Transfer from College to University

What is the University Transfer Program?

Our University Transfer Program is an option for students who don’t meet the admissions requirements for direct entry to universities in BC after completing high school.

For example:

Some students don’t have the required GPA or don’t meet the English requirements set by universities in BC. Some students may not be sure if their high school courses taken abroad could meet university admission requirements or not. 

In these cases, the University Transfer Program provides an opportunity to get admitted into a Bachelor’s degree program in the future.

This is also an alternative for those students who have not yet decided on their academic and career goals.

Through the program, students will have the opportunity to explore their academic interests through first and second-year courses while studying at college. 

Our Associate Degree programs also cover a variety of subjects and courses that help students figure out where their interests lie.

What are the Benefits of the University Transfer Program:

Affordable Tuition Fees

If you’re an international student concerned about your finances going into post secondary, we offer competitive tuition rates to make sure that education is accessible for as many students as possible.

Post-Secondary tuition prices may vary depending on the institution, program and courses.

Your first year with Alexander College could be one-half to one-third of the cost of the tuition at your intended University.

What are Steps for Students to Adapt to the Canadian University System?

If you are an international student, everything is going to be new for you!

You might feel more comfortable in a smaller classroom, or you might need extra help since the requirements can be different from your home country.  

At Alexander College, we offer services that will help you in your academic journey.  

One of them is the Writing and Learning Centre. We provide one-on-one tutoring sessions for free. Tutors help students develop their skills in Mathematics, Economics, Sciences, English, Humanities, Social Sciences and Academic Writing. 

Alexander College also offers academic and emotional support through the Student Services department.  All students may be eligible for up to 10 free, on-site, health and wellness counselling sessions per year.  

There’s also a mentorship program. This program enables students with good academics, who actively participate at Alexander College to help first-year students adapt to the Canadian educational environment.  

Alexander College Student Association (ACSA) is another great opportunity to gain experience in a leadership role and make new friends, with clubs and events occurring monthly. 

How to Meet University English Language Requirements?

Are you worried that your TOEFL or IELTS score is not high enough to meet the University English Language Requirements?

Alexander College offers several first-year University level English courses to give you the foundational skills you need.

By completing university level English courses at Alexander College, you may be able to fulfill  the English language requirements at the university of your choice, and you will no longer need to present an English proficiency test score, such as IELTS or TOEFL when you complete your transfer.

However, the required number of English courses or the grade requirement for a specific course may differ depending on the institution you intend to transfer into.

We highly recommend talking to one of our Enrollment and Academic advisors for information regarding your specific transfer requirements.   

How University Transfer Works?

The BC Council on Admissions and transfer (BCCAT) has organized one of the best university transfer systems in all of Canada.  

You only need to complete 24 credits to gain access to second-year entry to a wide range of universities in BC and if you complete 48 credits, you may even qualify for admission to 3rd year studies. 

For students who have completed more than 24 credits at Alexander College: 

Institutions in BC will no longer consider your high school grades during the admission process, your admissibility will be based upon your college GPA, which is calculated using your successfully completed transferable credits. 

This rule includes those students who apply to BC Universities with a minimum of 24 transferable credits.

If a student has fewer than 24 credits to transfer, the university you’ve applied to will evaluate your eligibility on the basis of final secondary school grades and the college credits you’ve completed thus far.  

We encourage you to explore the options available to you as a university transfer student here at Alexander College. 

Are Study Plans An Essential Part of the University Transfer Program?

Alexander College students can transfer between college and university without concern for extending their studies or losing valuable credit hours.

However, to transfer to a university, you will need to meet the Admissions and Transfer requirements of your intended university and program.

Time to time, universities change their admission and transfer requirements without notice.   

That is why planning is a crucial part of this process.

At Alexander College,an Academic Advisor will build a personalized study plan for you according to your primary goals. 

If you want to have an idea of how these plans work, you can check out AC’s student plan examples.

Which universities and programs can you transfer to from Alexander College?

There are many universities in British Columbia that you can transfer to from Alexander College.

Here are some examples of eligible universities:

• University of British Columbia 
• Simon Fraser University 
• University of Victoria
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University
• University of the Fraser Valley
• University of Northern British Columbia
• Capilano University
• Royal Roads University
• Thompson Rivers University
• Vancouver Island University
• And many more

And here are some examples of programs:

• Business 
• Communication  
• Computer Science
• Data Science
• Economics
• Engineering
• General Sciences (Biology, Chemistry & Physics)
• Psychology
• Sociology
• And many more

Through this guide, you will be able to check which of your college courses are transferrable, and how they can be applied.

It is important to point out that if you want to transfer to universities in other provinces or countries (although you still might be able to do it) , you cannot use the BC Transfer guide to build your transfer study plan. The transfer process will be based on an internal evaluation of the institution you want to apply to.

BC Transfer Guide: How does it work?

With the BC Transfer Guide, you will be able to check what your credits will be worth, across more than 35 institutions of British Columbia.  

See below on how to check if your credits are transferable using the BC Transfer Guide:

The process is simple. 

Let’s say:

You took ECON 103 (Principles of Microeconomics)  at Alexander College and you want to find out if this course is transferable to UBC or SFU. 

You need to choose the institution where you studied, the subject, the course number, and the institution you want to transfer your credits to. The system will immediately show the options available to you.