Study at Other Universities
U of T Scarborough students interested in taking courses at other universities and who wish to receive credit towards their U of T degrees have several options:
Student Exchange Programs
The University of Toronto Scarborough has more than 125 partner universities in 34 different countries around the world. Exchange programs provide third year (or second year) students excellent opportunities to experience new cultures and learn new languages while earning credit towards their U of T degrees.
Minimum academic requirements for consideration
- Must be in good standing and have completed at least 4.0 full credits (Note: we encourage students to participate during their third year and do not normally approve participation during their final year of study.)
- Minimum annual GPA of 2.5 and cumulative GPA of 2.25 required for consideration; however, some institutions/programs may require higher GPA
Note: In addition to meeting the minimum averages, applicants will be required to provide other documents including statement of interest and academic references as part of the application package. Interviews will also be conducted. Complete information on the application process is available from the Centre for International Experience at the St. George campus..
Deadlines and ApplicationsApplication deadline: mid-January to late February depending on the institution/program. Follow the steps below.
- UTSC Authorization Form
- Apply online through the Centre for International Experience (CIE)
- Student Exchange Programs Transfer Credit Information
Fees and Financial Aid
- Pay regular U of T tuition fees
- Financial aid may be available; contact Admissions and Awards (172 St. George St.) at 416-978-2190 for more information.
Transfer Credit
The following is an overview of the process you will need to follow to determine what transfer credits you may receive prior to starting your exchange program. Full details will be given to accepted students at a later date.Course selection
- Students normally select a combination of core and elective courses
- Only courses that would fall within the scope of the Arts, Science or Management curriculum at the University of Toronto may be transferred.
- Transfer credits are considered for undergraduate level academic courses and are not granted for practical, clinical, pedagogical or graduate level courses.
Number of transfer credits:
- Up to a maximum of five (5.0) full-course equivalents (FCEs) may be transferred. However, if you have received transfer credit in the past, for example, on admission or on Letters of Permission, further restrictions may apply.
- In order to be considered for 5.0 full transfer credits, you must complete the equivalent “ full course load” at the host institution. Note that this term does not refer to the minimum full time load at an institution. To find out what constitutes a full course load at your host university, please refer to the the CIE webpage for that host institution.
Consult Program Supervisors prior to departure!
- Your courses must be reviewed for transferability by the discipline that would teach the course at UTSC. For example, a Russian history course should be reviewed by the Supervisor of Studies in History, even if you are not enrolled in a history program.
- Program Supervisors should be consulted to determine whether your choice of courses would satisfy program requirements.
- Documents to bring when consulting Program Supervisors: course outlines/descriptions that list topics covered, credit weight and year level of each course
- Program Supervisors will indicate course equivalency on a Course Recommendation Form which will be provided to approved students from Admissions and Student Recruitment at UTSC (Carol Farquhar, room AA130).
Important
Studying at another institution does bring a degree of academic risk. Although we cannot guarantee that the courses you choose will receive full credit, we will do our best to ensure you receive a fair assessment. If you have provided detailed outlines and received Program Supervisors’ transfer credit recommendations prior to your departure, then the risk is negligible.Need more information?
Contact UTSC’s International Student Centre, Room SL 151 or
the Centre for International Experience at the St. George campus.
These opportunities are designed to allow U of T Scarborough students to continue their degree studies full-time at an accredited university, normally outside Canada, for one academic year. Such programs are intended to enhance the university experience of each participant through living and learning in a different milieu. Students normally participate in a Study Elsewhere program during the third year of a four year degree. However, it may be possible to apply for the second year. Attendance during the final year is not usually approved. Students may consider this program only if they wish to attend a university that does NOT already have an exchange agreement with U of T. See the Centre for International Experience for a list of exchange partner universities. Minimum Academic Requirements Deadlines and Applications Apply for admission to the host university. Since many foreign universities have very early deadlines, it is important to make enquiries early in the fall term (or the prior year!). Attending to all practical aspects of participating in the program such as obtaining travel documents, arranging for a place to live, etc., can be time-consuming. In addition, complete the Study Elsewhere application form (download) and submit it to Admissions & Student Recruitment, AA128. Deadline: February 1 Note: Students wishing to take only one or two courses at another university should consider the Letter of Permission option instead. Fees and Financial Aid Need help? The U of T Summer Abroad programs are designed to enrich students’ academic lives by providing an exciting and educational international experience. Students complete University of Toronto undergraduate degree credit courses from the Faculty of Arts & Science in an international setting. Relatively small classes (about 25 students on average) are taught by University of Toronto professors or faculty from the host university. All classes, with the exception of language courses, are taught in English. The courses and grades show on students' transcripts as regular University of Toronto credits and are calculated into their cumulative GPA. When? Applications and Deadlines Apply online at: www.summerabroad.utoronto.ca Space is limited so apply early! Fees and Financial Aid Need more information? Tel: 416-978-8713 U of T Scarborough students who need to study temporarily at another university similar in setting to U of T, and have credits transferred to their degrees must receive permission, in the form of a Letter of Permission, from U of T Scarborough to do so PRIOR TO TAKING THE COURSE(S). When is a LOP granted? The Program Supervisor in the discipline (study area) that would