External Program Pathways Overview
External program pathways provide students with standardized credit recognition as they move from one institution to another. These pathways provide students with external credit transfer, advanced standing, or program admission and can involve Canadian partners or international partners. External pathways can also involve any program, including preparatory programs (e.g., Generals Arts and Science), apprenticeship programs, or graduate certificate programs. They may also move students from one type of credential (e.g., diploma) to another (e.g., degree). Related terms include laddering, bridging, and fast-track (see Appendix A, Glossary, for definitions).
Formal external program pathways are most often documented in articulation agreements and are sometimes preceded by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Fanshawe will be either the receiving or the sending institution, depending on which way the students are moving; procedures for both scenarios are provided in this handbook. For multi-institution pathways, often there is no articulation agreement; the receiving institution simply establishes and publicizes the pathway on its website and in pathway databases.
