Help CenterCan I apply for course exemption for previous studies?
Course Exemptions and Credit Transfers
Applicants can apply for an exemption from individual courses in their program or from a general elective if they have previously taken a post-secondary course with similar learning outcomes. Transfer credits (exemptions) are for equivalent courses taken at recognized educational institutions. They are generally transcribed as “EX” and do not usually impact your GPA.
Algonquin College can accept certain internal credit transfers from one Algonquin program to another, as well as some external credit transfers from other post-secondary institutions. As a general rule, only courses that have been taken within the last five years with a minimum grade of C (63%, 2.0/4.0GPA) or equivalent are eligible for external transfer of credit.
If you are interested in applying for five or more course exemptions, you may be interested in the advanced standing option for your program of study.
For more information and next steps to apply for exemptions, please visit the Exemptions and Credit Transfers website or contact the Exemptions Team at exemption@algonquincollege.com.
Can I apply previous education and/or work experience for course credit?
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)
PLAR allows you to receive course credit for non-academic life experience such as employment, community work, independent study, on-the-job training, volunteering, and travel and leisure.
Credits for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) are not the same as Transfer Credits (exemptions). PLAR credits are for learning gained through experience. A PLAR challenge involves a special assessment designed to confirm your knowledge of a course’s learning requirements. PLAR results are often transcribed as A to F letter grades and may impact your GPA.
For more information regarding PLAR, please visit the PLAR website or contact the PLAR Coordinator at plar@algonquincollege.com.
Can I apply for advanced standing in a program?
Applicants with some post-secondary education in a relevant program may wish to apply for advanced standing. This means that applicants, who receive approval for advanced standing, could enter a program level (semester) beyond level (semester) one and complete their credential in a shorter amount of time.
The first step to applying for internal or external advanced standing is to complete an application through Ontario Colleges. Please ensure you apply to the program of your choice and select the advanced level (semester) of your choice from the drop down list that appears. Our Registrar’s Office will email you the next steps to process your advanced standing application.
For more information regarding Advanced Standing, please visit the Advanced Standing website.
How do I know if my previous learning or experience is equivalent to an Algonquin College course?
In order to be eligible for exemptions, courses will be assessed based on learning outcomes, hours and grades. External course exemptions will require a copy of the course outline from the previous post-secondary institution.
If you would like to review the Algonquin College Course outlines, they can be found online here. To effectively use this database, please ensure you know the program name and course code(s) for the outlines you are hoping to retrieve.