77 13.3 Chapter Review and Activities
Exercise: BC Transfer Process
- Describe how the articulation process facilitates transfer between post-secondary institutions.
- Define the following terms and describe how they relate to the transfer process: transfer credit, application for transfer credit, letter of permission, block transfer, course outlines, inter-provincial transfer.
- List reasons why post-secondary students would transfer between institutions.
Exercise: Use the BC Transfer Guide
- Choose a college course that you have taken or would like to take. Make sure you know the course code. Go to the BC Transfer Guide online and use the Course Look up. Using the “From this course” option, choose the institution and the course code. Find out what institutions, if any, accept the course for transfer. Were there any conditions?
- Use the Course Look Up and the “To this course” option to find out how many institutions accept College of the Rockies (COTR) English 100 course. Name the course that students would get transfer credit for at the University of British Columbia (UBC) for this course. Note that equivalent courses have different course codes at different institutions.
- How easy was it to use the Guide?
Key Takeaways
Transferring between post-secondary institutions can be a very smooth process.
- You can transfer courses between institutions using the BC Transfer Guide.
- Often courses taken years earlier can be applied to current programs.
- There are some block transfer agreements where whole programs can be applied to another program, such as getting transfer credit for a one year certificate towards a two-year diploma or four-year degree.
- Courses must be complete before attempting to transfer. Transferring mid-semester is not advised. You won’t get credit for half a course.
- You can often streamline your educational plan by making use of the BC Transfer Guide throughout your educational journey.
- Keep your course outlines forever! They are invaluable for course transfers. They are often difficult to obtain years after the fact because courses change over time. You want the course outline that describes the course that you took.
- The BC transfer process can aid in the process to transfer inter-provincially.
Students are more mobile than ever. Students moving to new communities may need to do so in the middle of an educational program. Rather than quit, they can transfer to another institution. Rather than starting over, they can try to transfer many of their completed courses into their new program and institution.
Students may also change their program of study, as they change their minds about their career goals. Changing programs may mean changing institutions. You can look at the course requirements of the new program and evaluate which courses you have completed that might fit for courses required for your intended program. Then you can apply for transfer credit for those courses. Courses in the BC Transfer Guide are already transferable, so as long as they’ll work towards your program requirements, you should get credit for them.
Having this ability to transfer courses and, in some cases, certificates and diplomas, means greater flexibility for students. It opens up options for students who may not otherwise be able to complete programs and get their post-secondary credentials.