Frequently Asked Questions About Transfer Guide and Exemptions

Transfer Credit Policy Overview and Eligibility

Policy Overview

Students who have completed courses at another accredited post-secondary institution or at George Brown College may be eligible for admission to a level higher than first year/semester (advanced standing). In addition, you may be eligible for individual transfer credits in any semester. All such applications will be assessed in competition with other new applications and will be judged on academic and, where applicable, non-academic criteria, as well as availability of space.

When you are granted transfer credits you may:

  • Reduce required time to graduate,
  • Enhance your studies with further education,
  • Minimize barrier(s) to mobility, eliminate credit duplication,
  • Reduce cost.

All students must possess the required program subject prerequisite(s), or equivalent(s) and required grade(s) for these subjects/entrance averages. All admissions are subject to competition.

Transfer Credit Eligibility

Continuing Education, Certificate & Diploma Program Transfers:
Students who have completed studies at another accredited post-secondary institution or at George Brown College must have received:

  • C- or better (where C- equals 60% or higher) at George Brown in the Certificate & Diploma level or other accredited post-Secondary Intuitions for courses to be eligible for transfer credits to another Continuing Education, Certificate & Diploma Programs.

Degree Program Transfers:
Students who have completed studies at another accredited post-secondary institution or at George Brown College must have received:
- C or better (where C equals 63% or higher) for degree level or University courses, or
- B or better (where B equals 70% or higher) in a Certificate or Diploma level at an accredited community college/institute of technology courses to be eligible for transfer credits to a degree level program.

Notes:
These grades will not be recorded as graded courses, nor will they be used in the calculation of your grade point average (GPA).
Additionally, you must meet the minimum grade required for the specific course in the program to be granted an exemption & have the credit used in the program requirements. The minimum grade is the higher of the College standard as described above or Program course requirement, for example 'B' in some Health Science programs.
George Brown College reserves the right to assess transfer credits on an individual basis and to make such changes in rules, regulations, and policies as may be required.

See more details in our Transfer Credit Policy

Definitions

Transfer Credit

A course taken at a different institution or in a different program that is equivalent to and transferred to a course in a George Brown certificate, degree or diploma program. At George Brown approved external transfer credits are shown as an EX (Exemption) on your student record.

Credits transferred between George Brown programs are called Internal Transfer Credits and are applied from the original program to the new program and calculated in the GPA.

Visit our Transfer Guide for more information regarding course and block transfer credits.

Exemption

An exemption is the same as a transfer credit. When a transfer credit from another institution is approved it is recorded as an exemption (EX) on the student record. It is not included in the GPA calculation.

GPA – Grade Point Average

The grade points assigned to a course are the product of the value of the letter grade ("A" through "F" only) and the course credit. A grade point average (GPA) is the sum of the course grade points for all courses divided by the sum of the course credits.

Office of the Registrar Policies, Grading System policy

Block Credits

A group of courses taken at one institution or program that are equivalent to a group of courses at another institution that leads to entry to a program in a semester higher than semester one. These are often, but not always, clearly defined in an Articulation Agreement between the sending and receiving institutions.

The Advanced Standing grade of AS is assigned for courses in a block transfer. The grade is not calculated in your GPA and you are not required to take the courses with an assigned AS grade.

Advanced Standing

A student applying for advanced standing is applying for admission to a program of study to a semester higher than semester one. Advanced standing provides block credits for previous courses taken in a related area of study to a student upon admission, which enables entry to the second semester or higher of a program. For more information see how to apply for advanced standing, contact the Admissions Office at 416 415-5000 ext. 4805 or see policy on Office of the Registrar Policies, Advanced Standing policy

Advanced standing is the term generally used at George Brown when referring to block transfer credits.

The advanced standing grade of AS is assigned to all courses for the semester for which a block transfer is granted. The grade is not calculated in your GPA and you are not required to take the courses with an assigned AS grade.

Articulation Agreement

An articulation agreement is a formal agreement between institutions that allows transfer of credits from a specific program at one institution to be applied towards advanced standing or entry at another institution. These are routes that students can take to move between different programs, institutions and credentials i.e. 1st year of a business program at one institution may apply towards the first year of a similar business program at another institution.

