Office of the Registrar

Transfer credit

Transfer is when one institution recognizes education completed at another. If you get admitted, and if the courses you’ve taken are a good match, you can use the credits you’ve already earned to fulfill some of the requirements for your credential.

BC Transfer Guide, 2021

Transfer credit search

Search courses from your institution and how they may transfer to Okanagan College. The results shown are for reference only and are subject to change.

Please note this tool is not available in Internet Explorer. Chrome and Firefox are the preferred browsers.

Transfer process

What? 

Transfer credit may be granted for a course taken at an accredited post-secondary institution recognized by Okanagan College (OC) provided that the course grade is at least 50% and provided that an equivalent OC course exists. Transfer credit is granted as closely as possible to specific OC courses. General or unassigned credit may be granted, at the discretion of the department, in the event that no equivalent Okanagan College course exists. Credit will not be granted when courses have no general equivalent course or discipline, the course cannot be applied to any OC program of study and/or credential, or the course does not meet the academic standards of the College.

Where an exact OC equivalent does not exist, general or unassigned transfer credit may be granted as closely as possible to the originating course, either at the subject level (i.e. ENGL), faculty level (i.e. ARTS), or general elective level (UNCR). Unassigned credit will indicate the equivalent subject code, year level and credit value. I.e. HIST 1st (3).

Direct Equivalent Other institution English 111 OC English 100 (3)
Subject Level Other institution English 134 OC English 1st (3)
Faculty Level Other institution Theatre 100 OC Arts 1st (3)
Unassigned Credit Other institution Visual Arts 100 OC UNCR 1st (3)

If you require a specific OC course equivalent and are granted unassigned transfer credit, you should contact the Chair of the department where credit is required. The Chair will determine which program requirements can be met with unassigned transfer credit and where specific course equivalencies can be waived. Consider consulting with Education Advising or the appropriate Dean's Office with any questions regarding your application for transfer credit. You may be required to supply more detailed information on the particular course.

When? 

Transfer credit will only be evaluated after you accept your Offer of Admission. We are not able to advise you what transfer credits you are eligible for before you apply and are accepted into a program. When we receive your official, sealed transcript, transfer credit request form and required fee (if applicable), your evaluation request enters a queue. It can take from two to six weeks to complete your evaluation. If additional information is required, or OC is experiencing a high volume of requests, it may take longer. We encourage you to submit your transfer credit request as soon as possible. In addition to official transcripts, supporting documentation, such as detailed course outlines/syllabi may be requested. If you fail to provide this information when it is requested, this will slow down the evaluation process. When the evaluation is complete, you will be notified what transfer credit has been awarded. Please visit www.bctransferguide.ca for additional information about transfer credit and/or search for already established transfer credit via the above search tool.

Please note, for programs with Year Three entry (such as the Bachelor of Business Administration and the Bachelor of Computer Information Systems) a transfer credit request is not required. Advanced Standing will be assessed from your transcript for block entry into the program. Please ensure that if you have attended a post-secondary institution outside of B.C. the transfer credit evaluation fee is paid in order to receive Advanced Standing.

The deadlines for requesting transfer credit are:

  • July 15 for the Fall semester
  • November 15 for the Winter semester
  • March 15 for the Summer semester
How?

To apply for transfer credit, please submit a Transfer Credit Request in person, by mail, email to transfercredit@okanagan.bc.ca, or by fax along with an official (signed and sealed) transcript issued within the past six months.

If the courses your wish to transfer to Okanagan College are not listed in the above search, you must submit the Transfer Credit Request along with detailed course outlines (syllabi) for each course.

And remember to include the evaluation fee for transcripts from post-secondary institutions outside of B.C. (see Fee Payment for options how to pay). If you completed college- or university-level courses within B.C., applying for transfer credit is free of charge.

  • Transcripts outside of B.C. (within Canada):  $50 per transcript.   
  • International transcripts:  $150 per transcript.

The fine print

Please view our complete Transfer Credit Policy in the official Okanagan College Calendar. 

  • Not all courses carry credit in all programs.
  • Some programs do not allow for transfer credit.
  • Transfer Credit may be re-assessed upon application to another program.
  • The minimum grade considered for transfer credit is 50%.
  • Courses to be considered must have been successfully completed at an accredited post-secondary institution.
  • Detailed course outlines may be requested.
  • Okanagan College does not accept transfer credit for courses completed 10 or more years before the date of application.
  • If you receive transfer credit for a course which duplicates current enrolment, it is your responsibility to withdraw from the course.
  • Transcript evaluation services prior to admission is currently not available.

Course equivalency requests

Students who have attended Okanagan College in the past may request course equivalency once they have accepted their offer of admission to a subsequent program.  

  • Course equivalency may be re-assessed upon admission to another program.
  • Courses to be considered must have been successfully completed.
  • If course equivalency is granted, it may be used as a prerequisite unless otherwise indicated.
  • Okanagan College reserves the right to deny course equivalency for courses completed 10 or more years before the date of application.
  • If you are registered in a course for which equivalence is granted, you must submit a Course Change/Withdrawal form to the Registrar’s Office. Withdrawal from a course is not automatic.
  • Evaluation services prior to admission are currently not available.
  • There is no evaluation fee.

Please note, the deadlines for requesting course equivalencies are:

  • July 15 for the Fall semester
  • November 15 for the Winter semester
  • March 15 for the Summer semester

Students requiring course equivalency to be assessed for graduation should submit their request as early as possible in order to prevent any delays in processing graduation.

Please submit a Course Equivalency Request form, signed by the Chair of the of your program, to the Registrar’s Office (Kelowna) or Administration Office (Vernon, Salmon Arm, Penticton).