded institutions in Alberta?

Answers About Transfer Credit

1.  What is transfer and transfer credit?

Transfer is the movement of students among post-secondary institutions on the basis of their having transfer credit. Transfer credit is credit earned at one post-secondary institution that is accepted for credit at another post-secondary institution. After you have applied to and been accepted in your new program, a transfer credit assessment will be completed.

Learn more about types of transfer credit. 

2.  Who decides what credit will transfer?

The post-secondary institution you want to transfer to determines if your credit will be transferred to your new program of study. See Transfer Credit Types for more information about the ways transfer credit can be assessed.

3.  I took some courses a long time ago. Will they still transfer?

That depends on the post-secondary institution and the program you want to take. Some programs have time limitations for granting transfer credit because of changes to their curriculum (such as computing or nursing courses). Some institutions also have time limitations for granting transfer credit. Read more about how transfer credit works.

If you took these courses before the 2010-2011 school year, they will not appear in the Transfer Alberta Search Tool. Transfer information related to courses and programs from 2002-2003 to 2009-2010 can be found here. Contact us for an archive search for information prior to 2002; our archives go back to 1979.

If you no longer have a course outline for the courses you took, and they are not in the Transfer Alberta Search Tool, try contacting the institution where you took the courses. They can often provide a copy of a course outline.

4.  Can I transfer from a university outside Alberta to a university in Alberta?

Generally, universities in Canada accept courses for transfer when:

• The courses fit within the degree program
• You have completed the courses within a certain time period
• Your final grade meets the program/institution minimum grade requirement

Other information, such as course outlines, may be required by the institution you are transferring to. Transfer credit is assessed on an individual basis once you apply to the university. Learn more about transferring between provinces.

5.  How do I transfer credit from one institution to another?

When you apply to your new institution, you must indicate all the post-secondary schools you have previously attended. If the school(s) is/are part of the ApplyAlberta system, then your transcript will automatically be ordered by your new institution. If they are not part of the ApplyAlberta system, then you must arrange for official transcripts to be forwarded directly from your old institution(s) to your new institution.

If you are admitted to your new program of study, the new institution will complete a transfer credit assessment. Some schools will only assess transfer credit applicable to your selected program of study, while other schools do a general transfer assessment. If the transfer credit is a general assessment, you will need to talk to program staff to determine how your transfer credit can best be applied towards your new program of study.

In many cases, especially for transfer between Alberta post-secondary institutions, transfer credit decisions have already been made.  If no transfer credit decision has been made on the course(s) you took, you may be asked to provide information supplemental to your transcript, such as course outlines. If you are planning on transferring out of province, it’s a good idea to keep a copy of your course outlines to assist in transfer credit assessment.

6.  If I’m currently attending one institution as a student in a program (i.e., not Open Studies or Continuing Education), and would like to take one course elsewhere, what is the process to transfer credit back?

You would:

• Ask your program advisor if the course you want to take can be credited towards your program
• Request a letter of permission from your home institution so you know your transfer credit can be applied towards your program and under what conditions
• Apply to the other institution where you will be a visiting student
• Arrange to have your transcripts sent directly to your home institution once you have successfully completed the course as a visiting student

7. I received transfer credit with XX in the number (e.g., CHEM 2XX, PSYC 2XXX). What does this mean?

This means that the course you took is not close enough in content for you to be granted transfer credit for a specific course, but it can apply towards a specific discipline and level of study. If it fits in your program of study, you can use this course towards your credential. It can also be used as a general prerequisite (e.g., 200 level Chemistry course). However, it can not be used as a specific course prerequisite.

Sometimes a course is not assigned a specific discipline e.g., ARTS 3XXX. Such courses may have been taken in a discipline the institution you are going to does not offer. Such courses may be used as option courses towards your degree, if they fit into your program of study.
For information on how your assessed transfer credit applies towards your program of study, contact a program advisor at the institution you are going to.

