Alternatives to Regular Course Credit

A. Advanced Credit/Placement

Students wishing to transfer should refer to the Alberta Transfer Guide which lists all course and program transfer agreements between post-secondary institutions in Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The guide and other transfer information are available online at www.acat.gov.ab.ca or by contacting: Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer, 909, 9942 - 108 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J5. Telephone: (780) 422-9021 or 310-0000 (toll free). E-mail: acat@gov.ab.ca

Students from other universities or colleges may be admitted with advanced credit in undergraduate programs. The amount of advanced credit that may be granted is limited and determined by faculty regulations, which provide that a student proceeding toward a first degree is normally required to complete a specified number of University of Calgary courses within a specified time limit.

Students transferring from other institutions into programs at the University of Calgary must make themselves aware of the appropriate required (prerequisite) preparation for courses they wish to take. This may be done by consulting the Courses of Instruction section of this Calendar. Students receiving specified transfer credit status for particular courses should be aware that this does not necessarily imply that exact course equivalence is being awarded, but that this may indicate an equivalent level of experience in a subject area.

Students transferring to the University of Calgary who have attended publicly supported post-secondary institutions in Alberta shall be subject to the same regulations as those transferring from one faculty to another within the University. The University of Calgary will honour all extant transfer of credit arrangements as listed in the Alberta Transfer Guide.

Students who have taken the equivalent of university courses in some other manner may be given advanced placement (i.e., excused from taking such courses) but will not be granted advanced credit in them. They will be required to substitute other courses to complete a program of normal weight at this University.

The University reserves the right to require applicants for advanced credit or advanced placement to write examinations at any level including that of matriculation standing.

B. International Baccalaureate (IB) Program

The University of Calgary awards a full year of credit (five full-course equivalents) for the completed International Baccalaureate diploma. Specific course credit or advanced standing for Higher Level courses is awarded as set out below. A grade of "5" or above is required to receive such specific credit or placement. The balance of credit (including credit for Higher Level courses with grades below "5") required to bring the total to five full-course equivalents will be at the junior unassigned option level. In the case of advanced credit, a grade of "CR" will be recorded on the student's record.

Applicants who have not completed the diploma will receive specific course credit or advanced placement as set out below for each Higher Level course completed with a grade of "5" or above. No junior unassigned option credit beyond that set out below is awarded to students who do not complete the full IB diploma. Official IB transcripts are required as part of the evaluation process.

Students awarded advanced credit or advanced placement for IB courses should consult their faculty regarding course selection. Note that if advanced credit is awarded for a 200-level course that is a stated prerequisite for a 300-level course, students will be permitted to enter the 300-level course in first year. Whether or not credit is applicable to any particular degree program is determined by the appropriate faculty.

Higher level IB courses approved for advanced credit or advanced placement are:

IB Subject

University of Calgary Equivalent

Art/Design

Art 231/233

Biology

Biology 233

Chemistry

Chemistry 201/203 or 209 (Engineering only)

Computer Science

Computer Science 231 and half course junior Computer Science*† or Engineering 233 (Engineering only)

Economics

Economics 201/203

English A1

Half course junior English†

French A or B

Full course junior French† (credit will not apply to major or minor French programs)

Geography

Geography 211/251

German A or B

German 221/223

History

Full course junior History†

Italian

Full course junior Italian† (credit will not apply to minor Italian programs)

Latin

Latin 301/303

Mathematics

Mathematics 251 or Applied Mathematics 217 (Engineering only)

Mathematics with Further Maths

Mathematics 251 or Applied Mathematics 217 (Engineering only)

Music

Advanced Placement (Based on audition/placement tests with the Faculty of Fine Arts, students may be given advanced placement and permitted to take selected Music courses by "Special Assessment.")

Philosophy

Half course junior Philosophy†

Physics

Physics 211/213

Psychology

Half course junior Psychology†

Spanish A or B

Full course junior Spanish†(credit will not apply to major or minor Spanish programs)

*Students who successfully complete a challenge examination may receive credit for Computer Science 233 in lieu of the half junior Computer Science.

† "Junior" refers to credit at the 200 level, but for which no direct University of Calgary equivalency exists.

C. Advanced Placement (AP) Program

AP students will automatically receive advanced credit or advanced placement in approved courses where they present grades of 4 or higher. In the case of advanced credit, a grade of "CR" will be recorded on the student's record. Official AP transcripts are required as part of the evaluation process.

Advanced Placement courses approved for advanced credit or advanced placement are:

AP Course

University of Calgary Equivalent

Art History

Art History 201/203

Art Studio (Drawing Portfolio)

Art 241/243

Art Studio (2-D Portfolio)

Art 231

Art Studio (3-D Portfolio)

Art 233

Biology

Biology 233

Calculus AB or BC

Mathematics 251*

Chemistry

Chemistry 201/203 or 209 (Engineering only)

Computer Science A

Computer Science 215**

Computer Science AB

Computer Science 231 and half course junior Computer Science***† or Engineering 233/335 (Engineering only)

Economics (Microeconomics)

Economics 201

Economics (Macroeconomics)

Economics 203

English (Language & Composition)

Half course junior English†

English (Literature & Composition)

Half course junior English†

German

German 221/223

Government & Politics

Half course junior Political Science†

History (European History)

History 201

History (United States History)

Half course junior History†

Latin

Latin 301/303

Music (Listening/Literature)

Music History and Literature 201

Music (Theory)

Music Theory and Composition 201

Physics B

Full course junior Physics†

Physics C (Electricity & Magnetism)

Half course junior Physics† or Physics 259 (Engineering only)

Physics C (Mechanics)

Physics 221

Physics C (Electricity & Magnetism) and Physics C (Mechanics)

Full course junior Physics†

Psychology

Psychology 205

*Students may obtain credit for Applied Mathematics 217 in lieu of Mathematics 251 if they complete Mathematics 017 at the University of Calgary.

