Transfer Credit / Prior Learning & Recognition

Get credit for recognized courses you've completed at other colleges, universities, or polytechnics.

How to apply for transfer credit

1. Apply and be accepted into a post-secondary program. Make sure that your full education history and the required documents (i.e. official and/or authenticated post-secondary transcripts, confirmation of results, course outlines, etc.) are submitted.
2. Fill out and submit a Request for Transfer Credit Form to the Office of the Registrar by emailing it to transfercredit@bowvalleycollege.ca in a PDF format. There is no fee to apply for transfer credit.
3. You may also need to provide additional documents like course outlines, letters of employment, and others for your request to be processed.
4. If you are requesting many transfer credit courses that require a course outline review, you should submit your application as early as possible to allow time for the review to take place.
5. Applications for transfer credit along with required supporting documents can be received until the add/drop deadline for each term.
   
   • If you are requesting many transfer credit courses that require a course outline review, you should submit your application as early as possible to allow time for the review to take place.
   • Your official transcripts must show final grades on any courses that you want to be processed for transfer credit. If the document shows “In Progress” or something similar by the start date of the term that the courses are being reviewed, your request will be denied.

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)

Students can take a challenge exam to receive credit for the respective course(s). A prior learning (PL) grade will show in place of the course that was assessed and successfully completed.

PLAR fees are non-refundable. The process for PLAR starts at the school/program level and the dean's office or program chair for your school/program determines if you are eligible to do a prior learning/challenge exam.

Health care aides admitted to the Practical Nurse diploma

Students who are registered in the Practical Nurse Diploma or Practical Nurse Diploma for Internationally-Educated Nurses and fully qualified as a Certified Health Care Aide can receive prior learning recognition for two courses: COMM1101 and NURS1202. Students will need to submit the following documents:

Proof of Health Care Aide credential:

• Certified Health Care Aide: official transcript from an approved school listed on the Alberta Health Care Aide Directory,
• PDF copy of the Alberta Health Care Aide directory with issue date and expiry date of the license, and
• Letter of employment or portability letter showing a minimum of 1,000 verified health care aide work hours.

"Substantially Equivalent" health care aides will not be accepted for prior learning recognition for programs starting January 2024 or later. 

Things to consider

1. Transfer credit approval is never guaranteed, and the assessment process takes six to eight weeks to complete.
2. You must be in good academic standing (GPA above 2.0 on a 4.0 point scale) to be eligible to receive transfer credit.
3. Course content sent in for a transfer credit assessment must match at least 80% of the respective Bow Valley College course to receive transfer credit.
4. You will be required to attend the class you are seeking to get transfer credit for until your request is approved.
5. You are required to complete a minimum of 25% of your program within Bow Valley College to earn the certificate or diploma.
6. Only courses completed with a minimum mark of 'C' or 64% will be considered for transfer credit. For some courses, the minimum mark may be higher than a 'C'.
7. All courses are under time limitations that are specific to each course and program. This means that the courses must have been completed within a certain period prior to transfer credit being granted. For detailed time limitation information by course type, please check the document that corresponds to your program start date:
   
   • Fall 2019 to Spring/Summer 2021: Time Limitation Guidelines 2019
   • Fall 2021 or later: Time Limitation Guidelines 2021
8. For credit granted, refunds will be processed by the student accounts department and will be returned in the same method of payment that was originally used.
9. In some cases, approved transfer credit can drop you to part-time status. It is your responsibility to confirm how many credits you need to remain as a full-time student if you have a student loan or a student work permit.
10. All documents submitted for transfer credit evaluation and prior learning become the property of the College and will not be returned; if original documents must be kept by the student, certified copies of the originals can be submitted. In addition, it is your responsibility to have any supporting documents (such as transcripts) translated before being submitted for evaluation.
11. If you are denied transfer credit, you may appeal the decision by writing to Assistant Registrar for Admissions, Testing, and Enrolment Services. The appeal must explain why an exception should be made, despite the transfer credit policies that exist. The Assistant Registrar's decision is final.

Other Resources

www.transferalberta.ca (Online Alberta Transfer Guide)

Campus Alberta (Business Administration) Pathway:

If you are given an offer of acceptance to the Business Administration (Certificate and Diploma) programs at Bow Valley College, you may be eligible for advance standing if you have have completed Business Administration coursework at any of the Campus Alberta partners within the last four (4) years.

Campus Alberta partners are: Grande Prairie Regional College, Keyano College, Lakeland College, Lethbridge College, MacEwan University*, Medicine Hat College, NAIT, Norquest College, Northern Lakes College, Olds College, Portage College, Red Deer College, SAIT and Athabasca University.

*MacEwan University will only accept on a course-to-course basis.

Please contact an Academic Advisor for more information. You may also email Transfer Credit (transfercredit@bowvalleycollege.ca) if you have questions about this pathway initiative.

Need More Information?

Send us an email at transfercredit@bowvalleycollege.ca