Credit Transfer Policy

Approver:: Academic Coordinating Committee
Policy Owner:: Vice-President, Academic
Policy Lead(s):: Executive Director, Registrarial Services
Effective date:: 2015-03-18
Date of last approval:: 2024-01-31

Policy Statement

Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (hereafter referred to as “Conestoga”), supports the transferability of academic credits between programs and educational institutions through recognized Transfer Pathways, Articulation Agreements, and course-to-course Credit Transfer equivalencies.

The purpose of the Credit Transfer Policy is to establish criteria for recognizing and awarding credit for prior learning through courses and programs completed at Recognized Postsecondary Institutions.

Scope

This policy applies to all registered students in full-time and part-time programs at Conestoga.

Definitions

Conestoga College maintains a glossary of terms specific to the institution. The terms in use for this document are defined below.

Academic Team

Includes the Deans, Chairs, Program Coordinators, and Faculty who are responsible for academic content and delivery. 

Advanced Standing

The granting of a specified block of credit for the completion of a group of courses typically based on the completion of an approved credential or full program, from Conestoga or another institution. These will be noted on the Official Transcript with an ‘EX.’

Articulation

The process of assessing programs or courses offered at other institutions to determine whether to grant credit towards the earning of a Conestoga postsecondary credential. Articulation is therefore the process, while Block Credit Transfer or Credit Transfer is the end result.

Articulation Agreement

Official agreement between post-secondary institutions that allow students who have completed specified curriculum to apply to another program and enroll with advanced standing. They define the terms and conditions enabling students to transfer between specific programs and may also outline which courses or programs taken at the sending institution will apply to graduation requirements at the receiving institution.

Block Transfer

Otherwise known as Advanced Standing, is the granting of a block of credit for the completion of a group of courses typically based on the completion of an approved credential or full program, from Conestoga or another institution.

Collaborative Academic Agreement

An agreement which defines the terms and conditions of inter-institutional collaboration. The intent of collaborative academic agreements is to provide
academic opportunities to students in alignment with Conestoga’s missions, values, and strategic enrolment plan.

Collaborative Program

An academic program offered jointly by university and college partners. The partners have agreed on a defined sharing of responsibility for curriculum that is recognized by both institutions as earning credit toward one or more credentials. Some collaborative programs offer graduates a diploma and a degree.

Course Equivalency

The granting of course credit for the successful completion of an equivalent course at Conestoga College.

Course Exemption

The granting of course credit for the recognition of knowledge, skills, or abilities that are demonstrated and/or assessed via assessment measures that are recognized by or approved by Conestoga (e.g., Advanced Placement courses.) These will be noted on the Official Transcript with an ‘EX.’

Credit

The numerical value assigned to a course by a postsecondary institution, typically based on the number of contact hours / instructional hours per week that will then determine the weight for a course in the calculation of grade point average (GPA).

Credit Transfer

Credit Transfer is the recognition of a credit by Conestoga for courses or programs completed in another program or recognized academic institution at a postsecondary level. These will be noted on the Official Transcript with a ‘TC.’

Effective Dates

Effective dates indicate when the equivalency is valid. The start date represents the date when the course was first reviewed by the Academic Team and added to the Credit Transfer Database. The end date indicates when the Credit Transfer / Course Equivalency is no longer valid.

Equivalent Learning

The learning outcomes in one course or a combination of courses are comparable if: 80% or greater of the course outcomes of the Conestoga course are covered and credits/course hours are equivalent to or greater than the Conestoga course. Evaluation and assessment criteria may also be considered.

Letter of Permission

A letter provided to a student giving permission to take courses at another recognized postsecondary institution that once successfully completed will be considered for credit towards their program at Conestoga, subject to faculty/program approval and regulations/accreditation.

Official Transcript

An official academic record produced by the Office of the Registrar which reports a student’s cumulative academic record, courses and credits taken, grades or achievement levels obtained, and credentials earned.

Recognized Postsecondary Institution

Conestoga considers the following as “recognized” for the purposes of evaluating Credit Transfer and awarding Block Credit Transfer:

Member institutions of the Ontario Council on Admission and Transfer Credit (ONCAT)
Canadian public postsecondary institutions
University Canada member institutions
Canadian degree-granting institutions that are primarily faith-based and approved as a private postsecondary institution in Canada
International institutions considered accredited or recognized in their country, as determined by the Office of the Registrar through accreditation reference materials or the Ministries of Education of that country.

