Learning Abroad & Exchange Programs

Studying abroad and going on exchange are great opportunities to get exposure to different cultures, backgrounds and forms of teaching and learning.

You can connect and work with other students, professionals and professors from diverse cultural backgrounds and develop global fluency. Participating in an international learning experience attests not only to your academic achievements but also to your determination and employability skills. For more information about learning abroad and exchange programs, visit the Learning Abroad webpage.   

 

 

Learning Abroad and Outbound Exchange Program Transfer Credit Eligibility

You may be eligible to receive transfer credit for studies taken abroad. There is no guarantee that all courses you complete abroad will be eligible for transfer credit or that you will receive specific Faculty of Arts & Science courses as transfer credit equivalents. Consider what type of international experience you want to pursue and start researching whether the courses you plan to take are eligible for transfer credit as early as possible. Use Transfer Explorer to find previous transfer credit assessments for courses from host institutions. The transfer credit equivalencies listed are valid for a five-year period. 

Follow the steps below to find out if the courses you plan to complete are eligible for transfer credit and, upon completion of your courses, to initiate a final transfer credit assessment. 
 

Step 1: Apply for Exchange via the Center for International Experience (CIE) 

The Centre for International Experience receives and processes applications for a learning abroad exchange and nominates students. If you are interested in taking courses abroad, start by reviewing the exchange destination using the Learning Abroad search tool, then check Exchange Program eligibility, deadlines, and instructions for submitting an application. The next step is to obtain a nomination letter. For information on partner institutions, nomination questions, the CIE Mobility Online Portal and/or final official transcripts, please contact the Exchange Program or visit the Centre for International Experience

Step 2: Receive a Nomination Letter from CIE  

Once you apply for exchange and receive a Nomination letter, CIE will share this information with the Transfer Credit Office. Our Team will then grant you access to the Faculty of Arts & Science Exchange Transfer Credit Course in Quercus. Note that only nominated students are granted access to the course.  

Step 3: Accept the Invitation to Enrol in the Faculty of Arts & Science Exchange Transfer Credit Course 

Please review your university email for a notification that you have been granted access to the Faculty of Arts & Science Exchange Transfer Credit Course in Quercus. Accept the invitation and log in to review all transfer credit information.

Step 4: Complete the Faculty of Arts & Science Exchange Transfer Credit Course 

Completing the Faculty of Arts & Science Exchange Transfer Credit course in Quercus is a mandatory requirement to participating in the Student Exchange Program. Once you access the course, you will have detailed information and steps to do so. To indicate completion of all the modules, submit the course completion quiz.  

Once you have completed your initial review of the course, you are encouraged to return and review material, before, during, and after your semester abroad. 

Step 5: Request a Pre-Assessment

If you cannot find a course on Transfer Explorer, contact the academic unit that would teach the course (if the course was offered in the Faculty of Arts & Science) to ask for a transfer credit pre-assessment. Note that pre-assessment requests are mandatory. For department contacts and an email template, please access Module 4 in the Faculty of Arts & Science Exchange Transfer Credit Course in Quercus. Once you receive a reply from the academic unit, save this response as a record of the transfer credit you would be eligible to receive. Please ensure the academic units share their pre-assessments directly with the Transfer Credit office at exchange.transfercredit@utoronto.ca. Use your transfer credit pre-assessment to select courses at the partner institution.  

Step 6: Submit a Transfer Credit Request

You can initiate the final transfer credit process as soon as course enrolment has closed during your final term at the host institution by submitting a Transfer Credit Request Form available in Module 4 in the Faculty of Arts & Science Exchange Transfer Credit Course in Quercus. Submit the transfer credit request no later than one month following the completion of your exchange opportunity:

Session in which you took courses at another institution  Transfer credit request period opens   Transfer credit request form and documentation deadline 
Fall (September-December)  December 15  January 31 
Winter (January-April)  April 15 May 31 
Summer (May-August)  August 15 September 30  

Applications will not be processed until after the deadline. If you need the transfer credit is needed for prerequisite purposes, contact the appropriate academic unit.

If you do not meet these deadlines, any possible transfer credit(s) will be forfeited.

