5.0 Admission and Residency Regulations

5.1 Transfer of Credit Prior to Admission

When a student is considered for admission, credit may be granted for individual courses successfully completed at other recognized, post-secondary institutions, if:

1. the individual courses are relevant to a student's proposed program; and,
2. the appropriate academic department recommends such action.

Each application is evaluated on its own merits.

5.2 Transfer of Credit Subsequent to Admission

Letter of Permission

Students who have been formally admitted to a degree, certificate or diploma program may apply to take courses at other recognized post-secondary institutions on Letters of Permission, and have the credits transferred to their Carleton programs. The following conditions must be met:

1. the student must have successfully completed at least 4.0 credits, or have met their program residency requirements at Carleton University;
2. the student must present the minimum CGPA requirements for graduation in his or her credential;
3. the student must obtain formal approval from the Registrar’s Office prior to commencing each course.

Grades for successfully completed courses taken on Letters of Permission are transferred back to Carleton University as SAT (Satisfactory) and are not included in CGPA calculations. A course taken on Letter of Permission and failed is recorded with the grade UNS (Unsatisfactory).  Failures are not included in CGPA calculations but they are counted as a discredit. A higher level of performance may be required in a course that would have contributed to any programmatic CGPA had the grade been transferred.  Courses taken with a passing grade below the minimum grade required will be counted as discredit.

University of Ottawa Exchange Agreement

Degree Students may register to take courses at the University of Ottawa to be credited to their Carleton University degree. The following regulations apply:

1. Students must be registered in a degree program and must be in Good Standing. In the case of first-year studies, a maximum of two half-credit courses may be taken at the University of Ottawa that year.
2. Only courses to be credited as part of the current degree requirements at Carleton may be taken under the terms of the exchange.
3. The cumulative total number of credits taken at Carleton and counting towards the degree must be greater than the total number of credits taken and/or proposed to be taken at the University of Ottawa.
4. Courses taken on the Exchange Agreement shall not count as courses taken at Carleton under residency requirements.
5. Grades for courses taken on the Exchange Agreement will be reported on the Carleton transcript and will be included in the calculation of the CGPAs.
6. Approval by Carleton University does not guarantee registration at the University of Ottawa.

Students withdrawing from University of Ottawa exchange agreement courses must notify the University of Ottawa by the appropriate deadlines, or a failing grade of F may be recorded.

International Exchange Agreements

Undergraduate students may be eligible to take advantage of other exchange agreements with universities throughout the world. Unless otherwise specified in a specific exchange agreement or Senate-approved program regulation, the minimum academic requirement is second-year standing or higher, and a minimum overall CGPA of 7.0. For details on these exchanges, students should consult the International Student Services Office at least one year in advance of the proposed exchange. Grades for successfully completed courses taken on International Exchange will not be transferred. Successfully completed courses will be recorded as SAT (Satisfactory) and unsuccessfully completed courses will be recorded as UNS (Unsatisfactory) and will be counted as a discredit.  A higher level of performance may be required in a course that would have contributed to any programmatic CGPA had the grade been transferred. Such a course with a passing grade below the minimum required will not count towards the degree, but will be counted as a discredit.

5.3 Minimum Number of Carleton Credits (Residency and Advanced credits)

5.3.1 Residency Credits

To be eligible for graduation with a Carleton degree, certificate or diploma, each student must present a certain number of credits earned at Carleton University which have not been presented to fulfil any degree that has been previously awarded including a degree or degrees at Carleton University. These are referred to as residency credits. Courses taken under the University of Ottawa Exchange Agreement do not count as residency credits.

All degree students must present a minimum of 5.0 residency credits at graduation, with the following exceptions:

The minimum number of residency credits for students in the B.Eng., B.I.D, B.I.T. and B.A.S. Design program is half of the total number of credits required for the program. The residency requirement for B.A.S. students not in Design is the standard minimum of 5.0 residency credits at graduation.

To obtain a minor, a student must present at least 2.0 residency credits counting toward that minor.

To obtain an undergraduate certificate from Carleton University, students must present residency credits including a minimum of 4.0 credits taken at Carleton. The residency for certificates taken concurrently with a Carleton degree may be satisfied with credits used also to satisfy the degree residency requirement.

To obtain a post-baccalaureate diploma from Carleton University, students must present residency credits including a minimum of 3.0 credits taken at Carleton.

5.3.2 Advanced Credits

The credits presented at graduation that are credits completed at Carleton after admission, credits completed at Carleton within the last ten years for which advanced standing has been granted and credits completed as part of the University of Ottawa Exchange or another formal domestic or international Exchange, must include:

1. For Honours degrees, at least 3.0 credits in the major and at the 3000-level or above;
2. For Combined Honours degrees, at least 1.5 credits in each major and at the 3000-level or above;
3. For Major degrees, at least 3.0 credits in the major and at the 2000-level or above;
4. For General degrees, at least 3.0 credits in the major and at the 2000-level or above.