Transfer Credits at Bishop’s University

What is a Transfer Credit?

Transfer Credits are university credits awarded to a student based on learning completed prior to the beginning of their studies at Bishop’s University.

They come in two main forms: advanced credit and exemption credit and can be allocated as direct equivalencies or unassigned elective credits.

What is an advanced credit?

Advanced credits are credits awarded for coursework completed at a previous academic institution (formal learning) or professional experience (informal learning). Advanced credits reduce the number of total credits required for a student to complete a program or overall degree.

They can be allocated as direct equivalencies or unassigned elective credits (explained below) and count towards the student’s total degree credit count at Bishop’s University.

What is an exemption credit?

Exemption credits are specific credits awarded for coursework completed at a previous academic institution. Exemption credits do not reduce the number of total credits required for a student to complete a program or overall degree. The course(s) will appear on the student’s transcript but will not be counted towards their total degree credit count.

What is the difference between a direct equivalency and an unassigned elective credit?

Transfer credits can be awarded as a direct equivalency or as an unassigned elective credit. A direct equivalency is awarded when upon evaluation of the prior learning it is determined that there is a specific course that it is equivalent to at Bishop’s University (eg. GEN101 at University X is equal to GEN105 at Bishop’s University).

Unassigned elective credits are awarded when upon evaluation of previous studies or experience it is determined that there is not a specific course that it is equivalent to at Bishop’s University, however, it is equated to university level credit (eg. Engineering 101 at University X is equal to 3 unassigned elective (ELE) credits at Bishop’s University).

Timeline – When are credits evaluated?

The full official advanced credit and exemption credit evaluation is done for every student who has applied for a degree program, been offered admission into that program, and accepted the offer by the required deadlines.

Please note that Bishop’s University will not provide an official equivalency evaluation if a student has not accepted their offer.

Population Eligibility

Do you qualify for transfer credits based on your situation?

Students who apply to Bishop’s University could be entitled to advanced credits and/or exemption credits. To find out if you do, please click on the option that best describes your situation in the section below:

CEGEP Students

CEGEP students who have completed a diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC) will be automatically granted 30 advanced elective credits. Courses listed in the CEGEP Credit Chart – Tableau d’équivalences will be given as exemption credits unless the student qualifies for advanced credits under a specific DEC-BAC agreement. Please see below for additional information on DEC-BAC agreements.

Students entering a Williams School of Business program who have successfully completed their DEC will also be automatically exempted from ILT100.

Cegep DEC-BAC Agreements

CEGEP students who complete a 3-year DEC-BAC program may be eligible to receive advanced credit for similar completed courses at the CEGEP level upon admission to Bishop’s University.

Consult the DEC-BAC Agreements page for information on recognized DEC-BAC programs and participating Bishop’s degrees.

Canadian High School Students

Canadian High School students are not entitled to any advanced credits. However, if an eligible math course has been completed from the MAT190 exemption chart, the student could be entitled to a MAT190 course exemption.

USA High School Students and AP Examinations

Students could be entitled to a MAT190 course exemption if a calculus or pre-calculus math course has been completed. This assessment will be done on an individual basis and in certain cases, the Admissions Office may request a course description.

AP Examinations

Students can receive advanced standing credit at Bishop’s University for most AP exams completed with a score of 3 or better. View the current AP Advanced Credit Chart for details. An official score report sent from the College Board is required.

Courses that do not appear on the AP Transfer Chart could potentially be eligible for advanced credits. Courses that aren’t listed on the chart are sent by the Admissions Office to their designated department for a final review to determine if the credit can be allocated.

AP exams already written, as well as AP exams you intend to write, must be declared at the time of the application. Students will not receive credit for AP exams taken after their degree has started.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Students

Students can receive credit at Bishop’s University for most Higher Level and Standard Level IB courses completed with a score of 5 or better. View the current IB Exemption Chart for details. Students who complete the full IB Diploma are eligible to receive 30 advanced standing credits, equivalent to one year of full-time study.

If you do not have a IB diploma, you may receive exemption credits for your Higher Level and Standard Level IB courses completed with a score of 5 or better. Note that an official IB transcript must be provided.

Advanced standing credits and exemption credits are only assessed once the Final IB Transcript is issued.

Students who have completed grade 12 IB Mathematics are exempted from MAT190.

(IB) Career-related Programme (CP)

15 advanced standing credits will be awarded for the completion of the IBCP, including specific exemptions for individual HL and SL exams completed with a score of 5 or higher. View the current IB Exemption Chart for details.