Please direct any inquiries to exchange.transfercredit@utoronto.ca.

Note: Please retain all your course outlines, textbooks, reading lists, list of course topics, notes and graded work for each course that you took at your host institution. These may be requested by the academic unit(s) when the transfer credit assessment is being finalized. Note that an academic unit can also request an interview with you as part of the final assessment process.

Even if you take and pass a course during your exchange studies, you might not receive the transfer credit that was indicated by the academic unit in their pre-assessment due to one of the following reasons: 

  • The credit weight calculation is incorrect 
  • The equivalent full course load at the host institution has not been completed
  • The course material is significantly different than what was provided to the academic unit when submitting a pre-assessment request
  • The minimum passing grade at the host institution is not achieved 

Step 7: Send Transcripts

The host institution must send final official transcripts directly to the Centre for International Experience (CIE). Transcripts can be sent either electronically to outbound.exchange@utoronto.ca or by post:

Student Exchange Program Office 
Centre for International Experience 
University of Toronto 
33 St. George Street, Room 209 
Toronto, ON M5S 2E3 
Canada 

A photocopy of your transcript will not be accepted. A transfer credit assessment cannot be completed until your final official transcript – sent directly from your host institution rather than provided by you – has been received. 

For the most up-to-date information related to final official transcripts, please contact the Exchange Program.

Important things to know about transferring learning abroad and exchange program credits:  

  • You are allowed to transfer up to a maximum of 2.5 credits per term for the Fall and Winter terms, and typically no more than 2.0 for the Summer session (no more than 1.0 credit in each Summer term), depending on your enrolment at your host institution and as specified in the nomination letter. Students must complete at least 10.0 credits in the Faculty of Arts & Science to meet their degree requirements. Transfer credits received from studies completed on an exchange program count toward this minimum 10.0 credit requirement. 
  • Unless otherwise specified in the nomination letter, you will be paying Faculty of Arts & Science tuition fees for 2.5 credits per term for the Fall and Winter terms, plus incidental fees. For the Summer session, you will be paying tuition fees for a maximum of 2.0 credits, plus incidental fees. More information on fees assessment in the Faculty of Arts & Science is available on the Fees & Refunds page.
  • As a student participating in a learning abroad opportunity, all transfer credits that you receive at the 300+ level will count toward your degree requirements.
  • When selecting courses at your host institution, please keep in mind that you must complete at least 13.0 credits at the 200-level or higher to meet your degree requirements.
  • Transfer credits may count toward the completion of your overall degree requirements, but not necessarily the completion of your program requirements. Please consult the relevant academic unit(s) to determine if specific transfer credits can contribute toward your program requirements.

The following conditions must be met for a transfer credit to be granted:

  • You are only eligible to receive transfer credits for courses that have an equivalent area of study in the Faculty of Arts & Science. Academic courses for which no equivalent discipline exists in the Faculty of Arts & Science may be eligible for breadth transfer credits. 
  • Only courses in which you achieve a passing mark may be eligible for transfer credit. Failed courses will not be displayed on your U of T transcript but will be displayed on your host institution’s transcript.
  • Courses that are not assigned a final mark are not eligible for transfer credit.
  • The marks that you receive for your courses at your host institution are not incorporated into your Faculty of Arts & Science academic record. They do not appear on your transcript and are not included in your Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA).

Transfer Credit Information 

A department may assign a variety of transfer credits for courses taken at a host institution. The marks that you receive for your courses at your host institution are not incorporated into your Faculty of Arts & Science academic record. They do not appear on your transcript and are not included in your cGPA.

Business courses: If you are not pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce degree, you will not be eligible to receive RSM or MGT transfer credits for business courses taken at another institution. If you meet the eligibility requirements for transfer credit, you will instead be awarded unspecified transfer credits, for example SII1**H (Breadth Requirement 3, Society and Its Institutions).

For more information about the types of credits you may receive, visit the Understanding Your Transfer Credits page. 

You are allowed to transfer up to a maximum of 2.5 credits per term for the Fall and Winter terms, and typically a maximum of 2.0 credits for the Summer session (no more than 1.0 credit in each Summer term), depending on your enrolment at your host institution. Use the Learning Abroad search tool to review course details at host institutions. 

