If you鈥檙e taking courses at another university, you will need to request a letter of permission or complete a learning agreement to ensure that any courses you take at another institution are counted towards your degree. These forms are for 黄色直播 or King鈥檚 students and confirm that you鈥檙e eligible to proceed with your request.
Graduate students: Contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies for more information on taking courses at other universities.
What process should I follow?
Eligibility
You may be eligible for a LOP or learning agreement if:
You're in a degree program and in good academic standing. If you鈥檙e on probation or have been academically dismissed, you are not eligible.
You don鈥檛 owe money to Dal.
You haven鈥檛 maxed out your .
The course is eligible for transfer. 聽
The course won鈥檛 overload your schedule and exceed Dal鈥檚 workload limitations.
The course isn鈥檛 available at Dal in the term you wish to take it, or you have another valid reason (like a full class, schedule conflict, or you're living outside the local area). If there is an equivalent class at Dal, permission may not be granted.
Letter of permission
Please submit your request to the Registrar鈥檚 Office at lop@dal.ca, unless you are registered in one of the following faculties or schools:
Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Management, School of Nursing: Get approval from your academic advisor first and then submit it to the Registrar鈥檚 Office.
Faculty of Agriculture 鈥 Get approval from the Assistant Dean of Students (ada-agr@dal.ca) first and then submit it to the Registrar鈥檚 Office.
How to get a LOP
Read the instructions carefully before completing the form.
Choose the course you wish to take at the host institution.
Use the tool to see if your course has approved for transfer credits before. This means that it鈥檚 been assessed by Dal, and deemed equivalent.
Even if the course has been approved before, you will still need to submit a LOP. Prior approval does not guarantee you鈥檒l be granted permission to take the course.听
If the course has been approved before, you can skip to step 6. If not, proceed to step 3.听
If the course does not appear on the equivalency table, a departmental assessment is required.听
Submit your LOP along with an official copy of the course description and syllabus to the department that offers similar courses. Course descriptions/syllabi are considered official if they meet one of the below requirements:
- Printed or electronic copies from the institution鈥檚 website
- Links to the page on the institution鈥檚 website which contains the course description/syllabus聽
- Photocopies from the institution鈥檚 academic calendar
- Any other documentation bearing the Institution鈥檚 seal or an official signature
Please note:
All course descriptions/syllabi must be provided in English. Any translated course descriptions/syllabi must be stamped, signed, and certified in order to be considered official.
If you are submitting information electronically, forward information from its original source (ie. previous post-secondary institution, representative, or instructor of the course) to authenticate the information being sent.听
Each department handles letters of permission differently, so contact them to go over their procedure. A faculty member at the department will consider the course. If they approve, they'll sign your form.听
The Department of Economics requires the calendar duration of a course (when the course starts and when it ends) and a link to the course information on the host institution's website for letter of permission transfer credit assessments.
Apply as a visiting student聽
Send them your approved and signed LOP
Check with them to see if they have other requirements (e.g. You may need to submit an official Dal transcript).
Register for your approved course(s) following the host institution's registration process.
- Request your official transcript be sent to the Registrar鈥檚 Office at Dal.
- 聽Official transcripts can be emailed from the host institution to lop@dal.ca.听
- If you are sending your transcript, you can mail the original in a sealed envelope.
Learning agreement
There are three different types of learning agreement forms:
General: Learning agreement for Exchange Programs [PDF 鈥 151 kB]
Bader International Study Centre Program: Learning agreement for Bader International Study Centre Program [PDF 161 KB]
Oxford Study Abroad Programme (OSAP): Learning Agreement for Oxford Study Abroad Programme [PDF 鈥 140 KB]
If鈥痽ou鈥檙e鈥痭ot sure which form to use, check with your International Centre Advisor (exchanges@dal.ca), or departmental advisor.