See the Transfer Agreements and Opportunities Database for articulation agreements signed by George Brown College

Pathway

A block transfer opportunity that does not have a formal articulation agreement. An example of a pathway at George Brown would be:

A graduate from any Architectural Technology program in Ontario is eligible to apply to semester 4 of the Honours Bachelor of Technology (Construction Management) program.

See the Transfer Agreements and Opportunities Database for pathways available for transfer into and out of George Brown programs.

How can I receive transfer credits?

You must be a George Brown student in order to receive an official assessment of your previous education and be granted transfer credits. Where possible, we pre-assess transcripts received during the admission process. If any transfer credits are identified, they will show on the Admissions Application Summary page in STU-VIEW once you receive an offer of admission.

If your official transcript has not been assessed or there are other transfer credits you might qualify for, you must submit an application. This is done through STU-VIEW.

The following can assist you to determine what transfer credits you might be eligible for:
Course-to-Course Equivalencies Database
Transfer Agreements and Opportunities Database
Guide to Selecting Courses Eligible for Transfer Credit

How to apply for Transfer Credits

Please see:
How to Apply for Transfer Credits - video for assistance in applying
How to Apply for Transfer Credits Online – detailed explanation of the application process
Guide to Selecting Courses Eligible for Transfer Credit - to help determine which of your courses may be transferrable.

When to apply for transfer credits

To be assessed and receive transfer credits, you must be a George Brown student.

Post-Secondary Students
If you have accepted your offer of admission, you will be able to begin applying for transfer credits when web registration opens each term.

With the exception of general education/liberal studies electives, you apply for transfer credits in the term in which you are scheduled to attend the course. You may apply for all general education/liberal studies electives in any one term.

See Important Dates for Students for the date the application will open and close in the current academic term.

Continuing Education Student

For more information on continuing education transfer credits, please visit the Continuing Education website.

What do I need to transfer my credits?

Official Transcript – transcripts still sealed in the envelope from the issuing institution. Students with international education, please see I have International Education

Where do I sent my transcript?

Course Outline/Syllabus – for the course from your previous institution. It must also be the one issued for the time you took the course. If the outline/syllabus is not in English or French, and official translation must be submitted.

The application in STU-VIEW has upload functionality for you to attach your course outline to your application. The Transfer Credit Office is not able to upload and attach course outlines.

If an application submitted on the last day is not accompanied by a course outline you will need to contact the transfer credit office to make other arrangements to submit the course outline.

How to submit a course outline/syllabus

Ontario Colleges Course Outlines (Including Links) is a list of Ontario Colleges, and how to obtain course outlines. It does not have a location for all institutions and will be updated as we learn more.

Minimum Grade

Generally, you must have achieved at least 60% in order to receive a transfer credit. There are courses that require a higher minimum grade to qualify for a transfer credit. While very effort is made to ensure that a higher minimum grade required is noted in the Course-to-Course Equivalency Database, changes to the minimum grade requirement can be made at any time. Courses not in the Course-to-Course Equivalency Database may require a higher grade.

Where do I send my transcripts?

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Transfer Credit Office is not processing mailed transcripts at this time. To submit an official transcript, you may: 

If you are submitting an evaluation report, email a PDF copy to transfercredit@georgebrown.ca.

I have already sent my transcript, do I need to submit another one?

No, if we have already received your official transcript, we will attach it to your application.

If the transcript we have is incomplete, we will contact you for an up-dated official transcript.

I don't have my transcript yet, can I still apply?

Yes. You may still submit an application without a transcript. In order to avoid submitting a late application, please submit the application in STU-VIEW. We will email you notifying you that an official transcript is required. Please respond to the email to let us know when we can expect it.

I don't remember the details of my previous courses, can I see a copy of my transcript?

Yes. In order to access your transcript, you need to create an application. If you had your official transcript sent to us electronically from an Ontario institution or if you have previously applied from an institution shown in the Course-to-Course Equivalencies Database, the transcript is already available in your application.

If you have submitted a transcript and it is not available on your application, please contact transfercredit@georgebrown.ca. Include your student ID number and the name of your previous institution.

What if I can't obtain my previous course outline?

The course outline is what allows our faculty to determine if a course is equivalent. If you are not able to obtain the course outline, please notify us by emailing transfercredit@georgebrown.ca. Make sure you include your student ID number in the email. We will advise the faculty. In some cases, a decision can be made without the course outline. However, most of the time it is not possible.

If your application indicates "Grade Verification Required" in the Comments column, a course outline is not required.

