Glossary

Advanced Standing
Credit given for a previously-taken post-secondary credential such as a certificate, diploma or associate's degree program; this credit enables you to enter a bachelor's degree or other program at a higher level.

Applied Degree
A degree granted by a college or technical institute in an applied subject (such as accounting, interior design or forest technology) after the completion of six semesters (about 3 years) of academic studies and at least 2 semesters (about 1 year) of paid, related, supervised work experience.

Apprenticeship
A combination of on-the-job training and technical in-school instruction in a specific trade such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical, culinary arts, etc. Offered by many two-year colleges and other post-secondary institutions. Those who complete an apprenticeship program receive a provincial Certificate of Apprenticeship.

Articulation Agreement
The formal agreement between institutions where one school agrees to recognize the courses and credits of another, thereby allowing students to transfer from one to another easily. Articulation agreements outline which courses or programs will transfer from colleges to universities, or from university to university, and under what terms.

Assigned Credit
Credit granted for a specific course.

Associate's Degree
A degree granted by many community colleges on completion of a two-year program. Often used as a transfer degree. In some provinces, an associate's degree can give you priority admission to university programs in the same province as well as a guarantee of 60 transfer credits at other universities and university colleges. You may still need to take more courses to meet all the requirements of your new program.

Block Transfer
The transfer of credits from a certificate, diploma, or associate's degree program. If the receiving institution has a block transfer agreement with your institution, you can transfer the entire program without having a course-by-course assessment.

Cluster Credit
Credit granted on completion of two or more courses in the same subject area.

Course Equivalency

Direct Entry Program
A credit transfer to a specific degree program which has been formally approved by the receiving institution even though it is not part of a formal collaborative agreement with the sending institution.

Host Institution
see Sending Institution

IB/AP Transfer
High-school students who have taken the International Baccalaureate (IB) program or Advanced Placement (AP) program are usually eligible for advanced credit toward their undergraduate degrees.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)/ Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR)
Not a transfer credit as such, a PLA or PLAR gives you credit for previous learning undertaken outside the usual academic environment (through work or life experience, for example). You will have to document or demonstrate your prior learning, and this procedure varies from province to province and may only apply to specific programs. PLA(R) credits granted at one institution often cannot be transferred to another.

Receiving Institution
The post-secondary institution you are transferring to.

Residency Requirement
1) The number of credits you need to complete at an institution in order to graduate from that institution.
2) A minimum number of months you need to reside in a region before being eligible to apply to a program in that region, particularly graduate or professional programs.

Sending Institution
The post-secondary institution you are transferring from. Sometimes also called "host institution."

Shelf Life
The length of time a course is considered current. Many courses in health-related fields, business, and information technology have a shorter shelf life than those in other fields. The exact definition of shelf life varies from one institution to another, but if you last took a course more than 5-10 years ago, you may not be able top transfer the credits and will need to take an updated version.

Visiting
Visiting is when students enrolled in a university in their home country take a semester, a year or a summer course at a foreign university and receive credit for this course from their home institution.