In order to receive this maximum number of transfer credits, you must complete the equivalent full course load at the host institution, which is not the same as their minimum full course load. If you take less than a full course load, you will receive transfer credits corresponding to the equivalent percentage of a full course load in the Faculty of Arts & Science, rounded down to the nearest 0.5 credit. For example, 3.8 credits earned on exchange would be eligible for a maximum of 3.5 credits, which will be recorded on the final official transfer credit assessment. Additional information on transfer credit calculations is available in the Faculty of Arts & Science Exchange Transfer Credit Course in Quercus.  

Full course load information is available on your nomination letter as well as through the Learning Abroad Experiences Database

Once you have arrived at your host institution, if you want to enrol in courses that either do not have an equivalency listed on Transfer Explorer or that you did not have pre-assessed for transfer credit, contact the relevant academic unit(s) as soon as possible to request a transfer credit pre-assessment. Department contacts and an email template will be available in the Faculty of Arts & Science Exchange Transfer Credit Course in Quercus for the duration of your entire exchange experience.

Ensure the academic units send their assessments to exchange.transfercredit@utoronto.ca

Please note that unless you receive a response from the academic unit(s) identifying a transfer credit pre-assessment for the course(s), there is no guarantee that you will receive transfer credit for these courses when you return to the Faculty of Arts & Science.

After the deadline to add courses in your final term at your host institution, you can send the completed Transfer Credit Form, available in the Faculty of Arts & Science Exchange Transfer Credit Course in Quercus, along with your detailed course outlines to exchange.transfercredit@utoronto.ca. The transfer credit section can then begin the assessment process but will not be able to finalize your transfer credit assessment until your final official transcript has been received from your host institution. 

If you are participating in a learning abroad experience during the Winter term, you will not be eligible to graduate in June. The earliest period during which you might be able to graduate is the following November.

The assessment process may take up to eight weeks to complete once all of your course pre-assessment documents and your final official transcript have been received. 

This normally means that if you are participating in a learning abroad experience during the Winter term, you will not receive your transfer credit assessment prior to course enrolment beginning in July for the next Fall/Winter session. Your College Registrar’s Office and the academic units offering your programs can advise you on course enrolment in the absence of a final transfer credit assessment. 

It is always in your best interest to submit all documentation required for your final transfer credit assessment as soon as possible. You will be notified via email once your transfer credits have been awarded, and you will be directed to Degree Explorer to review your credits and check for any relevant notes.  

If you wish to use any unspecified transfer credit (e.g., PHL3**H) for program purposes, please consult with the relevant academic unit.

Important note concerning graduation: If you are participating in a learning abroad experience during the Winter term, you will not be eligible to graduate in June. The earliest period during which you might be able to graduate is the following November.

If you were not initially provided with course syllabi, please contact your instructor or the relevant administrative office to request that they be sent to you. If the institution cannot provide you with course syllabi, you can create your own detailed summary of the course content and ask your instructor to review and sign the document. Important information to include in your summary: 

  • Number of hours and length of the course
  • Type of instruction
  • Grading scheme and method of assessment 
  • Grade achieved 
  • Number of essays, tests and exams
  • Reading lists or textbooks used 
  • Summary of the topics covered

When you apply to graduate school, you will need to ask the host institution to send a final official transcript to the graduate school of your choice.

Transfer credits are assessed carefully by the Office of the Faculty Registrar. When you receive your final transfer credit assessment, please review it carefully. If you believe that your transfer credit assessment should be reviewed based on new information that was not available at the time of assessment, you can contact the transfer credit team within the Office of the Faculty Registrar at exchange.transfercredit@utoronto.ca. They will review your request and advise you of the decision. If you are still not satisfied with the outcome, you will need to submit a formal appeal. The appeal will be reviewed by the Office of the Faculty Registrar. 

Appeals are normally only granted in exceptional circumstances. For an appeal to be considered, you must provide all relevant supporting documentation within 6 months from the date your transfer credit assessment was issued. An appeal for a transfer credit assessment can only be submitted once.

For more information, visit the Understanding Your Transfer Credits page.