Letter of Permission (Canadian Universities) and Post-Admission Transfer Credit
A Letter of Permission (LoP) is prior confirmation that a course you intend to take at another Canadian university is acceptable for a Daniels or Faculty of Arts & Science transfer credit.
If you complete courses at another institution without a Letter of Permission, there is no guarantee that the course(s) will transfer to your Daniels degree. If you miss the deadline to apply for a Letter of Permission, you can apply for post-admission transfer credit after you complete the course(s). Should you receive transfer credit for these courses; they will be awarded as Post-Admission Transfer Credits.
With a Letter of Permission
You are advised to obtain a Letter of Permission prior to beginning studies at Canadian universities. It will confirm your eligibility to be a visiting student and receive transfer credit for the courses that you may take at another university.
A Letter of Permission indicates whether or not you are eligible for transfer credit, the course equivalencies and exclusions (where relevant), and any restrictions or conditions that may apply upon successful completion of a course at a different institution. Upon completion of course work on a Letter of Permission, you must arrange with the host institution to have an official transcript sent directly to the Transfer Credit Section of the Daniels Faculty. Upon receipt of the official transcript, the Letter of Permission is re-evaluated and you will be notified of the transfer credits you have received.
In some cases, the Daniels Faculty may require additional information in order to grant a Letter of Permission or to award credit upon completion. Letters of Permission can take up to four (4) to six (6) weeks to process.
Without a Letter of Permission
Daniels students who wish to study at another university are encouraged to do so via a Letter of Permission (for Canadian Universities only) or formal Learning Abroad and Exchange Programs (for institutions outside Canada).
Students who take courses at another institution without following one of these processes may still be eligible for transfer credit but there is no guarantee that the course completed at another institution will transfer to your degree within the Daniels Faculty at U of T. The transfer credit assessment will only take place upon completion of the course(s). In this case, you will be required to apply for a Post-Admission Transfer Credit Assessment.
Eligibility
In order for a Letter of Permission or Post-Admission transfer credits to be granted, you must;
- Be pursuing an undergraduate degree in the Daniels Faculty
- Have completed your first session (Fall/Winter) at Daniels
- Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 1.50 and be in good academic standing with the Daniels Faculty when you take courses at the other Canadian university
- Not have any financial or administrative holds on your account
- Have not previously received transfer credit for the same or similar course(s)
If you do not meet the eligibility requirements above, your application for a Letter of Permission or Post-Admission transfer credit application will be cancelled.
The courses that you plan to take should meet the following conditions:
- Courses must be taken at an accredited Canadian university (for LoP). Transfer credits are not normally granted for online or distance courses unless you can demonstrate, through your application, that there are extenuating circumstances. Please note, transfer credits are not normally granted for courses at York University or Ryerson University due to their proximity to the three U of T campuses unless you have extenuating circumstances.
- Courses must not be offered by Daniels or the Faculty of Arts & Science in the session for which you are requesting the Letter of Permission/Post-Admission transfer credit. You are expected to complete courses at U of T when it’s possible to do so.
- Courses should have a similar number of instructional hours and duration (i.e., weeks) as a Daniels or Faculty of Arts & Science course. Note that courses offered in a significantly condensed format and/or intersession courses (for example, courses offered during U of T’s winter break) may not be eligible for transfer credit.
- Courses cannot be practical or clinical, an internship, or courses that are more appropriate for programs in other faculties of the University (e.g., the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, the Faculty of Music, the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, or the School of Graduate Studies).
- Courses must not be graded on a pass/fail or credit/no credit basis. You must obtain a final mark of 60% or higher in the courses taken at the other university (provided that the passing mark in these courses is 50%) to receive transfer credit.
- Courses must not exceed the Daniels Faculty's maximum term loads. You can receive up to 2.0 transfer credits for courses completed during the Summer session, and up to 6.0 transfer credits for courses completed during the Fall/Winter session, to a maximum of 3.0 credits for each of the Fall and Winter terms. If you plan to complete more credits than this, you must request permission and receive prior approval for a course overload from the Office of the Registrar and Student Services.