Baccalauréat Français (BACF) Students

Students can receive credit at Bishop’s University for certain BACF Premiere and Terminale courses completed with a score of 12 or better. View the current BACF Exemption Chart for details.

Students who complete the baccalauréat général with mention assez bien are eligible to receive up to 30 advanced standing credits, equivalent to one year of full-time study.

Students who have completed a baccalauréat professionel or baccalauréat technologique are not entitled to advanced credits.

A-Level/British-Patterned System Students

Students who complete three A-Level exams with no grade lower than C are eligible to receive 30 advanced standing credits, equivalent to one year of full-time study. Individual A-Level exams completed with a score of C or higher will be allocated as exemption credits.

Students who do not meet the requirement to receive 30 advanced standing credits can be allocated individual A-Level exams completed with a score of C or higher as advanced standing credit.

View the current A-Level Transfer Credit Chart for details.

AS-Level exams are not eligible for advanced standing credit.

International High School Students and CAPE Examinations

International High School students are not normally entitled to any advanced credits. However, if a calculus or pre-calculus math course has been completed, the student could be entitled to a MAT190 course exemption. This assessment will be done on an individual basis and in certain cases, the Admissions Office may request a course description.

CAPE Examinations

Students who complete six units of CAPE exams with no grade lower than III are eligible to receive 30 advanced standing credits, equivalent to one year of full-time study. Individual CAPE exams completed with a score of III or higher will be allocated as exemption credits.

Students who do not meet the requirement to receive 30 advanced standing credits can be allocated individual CAPE exams completed with a score of III or higher as advanced standing credit.

View the current CAPE Transfer Credit Chart for details.

College Transfer Students

Students who have completed an academic (as opposed to technical/vocational) diploma at a North American college with a minimum final GPA of 3.0 or equivalent may be eligible to receive advanced standing credit upon admission to Bishop’s University, depending upon college program completed and university program applied to.

In all cases, official course descriptions (in English or French) must be submitted to the Admissions Office for evaluation.

Bishop’s University has formal articulation agreements with a number of colleges in Canada. Students graduating from articulated college programs may be eligible for guaranteed transfer credit. View the current College Transfer Guide for details.

Advanced standing credit for students with completed pre-university college programs that are not a part of a formal articulation agreement will be evaluated on an individual basis. Normally a “50% rule” is used as a guideline, where a student completing a two-year college program with a GPA above 3.0 would receive one-year worth of credit.

In all cases, a maximum of 60 advanced credits may be granted towards a 120-credit program. At least 50% of major program requirements must be completed at Bishop’s University.

Note that students from Humber and Georgian College who have started but have not completed a 4-year degree (B.A./B.B.A./B.Sc.) could be eligible to receive advanced standing credit similarly to those who are university transfer students. If a student has completed their degree, they will be considered a second degree student.

No transfer credits are offered for incomplete college programs.

University Transfer Students and Readmitted Students

Students who have studied at a university may be eligible to receive advanced standing credit at Bishop’s University.

Normally any university-level course where a C or higher is obtained at the previous university is eligible for advanced standing credit. If a student is allocated grade “P” for Pass they will need to communicate with the Admissions Office to have their credit reviewed. A maximum of 60 advanced credits may be granted towards a 120-credit program. At least 50% of major program requirements must be completed at Bishop’s University.

Students transferring from a Canadian University can visit the University Course Equivalency Catalogue to search for course equivalencies previously allocated at BU from select Canadian Universities.

Readmitted students can be entitled to advanced credits if they have studied elsewhere since they last attended Bishop’s University. The conditions above apply.

What you need to provide us to get started

Submit a final transcript to the Admissions Office.
Submit official course descriptions (in English or French) for each course taken at your previous institution(s). This must be provided to the Admissions Office for evaluation. The course descriptions must be submitted in PDF format. The document must include the following information:
- Institution name
- Title of the course
- Course code indicated on the transcript
- Official course description
- Course credit value

Second Degree Students

Candidates who have completed a Bachelor’s degree at a university in North America who are admitted to Bishop’s University for a second Bachelor’s degree must complete all of the major program requirements of the degree. Elective credit requirements will be waived. A minimum of 30 credits and at least 50% of major program requirements must be completed at Bishop’s University as a part of their second-degree. The maximum credits a student can receive is 90 advanced credits. This includes elective credits and applicable major program requirement previously completed.

Students who have completed a previous University degree at Bishop’s University will have their exemptions and elective credits automatically transferred to their second degree.