Submission deadlines
- Fall term exchanges:鈥疛une 15鈥赌赌
- May 15鈥 for Australia and New Zealand exchanges, to accommodate different academic term dates
- Winter term exchanges:鈥November 1鈥
- Summer term exchanges:鈥疉pril 1鈥
How to complete the learning agreement
- Save the form鈥痶o your desktop, then鈥痮pen鈥痠n鈥疉dobe (to allow signature capability).鈥
- Fill in the personal information section including the鈥痵tudent鈥痵ignature鈥痯ortion鈥痮n the reverse side of the form.鈥
Work with your academic鈥痑dvisor and exchange advisor to complete the proposed study plan.鈥疘t鈥檚鈥痑 good idea鈥痶o gather your course descriptions and bring them to the meeting.鈥
贬别濒辫蹿耻濒鈥痶辞辞濒蝉:鈥
鈥赌疌heck if the courses you want to take have been previously assessed and鈥痙eemed鈥痚quivalent to 黄色直播 courses. Review the course equivalency database or consult with your exchange advisor to confirm. If the courses do not鈥痑ppear,鈥痑 departmental assessment may be鈥痳equired. Your exchange advisor can assist with this process.
Credit Conversion Table鈥聽[PDF-179KB]:鈥疶his table converts鈥痷nits used at other institutions into鈥痶he equivalent鈥痗redit hours at 黄色直播.鈥
Bring your form to the鈥疘nternational Centre鈥(or your department exchange鈥痑dvisor).鈥疶hey鈥檒l鈥痗omplete their section and send it to the Registrar鈥檚 Office.鈥
The Registrar鈥檚 Office鈥痶eam will鈥痗heck that you meet the requirements and add the courses to your Dal鈥痑cademic鈥痳ecord.鈥痀ou鈥檒l鈥痝et a copy of the completed form by email.鈥
鈥
Once you arrive and begin courses at your host鈥痠nstitution鈥痗omplete鈥痶he confirmation section on page 2 of your learning agreement.鈥赌
This is鈥痳equired鈥痠f you are receiving financial aid and/or if there are changes to your courses.鈥
Once the host institution completes and signs their section of the鈥痩earning鈥痑greement鈥痠t can be鈥痵ubmitted鈥痶o the Registrar鈥檚 Office:鈥
贰尘补颈濒:鈥LOP@dal.ca鈥赌
Changes to your study plan
Course changes
If you are in an exchange or study abroad program, and your courses change from your approved learning agreement or letter of permission, you risk not receiving credit for completed coursework.鈥痀ou will need to check and make sure that your new courses are approved by Dal:
- Check the for current course equivalencies鈥
- If the course is listed, complete the confirmation section鈥
- If not listed, departmental assessment is鈥痳equired鈥
- If departmental assessment is needed, contact your exchange advisor and include course information鈥
Cancellations
If you have a course approved through a letter of permission and鈥痙on鈥檛鈥痳egister for it, you must notify the Registrar鈥檚 Office鈥痶o have it removed from your Dal record.鈥
- Before the add/drop date:鈥疎尘补颈濒鈥LOP@dal.ca.鈥
- After the add/drop date:鈥疕ave the other institution鈥痭otify鈥痶he Registrar's Office at 黄色直播 that you did not register for the course.鈥
You can request鈥痑 confirmation鈥痮f鈥痭on-enrolment letter or blank transcript鈥痜rom the host institution.鈥
Grades
Courses taken at Canadian institutions
- The letter grade from the other institution will be recorded on your 黄色直播 record. If letter grades are not given, numeric grades will be converted to the appropriate 黄色直播 equivalent letter grade.
- If the other institution issues a letter grade that is not valid at 黄色直播, it is converted to the corresponding letter grade.听
- For example a grade of D+ will be recorded on your academic record as a grade of D.
- When percentage grades and letter grades are recorded on the official transcript, the letter grade is the grade used as your final grade and recorded on your academic record.
Challenge for credit courses
Courses that the other institution identifies on the transcript as being passed through challenge for credit will not be accepted by 黄色直播, and you will not receive credit for the course.
Courses taken at international institutions
For courses taken at institutions outside of Canada, grades of P (pass) and F (fail), as appropriate, will be recorded on your 黄色直播 record.
Graduating soon?
Your 黄色直播 academic record will not be updated with your LOP grades until an official transcript is provided.听
If this is your last course before graduation, the timing of when official transcripts are made available at the other institution may delay your graduation.听
The 黄色直播 Registrar鈥檚 Office typically needs to receive final official transcripts by May 1 for Spring Graduation or September 1 for Fall Graduation.听
