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Advanced Standing, Transfer Agreements, and Transfer Credit

Contents

Advanced Standing
Transfer Credit
Transfer Agreements
Multidisciplinary, Collaborative, and Cotutelle Doctoral Programs

 

Advanced Standing

Advanced Standing may be awarded to a student upon demonstration of acquired knowledge of a course's content through university or professional courses. Advanced standing does not reduce the number of credit hours required by the program or the student’s tuition and fees. The student substitutes the credit hours for which advanced standing has been awarded with either GRST 994 AA-ZZ, courses from the list of possible electives of the program, or additional research hours. 

Advanced Standing may be awarded for courses that have been used to satisfy another academic credential. A student may request advanced standing for no more than 40% of the credit hours of course work required for the University of Regina program. 

The granting of advanced standing shall be decided by the student’s unit (by the graduate coordinator, if applicable). The student applies for advanced standing directly to their unit and the unit makes a recommendation to FGSR. Some programs have predetermined the advanced standing for typical designations (check with the appropriate unit for more information).

Transfer Credit

Transfer Credit may be awarded when a student has successfully completed graduate-level coursework at the University of Regina (while registered in a different program) or at another accredited institution of higher education either during or prior to starting their program at University of Regina. This coursework may be transferred to the student's current program at the University of Regina, this reduces the number of credits hours required by the student’s program and the student’s tuition. Transfer credit only applies to courses that have not been used to satisfy another academic credential.

Transfer credit will only be granted for graduate-level courses from accredited universities deemed relevant to the student’s current program. To receive transfer credit for a class, the student’s grade in that class must be at least equivalent to 70%. No more than 40% of the course work credit hours required by the student’s program may be granted as transfer credit from courses taken outside of the University of Regina (there is an exception for some Joint International Programs). Transfer credit is not given for thesis or project work that was completed at another institution prior to starting a program at University of Regina. Grades obtained in courses taken at other universities are not included in the calculation of the grade point average for graduation. For graduate courses taken within the University of Regina, the student’s unit determines the number and type of transfer credits that may be applied to the student’s program. The grade of each course accepted as transfer credit will be included in the grade point average for graduation.

Transfer credits shall be determined by the student’s unit (by the graduate coordinator if applicable). The student applies directly to their unit and the unit recommends to FGSR which courses will be accepted as transfer credit. This is done on a case-by-case basis, since course equivalences for graduate courses can vary greatly between years and instructors. The student’s unit and FGSR reserve the right to deny transfer credit for a variety of reasons, including that the course was taken far enough in the past that the material could be considered out of date.

Procedures to Apply for Advanced Standing or Transfer Credit

It is the student’s responsibility to apply for transfer credit and FGSR’s decision about transfer credit is final.

Advanced standing and transfer credit for courses or credentials completed before a student starts their program at the University of Regina must be requested by the student no later than the first term of the student’s program at the University of Regina, preferably, at the time of Admission or Reinstatement. A Request for Transfer Credit or Advanced Standing should be submitted either with the student’s application for admission to FGSR, or directly to the Graduate Co-ordinator (or equivalent) for the student’s program.

The Graduate Program Co-ordinator (or equivalent) will determine for which courses advanced standing or transfer credit will be granted, and also which courses (or research hours) the student will take to replace the courses for which advanced standing has been granted.

Transfer Credit Earned Mid-Program

University of Regina Students at other Institutions

A University of Regina graduate student in good standing may take courses at another institution during their program for transfer credit at the University of Regina. Students must seek prior approval for the courses to be credited towards their University of Regina programs, otherwise the course will be considered extra to the program.

If the host institution is a participant in one the three main Canadian transfer agreements (Canadian Universities Graduate Transfer Agreement, the Western Deans’ Agreement Graduate Student, or Saskatchewan Universities Graduate Agreement), then the student must complete the applicable form. More details about these agreements and links to the application forms are in the following section.

If the student or course is not eligible for consideration under one of the formal agreements, the student must submit a Letter of Permission for Visiting Students Incoming of Outgoing to the student’s academic unit which, if supportive, forwards the request to the Dean of FGSR for consideration. In this case, the host university may permit the student to take courses as a Visiting Student (or equivalent) according to that university's normal regulations. Then the student registers through the designated host University and arranges for an official transcript to be forwarded to FGSR once the course has been completed.

Note that international and doctoral students are still required to register at the University of Regina every term. Permission to take a course at another institution does not constitute a registration at the University of Regina

Students from other Institutions at the University of Regina

A student registered in a graduate program at another accredited institution may take graduate courses at the University of Regina for transfer credit at their home institution. If the student’s home institution is a member of an official agreement (i.e. Canadian Universities Graduate Transfer Agreement, the Western Deans’ Agreement Graduate Student, or Saskatchewan Universities Graduate Agreement), then the student completes the appropriate form. Details about these agreements and links to the application forms are in the following section. Otherwise the student requires a letter of permission from the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies (or equivalent) at the student's home university and must also complete a must submit a Letter of Permission for Visiting Students Incoming of Outgoing.

 

Transfer Agreements

The University of Regina participates in the following three main Canadian transfer agreements:

  • Saskatchewan Universities Graduate Agreement (SUGA). University of Regina or University of Saskatchewan students who wish to take a course for credit in their program at the other University complete a SUGA form and have it signed by appropriate officials at the two universities. Students covered by this agreement will not pay tuition at the host institution, but will be required to pay incidental fees.

  • Western Deans’ Agreement (WDA) Graduate Student. A student in a graduate program at a university participating in the WDA is eligible for this category (unless they are included under SUGA). Admission requires the recommendation of the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies (or equivalent) at the student’s home institution. Students are to complete a Western Deans’ Agreement form. Instructional fees are paid at the home institution.

  • Canadian University Graduate Transfer Agreement (CUGTA). The Canadian University Graduate Transfer Agreement (CUGTA) is designed to provide students in good standing enrolled in a graduate degree or diploma program at a CAGS (Canadian Association for Graduate Studies) university the opportunity to take courses offered at another member institution for transfer credit to the program at their institution. This program applies to universities not covered by either SUGA or WDA.

Multidisciplinary, Collaborative, and Cotutelle Doctoral Programs

  • Multidisciplinary PhD (partnership between two different programs/disciplines at the UofR):
    Multidisciplinary PhD program fosters advanced inquiry and synthesis across disciplines with a focus on training PhD students in multidisciplinary methods and theories that address grand challenges. Candidates in this program will work under the co-supervision of Faculty members from two distinct disciplines and graduate programs and are required to translate research findings into real-world solutions.
  • Collaborative Partnership PhD (CPP) (partnership between UofR and other Canadian Universities):
    The Collaborative Partnership PhD Program trains outstanding doctoral students at the University of Regina and a partner Canadian University.  The CPP program is intended to co-supervise highly qualified graduates, co-develop graduate programs, and accelerate strategic research collaboration between the University of Regina and other PhD granting postsecondary institutions.
  • The Cotutelle PhD (partnership between UofR and an international university):
    The cotutelle (joint supervision) PhD requires an existing research collaboration between two supervisors from two postsecondary institutions.  The Supervisors agree to co-supervise and combine the capacities of the two institutions to develop the skills and competencies of the PhD student and enhance scholarly networking and collaboration. PhD graduates enrolled in the Cotutelle or Collaborative Partnership PhD programs will write one dissertation and will be conferred a doctoral degree/parchment from each institution.