**Students who successfully complete a challenge examination may receive credit for Computer Science 231 in lieu of Computer Science 215.

***Students who successfully complete a challenge examination may receive credit for Computer Science 233 in lieu of the half junior Computer Science.

†"Junior" refers to credit at the 200 level, but for which no direct University of Calgary equivalency exists.

D. General Certificate of Education - Advanced Levels

Students will automatically receive advanced credit in approved courses where they present grades of A, B or C. Examination results must be verified by the appropriate examining board. Attested or certified copies are not acceptable. Credit has been determined as follows:

GCE Course

University of Calgary Equivalent

Biology

Half course junior Biology*†

Chemistry

Chemistry 201/203 or 209 (Engineering only)

Economics

Economics 201/203

English

Full course junior English†

English Literature

Full course junior English†

Further Mathematics

Mathematics 253

Mathematics

Mathematics 251

Physics

Physics 221/223

Pure Mathematics

Mathematics 251

Statistics

Statistics 213/217

*If University of Calgary Biology 231 or 233 is completed, this course will be extra to degree.

†"Junior" refers to credit at the 200 level, but for which no direct University of Calgary equivalency exists.

E. Credit in Courses by Special Assessment (Challenge Examinations)

Some faculties will allow students who feel knowledgeable in the subject matter of a particular course to seek credit through special assessment (i.e., subjecting to an examination only without attending the course and completing all requirements in the normal way during a regular session). Faculties and departments are free to determine which, if any, of their courses may be taken by special assessment, by any particular student, and to determine the nature and scheduling of the examination or assessment procedures involved. The evaluation must be completed and a grade reported by the specified deadline for that particular academic session. Only those courses listed on the master timetable and offered during an academic session may be taken by special assessment.

To complete a course under this policy, a student must obtain written permission by the registration deadline from the head of the department offering the course and the Dean's Office of the faculty in which the student is registered, on appropriate forms headed "Permission to Take Courses by Special Assessment" (obtainable from the Office of the Registrar).

Upon submission of a completed form to the Office of the Registrar, students may no longer cancel their registration in the course being taken by special assessment or withdraw from the course being completed in this manner.

It should be noted that in all cases the fees for taking a course by special assessment are the same as regular course fees.

Failures in courses completed by special assessment shall be noted on the student's permanent record in the same manner as a course completed by attending lectures.

A course in which the student was previously registered may not be taken subsequently by special assessment, nor may any course be attempted more than once in this way.

Students wishing to seek credit for courses by this method are advised to contact their faculty offices for faculty regulations and to determine the number of courses which may be completed by this method in a given year or program.

F. Visiting Students

Students who are registered in degree programs at the University of Calgary may be granted permission to take a limited number of courses at other universities or colleges. Such permission is at the discretion of the dean of the faculty in which the student is registered. The number of courses which can be completed is also limited by the amount of transfer credit permitted towards a degree by the faculty concerned. Permission must be obtained prior to completing the courses and it is the student's responsibility to ensure that the University receives official transcripts indicating the results.

Students granted permission to complete their degrees at other institutions in the Winter Session of their graduating year will graduate at the fall convocation next following.

Students who fail to obtain permission prior to taking courses at another institution are required to reapply for admission and are subject to any new degree requirements. Students who fail to report that they have attended another institution are subject to dismissal.

Students should contact the faculty office in which they are registered for further information. A fee of $25.00 may be charged for each letter of permission.

G. Auditing Regulations

1. Auditing privileges are extended to students who have applied for admission and have been officially admitted to the University and to Visiting and Unclassified students.

2. (a) The audit fees are outlined in the fees section of this Calendar.

(b) All auditing fees are non-refundable.

3. ACADEMIC STAFF and VISITING SCHOLARS (not to be interpreted as visiting students) are eligible to audit without payment of fees, are not required to seek admission to the University, but must obtain written permission from the instructor of the course on a Permission to Audit form obtainable from the Office of the Registrar. Such audits will not be recorded on an official transcript. Academic staff and visiting scholars who wish to have an audit course recorded on an official transcript must pay the regular audit course fees.

4. A course in which the student is registered and attends as an auditor, will be entered on the student's record. It will not count towards any degree or diploma program, nor will the student in an undergraduate faculty be permitted to change registration in that course from audit to credit or credit to audit status after the change deadline at the beginning of the session in which the course begins. (Since attendance in an audit course is compulsory, the Registrar shall be informed when any student registered as an auditor is not attending the course and/or has been required to withdraw by the instructor. The course shall be deleted from the student's record.)

5. The auditing students shall, before admission to the class concerned, obtain written permission on a Permission to Audit form from: first, the dean of the faculty in which they are registered; and second, the instructor teaching the course. (Permission obtained from a dean shall not bind the instructor to accept a student as an auditor in the class.) In addition, students wishing to audit courses offered by quota faculties must obtain the approval of the dean of the quota faculty.

6. The auditing student shall not participate in class discussions, assignments, examinations or in laboratory or like parts of the course. An invitation by the instructor for a student to participate in activities other than class discussions must be subsequently approved by the head of the department offering the course.

7. Applicants may audit a course which was previously successfully completed and may take for credit a course which was previously audited. Approval will be required as stated above.

8. Any student seeking to audit courses must meet all admission, registration and fee deadlines applying to regular students.