In addition to the points above, it is important to take note of the following points concerning Letter of Permission or Post-Admission transfer credits:
- 300- and 400-level courses: No more than 1.0 credit at the 300+ level in transfer credit from Letter of Permission/Post-Admission transfer credits may be counted towards the minimum number of 300- and 400-level credits required for your degree.
- Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): Transfer credits will appear on your U of T transcript but they will not count towards your CGPA.
You are not eligible if:
- You owe money to the University of Toronto
- You are ineligible to register in the Daniels Faculty because you are on academic suspension
- You are on academic probation
- You have already completed your degree requirements
- You have already received 10.0 Full Course Equivalents (FCE) on-admission transfer credits or 5.0 FCE post-admission transfer credits, or
- You have received a combination of on-admission and/or post-admission transfer credits that total 10.0 FCE
Letters of Permission and Post-Admission Transfer Credit will not be granted if an equivalent course is being offered at Daniels or the Faculty of Arts & Science.
If you have questions about any of the Letter of Permission processes or need help with your transfer credit assessment, contact: transfer@daniels.utoronto.ca.
Request a Letter of Permission
Before Applying for Transfer Credit
Before you apply for transfer credits, with or without a Letter of Permission, review the following information:
- Course content – If the course content is similar to a course offered by Daniels, the Faculty of Arts & Science, or other divisions at U of T, you will not be approved for transfer credit.
- Type of course – Transfer credits are not granted for courses that are practical, clinical, or pedagogical, or for internships.
- The grading rubric – Transfer credits are only granted for courses with a final numerical mark. Courses graded on a pass/fail or credit/no credit basis are not eligible for transfer credit.
- 100-level courses – If you had completed 6.0 credits at the 100-level prior to Fall 2020 and are requesting transfer credit at the 100-level for courses completed in Summer 2020 or earlier, these transfer credits would not count for degree credit and would be added as “extra”. There are no restrictions for 100-level transfer credits for courses completed in Fall 2020 or later, but keep in mind that you need a minimum number of credits at the 200-level or higher to complete your degree requirements.
- 300- and 400-level courses – You are allowed to use only 1.0 credit in transfer credit at the 300- or 400- level towards your degree requirements (Note that transfer credits received for courses taken as part of an Exchange or Learning Abroad program are exempt from this policy).
- Your CGPA – Transfer credits will appear on your U of T transcript but they will not count towards your CGPA.
Deadlines
There are firm deadlines by which you must apply for a Letter of Permission and late applications are not accepted. You should also take into consideration when the courses are scheduled to start and whether the institution at which you want to take courses has an application deadline for visiting students.
Once your completed application has been submitted, which includes the application, payment, and any required course outlines or other documents, it can take up to six weeks to receive a Letter of Permission.
The deadlines to submit your application for a Letter of Permission and all required documents are:
Session in which you will be taking courses at another Canadian institution | Applications open | Application and documentation deadline |
---|---|---|
Fall (September-December) | May | July 1 |
Winter (January-April) | May | November 1 |
Summer (May-August) | January | April 1 |
If you miss the deadline to apply for a Letter of Permission, you can apply for post-admission transfer credit (without a Letter of Permission) after you complete the course(s).
Application
You will have to submit separate applications for the Fall term, the Winter term and the Summer session. If you are planning to take courses that start in September and end in April, include these courses in your Fall term application. You should only apply for a Letter of Permission for one Canadian university per term or session.
For the Fall term you can apply for a Letter of Permission for up to eight courses, for the Winter term you can apply for a Letter of Permission for up to eight courses, and for the Summer session you can apply for a Letter of Permission for up to six courses. Keep in mind you can only receive 3.0 transfer credits for each of the Fall and Winter terms, and 2.0 transfer credits for the Summer session.
If you wish to revise or change the courses listed in your application before the Letter of Permission has been issued, please contact transfer@daniels.utoronto.ca with the subject line "Letter of Permission - change". If your Letter of Permission has been issued you will not be able to change the courses listed on the Letter of Permission and you can apply for post-admission transfer credit if you complete additional or different courses.