8. I’m planning on transferring more that once. How does that work?

Be aware that assessment of transfer credit is always the responsibility of the institution you are transferring to. So if you attended two institutions previously, both of your previous transcripts will be assessed by the institution you are going to.
For information on how your assessed transfer credit applies towards your program of study, contact a program advisor at the institution you are going to.

The assessment Institution B makes of Transcript A may differ from the assessment Institution C makes of transcript A, especially if you have moved from out of province

Answers About Admissions and Transfer Resources

9.  Do you still produce a printed copy of the Alberta Transfer Guide?

In the past, a printed Alberta Transfer Guide provided all general admission and transfer information, including transfer agreements with post-secondary institutions. It’s since been replaced with the Transfer Alberta website and Transfer Alberta Search tool.

10.  How do I use the Transfer Alberta Search tool?

You’ll be asked a series of questions relating to your personal experience and education you may have already completed, such as courses or programs you have completed and in what academic years you completed them. As you answer these questions, the tool will start identifying transfer opportunities decisions by institutions that may apply to you.

11.  How often is information in the Transfer Alberta Search tool updated?

Data for the Transfer Alberta Search Tool is updated on an ongoing basis as new information is added by post-secondary institutions. That said, we ask that you confirm results with the post-secondary institution you are planning to attend before you apply.

12.  If a course I’ve taken isn’t listed in the search tool, how do I know if I’ll get transfer credit for it?

If you don’t see a transfer decision listed for your course(s) for the academic year in which you completed it (e.g., 2016/17), re-confirm that you have selected the correct year for your completion. If you still don’t see your course(s), try using the “Filter” option and search for different keywords associated with your course using “Select Subjects taken” or “Filter by Course or Keyword”. If the course still doesn’t appear in your results, there may not be a formalized transfer agreement for it. This does not necessarily mean you won’t get credit for that course. 

If transfer information is not listed in the search tool, contact the institution you want to attend and ask about whether a transfer credit assessment already exists. Assessment of your individual transcript will only happen after you have been admitted to your new program of study.

13.  If all of the courses I’ve taken are listed in the search tool, does that mean I am guaranteed transfer credit for them?

Getting transfer credit depends on a number of factors. Transfer decisions listed in Transfer Alberta are only one consideration. You also need to consider:

• Are these courses relevant to the program I want to transfer to? If not, you may not receive transfer credit.
• How long ago did I take these courses? Some programs have time limitations for granting transfer credit because their curriculum changes over time (such as computing or nursing courses).
• Do your grades meet Entry and/or program of study requirements for your new program?
• Are you transferring more credits than the maximum allowed by your institution and/or program of study?

Read more about how transfer credit works.

14. Why are there generally very few transfer decisions between the University of Alberta, Athabasca University, University of Calgary and University of Lethbridge in the Transfer Alberta Search Tool?

These four universities have a general understanding that they will grant transfer credit for courses under the following circumstances:

• The course fits within the new program you are transferring to
• You have completed the courses within a certain number of years (varies, depending on the course)
• You have achieved the minimum grade requirement

The institution you want to transfer to will perform a transfer credit assessment upon admission.

If the FAQs above do not answer your question, please email us at transferalberta@gov.ab.ca. We can clarify any results you may be getting, or answer questions as to why you are not finding any results. ACAT maintains the Search Tool and its related database, but the information (e.g., programs  and courses) is owned and entered by all participating institutions, who share their transfer decisions as “to” institutions for students coming to their institutions. We do not control which courses and programs appear in the Search Tool.

We can also help point you towards additional transfer resources to assist you in planning your educational pathway.

If you have questions related to your individual transcript and/or transfer credit assessment, we encourage you to contact the institution you wish to attend.  Each “to” institution will make its own transfer credit assessment.

15. Is there a common undergraduate student grading policy and grade point average (GPA) calculation at publicly funded institutions in Alberta?

In Alberta, undergraduate students have a common 4.0 Alpha Grading Scale (and numeric equivalents) and common Grade Point Average (GPA) calculation that are generally used by publicly funded institutions. See a summary and example of this grading scale and GPA calculation under Admission Requirements, and see institution grading policies on their websites for additional details.