After you have started your studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science, you may be eligible for transfer credit for courses you complete at other accredited degree granting universities. The Letter of Permission (LoP) is one of the pathways by which you might be eligible for transfer credit as an Arts & Science student.
A Letter of Permission (LoP) is a prior confirmation that a course you intend to take at another accredited degree granting Canadian university is acceptable for transfer credit in the Faculty of Arts & Science.
To be eligible for transfer credit consideration, courses taken outside of the University of Toronto must be developed, assessed, and delivered at accredited degree-granting universities. Courses offered through third-party affiliations on behalf of host universities will not be eligible for transfer credit.
LoPs are not routinely approved. Students must provide reasons why the LoP is necessary. Explain the importance of the particular course selected, why the course cannot be taken in the Faculty of Arts & Science or another U of T campus and the reasons for choosing the particular post-secondary institution.
Note: Letters of Permission transfer credit will not be granted if an equivalent course is being offered in the Faculty of Arts & Science in the same session.
If courses taken while on LoP are intended to meet program requirements, it is the students’ responsibility to consult the relevant academic unit that offers the program prior to their application, and keep records of all correspondence.
Students should compile and send the host university's detailed course syllabus or Calendar descriptions to transfer.artsci@utoronto.ca for courses not available on Transfer Explorer. Course outlines or syllabi must be for the semester and/or year the course will be taken.
Some Canadian universities may require you to obtain a Visiting Student Permission as part of their course registration process. Check the requirements and deadlines carefully for the university that you want to attend.
Transfer Credit Eligibility
The Faculty of Arts & Science reserves the right to cancel the Letter of Permission or refuse to award transfer credit for any studies completed at another university if the host institution or any of its courses fails to meet the Arts & Science transfer credit eligibility requirements or degree requirements. Where applicable, external verification may be required. Faculty of Arts & Science students must always abide by the rules and regulations as outlined in the Academic Calendar, including the credit load maximum per term.
Eligibility Guidelines for Students
In order for a Letter of Permission to be granted, students:
- Must be pursuing an undergraduate degree in the Faculty of Arts & Science
- Must have completed the first session (Fall/Winter or Summer) in the Faculty of Arts & Science
- Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 1.50 and be in good standing in the Faculty of Arts & Science when they take courses at the other Canadian university
- May not have any administrative holds (financial or other), or grade notations of GWR or SDF on their record
- Must have not previously received credit for the same or similar course(s) and must not consider applying for Letters of Permission for the semester before their expected Convocation date (the Winter Session for Spring Convocation or the Fall Session for Fall Convocation) as the grades may not be received on time for final graduation evaluation for the next graduation period.
Eligibility Guidelines for Courses
The courses that you plan to take should meet the following conditions:
- Courses must be taken at an accredited Canadian university. Transfer credits are not normally granted for online or distance courses unless you can demonstrate, through your application, that there are extenuating circumstances. Please note, transfer credits are not normally granted for courses at universities in close proximity to the three U of T campuses unless you have extenuating circumstances.
- Courses must be developed, assessed, and delivered by accredited degree-granting universities. Courses, including courses that are part of international summer programs, offered through third-party affiliations on behalf of host universities will not be eligible for transfer credit.
- Courses must not be offered by the Faculty of Arts & Science in the session for which you are requesting the Letter of Permission.
- Courses should be of equivalent weighting and have a similar number of instructional hours and duration (i.e., weeks) as a Faculty of Arts & Science course. Note that courses offered in a significantly condensed format and/or intersession courses are not eligible for transfer credit.
- Courses offered during the December/Winter break are not eligible for transfer credit.
- Courses must be completed within the session to which the Letter of Permission applies, following Faculty of Arts & Science academic dates (no extensions).
- Courses must not be courses taken via the challenge for credit process.
- Courses cannot be practical or clinical, an internship, or courses that are more appropriate for programs in other faculties of the University (e.g., the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, the Faculty of Music, the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, or the School of Graduate Studies).
- Courses must not be graded on a pass/fail or credit/no credit basis. You must obtain a final mark of 60% or higher in the courses taken at the other university (provided that the passing mark in these courses is 50%) to receive transfer credit.
- Courses must not exceed the Faculty of Arts & Science’s maximum term loads. You can receive up to 2.0 transfer credits for courses completed during the Summer session, and up to 6.0 transfer credits for courses completed during the Fall/Winter session, to a maximum of 3.0 credits for each of the Fall and Winter terms. If you plan to complete more credits than this, you must request permission for a course overload through your College Registrar’s Office. When calculating the maximum term load, include courses taken in the Faculty of Arts and Science and those taken on a Letter of Permission, post-admission and exchange in the same session. Note that your College Registrar’s Office will review the course overload only and does not guarantee that transfer credit will be granted. Transfer credit eligibility will be reviewed by the Faculty of Arts & Science Transfer Credit Unit.
In addition to the points above, it is important to take note of the following points concerning the Letter of Permission transfer credits:
- 300- and 400-level courses: No more than 1.0 credit at the 300+ level in transfer credit from a Letter of Permission may be counted towards the minimum number of 300- and 400-level credits required for your degree.
- Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): Transfer credits will appear on your U of T transcript but they will not count towards your CGPA. Transfer credits also do not count towards the credit count for the Dean’s List Scholar.
- 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).
- You are not permitted to be concurrently registered as an undergraduate degree student at two different universities.
Transfer Credit Information
If you have questions about any of the Letter of Permission processes or need help with your transfer credit assessment, contact the Office of the Faculty Registrar.
