Transfer & Mature Student Admissions Handbook
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Glossary of Terms
You’ll be learning a lot of new words and terms specific to university, such as "transfer credit" and "conditional admission". Check our Glossary of Terms for definitions to this new vocabulary.
Transfer Credit
York University is a leader in credit transfer opportunities and student mobility
More than 3,500 transfer students join York each year and we’re proud to offer multiple pathways for those wishing to enhance their studies with further university education. As an example and in keeping with a long standing commitment to student mobility, York was one of the first universities to sign the Pan-Canadian Protocol on the Transferability of University Credits in 1995 which offers other groups of transfer students from across the country comprehensive transfer credit consideration.
We review each student's postsecondary studies to determine how much transfer credit they will be awarded so that at the time of meeting with their academic adviser, information is available to help them make informed course choices for their chosen program. We are committed to helping you navigate the transfer process and to ensuring that you receive a fair and timely assessment of your transfer credits.
Transfer pathways & learning opportunities
A transfer pathway is an arrangement which may be degree or program specific, whereby transfer credit recognition is awarded for a completed program or a partially completed program.
A pathway may constitute a specifically articulated agreement between one or more colleges and one or more universities, or the credit may be awarded as policy (such as a block credit policy) without any formal articulation agreements between institutions. As one example, students from Ontario colleges benefit from York's longstanding block credit pathway which recognizes equivalent academic preparation completed prior to entering York for studies partially or fully completed at their college. On average, these kinds of policies mean that more than 60% of admitted Ontario College of Applied Arts & Technology students receive between four and seven full courses. For more details, visit the Ontario College Transfer page.
A collaborative program is one in which several schools work together to provide comprehensive education programs. This occurs when colleges and universities partner to provide the smaller, more hands-on approach at the college level while degree-level courses are provided by the larger university.
Students are advised of the maximum possible transfer credit that may be applied to a degree program although there is no guarantee that all of the credit will be counted. The transfer credit recognition may be based on course equivalences or an evaluation of the program completed at the college.
For example, students who successfully complete a six-semester business administration program an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology can be considered for admission to the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies at York University. Eligible students will receive forty-two transfer credits towards their BA or BAS or BHRM degree and have specified degree requirements waived, reducing the number of courses required to complete 90-credit or 120-credit degrees.
We welcome you to explore this website to learn about credit transfer at York.
Every effort has been made to offer the most current, correct, and clearly expressed information possible. Nevertheless, inadvertent errors in information may occur. Therefore, the information contained at this site is intended only to provide a general indication of our policies. The actual outcomes will vary according to each individual and his/her situation.