offer the equivalent course to the proposed course must be consulted for acceptability of the course for transfer credit. The recommendation is to be indicated on the Transfer Credit Recommendation Memo included in the application package. Eligibility Course selection To receive credit for Letter of Permission courses, the student must earn one full grade higher than the minimum passing grade (i.e. a C minus or better at universities using a grading scale similar to that of the University of Toronto). Grades are not recorded on U of T transcripts and are not included in any grade point averages; however, they will be taken into consideration when considering eligibility for scholarships and/or awards. Poor grades obtained while on a Letter of Permission may affect a student's academic standing at U of T Scarborough. Refer also to the “Study at Other Universities” section of the Calendar. U of T Scarborough encourages students interested in improving their language skills to include off-campus immersion courses in their programs of study. Since transfer credit awarded may vary with the nature of the language program attended, a Letter of Permission (LOP) must be obtained before undertaking such off-campus immersion studies. Consult to ensure appropriate course content LOP Application Deadline: Completed application forms including all required documents must be submitted to this office at least 3 weeks prior to the start of classes at the host university. It is your responsibility to check directly with the host university for information concerning their application and registration deadlines. Click here, to access the LOP application form. The Explore program consists of a five-week intensive language-learning course offered during the summer session at various institutions across Canada. Students interested in Explore should visit www.myexplore.ca for information on eligibility requirements and applications. Apply early! To receive transfer credit for the Explore program, please observe the procedures below: 
Study Elsewhere Program
Completed applications (including the Course Recommendation Form) should be submitted, along with copies of the relevant information from the host university’s calendar (course outlines, grading system and credit system), to Admissions and Student Recruitment at U of T Scarborough. If your Study Elsewhere application is approved, a service fee will be charged.
UofT Summer Abroad
Summer session: May to August (courses are 3 to 6 weeks long)
March 1 for most programs
February 4 if applying for scholarships from Woodsworth College
contact Admissions and Awards (172 St. George St) at 416-978-2190 for more information.
Contact:
Professional & International Programs
Woodsworth College,
University of Toronto
119 St. George St., 3 rd Floor
Toronto, ON M5S 1A9
Email: summer.abroad@utoronto.ca
Website: www.summerabroad.utoronto.ca
Letter of Permission (LOP)
Letters of Permission are not routinely approved. Students must give reasons why the Letter of Permission is necessary and explain, for example, why it is not possible to take the courses at the University of Toronto.
Students should also explain the importance of the particular courses selected. The letter of explanation must be submitted with the application along with a detailed course description.
If the course is to be used to meet program requirements, the student must also consult with the Program Supervisor to ensure the course will be approved for the program.
To be considered, a student must have completed the equivalent of at least 4.0 full credits at UTSC and be in good standing with the University of Toronto Scarborough.
Letters of Permission are not normally granted for study at institutions within Toronto and surrounding regions; and not for correspondence courses, particularly if the student lives in Toronto and surrounding regions.
Courses requested must be appropriate for Arts and Science degree credit at this university. (For example, courses in education, social work, or physical education would not be appropriate.) Second entry professional programs such as Law or Medicine are also not appropriate. Letters of Permission are not normally granted for correspondence courses, particularly if the student lives in Toronto and surrounding regions.
Credit for Courses
A maximum of 5.0 full credits may be obtained on a Letter of Permission. However, if a student received 5.0 or more transfer credits upon admission, it is unlikely that a Letter of Permission will be allowed. Only 1.0 credit at the senior level (C or D level) will be permitted on a Letter of Permission.
The student must arrange for the host university to send an official transcript directly to U of T Scarborough promptly after completion of the course.
OFF-CAMPUS LANGUAGE PROGRAMS
Students who have available, in advance, detailed descriptions of the language courses they intend to take may have such courses approved in advance by the Program Supervisor in the relevant discipline. They should obtain the Supervisor's commitment in writing with respect to the credit to be awarded on successful completion of the off-campus courses(s). Where equivalent courses are available at U of T Scarborough, students should also obtain a formal written indication of the equivalent to be granted. This is particularly important for students who require these language courses for program completion. Students who meet requirements for credit will receive (on their return to U of T Scarborough) the credit noted.
Students who, in the opinion of the Program Supervisor, cannot provide immersion course descriptions that are sufficiently detailed to allow for the commitment noted above, may still obtain a Letter of Permission for such courses. However, students take theses courses at some risk. In this case, students must, on their return to the U of T Scarborough, make available to the Program Supervisor a detailed course outline. The Supervisor, in consultation with the Discipline, will then determine the appropriate number and level of credits to be granted and will determine whether these credits are specified as U of T Scarborough equivalents or are unspecified.
Program Supervisors who have some doubt about the content of the immersion courses are free to require students to take written and/or oral examinations in order to determine the credit value and levels to be granted. Such tests may also be used to determine equivalents.
It is possible that transfer of credit will not be allowed if the immersion course content and level are found to be inappropriate. For this reason students who intend to study in immersion programs off-campus are urged to discuss such programs with the Supervisor BEFORE they register in them. Summer Language Bursary Programs offered through faculties of education or continuing studies/education divisions are not acceptable for transfer credit.
EXPLORE – Second Language Summer Program ( French)
Information for U of T Scarborough Students
