Credit Transfer and Articulation

In accordance with its legislation, section 11(f) of The Council on Post-Secondary Education Act, the Council on Post-Secondary Education (COPSE) has the authority to facilitate the implementation of appropriate credit transfer arrangements between universities and colleges.

In the absence of a provincially coordinated credit transfer system, Manitoba’s colleges and universities have actively negotiated many course transfers and articulation agreements with other post-secondary institutions intra-provincially, inter-provincially, as well as internationally.

Memorandum of Understanding

On June 24, 2011, the presidents of Manitoba’s public colleges and universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Improving Student Mobility.  The MOU is built on a collaborative model between the institutions, with the objective of supporting education pathways to assist learners in navigating their way through the post-secondary education system.

In accordance with the MOU, a task group of post-secondary education stakeholders will work to double opportunities for student mobility in four years, develop a plan to facilitate articulation agreements, determine how to make information available publicly, and provide regular reports to the Minister of Advanced Education and Literacy and the public.  COPSE will have the responsibility of reviewing report recommendations prior to submission to the Minister.

Definitions

The Association of Canadian Community Colleges defines the following terms associated with credit transfer and articulation:

Credit transfer is the recognition of previous academic achievement including establishing course-by-course equivalencies, granting unassigned credit, agreeing to grant specified blocks of credit transfer for completed credential, or the development of prior learning assessment and recognition processes.

An articulation agreement is an official agreement between two or more institutions – usually a college and a university – that authorizes studies undertaken in specific programs at one institution to be credited toward specific programs at another institution.

Block Transfer is the process of granting credit for a group of completed courses, such as a certificate or diploma program, from one institution by another without requiring course-by-course assessment.

Ministerial Statement on Credit Transfer in Canada

In 2002, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) approved a strategy to improve credit transfer systems and promote mobility for students across Canada.  As part of the strategy, CMEC endorsed and released a Ministerial Statement on Credit Transfer in Canada that sets out expectations for credit transfers to guide institutions, students, and governments.

In July 2009, the statement was updated and approved by ministers of post-secondary education in each Canadian jurisdiction.  The statement lists six principles recognizing that credit transfer can occur between different types of post-secondary institutions, and that there is variation in credit transfer agreements between provinces and territories.

Each Canadian jurisdiction has make progress in its credit transfer system.  Those with the most well-developed transfer systems are the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT), and the Alberta Consortium on Admissions and Transfer (ACAT).

Pan-Canadian initiatives

CMEC Working Group on Credit Transfer

In 2002, the CMEC Working Group on Credit Transfer was established to develop pan-Canadian strategies on credit transfer between colleges and universities among provinces and territories.  Every year, each jurisdiction reports on progress in its credit transfer systems and articulation agreements within its post-secondary sectors.  These reports are available on the CMEC website.

Pan-Canadian Consortium on Admissions and Transfer (PCCAT)

The Pan-Canadian Consortium on Admissions and Transfer (PCCAT) is a membership-based organization intended to bring together stakeholders from across Canada to collaborate on ways to increase transferability of credit between post-secondary institutions across Canada.  PCCAT meets annually to bring together experts in the field of student mobility.  Further information can be found on the PCCAT website.

Western Canadian Consortium on Admissions and Transfer (WestCAT)
The Western Canadian Consortium on Admissions and Transfer (WestCAT) is a western Canadian consortium designed to explore opportunities for collaboration and information sharing in the areas of transfer and student mobility.  Representatives from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba meet annually to share information and undertake joint activities where feasible to do so.  Information on WestCAT is currently posted on the Alberta Consortium on Admissions and Transfer website.