Ontario Colleges Course Outlines Including Links list of Ontario Colleges, and how to obtain course outlines. It does not have a location for all institutions and will be updated as we learn more.

I missed the deadline, can I apply late?

It is a departmental decision whether or not to accept late applications. Contact your Academic department if you have any questions.

When you apply for transfer credits, you must also be registered in the class. Applying late means that you will need to attend and participate in that class to ensure you have not missed any course work in the event the application is denied.

If your application is for a course combination in our Course-to-Course Equivalency Database, please contact transfercredit@georgebrown.ca.

You must be registered in and attending the course until the decision is entered in the event you do not meet the minimum grade and/or time limitation requirements.

What is the Status of my Application?

You can view the status of your application in STU-VIEW. Click on Registration Services, then Registration. Select either "Submit or Modify an Application for Transfer Credit (Exemption)" or "Review Transfer Credit Application". Each has a table of your transfer credit applications. Check the status column and use the link for more details about what the different statuses mean.

If at any time we have a question that can impact your status, we will contact you by email using both your George Brown email and the personal email you provided with your admission application.

You will also be notified by email of the formal decision that is entered for your application.

I was approved for a transfer credit, what do I do now?

To order to receive the transfer credit, you must accept it. See How to Accept an Approved Transfer Credit

After the last day to register, we will apply the transfer credit on your account when approved. If you wish to remain registered in the course, please email transfercredit@georgebrown.ca to let us know. Please include your Student ID number.

I was approved for a transfer credit but the course is still on my timetable/Brightspace?

Have your accepted the transfer credit? If not, see: How to Accept an Approved Transfer Credit

If the transfer credit is for an elective, you can either drop the elective you are registered in or use the transfer credit for another term. However, it is up to you to drop the course if you do not want to attend the elective you are registered in.

Adding and Dropping Courses

After the last day to register, we will apply the transfer credit on your account when approved. If you wish to remain registered in the course, please email transfercredit@georgebrown.ca to let us know. Please include your Student ID number

How long does it take to get a decision?

Faculty is expected to enter all decisions one week after the application closes. See Important Dates for the specific date. If you are concerned about how long it is taking, please contact your Academic Department.

Who can I talk to about the decision of my application?

The decision on all transfer credit applications is final. However, if you wish a review of the decision of your application, please contact the Student Support Representative in your Academic Department for assistance.

Please include your Student ID number in any emails you send.

Electives: LASelectives@georgebrown.ca
College English/Communications: comm@georgebrown.ca

Do I need to apply for transfer credits if I have been granted advanced standing?

Advance standing is generally granted for all courses in a semester using a block of courses from another institution. In most cases your required courses are waived by your Academic department after you have registered in your program, see Register Now! for details. The courses from your previous institution that were used for advanced standing cannot be used for any further transfer credits.

For Example:
If you attended the first year of a program at Conestoga College and were granted advanced standing for year one of the program at George Brown, you cannot use any of the first year courses from Conestoga College toward any further transfer credits.

If there are additional courses you feel you could receive a transfer credit for in a semester you are required to attend, you can submit a Transfer Credit Application through STU-VIEW.

How many transfer credits/exemptions can I get?

There are a number of factors that can limit the number of transfer credits you can receive.

Institutional Residency
The minimum number of courses you must complete in your declared program of study at George Brown College in order to be eligible to graduate.

Full-time Programs: Twenty-five percent (25%) of the declared program of study must be earned at George Brown College. 

Continuing Education: Programs eligible for George Brown College certificates,
Fifty percent (50%) of the declared program of study must be earned at George Brown College.

Office of the Registrar Policies, Graduation and Convocation Ceremonies policy

In a full-time post-secondary program, you may receive up to 75% of your total course requirements as transfer credits.
*Note – Certain Postgraduate Level Programs may have limitations when it comes to the quantity of transfer credit exemptions available. Please inquire with the academic division offering the Postgraduate Level Program of interest for any additional questions.

Breadth Requirement for general education
You are required to complete a number of general education courses in your programs from three categories, Humanities, Social Science, and Science. You may be limited in the number of general education transfer credits you can receive in any one category in order to meet the breadth requirements.

For more information about the breadth requirements for your program, see:

Maintaining Full-Time status
If you are required to maintain full-time status as a student, this can limit the number of transfer credits you can receive in a given term. Generally, you can receive two transfer credits and still remain a full-time student each term.

