Transfer Credit Process

How Transfer Credits are Granted

A final grade of at least 60% (where 50% is the minimum passing grade) is required to receive transfer credit. Courses that are graded on a pass/fail basis are not considered for transfer credit. Acceptance of transfer credits by the Faculty of Arts & Science is based on the recognition that, while learning experiences may differ in a variety of ways, their substance may be equivalent in terms of their content and rigour. For information on the programs of study, courses, breadth requirements, important dates, and the rules and regulations of the Faculty, please see the Academic Calendar.

How to Read your Transfer Credit Course Code

The table below shows some examples of what transfer credit course codes look like. For more information about Arts & Science course codes, see the Academic Calendar. 

You may not enrol for degree credit in courses listed as exclusions in the transfer credit assessment letter. In addition, if you received specific courses as transfer credits, check the Academic Calendar for exclusions for these courses. You may not enrol for degree credit in the courses listed as exclusions in the Academic Calendar because the content overlaps with studies you have already received transfer credit for.

ENG110Y1: The first three letters indicate the discipline. The fourth character indicates the level of study: 1 = first year, 2 = second year 3 = third year, 4 = fourth year. The fifth and sixth characters identify exact equivalency to a course offered in the Faculty. The seventh character identifies the credit weight: Y = full credit; H = half credit. The last character identifies the campus: 1 = St. George campus, 3 = U of T Scarborough and 5 = U of T Mississauga.

HIS2***: The asterisks “***” indicate “unspecified credit”, meaning that no exact equivalency exists with a course offered in the Faculty. The course title from the previous institution is usually mentioned in the second column.

BR=3: Indicates the Breadth Requirement classification. In the example above, for HIS2***, the breadth requirement “BR” refers to category “3”,  Society and Its Institutions, (SII).

Credit Weight (0.5/1.0): Credits are granted as either half (0.5) or full (1.0) credits.

Definition of Terms

Generic Credit: Transfer credit for a course for which no equivalent discipline exists in the Faculty. For example, TBB1***, where “TBB” indicates the breadth requirement, followed by the year level, and then the asterisks “***”, which indicate “unspecified credit.”

Breadth Requirements: The majority of courses in the Faculty of Arts & Science are classified into five breadth categories by subject content. The purpose of the Breadth Requirement is to ensure all students graduating with a degree from the Faculty of Arts & Science have chosen courses across a broad range of subject areas in the Faculty as part of their undergraduate education. Please note that some courses do not have a breadth requirement.

The five breadth categories are:

Category 1: Creative and Cultural Representations (CCR)
Category 2: Thought, Belief, and Behaviour (TBB)
Category 3: Society and Its Institutions (SII)
Category 4: Living Things and Their Environment (LTE)
Category 5: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (PMU)

The majority of secondary school transfer credits are assigned a breadth category. More information about breadth requirements can be found in the Faculty of Arts & Science Academic Calendar and on the Sidney Smith Commons.

Please note that an USP***, an unspecified generic credit, may be awarded for acceptable university level course when a credit doesn’t fall into a Breadth category. It cannot be used towards program or breadth requirements.

Unspecified Credit: Transfer credit given for a course that has no exact equivalent in the Faculty of Arts & Science (e.g.:HIS2***). Unspecified credits may be used to meet prerequisite, program or breadth requirements as long as permission is obtained from the relevant Program Advisor or College Registrar. Please note that a French Placement Test is required to adjust unspecified French language transfer credits (e.g., FSL1**Y) to a specific credit (e.g., FSL121Y).

Extra: Courses that do not count for degree credit, but may count toward program or breadth requirements with the approval of the Program Advisor or College Registrar.

Exclusion: A course listed in the transfer credit assessment in which a student cannot enrol because its content overlaps with one for which transfer credit has been granted. In addition, a student usually may not enrol in any additional courses that are listed in the calendar as exclusions. Consult your Program Advisor or College Registrar about your selection of courses.

Retained Credits: Faculty of Arts & Science courses, completed while a student was registered in another division at the University of Toronto, for example, the University of Toronto Mississauga. Once a student has transferred to the Faculty of Arts & Science, the grades for these courses are included in the Grade Point Average calculations.

Appeal of Transfer Credit Assessment

Transfer credits are assessed carefully by the Office of the Faculty Registrar. When you receive your 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 submit an appeal. Appeals are normally granted only in exceptional circumstances and will only be considered if you provide all necessary documentation within the specified timeframe. If you wish to have a transfer credit re-evaluated, submit a letter explaining why, along with a detailed description of the course or courses in question to ask.artsci@utoronto.ca. The letter must be submitted within 6 months from the date your transfer credit assessment was issued. An appeal for a given transfer credit course assessment can be submitted only once.