If you have already received on-admission transfer credits, the number of post-admission and/or Letter of Permission transfer credits that you can use toward the 20.0 credits required for your degree may be reduced. All students must complete at least 10.0 credits in Faculty of Arts & Science courses toward their degree. Refer to the Arts & Science Academic Calendar for more information.
There are firm deadlines by which you must apply for a Letter of Permission and late applications are not accepted. You should also take into consideration when the courses are scheduled to start and whether the institution at which you want to take courses has an application deadline for visiting students.
Once your completed application has been submitted, which includes the application, payment, and any required course outlines or other documents, it can take up to six weeks to receive a Letter of Permission. The application fee is not refundable.
The deadlines to submit your application for a Letter of Permission and all required documents are:
| Session in which you will be taking courses at another Canadian institution | Applications open | Application and documentation deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Fall (September-December) | May 15 | July 1 |
| Winter (January-April) | September 15 | November 1 |
| Summer (May-August) | January 15 | April 1 |
To ensure the course you request is not offered by Faculty of Arts & Science in the term you requested, approved letters of permission will be sent to students after the course timetable has been posted in Timetable Builder.
If you miss the deadline to apply for an LoP, you can apply for post-admission transfer credit (without a Letter of Permission) after you complete the course(s). ). Transfer credit is not guaranteed if your courses have not been assessed prior to commencing your studies at the host institution.
If you decide not to use the Letter of Permission, please notify the Office of the Faculty Registrar at ask.artsci@utoronto.ca. Without this notification, you will be restricted from applying for LoPs in the future.
You will have to submit separate applications for the Fall term, the Winter term and the Summer session. If you are planning to take courses that start in September and end in April, include these courses in your Fall term application. You should only apply for a Letter of Permission for one Canadian university per term or session.
For the Fall term you can apply for a Letter of Permission for up to eight courses, for the Winter term you can apply for a Letter of Permission for up to eight courses, and for the Summer session you can apply for a Letter of Permission for up to six courses. Keep in mind you can only receive 3.0 transfer credits for each of the Fall and Winter terms, and 2.0 transfer credits for the Summer session.
If you wish to change the courses listed in your application before the Letter of Permission has been issued, please update your application using the addendum functionality in the online payment system. You can submit one addendum for a maximum of four additional courses. If your Letter of Permission has been issued you will not be able to change the courses listed on the Letter of Permission and you can apply for post-admission transfer credit if you complete additional or different courses.
To apply for a Letter of Permission you must:
- Complete the Letter of Permission application (one application for up to eight courses for the Fall term, eight courses for the Winter term, and six courses for the Summer session)
- Pay the non-refundable assessment fee of $40
- Check Transfer Explorer to see if your course is available. If the course is available in Transfer Explorer, you do not have to provide a detailed course outline. If the course is not listed in Transfer Explorer or was evaluated five years or more ago, you will need to provide a detailed course outline for the actual course you will be taking. Email all course outlines/web links to transfer.artsci@utoronto.ca.
- Subject line: Course outlines for a Letter of Permission
- Include your first and last name and your U of T student number
- List all courses separated by subject areas and attach course outlines in PDF format, or include links to online course outlines
- For each course, include the following information:
- Number of hours
- Instructor name and contact information
- Delivery method (e.g., online, in person), including link to student portal
- Length of the course
- Grading scheme
- Number of essays, tests, and exams
- Reading list
Your Letter of Permission cannot be finalized until you have submitted any course outlines that are required. The Letter of Permission may be cancelled if the course outlines do not include all the required information needed for assessment. There is no guarantee that a specific course will transfer until it is confirmed to be eligible for transfer credit in your Letter of Permission. Once finalized, your Letter of Permission will be sent directly to you at your University of Toronto email address.
You are responsible for sending a copy of the Letter of Permission to the host university, if required. Keep in mind that providing a Letter of Permission does not guarantee that you will be able to enrol in the course(s) at the host university.
Once you have received final marks for the courses that you completed, arrange for the host university to send your official final electronic transcript directly to transfer.artsci@utoronto.ca. Transfer credit will not be awarded if you fail to submit your final official transcripts by the end of the semester. Transcript copies issued to you will not be accepted. When requesting your transcript from your host university, please include your first and last name and, if possible, your U of T student number.
If your host university cannot provide an electronic final transcript, please contact ask.artsci@utoronto.ca.
Upon receipt of the official transcript, the Letter of Permission is re-evaluated, and students are notified of the transfer credits they received. In some cases, the Faculty of Arts & Science may require additional information in order to grant a Letter of Permission or to award credit upon completion of courses. If you decide not to take the course you were given permission to take, please notify the Office of the Faculty Registrar at ask.artsci@utoronto.ca. Without this notification, you will be restricted from applying for LoPs in the future.
If you have requested graduation, there are important deadlines for you to submit all required documentation and final transcripts. If you miss these deadlines you may need to postpone your graduation.
- Spring graduation: The deadline to submit final official transcripts is May 1.
- Fall graduation: The deadline to submit final official transcripts is October 1.
If your Letter of Permission has been issued and the deadline to apply for a Letter of Permission has not yet passed, you can submit a new application. If the deadline has passed, you can apply for post-admission transfer credit once you complete the courses. Transfer credit is not guaranteed for courses that have not been approved prior to commencing your studies at the host institution.
No. You are only permitted to study at one institution per academic session on a Letter of Permission.