Evaluations and transfer credit
In general, Athabasca University will review your previous post-secondary education toward your credential. A one-time Evaluation Fee will be charged for this service. Please note this fee is non-refundable once an evaluation has been completed. For detailed information regarding the awarding of transfer credit please refer to the Undergraduate Transfer Credit Policy.
AU has articulated courses and programs from more than 240 institutions and organizations. These decisions can be searched on our online database.
Non-Canadian students who will be presenting international credentials for possible transfer credit to an AU program must refer to Foreign Transcript Evaluation.
Staledating: transfer credit time limits
Usually, courses will be considered for transfer credit regardless of when they were completed. There are some exceptions.
Different programs have different transfer credit time limits on courses. See your program regulations for details on your program's specific staledating timelines.
To discuss staledating rules for your program, please speak to a student advisor.
Transfer credit procedures
If you are a new student and wish to apply to an AU program, you must enrol in a specific program by completing the online Undergraduate General Application Form, and submit the one time, non-refundable application fee. (Students with transcripts from countries other than Canada or the US, choose Foreign Transcript Evaluations tab below for more information)
Undergraduate General Application Form Fees
Transcripts
Arrange to have official transcripts of your previous education—directly from each institution that you formerly attended—sent directly to AU, Enrolment Services, Office of the Registrar. Official transcripts will be accepted directly from the institution by email or mail. AU will evaluate all post-secondary course work completed within Canada and the United States. In some cases, additional supporting documentation may also be required in order to begin the evaluation.
Documents received in support of an application for admission become the property of AU. Copies of your foreign documents submitted may be sent to you upon request (please notify Enrolment Services).
Effective November 5, 2018, students requesting a transfer credit evaluation are responsible for providing recently issued official transcript(s) to the Enrolment Services Unit. These documents will be retained for 3 years.
International Assessment Services (e.g. IQAS, WES, etc.) documents are requested as required and will be retained indefinitely.
Questions regarding sending AU transcripts can be forwarded to: enrol@athabascau.ca.
Mailing address:
Athabasca University
Enrolment Services
Office of the Registrar
1 University Drive
Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3
Course outlines/syllabi
This information will be of use to students who want to have unassigned credit changed to direct equivalency credit, as well as to students who wish to have courses evaluated which have not been granted transfer credit.
For either of the above type cases, the student must present detailed course outlines (syllabi)* to Transfer Credit Services, Office of the Registrar. Calendar descriptions will not suffice.
The information in the detailed course outlines should include:
- Institution name
- Course name, number, and year completed
- A statement of the course objectives
- A detailed outline for the course
- The number of weeks of duration
- Hours per week of lecture (laboratory/tutorial/seminar/studio work)
- The method of evaluation and grading
- The textbooks used
- Content of assignments and assignment weighing
- Credential of instructor(s)
- Course title of prerequisite or corequisite courses (if any)
- Credit value
Some departments or faculties may require students to provide copies of examinations and/or assignments. When this information is received, it will be reviewed by the appropriate department. You will be notified of the results in writing.
* Course outlines for courses other than language courses must be presented in English. If the course was taken in a language other than English, the original outline must be presented with the translated version.
Questions regarding detailed course outlines can be directed to: eval@athabascau.ca.
If you are an unclassified/visiting or inactive student and you would like to enrol in an AU program, log into your myAU account and complete and submit the online Change of Program form. You will be required to submit the evaluation fee if you have not done so previously, but as a previously admitted student you are not required to resubmit the general application fee again.
Undergraduate General Application Form
Transcripts
Arrange to have official transcripts of your previous education—directly from each institution that you formerly attended—sent directly to AU, Enrolment Services, Office of the Registrar. Official transcripts will be accepted directly from the institution by email or mail. AU will evaluate all post-secondary course work completed within Canada and the United States. In some cases, additional supporting documentation may also be required in order to begin the evaluation.
Documents received in support of an application for admission become the property of AU. Copies of your foreign documents submitted may be sent to you upon request (please notify Enrolment Services).
Effective November 5, 2018, students requesting a transfer credit evaluation are responsible for providing recently issued official transcript(s) to the Enrolment Services Unit. These documents will be retained for 3 years.
International Assessment Services (e.g. IQAS, WES, etc.) documents are requested as required and will be retained indefinitely.
Questions regarding sending AU transcripts can be forwarded to: enrol@athabascau.ca.
Mailing address:
Athabasca University
Enrolment Services
Office of the Registrar
1 University Drive
Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3
Course outlines/syllabi
This information will be of use to students who want to have unassigned credit changed to direct equivalency credit, as well as to students who wish to have courses evaluated which have not been granted transfer credit.
For either of the above type cases, the student must present detailed course outlines (syllabi)* to Transfer Credit Services, Office of the Registrar. Calendar descriptions will not suffice.