When you accept your transfer credits in STU-VIEW you will receive a warning if you drop below full-time status. You may elect to remain registered in a course that you have received a transfer credit for or speak with your Academic Department to see if there are other courses you can take in place of the transfer credit. This will allow you to remain a full-time student.

Do you have a list of eligible transfer credit courses?

Yes, a list is available in our Course-to-Course Equivalency Database. Select your country, province and institution from the drop down menu to see a list of equivalent courses. We currently have limited data available for international institutions.

See I have International Education for more information if you wish to transfer courses from institutions outside Canada.

If my course is not on the list, how do I know if it's transferrable?

The Guide to Selecting Courses Eligible for Transfer Credit is designed to assist you in determining which of your courses you can select for transfer credits. After reviewing the guide, submit your application for transfer credits through STU-VIEW. We will evaluate your course outline and official transcript.

Is there a time limit to transfer a course?

Yes, in most cases you need to have taken the course at your previous institution within the last 5 years in order to qualify for a transfer credit. If you took a course ten years ago, the content may be out-of-date now and not applicable to the current curriculum. There are some exceptions where the time limit may differ. In some specialized programs, the time-limit is 2 years. Contact the Academic Department for time limits on the program to which you wish to transfer your courses.

However, you may apply for English and elective courses that were taken outside the 5 year limitation. They will be evaluated for equivalency. Course outlines are required.

How do I know which of my previous courses can be used for general elective/liberal studies?

For assistance in determining which of your previous courses meet the general education/liberal studies elective requirements, please see: Choosing Courses for a Transfer Credit Application – General Education and Liberal Studies Electives

See Course-to-Course Equivalency Database for courses that will grant a generic general elective or liberal studies transfer credit.

I have international education, can I transfer my courses?

Yes, we do accept applications for transfer credit for international educational institutions.

See I have International Education for more information.

How do I transfer courses between George Brown programs?

These are called internal transfer credits. Many are transferred automatically, such as college English and general education and liberal studies electives.

Course to Course: If you were previously in a full-time program or have taken courses in Continuing education, you may be able to use these credits towards your new program. You can use your CAPP – Credential Evaluation or "What-If" analysis tools to help determine which course may be applied to your new program. If courses are applied you will be required to drop them from your schedule. You can do this through STU-VIEW.

Always seek academic advising prior to dropping courses.

If there are courses that are not applied to the new program, contact your Academic Department. They will review the remaining courses to determine transferability to the new program.

Adding and Dropping Courses

Program to Program: There are a number of George Brown programs with articulation agreements or pathways to other George Brown Programs. Visit the "Careers and Post-Graduate Study Opportunities" section for the program you are transferring to and transferring from for block transfer opportunities.

Program Finder

Can I take another course in place of the one I received an exemption for?

You may be eligible to register in another full-time post-secondary course that has the same number of hours at no additional charge to replace a course you no longer need to take. This is subject to course availability and space in the class. Please contact your Academic Department for assistance and advising.

Can I get credit for my work experience?

Receiving credit for work experience is known as Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition. Your learning will be evaluated as it would be in a classroom environment and your assessment will be graded.

It is recommended that you begin this process at least 3 months prior to the actual start date of your course.

Do transfer credits/exemptions affect my fees or OSAP?

Students on average can have two exemptions in any one term before dropping to part-time status, thereby affecting tuition fees, and OSAP eligibility. Normally a full-time student is defined as a student who is taking 66% or 2/3 of the courses required in a given semester. You may have to return an OSAP loan if your status changes to part-time (less than 60% course load). Each program and semester may have different requirements. 

Can I transfer to other colleges or universities from George Brown?

A George Brown College diploma is a passport to further education at many local, national and international postsecondary institutions.

The Transfer Agreements and Opportunities Database contains transfer agreements and opportunities for George Brown College students and graduates. It is for information purposes and is subject to change at any time. Also, visit ontransfer.ca and the websites of the individual educational institutions that interest you for qualification, admission and application information.

Who can I contact if I need more information?

For policy and procedures information email transfercredit@georgebrown.ca or call our Contact Centre at 416-415-2000.

If you are having problems with the application in STU-VIEW, please include a screen shot of the error message you are receiving.

For course equivalency information or for specific program information, contact the respective Academic Department.

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