Transfer credits

To find out whether you are eligible for transfer credits, you must first apply for admission; we do not conduct any pre-evaluations.

Your transfer credits depend on several factors:

• The courses and curriculum you’ve completed or attempted to complete
• Your final grade in those courses  
• The program into which you have been admitted at the University of Ottawa and the corresponding courses and their sequence, including required courses and electives.

Once you have accepted your offer of admission, we will evaluate your previous courses to determine the possibility of granting you transfer credits. To do so, we may ask you to send us a detailed official syllabus of your previous courses. Please ensure that you have these documents on hand when we ask for them.

The detailed official course syllabus (also known as detailed course description) must contain the following information:

• The name of the institution where you took the course
• The subject matter
• The course code (if applicable)
• The credits earned
• The academic year in which you took the course
• A course description
• A list of weekly lecture content
• The total hours of instruction
• A bibliography of textbook(s) and assigned readings
• A description of evaluation methods (exams, assignments, homework, etc.)
• A description of laboratory activities (if applicable)

The institution providing the previous courses must be accredited by the country’s Ministry of Education. If your institution is not on our list of recognized institutions, you must submit proof of accreditation. 

To receive a degree from the University of Ottawa, you must complete at least 50% of the requirements of the degree at the University itself. As a result, the number of transfer credits granted cannot exceed 50% of the credits (units) required for the program to which you have been admitted.

Some programs do not grant transfer credits, and some restrict the number of transfer credits (units) granted. 

The following programs do not grant transfer credits

• Political Science (BSocSc) and Juris Doctor (JD)
• Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) and Juris Doctor (JD)

The following programs limit the number of transfer credits (units) granted

• Dual fast-track programs, multidisciplinary programs, bidisciplinary programs or those that involve professional certification, and programs with few optional courses.
• Faculty of Science: Financial Mathematics and Economics, Biotechnology
• Faculty of Social Sciences: International Studies and Modern Languages
• Faculty of Health Sciences: Nursing, Nutrition and Dietetics, dual fast-track programs in health sciences
• Faculty of Engineering

We do not grant transfer credits (units) for any courses you may have taken as a graduate student (master’s or doctoral degrees).

Once you’ve accepted your offer of admission and paid the admission deposit (if applicable), the Admissions Office will complete an initial assessment of your possible transfer credits. You may be contacted for your detailed official course syllabus.

Once we have completed this assessment, you will receive a revised offer of admission. To download it, log on to uoZone, click on your admission file. You can also check the “Academic Advisement” section to see how the credits apply to your program at uOttawa.

We grant you transfer credits based on what we believe would serve you best in your program. Please note that you can substitute certain courses if you choose a second discipline or if you request a change of program. If you would like to substitute a course, contact your faculty or school.

When we grant you transfer credits it’s because we recognize that a course or courses you have already completed at another educational institution (CEGEP, college, university or high school) is equivalent to a university-level course.

Generally, if we grant you between 24 and 53 transfer credits (units), we consider you to be a second-year student. If we grant you between 54 and 80 transfer credits (units), we consider you to be a third-year student. The transfer credits (units) granted correspond to 1000-level courses (i.e., first-year courses) and sometimes 2000-level courses (second-year courses). As a result, you may be eligible to take 2000- or 3000-level courses, but only if you have been granted transfer credits for the prerequisites. 

Types of transfer credits

For a detailed report on the transfer credits you have been awarded, check the My Academic Requirements section in uoZone.

Engineering students: Transfer credits are typically not granted for engineering courses. If you wish to have specific engineering courses considered, you may submit a transfer credit request through the Faculty of Engineering.

To help your enrolment go smoothly, follow the steps and use the tools we’ve made available on our webpage Course enrolment - Student in a direct-entry faculty admitted with transfer credits. 

The University of Ottawa does not grant transfer credits (units) for high school courses, except in the following cases:

• Advanced Placement courses (AP)
• French Baccalaureate recognized by the AEFE
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• GCE - A Levels

Students entering a first-year program at uOttawa who have taken courses in one of the curriculums listed above may be eligible for transfer credits.

Transfer credits are automatically assessed during the summer, once we have received your official final grades.

The maximum number of credits (units) we grant will vary, depending on your program. 

The number of transfer credits (units) will vary depending on the number of CEGEP courses completed.

• If you’ve passed 12 CEGEP courses, you can receive up to 15 University units (credits).
• If you’ve passed 13 to 16 CEGEP courses, you can receive between 18 and 27 University units (credits).
• If you’ve completed more than 17 CEGEP courses, you can receive up to 30 University units, the equivalent of one year of university. 

Transfer credits (units) available

You can visit the Faculty of Science's page for guidance on CEGEP prerequisites and course equivalencies. 

You may be eligible for transfer credits (units):

• If you’ve completed a two- or three-year diploma program at a college of applied arts and technology in Ontario.
• If you’ve completed four terms (two years) of full-time study in a Canadian college diploma program, depending on the program you’re applying to, as specified in the table below.

If you are currently in a bachelor’s degree program, see the “University transfer students” section.

If you’re applying after one year of college in a certificate or diploma program, we will not grant you any transfer credits (units).

Faculties that grant transfer credits (units) do so based on your discipline, the courses you have completed, and the length of studies.

Transfer credits (units) available (degree programs)

The University of Ottawa has agreements with certain colleges. If you’re applying from one of these colleges, our agreement may affect any transfer credits (units) you receive.

You must declare all studies you have attempted or completed on your OUAC application to qualify for transfer credits (units). Failure to do so is considered academic fraud.

If you’ve taken university courses in Canada

You must have received a grade of 60% (uOttawa equivalent) or better to be granted transfer credits. This does not apply to students transferring from Carleton University or Saint Paul University (who require 50%).

Please note that you require a minimum grade of 65% for Nutrition (NUT) and Nursing (NSG) courses.

Please note that the minimum requirement of 60% or 65% is based on the University of Ottawa’s grading scale and may not correspond directly to the grading scale used by the home institution.

If you’ve taken university courses outside of Canada

You must have a passing grade to be granted transfer credits. The number and nature of the transfer credits (units) granted is based on the courses completed.

Have you completed a BTS outside of Canada prior to attending uOttawa?

You may be eligible for transfer credits (up to 30 credits/units) depending on the courses completed and your program requirements.

Are you currently a student at uOttawa switching faculties?

All the courses you have passed at uOttawa, as well as any transfer credits you received related to this program, are automatically applied to meeting your program requirements, subject to University and/or faculty policies.

For further details, check out My Academic Requirements in uoZone before enrolment opens.

Are you a current uOttawa student who would like to take a course at another institution?

To take one or more courses at a university with which the University of Ottawa has no formal agreement, you must have a letter of permission from your faculty. Check the general policy on transfer credits for further information.

Are you completing a second degree?

To receive a degree from the University of Ottawa, you must complete at least 50% of your program requirements at uOttawa. You must also meet all the requirements specific to the program in question.