The Office of the Vice President, Academic, may approve credits obtained from any institution or organization that does not meet the above criteria upon consultation with the Registrar and at the request of the appropriate Dean or designate.

Source Course(s)

A course or courses that the student has successfully completed at a Recognized Postsecondary Institution other than Conestoga College, in which the student has typically achieved a grade of no less than 65% (C+), that the student is using to obtain credit in the Target Course.

Target Course(s)

The Conestoga College course(s) for which the student is applying to receive credit.

Transfer Pathway

Defined route from one program or institution to another program or institution that specifies eligibility requirements and how Credit Transfers will be accepted and applied at the receiving institution. Transfer Pathways usually apply to multiple sending institutions and one or more receiving institutions and do not require formal signed agreement between institutions.

Policy

The Credit Transfer Policy reflects Conestoga’s goal of supporting student mobility through the development of Transfer Pathways and Articulation Agreements. In all Credit Transfer arrangements, the academic integrity of Conestoga’s courses and programs is protected and preserved.
The primary purpose of recognizing previous postsecondary learning is to increase student access to postsecondary education at Conestoga by facilitating mobility within and between other Recognized Institutions and Conestoga.
Whenever possible, Conestoga maximizes a student’s ability to satisfy program requirements through Credit Transfer.
In all Credit Transfer arrangements, the academic integrity of Conestoga’s courses and programs must be protected and preserved.
Transfer of credit is awarded for courses successfully completed at other Recognized Postsecondary Institutions and when Equivalent Learning is established and approved. Typically, courses must be successfully completed with a minimum passing grade of 65% to be considered for Credit Transfer.
Block Credit Transfer, also referred to as Advanced Standing, is awarded for successfully completed programs from Recognized Postsecondary Institutions when an approved Transfer Pathway or Articulation Agreement is in place.
Graduates from the same MCU-approved programs are awarded equal Block Credit Transfer regardless of the originating institution.
All requests for Credit Transfer and Block Credit Transfer require the submission of official documentation.
International transcripts must be formally assessed (e.g., International Credential Assessment Service, World Education Services).
Transfer of academic credit is reflected on the official student record and will not be used when calculating the program GPA.
When a Conestoga course code is identical between programs, or the programs are determined to be equivalent learning, credit is automatically granted, and the grade achieved stands.
Conestoga reserves the right to determine the time frame that a Source Course is considered valid and therefore eligible for Credit Transfer. Typically, Credit Transfer will not be awarded for courses that were completed more than 5 years before the date the application for Credit Transfer is submitted. However, in industries where there has been significant change, the time frame may be shortened. Such eligibility is determined by the Academic Team.
In cases where students are applying for Credit Transfer to satisfy the general education or degree breadth requirements of their program, the course must have been completed within 10 years of applying for Credit Transfer.
In cases in which the learning outcomes of the Source Course are determined to be Equivalent Learning to more than one Target Course, multiple credits may be granted. Multiple Source Courses may be used to grant credit to one Target Course.
Once a Source Course has been used to award Credit Transfer, it may not be used again for any additional Credit Transfer applications.
The maximum credit allowed through transfer of credits is 75% of the program credits. Therefore, at least 25% of the program credits must be taken under the direct supervision of Conestoga faculty within the program of study.
The maximum credit that may be obtained through Recognition of Prior Learning (PLAR):
1. for certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, and graduate certificates is 75% of the program credits.
2. for degrees is 50% of the program credits.
Credit Transfer is not granted
1. based on a previous exemption. The Source Course and transcript must be submitted for review.
2. where accreditation requirements supersede.
3. for students entering into an advanced semester where program promotion standards/grades are not met.
Source Courses from credentials used as part of admission requirements into a graduate certificate program cannot be used for Credit Transfer unless approved by the chair of the program.

Relevant Legislation and Related Documents

Relevant legislation

Handbook for Ontario Colleges, Applying for Ministerial Consent under the Post-Secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2014

Revision Log

Date	Details
2015-01-21	Academic Forum – Approved
2015-03-09	Policy and Procedure Committee – Approved
2015-03-18	Academic Coordinating Committee – Approved
2017-05-17	Academic Forum – Revisions Approved
2017-06-09	Academic Coordinating Committee – Revisions Approved
2024-01-24	Academic Forum
2024-01-31	Academic Coordinating Committee