The Department strongly advocates off-campus second-language contacts among staff and students, and encourages its students to benefit from a range of scholarly environments, including study opportunities at other institutions.
All students (including those in the Explore Program) wishing to transfer credit from other universities MUST get a letter of permission from their University of Calgary faculty before they leave to take courses elsewhere.
Courses transferred from other post-secondary institutions are sometimes direct equivalents of University of Calgary courses and are "matched" with the corresponding on-campus course. If no direct equivalent exists, unspecified credit at the appropriate level may also be available. It is the student's responsibility to consult beforehand the appropriate University of Calgary advisor concerning the acceptability of transfers and, after completion of the course, to provide the documentation necessary for comparison: i.e. calendar description of the course specifying number of course hours, course outline, notes, textbooks, samples of written work, and examinations.
It is the Admissions Office that assesses transfer credit. This Office may seek departmental advice in the evaluation of transcripts. In such cases, the Department makes a recommendation but it is the Admissions Office which has the final say in the granting of credit. Advanced credit may be refused if the student has duplicated coursework previously credited, or if coursework is deemed to be at the Junior level when the student has already completed senior-level work in the discipline. Processing of transfer of credit may take several months.
It is the student's responsibility to ensure that an official transcript of grades is forwarded directly from the host institution to the Admissions Office of the University of Calgary in order that credit may be officially recorded:
Admissions Office
MacKimmie Library Block 117
University of Calgary
Calgary, AB T2N 1N4
Normally up to half of the courses required for the Major or Minor may be transferred from other institutions. Students are reminded that for prerequisite language courses, a minimum grade of C- is required.
Unless there is a formal transfer arrangement between the host institution and the University of Calgary, transfer grades are listed as CR on the student's U of C transcript. The original transfer grades are however used in the computation of grade point averages for graduation purposes.
Students intending to study abroad should check with the International Information Centre (MacEwan Student Centre 275) about the possibility of obtaining a $500 bursary.
Students contemplating a transfer from other faculties to the Faculty of Arts are advised to consult one of the Department's Undergraduate Advisors.
If students contemplate studying at an institution within the province of Alberta they are strongly encouraged to visit the website of the Alberta Transfer Guide.