Transfer credits from university and college

It's possible to receive transfer credits for up to half of the courses needed for a Waterloo degree. However, the transfer credits you receive may vary depending on the program to which you have been admitted.

In most cases, transfer credit assessments are completed once you've been admitted to Waterloo. Our admission requirements list the maximum amount of transfer credits for your program(s) of interest.

Which courses are eligible for transfer?

Transferred courses will count toward the credits needed for your Waterloo degree; however, the grades you obtained in these courses will not be included in your Waterloo averages. You must meet all requirements of your Waterloo academic plan (major) in order to graduate, regardless of the number of transfer credits that you receive.

College courses

You’re eligible for transfer credit for relevant courses in which you have earned a grade of 70% or better, except if you are admitted to the Faculty of Science which requires a minimum grade of 75%.

University courses

You’re eligible for transfer credit for relevant courses in which you earn a grade of 60% or better.

Bible college courses

You'll be considered for admission and possible transfer credits when minimum admission requirements have been met. Email myapplication@uwaterloo.ca for details.

 

Studied at college or university in Ontario?

If you’re enrolled at or have completed courses at a college or university in Ontario, visit the course-to-course guide on ontransfer.ca for the most up-to-date information on how your previous/current courses may transfer to Waterloo. If you’re admitted to Waterloo, you’ll then receive an official assessment of how many transfer credits will count toward your degree here.


Transfer credit policies

Not sure which faculty offers your program? View a list of programs grouped by faculty.


How to transfer credits

If you’re admitted to Waterloo, we'll automatically review your application for possible transfer credit and send your transfer credit assessment by email. You don't need to request an assessment and there is no cost. Transfer credits from post-secondary institutions are applied to your Waterloo student record automatically and cannot be declined.

You'll need to have any colleges and/or universities you've attended send official transcripts directly to Waterloo's Office of the Registrar.

How we assess your courses

We'll review each of your courses to see if the content matches a course offered at Waterloo. Transfer credits can be granted as specific Waterloo courses (e.g., PSYCH 101 – Introductory Psychology) or general electives in a particular subject (e.g., PSYCH 1XX – a first-year level Psychology credit). Transfer credits will be granted according to what is most appropriate for your Waterloo academic plan and according to our transfer credit policies.

Assessing transfer credits takes time. Please submit all required documents (if requested) as soon as possible. The sooner we receive this information, the faster we can finalize your transfer credit assessment!

How to interpret your transfer credit letter

A transfer credit weight of 0.50 is equivalent to a one-term course at Waterloo (four months in length). A weight of 1.0 is equivalent to a full-year course (eight months in length).

You must meet all requirements of your Waterloo program in order to graduate, regardless of the number of transfer credits that you receive. Your Waterloo academic advisor can help you determine how long it will take to complete your Waterloo degree.

Before you begin selecting courses, we recommend you discuss your transfer credit assessment with your academic advisor.

We may require course syllabi/outlines

To assess courses for transfer credit, we may ask you for pdfs of detailed course syllabi.

Syllabi generally include the course description, contact hours, schedule of topics, required textbooks, evaluation methods, etc., and need to be from the year you completed the course. See an example of a course syllabus.

 

Common questions