Transfer with an Associate Degree

In BC, many institutions offer Associate of Arts and Science degrees. The associate degree consists of two years of prescribed study in arts or science.

Universities and university colleges will guarantee 60 transfer credits to holders of an associate degree, even if all the courses taken towards the degree do not transfer individually to that institution.

The specific policies at each institution are listed below.

Students are advised that they must still complete all outstanding requirements of their baccalaureate degree program not already completed within the courses taken for the associate degree.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University Vancouver Island University Royal Roads University Simon Fraser University Thompson Rivers University Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning University of the Fraser Valley University of British Columbia University of Northern British Columbia University of Victoria

In addition, the BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) provides information on entry pathways for Associate Degree holders to their many Bachelor of Technology Degree Programs.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Kwantlen Polytechnic University guarantees a minimum of sixty (60) credits to be awarded on transfer to holders of Associate Degrees awarded by a BC College or University. Students must still meet all specific degree requirements. As Kwantlen Polytechnic University offers primarily applied degrees, most students will be required to complete bridging courses that will raise the number of credits needed to earn their degrees beyond the traditional 120 credits.

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Vancouver Island University

Vancouver Island University guarantees a minimum of sixty (60) credits to be awarded on transfer to holders of an Associate of Arts degree or an Associate of Science degree awarded by a BC College or University. Students must still fulfill all first and second year requirements of their Bachelor's degree not already completed as part of their Associate degree.

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Royal Roads University

Royal Roads University will consider Associate Degree holders for entry into the third year of its baccalaureate degree programs as follows:

Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Entrepreneurial Management:

Graduates with an Associate of Arts degree from a public BC or Yukon community college or university college will be considered for entry at the third year level to the Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management program, provided they have successfully completed courses in accounting, marketing, communications, and organizational behaviour.

Admission to this program is on a competitive basis, so not all qualified applicants will be admitted.

Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science:

Graduates with an Associate of Science degree from a public BC or Yukon community college or university college will be considered for entry at the third year level to the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science program, provided they have successfully completed a minimum of a full year of Biology, Chemistry, English and Mathematics, and one course in Statistics. Two years of Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics would be preferred. Admission to this program is on a competitive basis, so not all qualified applicants will be admitted.

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Simon Fraser University

Graduates with an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree from a BC or Yukon community college or university recognized by the BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development will be offered priority admission over other students in the college transfer admission category to the Faculties of Arts and Science respectively, subject to a minimum 2.0 admission GPA. This policy is extended to graduates with an associate degree from the Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning and the Institute of Indigenous Government who apply to SFU to commence studies in Fall 2003 or thereafter.

As of September 2004, a minimum GPA of 2.5 was required of students with an associate degree in order to obtain priority admission. As of September 2005, the minimum GPA required for priority admission is a floating value set at 0.25 below the cutoff for regular transfer students. Further changes to the admission GPA for associate degree holders will be fixed at least one year in advance and communicated to institutions granting the associate degree.

Students with such associate degrees shall receive a minimum of 60 transfer credits. Transfer credit will first be given for all individually transferable courses completed as part of or in addition to the associate degree. Additional General Elective credit having no specified credit in any particular department or faculty will be given for all remaining courses in the associate degree to a total not to exceed 60 credit hours.

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Thompson Rivers University

Thompson Rivers University guarantees sixty (60) credits will be awarded to holders of an Associate of Arts Degree or Associate of Science Degree awarded by a BC College or University. Students must still fulfill all first and second year requirements of their Bachelor's degree not already completed as part of their Associate Degree.

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Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning

Associate of Science and Associate of Arts degrees completed at any accredited BC community college or university will receive a block transfer of sixty (60) lower-level credits. This transfer credit may be applied towards the degree requirements of the Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning Bachelor of Arts, General Program; Bachelor of Arts, General Studies; Bachelor of Arts, Major Program; and Bachelor of General Studies. Specific degree requirements must still be met, and for this reason students may in some cases be able to use only a portion of the Associate Degree transfer credit to meet the specific requirements of the TRU-OL bachelor degree in question.

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University of the Fraser Valley

Students transferring into UFV with an Associate Degree will receive credit for all courses in their associate degree. Courses for which no equivalent UFV course exists will be given unassigned credit at the lower level. Students will have to meet all requirements for their degree program.

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University of British Columbia

Students with Associate Degrees of Arts or Science from a recognized College or University in BC or the Yukon, if admitted to the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Science, are guaranteed full transfer credit (60 credits) for the work done for their Associate Degree. Students must still meet all 100 and 200 level course requirements for specific degree programs (e.g., majors, honours, faculty-level course requirements) and this may require students to take more than 120 total credits to earn their degree. Students admitted with Associate Degrees must meet the competitive admission average for the program to which they apply if this average is above the published minimum.

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University of Northern British Columbia

UNBC guarantees priority admission and full transfer credit (minimum of 60 credit hours) to students transferring with an Associate in Arts or Science degree.

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University of Victoria

The University of Victoria grants 30 units of transfer credit* for the Associate Degree completed at other BC post-secondary institutions.

* UVic 30 units = 60 credits at other BC institutions.

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