Advanced Standing Admission

1. Advanced Standing Applicants from a recognized University or College in Canada

Applicants for admission to the University of Guelph transferring from an accredited university or college are normally subject to the following admission policy.

  1. Applicants must have completed the Ontario Secondary School Diploma including six 4U/M courses, or equivalent, for admission to the University of Guelph prior to the commencement of the academic session for which application is made.
  2. Applicants must be eligible for readmission and registration on a full-time basis at the last university or college attended in the academic session for which application is made. Applicants whose academic records at another university have rendered them ineligible to continue study at that institution will be considered for admission only when the stipulated period of rustication has expired.
  3. Students registered in a preliminary year, bridging year, or first year at a recognized university or junior college to which students are admitted without having completed the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, or the equivalent, are eligible to apply for admission to first year at this University provided that their first or preliminary year program includes subjects equivalent to those 4U or 4M specific subject requirements for the program to which they are applying. Credit towards graduation from the University of Guelph is not normally granted for work taken in the first year of the university program which does not require completion of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, or equivalent, for admission.
  4. Admission of students transferring from another university or college is not guaranteed. All transfer applicants will be assessed in competition with other new applicants, taking into consideration the academic requirements and enrolment limitations which pertain at the time the application is complete. In addition, an offer of admission will not imply in any way that space will be available in the course(s) in which the applicant wishes to register.
  5. The University of Guelph subscribes to the following General Policy on the Transfer of Course Credits, as adopted by the Council of Ontario Universities: Acceptance of transfer credits among Ontario universities shall be based on the recognition that, while learning experiences may differ in a variety of ways, their substance may be essentially equivalent in terms of their content and rigour. Upon admission, and insofar as possible, acceptance of transfer credit should allow for the maximum recognition of previous learning experience in passed university-level courses. ​Subject to the degree and specialization to which the applicant is admitted, and to grade and program requirements, any course offered for credit by another Ontario university shall be accepted for credit when there is an essential equivalency in course content.
  6. In addition, the University of Guelph supports the intent of the Pan-Canadian Protocol on the Transferability of University Credits to develop consistent, fair and efficient systems to facilitate student mobility and program completion. In consideration of the principles of the Protocol, the University of Guelph undertakes to ensure that all course work completed by transfer students in the first two years of university study in Canada (including the final year leading to a diploma of college studies (DCS) in Quebec and the transfer courses offered by community colleges in British Columbia and Alberta) are recognized and, subject to degree, grade and program requirements are credited for the purpose of granting a degree provided that:
    1. the applicant is deemed admissible and has been offered admission
    2. a passing grade has been achieved in each course to be transferred and the grade is at the level that normally would be required of students at the University of Guelph and
    3. the credits earned are related to the program of study in which the transfer student will register, or the credits can be counted as electives in the program of study.
  7. Candidates from non-Ontario universities or colleges applying for advanced standing may submit, with the application, detailed course descriptions, or a calendar of the institution at which they studied. The provision of such information will greatly facilitate the evaluation of previous work and the consideration of possible transfer of credits. Transfer credits are determined by the Admission Committee of the program to which the student is admitted. 
    Note: Where necessary, the grades from other universities or colleges whose marking schemes differ from those of this University shall be translated into the equivalent grades of the University of Guelph and admissibility assessed in those terms. Applicants for whom English is a second language, must submit evidence English Proficiency. (see English Proficiency in the Undergraduate Calendar).
  8. Applicants who have been required to withdraw from the University of Guelph or another post-secondary institution and who pass university credit courses during the period of rustication, may be eligible for 1.00 transfer credit provided the criteria for admission or readmission and transfer of credit are met. If university credit courses are successfully completed after the rustication period, transfer credit may be granted for all courses provided the criteria for admission or readmission and transfer of credit are met. Applicants who have been debarred for academic misconduct will not receive credit for courses taken during the period of debarment.
  9. Applicants should contact Admission Services regarding specific transfer credit.

The application of these transfer credits will vary depending on the degree and specialization. The applicant must satisfy degree graduation requirements and residency requirements as outlined in Chapter VIII Degree Regulations and Procedures.

Specific graduation requirements will be determined in consultation with the program counsellor and departmental advisor.

Applicants will typically be informed of the amount of advanced standing credit granted when they receive the offer of admission. Acceptance by the student of the offer of admission shall imply the student's agreement to the advanced standing credit granted.

2. Applicants from Universities Outside of Canada

The amount of credit granted will be dependent upon the institution and the educational system. Admission Services at the University of Guelph does not grant advanced standing for work experience or for involvement in programs such as the World Youth Organization. Please refer to Chapter VIII Regulations and Procedures for information on Prior Learning Assessment.

3. Advanced Standing Applications from Recognized Community Colleges or Other Post-Secondary Institutions

The University of Guelph will also consider the granting of advanced standing for studies completed in the following post-secondary institutions. 

  1. Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology, and Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning
    ​Applicants from appropriate programs may be considered for admission with advanced standing in accordance with the following policy:
    1. Transfer credits are determined by the Admission Committee of the program to which the student is admitted and where applicable, in accordance with any existing articulation agreement or pathway. Please refer to the information at the beginning of Chapter IV on Articulation Agreements.
    2. Transfer credits will be based on courses completed normally with a grade of 'B' or better, where those courses are deemed appropriate to the program to which the student is admitted at this University. A minimum overall average of B is normally required in diploma programs for consideration of any transfer credit.
    3. Up to 10.00 credits may be granted to students transferring from a three-year diploma program, and up to 5.00 credits may be granted to students transferring from a two-year diploma program. The granting of additional transfer credits will be considered in the case of graduates from a one-year post-diploma program.
    4. Should a student transfer to a different program after admission to the University of Guelph, credits assigned upon admission may be re-assessed where deemed appropriate by the Admission Committee of the program.
  2. Colleges of Agricultural Technology
    Graduates of the two-year Associate Diploma programs or other two-year programs offered by the Colleges of Agricultural Technology may receive a maximum of 5.00 transfer credits upon admission to a degree program. Graduates admitted to the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture program, Bachelor of Bio-Resource Management program, and Bachelor of Commerce, Food and Agricultural Business program may be eligible for additional transfer credit. A minimum overall average of 70% is required in the Associate Diploma Program(s) for consideration of any transfer credit.

4. CEGEPS - Province of Quebec

  1. Applicants who present the Diplôme des Etudes Collegiales may be eligible for advanced standing, to a maximum of 5.00 credits.
  2. For more specific information candidates may contact Admission Services, Office of Registrarial Services, University of Guelph.