Transfer credit eligibility
If you have a previous university or college education, you may be able to apply for transfer credit toward SAIT courses within a program.
To be eligible for transfer credit:
- you must be currently enrolled or recently accepted in a SAIT program
- your previous course(s) must have been completed at a government-accredited post-secondary institution within the last five years
- you must have achieved a minimum grade of 63% (C) in your previous education. "Attended," "Pass", or "Audited" grades will not be accepted for credit, including previously awarded transfer credit or prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR).
Transfer credit may be used up to a maximum of 50% of the courses required for a SAIT program. (For example, ten courses out of 20 for diploma programs.)
Non-credit courses cannot be used as transfer credit toward a credit course.
Transfer agreements
There is a chance that the course(s) or program you have previously completed at another institution has already been evaluated at SAIT.
This means that a transfer agreement has been made, which will significantly reduce the processing time and provide you with an answer if your courses or credential will count for credit.
There are two different ways you can explore transfer pathways to and from SAIT:
Program-specific agreements
Visit our program pages to see a list of pre-evaluated programs listed by partner institution.
This is a good way to explore transfer options if you're transferring to SAIT.
Transfer Alberta search tool
Visit the Government of Alberta's database to browse all transfer credit agreements between post-secondary institutions across the province.
This is a good way to explore transfer options if you're transferring from SAIT to another institution.
Did you know?
You may be able to get credit for your prior work, volunteer or other types of learning experiences.
Find out if you're eligible and how to complete a prior learning assessment.
How to apply for course credit
Transfer credit will be successfully awarded if:
- 80% of the previous course curriculum matches SAIT course curriculum
- the credit hours or course weight of your previous course(s) is similar to your intended SAIT course(s).
Confirm your seat
Before you begin the transfer credit evaluation process, you must be a confirmed student.
Submit a transfer credit application
To formally apply for transfer credit, you must complete and submit an online credit application.
You will need to provide your information, including your SAIT student ID and the course information from your previous education, including course codes, grades, and the SAIT course for which you would like to receive credit.
Await the decision
Once you have submitted your credit application, your request will be reviewed by a transfer credit advisor.
If there is an existing transfer agreement for the course or the course has been successfully evaluated before, your request will be approved without further action.
If there are no existing agreements or the course has never been evaluated before, you will be contacted and required to complete additional steps, including providing a detailed course outline or syllabus for each course submitted for evaluation. Outlines must be from the year and semester the course was taken; website or calendar course descriptions will not be accepted.
Once a final transfer credit decision is made, a transfer credit advisor will contact you to let you know if you will be awarded credit or not.
If your transfer credit is approved:
- A "CR" will show on your SAIT transcript. The credited course is not calculated in your grade point average (GPA).
- If you’re currently registered in the SAIT course, a transfer credit advisor will drop you from the course. If you receive credit for a course for a future semester, you are responsible for dropping yourself from the course.
Key dates and deadlines
Transfer credit evaluations open approximately two months before the semester starts, except for spring and summer.
To receive a tuition refund, the transfer credit request must be completed before the course add/drop date. You may still submit a request after the deadline up to the midpoint of the semester; however, you will not receive a tuition refund.
The transfer credit evaluation process for your previous education can take between 4-6 weeks, so we recommend you start the process as soon as transfer credit evaluation opens.
| Term | Semester start* | Transfer credit evaluation opens | Add/drop deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2024 | July 2, 2024 | June 1 | July 12, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 | Sept. 3, 2024 | July 1 | Sept. 13, 2024 |
| Winter 2025 | Jan. 6, 2025 | Nov. 1 | Jan. 17, 2025 |
| Spring 2025 | May 5, 2025 | March 1 | May 16, 2025 |
*If your program begins outside the above semester start dates, your add/drop deadline will differ. Please contact your academic advisor to confirm your deadline.
If you are registered in a course that is being evaluated, you should continue to attend the courses until a decision has been made on your transfer credit request.
Costs
If your previous education was completed at a Canadian institution, there is no charge to have your courses evaluated.
To have your international education assessed a non-refundable fee of $155 per course will be charged regardless of the outcome of the evaluation.
Transfer credit frequently asked questions
If you're a current SAIT student and want to take a course at another post-secondary institution, you must submit an email request, along with the course outline, to have it evaluated and pre-approved for transfer.
You have one year to complete the course and send your final transcript to transfer.options@sait.ca to receive credit.
A letter of permission may be requested by the other institution as part of the admission process. Please contact transfer.options@sait.ca to request an official letter.
If you have completed a study abroad program and returned to SAIT, you can apply for transfer credit by submitting a transfer credit request form.
Meet with a study abroad coordinator to learn more about available study abroad programs and courses.
If you have completed advanced placement or international baccalaureate course(s) and want to know if they transfer to your program, please visit Transfer Alberta.
Eligibility:
- IB - Higher level courses are awarded provided a minimum grade of "5" or higher is achieved.
- AP - present grades of 4 or higher
If eligible, submit a transfer credit request form for evaluation.
If your documents are issued in a language other than English, an official translation must be provided by certified members of the ATIA or CTTIC or translators with a translation authority from your home country, along with the original documents from which the translation was completed.
Related policies and procedures
- AC.3.1.1- Grading and Progression Procedure - Credit Courses
- AC.3.18- Recognition of Prior Learning Policy
- AC.3.18.1- Recognition of Prior Learning - Credit Courses
- AC.3.18.1- Schedule A - Challenge Examination Process
- AC.3.18.1- Schedule B - Transfer Credit/Course Equivalency - Evaluation Rubric
- AC.3.18.1- Schedule C - Prior Non-Formal and Informal Learning Evaluation Rubric
- AC.3.18.3 Articulation
- AC.3.18.3 Schedule A - Roles and Responsibilities
Contact us
Office of the Registrar
Transfer Credit
AA211, Heritage Hall, SAIT Main Campus
Book an appointment with an advisor >
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Email - transfer.options@sait.ca
Admissions
Oki, Âba wathtech, Danit'ada, Tawnshi, Hello.
SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.