Pathways to Laurier

No matter what your academic history looks like, when you apply to Laurier, we’ll assess you for potential transfer credits (course credit towards completing your degree that we can grant you before you even get here!). Depending on which program and institution you come from, we may have a special way to admit you called a “pathway.” Pathways help college graduates transition smoothly from a diploma program to a degree program and simplify the sometimes long and complex transfer credit assessment process through standardization.

There are several types of pathways, including block transfer agreements, articulations and 2+2 agreements. Let’s find out if any of these fit your story.

Jump to:

• Block Transfer Agreements
• 2+2 Agreements
• Articulations
• Transferring from University
• Transferring from USA
• Don't See Your Program?

Laurier Credit System

At Laurier, a standard undergraduate degree requires 20.0 credits to be completed (typically over four years). Each single-term course counts as 0.5 credits, meaning each term you take a full course load (five courses), you will earn 2.5 credits.

Learn More About Transfer Credits

Block Transfer Agreements

Block transfer agreements are pathways that offer a predetermined number of transfer credits for students transferring into a particular Laurier program after completing a two- or three-year college diploma program (which sending diploma programs are accepted may differ depending on the receiving program at Laurier). These credits are sometimes equivalent to specific Laurier courses, while others are generic credits at the junior or senior level. Block transfer agreements are intended to streamline the transfer credit approval process for college graduates looking to earn a university degree.

Programs with Active Block Transfer Agreements

We have nearly 600 block transfer pathways eligible for entry into a wide range of programs at Laurier, including:

• Ancient Studies (BA)*
• Anthropology (BA in Combination)
• Applied Health Sciences (BASc)
• Archaeology and Heritage Studies (BA)
• Arts Degree (BA) + Business Administration (MBA)
• Arts Degree (BA) + Master's Degree (MA)
• Communication Studies (BA)*
• Criminology (BA)
• Criminology and Policing (BA)
• Cultural Studies (BA in Combination)
• English (BA), Brantford campus
• English (BA), Waterloo campus*
• Film Studies (BA)*
• French (BA)*
• Game Design and Development (BA)
• Global Studies (BA)*
• Global Studies (BA) + International Development (Sussex)
• Health Studies (BA)
• Health Studies (BA) + Public Health / Global Health (MSc), Brighton and Sussex Medical School
• History (BA), Brantford campus
• History (BA), Waterloo campus*
• Human Rights (BA)
• Human Rights (BA) + International Development (Sussex)
• Indigenous Studies (BA in Combination)
• Languages (BA)*
• Law and Society (BA)
• Leadership (BA)
• Medieval and Medievalism Studies (BA)
• Multidisciplinary Studies (BA)
• North American Studies (BA)
• Philosophy (BA)
• Policing (BA in Combination), Brantford campus
• Policing (BA in Combination), Waterloo campus
• Political Science (BA)*
• Psychology (BA), Brantford campus
• Psychology (BA), Waterloo campus
• Public Safety (BA)
• Religion and Culture (BA)*
• Sociology (BA)*
• Spanish (BA in Combination)
• User Experience Design (BDes)
• Women and Gender Studies (BA)*
• Youth and Children’s Studies (BA)

* Please note, Block Transfer Agreements are not available with programs offering a guaranteed co-op.

Search for your specific program on Ontario's Transfer and Pathways Guide to see which block transfer agreements with Laurier are available. 

Programs with Active Multilateral Agreements

Multilateral agreements are pathways that allow graduates from a specific college program at any Ontario college entry into a specific Laurier program with a block of predetermined transfer credits towards the program requirements. This allows students to complete the required college program anywhere in Ontario, and easily continue their studies at Laurier.

• Child & Youth Care (CYC) diploma to Social Work (BSW) on the Brantford campus
• General Arts & Science (GAS) diploma to select Faculty of Arts BA program on the Waterloo campus

Credit Reassessments

There are times when, based on your academic journey, it may be more beneficial for you to forego the granted block of transfer credits and instead have each of your completed college courses evaluated for course equivalencies at Laurier. This may result in fewer overall transfer credits but more specific credits that are more relevant to your degree.

After accepting your offer of admission, you may submit a request for reassessment of specific completed courses. Once you have received your revised transfer credit assessment, you can compare the original block of credits with the reassessed credits and choose the set of transfer credits you would prefer to apply towards your degree.

2+2 Agreements

A 2+2 agreement is an arrangement that allows college graduates with a particular diploma from a specific college to earn 10.0 transfer credits (or two years' worth of courses) towards their degree at Laurier. By comparison, most block transfer agreements grant a maximum of 7.5 credits (or a year and a half worth of courses).

