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Transfer credits for Graduate students | Exemptions for Graduate students | Pre-requisite waivers for Graduate students | Exemptions for Undergraduate students
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Transfer credits for graduate students
Transfer credit may be granted for graduate work completed in another graduate degree program, provided that the course(s) has not been credited towards another degree. Approval of both the Faculty and the School of Graduate Studies are required.
Students may request a maximum of one full course (1.0 credit) or 25% of the program course requirements, whichever is greater.
Transfer credits count towards the total number of credits completed as part of the degree requirements. An approved transfer credit means the student will have one less credit to complete as part of their degree.
Eligibility criteria for the course(s):
- Must have been completed within a five-year period immediately before the student’s first registration at the Faculty of Information
- Must have been completed with a minimum grade of B
- Must not have been used for credit towards another degree
- Must be relevant to the student’s academic and career goals
To request a transfer credit, submit the following to the Student Services Office:
- A completed Transfer Credit and/or Exemption Form
- A justification for the transfer request, and an explanation of how the course complements the current program of study, for each course being requested
- A course syllabus, for each course being requested
- Transcript showing the final grade in the course(s). (Transcripts do not need to be official if the Student Services Office already has official copies on file.)
Deadline to request: Requests for transfer credits and exemptions must be received within 10 business days of the first day of classes of the graduate term.
Note: Transfer credits may mean that a student ends up taking a shorter period of time to complete their degree requirements (i.e., less than 2 years of full-time studies for a Master’s student). In this case, there is no reduction in fees. Students will still pay the same tuition fees, as graduate program tuition fees are changed on a program basis, not a course basis.
For more information, see the Transfer Credit and Exemption details in the Registration & Enrolment section of the SGS website.
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Course exemptions for graduate students
In rare circumstances, an exemption from a specific course requirement may be given, permitting the substitution of another course to meet degree requirements. The purpose of this exemption policy is to free students from having to retake essentially the same course from a previous undergraduate degree.
To be approved, the two courses must be almost identical in learning outcomes and content.
Notes:
- If approved, an exemption does not reduce the overall course credit requirements for the degree. You must replace the exempted course with another.
- An exemption will only be considered based on another graduate degree-level course taken in the past five years, and only for a specifically identified and documented course.
- Research assistantships and professional experience are not accepted as a basis for exemptions.
- The exemptions policy does not exist to let students mix and match program requirements based on their interests or scheduling needs. Requests made on those grounds will not be considered.
To request an exemption, submit to Student Services all the items below in a single package or PDF file:
- A completed SGS Transfer Credit or Exemption form
- A syllabus of course you have taken
- A transcript showing your final grade in the course. The transcripts do not need to be official if the Student Services Office already has an official copy of your transcript on file
- A statement indicating why you believe an exemption is justified
Exemption request packages must include all documentation listed above to be considered; incomplete packages will not be accepted. Exemptions are assessed by the PhD Director. Students will be notified in writing when a final decision has been made. There is no appeal process for denied exemptions.
Deadline to request: Requests for transfer credits and exemptions must be received within 10 business days of the first day of classes of the graduate term.
For more information, see the Transfer Credit and Exemption details in the Registration & Enrolment section of the SGS website.
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Pre-requisite waivers for graduate students
Students are responsible for ensuring that all course pre-requisites are fulfilled. Faculty of Information approval for waiving a pre-requisite must be obtained in writing, from the course instructor, before a course begins. Failure to do so will result in the student receiving no credit for the course.
Procedure:
- Contact the course instructor via email. Students may wish to provide some background (e.g. previous course work) that may fulfill the pre-requisite requirements.
- The instructor may provide the approval.
- Forward the email correspondence thread to Student Services for record keeping.
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Exemptions for Bachelor’s students:
In rare circumstances, an exemption from a specific course requirement may be given permitting the substitution of another course to meet degree requirements. The purpose of this exemption policy is to free students from having to retake essentially the same course from a prior undergraduate degree. For this reason, exemption requests should be submitted by September 30th of the first term of a student’s degree program. To be approved, the courses must be almost identical in learning outcomes and content.
- If approved, an exemption does not reduce the overall course credit requirements for the degree. You must replace the exempted course with another.
- An exemption will only be considered based on another undergraduate degree level course taken in the past five years, and only for a specifically identified and documented course.
- Research assistantships and professional experience are not eligible as a basis for exemptions.
- The exemptions policy does not exist to let students mix and match program requirements based on their interests or scheduling needs. Requests made on those grounds will not be considered.
To request an exemption, submit to Student Services all the items below in a single package or PDF file:
- Completed the BI Request for Course Exemption Form
- Course syllabus
- Official transcript, please note this does not have to be submitted if the Student Services Office already has an official copy of the transcript on file, and
- A rationale indicating why an exemption is justified
NOTE: Exemption request packages must include all documentation listed above to be considered. Incomplete packages will not be accepted by Student Services. Exemptions are assessed by the Program Coordinator. Students will be notified in writing upon final decision. Please note: there is no appeal process for the granting of extensions.