To apply for a Letter of Permission or for an assessment of courses that you completed without a Letter of Permission, you must complete the following steps:
- Complete the Letter of Permission application or the Post-Admission Transfer Credit Assessment (one application per 6.0 credits)
- Pay the assessment fee (Letter of Permission: $40, Post-Admission Transfer Credit Assessment: $30). Pay the fee from your Daniels account. Log into your Daniels Account and look for an "ORSS Services" tab on the top-left of the screen, which has a list of different payments that can be made. Once you have made the payment, please email the receipt/proof of payment (a screenshot is okay) to transfer@daniels.utoronto.ca
- Check Transfer Explorer to see if your course is available. If the course is available in Transfer Explorer, you do not have to provide a detailed course outline
If it is not listed in Transfer Explorer, you will need to provide a detailed course outline. Email all course outlines/web links to transfer@daniels.utoronto.ca- Subject line: Course outlines for Letter of Permission/Without Letter of Permission
- Include your first and last name and your U of T student number
- List all courses separated by subject areas and attach course outlines in PDF format (1 PDF per course), or include links to online course outlines
- For each course, include the following information:
- Number of hours
- Length of the course
- Grading scheme
- Number of essays, tests, and exams
- Reading list
Please email the completed request form, proof of payment, and course syllabi (unless exempted by a Transfer Explorer match) to transfer@daniels.utoronto.ca with the subject line "Letter of Permission" or "Post-Admission Transfer Credit Assessment".
Your Letter of Permission or Post-Admission Transfer Credit Assessment cannot be finalized until you have submitted all of the required documentation listed above. Note that there is no guarantee that course(s) completed at another university without Letter of Permission will transfer to your Daniels degree program. Once finalized, your Letter of Permission will be sent directly to you at your University of Toronto email address.
You are responsible for sending a copy of the Letter of Permission to the host university, if required. Keep in mind that providing a Letter of Permission does not guarantee that you will be able to enrol in the course(s) at the host university.
If you decide not to use the Letter of Permission, notify the Office of the Registrar & Student Services at transfer@daniels.utoronto.ca.
After Course Completion
A final mark of 60% or higher (provided that the passing mark in these courses is 50%) is required for transfer credit. Once you have received final marks for the courses that you completed, arrange for the host university to send your official final electronic transcript directly to the Office of the Registrar & Student Services at the Daniels Faculty: transfer@daniels.utoronto.ca. Note that copies issued to you (even if sealed) will not be accepted.
Upon receipt of the transcript, your Letter of Permission or Post-Admission Transfer Credit Assessment will be reviewed and all eligible courses will be added to your academic record.
If you have requested graduation, there are important deadlines for you to submit all required documentation and final transcripts. If you miss these deadlines you may need to delay your graduation.
- June graduation: The deadline to submit final official transcripts is May 1.
- November graduation: The deadline to submit final official transcripts is October 1.
Safety Abroad
All U of T students participating in University-sanctioned international activities have access to the Safety Abroad Office (SAO) and emergency services.
The Safety Abroad Office works with students, staff and faculty to minimize risk by:
- Providing Safety Abroad Workshops
- Monitoring international security situations
- Assisting students with emergencies abroad
- Offering a 24-hour emergency line
We strongly encourage all Daniels students, engaging in any type of studies internationally, to register with the Safety Abroad Office.
IE Awards+
International Experience Awards were up until now only available for students going on exchange through CIE. From now on, students who decide to go on a learning abroad experience, such as research, courses, or professional experience, organized or coordinated by any division at U of T, will be able to be considered to receive an IE Award+ (all faculties included).
IE Awards+ are based on financial needs and follow the same assessment as regular IE awards. Please note that CIE is able to grant only one award per student and per year.
DEADLINES:
– Summer opportunities: May 1
– Fall and Full Academic Year opportunities: September 1
– Winter and Full Calendar Year opportunities: January 1
Details and application form are now live on the Learning Abroad website.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please contact:
Visit: Office of the Registrar & Student Services, Room 100
Email: transfer@daniels.utoronto.ca
Phone: +1-416-946-3897