If you participate in a 2+2 agreement, you could typically complete your undergraduate degree in only two additional years of study! These 2+2 pathways are established in partnership between the two schools based on a mutual agreement that the programs are complementary and work well together to set students up for success in their industry of choice after graduating.

Active 2+2 Agreements

• Fleming College
  
  • Environmental Technician diploma to Environmental Studies (BA)
  • Fish and Wildlife Technician diploma to Environmental Studies (BA)
• Mohawk College
  • General Arts & Science (University Transfer) diploma to Human Rights (BA)
  • General Arts & Science (University Transfer) diploma program with Indigenous specialization to Indigenous Studies (BA)
• Lambton College
  
  • Liberal Studies diploma with Indigenous Studies specialization to Indigenous Studies (BA)
• Randolph College
  • Performing Arts diploma to Music (BMus)
• Any publicly funded Ontario college
  • Social Service Worker diploma to Social Work (BSW)
• Publicly funded colleges across Canada
  • Approved public safety-related programs to Public Safety (BA)
  • Please see program page for a list of approved programs.

Articulations

An articulation is a unique agreement between two schools to allow you to earn a degree and a diploma in a specific field. While 2+2 agreements are always made up of two years at a college and two years at a university, articulations may require one to three years in a specific college program, followed by two to three years in a specific university program. They are still unique agreements between a particular college and university and provide a streamlined admissions and study journey for you as a transfer student.

Active Articulations, Entry to Laurier

• Conestoga College
  • Human Services Foundations certificate to Human Rights (BA)
  • Office Administration - General certificate to Human Rights (BA)
  • Office Administration - Executive diploma to Human Rights (BA)
  • Office Administration - Legal diploma to Human Rights (BA)
  • Software Engineering Technology advanced diploma to Computer Science (BSc)
• MetalWorks Institute
  
  • Audio Production and Engineering diploma to Music (BMus) 
• Mohawk College
  • Pre-Health Sciences certificate to Applied Health Sciences (BASc)
• Vancouver Film School
  
  • 3D Animation and Visual Effects diploma to Film Studies (BA)
  • Acting for Film and Television diploma to Film Studies (BA)
  • Film Production diploma to Film Studies (BA)
  • Writing for Film, Television and Games diploma to English (BA, Waterloo), Film Studies (BA), or in combination with English (BA) and Film Studies (BA)

Active Articulations, Entry from Laurier

• English (BA, Waterloo)
  • Into Writing for Film, Television & Games diploma at Vancouver Film School
• Film Studies (BA)
  • Into 3D Animation and Visual Effects diploma at Vancouver Film School 
  • Into Acting for Film and Television diploma at Vancouver Film School
  • Into Film Production diploma at Vancouver Film School
  • Into Writing for Film, Television and Games diploma at Vancouver Film School
• Human Rights (BA)
  • Into select graduate certificates at Conestoga College (Career Development Professional, Event Management, Human Resources Management, Management in Community Services or Project Management)
• Music (BMus)
  • Into Audio Production and Engineering diploma at MetalWorks Institute
  • Into Performing Arts diploma at Randolph College for the Performing Arts

Transferring from Another University?

Whether you’ve moved, you’re returning to school after a couple years off or you just want to experience a different campus environment, we’re excited to welcome you into our Golden Hawk community. Your prior university experience is valuable, and we want to work closely with you to ensure we maximize your transfer credits and optimize your transition into this new study environment.

While there are no “pathways” for university-to-university transfers, our academic advisors are eager to meet with you once you have accepted your offer to study here; they’ll help you understand the transfer credits you’ve earned and what’s required of you to complete your degree at Laurier. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Admissions team with any questions.

Transferring In with an Associate Degree from the USA?

Associate degrees are two-year programs that are typically general and provide a foundation for future learning or career preparedness. The associate degree was designed to act as a bridge and an exploratory period before deciding on a four-year degree pathway.

Graduates with a two-year associate degree will be admitted in the same way as transfer applicants who have completed two years of a Canadian university degree. They must meet the minimum GPA for consideration into their program of choice.

Transfer credits will be assessed at time of offer. It is important to note that a minimum of 10.0 credits must be completed at Laurier to earn an honours degree. However, students may be required to take additional credits to satisfy the requirements of their program.

Don’t See Your Program?

If one of the programs listed above is of interest to you, but you are not coming from the sending diploma program noted, in most cases you may still apply to transfer in. In this scenario, you will be granted transfer credits based on a careful evaluation of the specific courses you have completed at postsecondary. We cannot guarantee the number of transfer credits you will earn until your offer letter has been issued.

If your program of interest at Laurier does not appear on any of the lists above, it may simply mean there are no established pathways to this program yet. You may still apply to transfer in and have your postsecondary experience evaluated by our Admissions team to establish eligibility for transfer credits.