The information in the detailed course outlines should include:
- Institution name
- Course name, number, and year completed
- A statement of the course objectives
- A detailed outline for the course
- The number of weeks of duration
- Hours per week of lecture (laboratory/tutorial/seminar/studio work)
- The method of evaluation and grading
- The textbooks used
- Content of assignments and assignment weighing
- Credential of instructor(s)
- Course title of prerequisite or corequisite courses (if any)
- Credit value
Some departments or faculties may require students to provide copies of examinations and/or assignments. When this information is received, it will be reviewed by the appropriate department. You will be notified of the results in writing.
* Course outlines for courses other than language courses must be presented in English. If the course was taken in a language other than English, the original outline must be presented with the translated version.
Questions regarding detailed course outlines can be directed to: eval@athabascau.ca.
Students presenting non-Canadian/non-United States credentials for possible transfer credit to an AU program must obtain an evaluation of post-secondary course work from an international assessment agency, for example, the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS). The credential assessment agency will assess each student's international educational documents and compare them to educational credentials in Canada.
All assessments, regardless of the agency used, must be completed using original documents or certified copies—official documents issued directly from the sending institution are preferred. AU only accepts detailed course-by-course assessments. Students must also submit copies of all foreign transcripts used in the assessment to AU. Please note AU reserves the right to request that official documents be sent directly from the institution to AU.
If you elect not to use an assessment agency, you may not obtain any transfer credit for your course work towards an AU program.
There are a number of other foreign credential evaluating services whose assessments may be accepted. In Canada, refer to the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada.
AU can also accept assessments from the U.S. from members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
While you wait
Evaluations take time. When Transfer Credit Services receives all the transcripts, supporting documents, and required fees, your evaluation request enters a queue. It can take from 4 to 8 weeks to complete your evaluation. If additional information is required, or AU is experiencing high volumes of requests, it may take longer. In addition to official transcripts, supporting documentation, such as course and program descriptions, may be required from the sending institution. Failure to provide this information when it is requested will impede the evaluation process. When the evaluation is complete, you will be notified by email that your transfer credit has been awarded and more information on how it applies to your program of study.
Current timeline for evaluation completion
Current processing time: 4 weeks
While you wait for your evaluation of previous education to be completed, you may register in courses, but it is not recommended. If your course duplicates course work already completed, you can only receive credit for one of the courses. AU cannot confirm any course will meet your credential regulations until your evaluation is complete.
Course selection assistance may be obtained from an AU Advising Services.
Once your evaluation is complete, Transfer Credit Services will notify you by email that your assessment is completed and tell you where you can access the results. Examine the transfer credit awarded closely and see how it has been applied to your program of study.
If you have questions resulting from the evaluation or as to why a course did not receive transfer credit, contact Transfer Credit Services immediately.
If you require assistance with program planning and choosing courses, please contact a student advisor.
Transferring AU courses to another institution
Generally, AU courses are transferable to other Canadian degree-granting institutions.
Students wishing to transfer courses or programs to another institution should refer to the Alberta Transfer Guide, which lists all courses and program transfer agreements between post-secondary institutions in Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Students wishing to transfer credit for courses or programs to British Columbia post-secondary institutions should refer to the British Columbia Transfer Guide. These guides and other transfer information are available online or by contacting:
Alberta Council on Admission and Transfer
11th Floor, Commerce Place
10155 - 102 Street
Edmonton, AB
T5J 4L5
Phone: 780.422.9021 or 310.0000 toll-free
Email: acat@gov.ab.ca
Alberta Transfer GuideBritish Columbia Council on Admission and Transfer
709 – 555 Seymour Street
Vancouver, BC
V6B 3H6
Phone: 604.412.7700
Fax: 604.683.0576
Email: bctransferguide@bccat.ca
AU is unable to advise you on which of its courses would transfer into a program at another institution. The decision to accept courses for transferability lies exclusively with the home institution.
If you are in a program at another post-secondary institution and wish to take an AU course, you are advised to obtain a Letter of Permission from your home institution before taking the AU course. If you do not obtain permission you might not receive credit for the course at your home institution.
Junior-level course requirements superseded by a senior-level course
When a junior-level course is a prerequisite to a senior-level course in the same subject and both courses are required in a student's program of study, the student may be exempt from completing the junior-level course upon the successful completion of the more advanced, senior-level course. In the case of an exception, the student must complete a replacement course at the same or higher level of an equal credit weight in the same area or discipline, in lieu of the prerequisite course.
Exemptions must receive approval by the Program Director, and may be granted at the time of the transfer credit evaluation or upon written request. Please contact a program advisor to discuss this exemption.
Appeals
Students can appeal a transfer credit decision by following details in the Student Code of Conduct and Right to Appeal Regulations.
For further information on appeals and the appeals process, please review our website.
Updated March 18, 2026 by Office of the Registrar