Transfer Credit

Obtaining a Transfer Credit Evaluation:

New Applicants

If you are a new applicant to Lakehead, we will automatically evaluate your application for transfer credit once an official transcript of your previous post-secondary institution(s) has been received as well as institutionally prepared course descriptions. It is your responsibility to ensure that an official transcript from all post-secondary institution(s) previously attended or currently attended are sent directly from the institution to Enrolment Services - Undergraduate Admissions. 

If you are currently in-progress with other courses, a transfer credit evaluation will still be made for your completed credits. Once a final official transcript has been received, a final transfer credit evaluation will be completed. 

Returning/Previous Lakehead Students

If you are a former student of Lakehead University returning to study, you must arrange to have final official transcripts and course descriptions from all other post-secondary institution at which you have subsequently studied sent directly to Enrolment Services - Undergraduate Admissions. A $60 document evaluation fee is required to be submitted to Enrolment Services - Undergraduate Admissions (only if you have studied at another post-secondary institution since you were last at Lakehead).

Your Evaluation Results:

Once a transfer credit evaluation has been completed, you will be notified via your Lakehead University email account. 

Grades from transfer credits will not appear on your official Lakehead University transcript, but the fact that you received transfer credit will. This will be signified by the term "ADV".

Supporting Documentation:

In addition to official transcripts, course syllabi from your previous and/or present institutions(s) must be submitted in order for your transfer credit evaluation to be completed. 

Courses in which you previously achieved a grade of 70% or higher at the college level, and 60% or higher at the university level will be considered in the transfer credit assessment. Your Offer of Admission may indicate that specific course syllabi are required.  To initiate the completion of your transfer credit assessment, you will need to accept your offer of admission and upload the requested course syllabi.

Course syllabi (or course outlines) should include:

• Detailed course descriptions
• Learning outcomes and/or course objectives
• Course number and name (i.e. English 110.6)
• Number of hours of lecture and lab
• Number of credit units
• Name of sending institution

Please email course syllabi to docs.admission@lakeheadu.ca. Please include your first and last name and student ID (if possible). Course syllabi must be separated into individual files in order to be reviewed. If you are transferring to Lakehead University under the terms of a transfer agreement with another institution, course syllabi are not required. 

To ensure your transfer credit assessment is completed prior to the final date to drop or add courses, the recommended deadline for submitting course syllabi is 8 weeks prior to the start of the classes.

Once all documentation is submitted, requests are processed in the order that they are received. Please expect your evaluation to take up to 8 weeks. Failure to include all documentation will result in a delay.

Please note: If you are waiting for the results of your transfer credit assessment and your course registration window opens, you may wish to postpone registration. If you receive transfer credit for any course(s) that you are currently registered in, it is your responsibility to make the necessary registration amendments through your Lakehead student portal. Changes to your transfer credit will not be made due to failure to de-register in courses in which transfer credit has already been received.

Course Equivalencies:

Whenever possible, we identify an exact equivalent for the courses you have taken elsewhere. Where there is no exact equivalent, we may assign an unspecified credit in the general subject area (for example, a first year half credit in History, HIST 1-10). This means that while we do not offer exactly the same course, we do offer courses in the same subject area at the same level. In many cases, credits completed more than five years ago are considered for unspecified credit unless course content is deemed equivalent to current curriculum. In most programs, you may use unspecified credits to fulfill elective requirements. 

The transfer credits in which you receive may or may not be acceptable for you to meet your program requirements. Transfer credits may meet specific program requirements or act as an elective - it all depends! Please consult your Program Chair or a Student Central Professional for further information about how your transfer credits apply to your degree at Lakehead University.

Accredited Institutions:

Any Canadian university which is a member of Universities Canada is considered to be an accredited institution, and we will consider courses from these universities for possible transfer credit. Other institutions within the Province of British Columbia will also be considered on an individual basis.

Credit for studies at accredited universities outside of Canada is assessed on the basis of official transcripts and calendar descriptions and/or detailed course outlines. Applicants are responsible for providing this material.

Courses taken at Colleges which have university transfer programs are also eligible for consideration of transfer credit. 

Up to one year of credit may be awarded for two-year diploma programs (including CEGEP) at provincial colleges and technical institutes. Credit is assessed on the basis of detailed course outlines.

Changes to Transfer Credit:

If you have questions regarding your transfer credit evaluation, please email transfer.admissions@lakeheadu.ca.