Candidates who have completed a Bachelor degree at a university outside North America must submit an Évaluation comparative des études effectuées hors du Québec or a World Education Services (WES) degree equivalency showing that the international degree is recognized as equivalent to a Bachelor degree in Quebec in order to be considered as second-degree candidates.

Students who do not provide a comparative evaluation will be assessed as university transfer students. A maximum of 60 elective advanced credits may be granted towards a 120-credit program. At least 50% of major program requirements must be completed at Bishop’s University.

Applicable for Education students only:
If a student has a previous university degree, you are exempted from ILT101.

Applicable for Business students only:
If a student has a previous university degree, you are exempted from ILT100.

Mature Students

Mature students are granted advanced standing credit as follows:

If a student has a five-year gap or more from the last time they completed any secondary or post-secondary studies to the start of their entering semester: 30 credits.
If a student has a less-than-five-year gap from the last time they completed any secondary or post-secondary studies to the start of their entering semester: 15 credits.
Students with prior university experience would be evaluated on an individual basis. Normally they would qualify for at least one of the above credit allocations and/or would receive credit for their prior university courses. All evaluations would be subject to the normal requirements/restrictions for university transfer students.

Note that Mature students are not automatically exempted from MAT190 or ILT100 / ILT101 / ILT104.

Students who have previously completed AP exams with a score of 3 or better will be assessed for advanced credit. View the current AP Advanced Credit Chart for details. An official score report sent from the College Board is required.

IPERC-ACCP Students

Students who have completed an Advanced College Credit Pathway dual enrolment program at an ACCP Center through Marquette University are entitled to the advanced credits mentioned in the IPERC-ACCP Advanced Credit Chart.

Courses that do not appear on the chart will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Exchange Students from a partner university

MAT190 is automatically exempted for all exchange students.

Part-time General Interest Students

Part-time General Interest students are not eligible for advanced or exemption credits. If a Part-time General Interest Student is accepted into a degree program their advanced credits will be assessed based on their academic history.

Frequently Asked Questions

If your questions are still unanswered, we invite you to consult our Q&A below for additional information.

This could be for any number of reasons, including not having the sufficient grade to make the course(s) eligible for transfer credit, the Admissions Office not having your latest transcript, or the evaluation is still in progress.

For more information on your exact situation, you may contact the Admissions Office directly at 819-822-9600 ext. 2680 or admissions@ubishops.ca.

While Bishop’s University may award course equivalency, the institution does not transfer letter or numerical course grades. The course equivalency will appear on your transcript as a credit without a grade.

Advanced and exemption credits do not affect your B.U. GPA.

Courses that have been credited over 10 years ago undergo a deterioration of credit review. Credits taken more than 10 years ago are evaluated on a case-by-case basis for eligibility.

Advanced credit from another institution:
If you have taken a class at a previous university and it has been evaluated and qualifies for advanced credit, it will appear on your transcript. If you choose to repeat the course, the advanced credit listed on your transcript will be removed and replaced with the Bishop’s University course.

Credit from Bishop’s University:
If you have taken a course previously at Bishop’s University and you wish to take it again you may choose to do so. If you choose to complete the course a second time, this grade will count regardless of whether it is a better grade. The first grade will remain visible on the transcript, however, it will not be counted towards one’s GPA. The course taken initially will have a “RNC” (Repeated – No Credit) notation and the course taken the second time will have a “RFC” (Repeat – For Credit) notation on the transcript.

Student who are entering a certificate program are entitled to receive up to 9 advanced credits. These credits must be program specific requirements in order to be awarded.

For more information, please consult our Academic Calendar.

Students may consult their unofficial transcript accessible on their myBU portal to view any allocated credit.

Screenshot explaining where to find the unofficial transcript in myBU: click on Grades, then on Unofficial Transcript

During the Spring (Fall semester) and the Fall (Winter semester). Normally credits will be given before the start of course registration in both semesters, provided all the necessary information has been received by the Admissions Office.

Yes, it is possible for students to get both types of credits. It is important to remember that an Official AP transcript sent by the college board must be provided to the Admissions Office at Bishop’s University to review and allocate any AP advanced credits.

All eligible CEGEP level exemptions are added to a student’s transcript to prevent issues from arising if a student chooses to change programs during their studies at B.U.

Students who are considered mature students for the purpose of their admission will not be allocated advanced credit for their DEC, BACF, A-Level exams or IB diploma, however, exemption credits could be granted.

Yes. Students who complete courses in a dual enrollment program could be eligible to receive advanced credits. Courses will be given as unassigned elective credits.

Still have questions? Please email us at admissions@ubishops.ca.