C.3.11 Transfer Credit
Approved/revised: December 15, 2021
The purpose of this policy is to encourage and support student access to post-secondary education. As an active participant in the articulation and evaluation of courses within the BC Council on Admissions and Transfers’ (BCCAT) transfer credit system, NVIT is committed to supporting student mobility while maintaining the academic integrity of NVIT courses and programs.
Credit may be granted towards an NVIT credential for course work completed at another post-secondary institution. Transfer credit agreements registered with BC Transfer Guide will be granted without assessment of approved course outlines from the sending institutions.
Transfer credit applied from institutions without published transfer agreements for the specific course credit may be granted after individual course outlines have been assessed for equivalency of content, knowledge, skills, and learning outcomes by a Department Head, Program Coordinator or relevant Dean.
A transfer agreement in which a predetermined number of transfer credits is granted to transferring students who have successfully completed a certificate, diploma, or cluster of courses at another institution. Generally, block transfer is used to award credit for courses that, as a group, are recognized as having an academic wholeness or integrity and that collectively satisfy part of the requirements for another credential (BCCAT, 2019).
Licensing and accreditation is achieved by meeting the criteria established by provincial and national professional regulatory bodies that review post-secondary curriculum standards and provide consultation to ensure student preparedness for future employment. Accreditation reviews are scheduled based on the requirements of the field and require an in-depth examination of the program, reporting, and on-site visits.
An official transcript is one sent directly from NVIT to another institution or agency in a sealed envelope. An official transcript becomes void if the seal on the envelope is broken before it reaches the recipient.
The granting of credit for courses or programs successfully completed at another institution by another institution.
All transfer credit at NVIT must be applied for through the Registrar’s Office by completing the Transfer Credit Form.
No transfer credit will be considered official until recorded on the student’s transcript.
Only Official Transcripts or academic records will be utilized for the purpose of transfer credit assessment.
NVIT will adhere to the established guidelines and practices set out by BCCAT as available through the BC Transfer Guide.
Programs with external accreditation bodies may have particular requirements as determined by licensing standards. As such, program policy and block transfer agreements supersede institutional policy on applicability of transfer credit. Programs subject to this policy include, but are not limited to: Environmental Resource Technician, Health Care Aide, Applied Practical Nursing, and Aboriginal Early Childhood Education. Specifically, NVIT’s Bachelor of Social Work program falls under policies and procedures as outlined by the affiliation agreement with Thompson River University (TRU) as well as the accrediting body, the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE).
Unless otherwise stated in the program completion requirements, NVIT requires a minimum of 50% of the program requirements to be completed at NVIT with up to 50% met through transfer credit from other institutions.
Transfer credit will only be evaluated after a student has been accepted into the respective program.
Assessments of transfer credits (internal or external) for courses more than 10 (ten) years ago will not be considered.
Courses taken 7 (seven) or more years before the request for transfer credit are not automatically granted transfer credit. Relevancy of the subject matter is taken into consideration and transfer credit requests will be processed on an individual basis through consultation between the Registrar’s Office, Faculty and/or the Relevant Dean of the program area.
A minimum grade of 60% or higher is required for awarding transfer credit(s).
Established Transfer Credit Agreements and the BC Transfer Guide:
1.Students applying for transfer credit must submit an Official Transcript to NVIT Registrar’s Office from the issuing institution.
2. The students will meet with the Registrar’s Office and request the transfer credit be applied to their NVIT transcript.
3. Once the Registrar’s Office assesses available transfer credit within the guidelines of any NVIT academic policies, the student will be informed of all transfer credit available towards any NVIT credential.
4.If the student decides to accept the transfer credit available, the Registrar (or appointed alternate) will transcript the transfer credit and file the sending institution Official Transcript or approved record in the student file.
5. The student’s transcript will be updated to reflect the transfer credit. Transfer credit will also be available for viewing through Self-Service on NVIT Connect.
Transfer Credit Request Process without an Established Transfer Credit Agreement on the BC Transfer Guide:
1. Students applying for transfer credit must submit an Official Transcript from the issuing institution.
1a. PREFERRED - A student seeking transfer credit should be prepared to provide a course syllabus from the year that the course was taken.
2. The Registrar’s Office will seek the advice of the appropriate Department Head or Program Coordinator or the relevant Dean for assessment of external course outlines.
3. The student will be notified by the Registrar’s Office if the request for transfer credit will be applied to their NVIT transcript.
4. Once the Registrar’s Office makes an assessment of available transfer credit within the guidelines of any NVIT academic policies, the student will be informed of all transfer credit towards current NVIT credential.
5. If the student decides to accept the transfer credit available, the Registrar’s Office will transcript the transfer credit and file the sending institution Official Transcript or approved record in the student’s file.
6. The student will receive an updated transcript reflecting the transfer credit.
A student who does not agree with the transfer credit decision may appeal the decision by following the procedure outlined in the Appealing a Transfer Credit Decision policy .