Important Information

At least 25% of courses in a certificate, diploma, advanced diploma, graduate certificate or degree program of study must be completed at DC through means other than credit transfer, Letter of Permission and/or PLAR. Programs may have program-specific or course-specific requirements for credit transfer and letter of permission (LOP) eligibility.

Courses granted through credit transfer and/or PLAR and dropped from your timetable may impact your full-time enrolment status, which could impact your OSAP funding or eligibility for other student financial aid options. Dropping to part-time status may also impact access to other student benefits and services such as the U-Pass, medical coverage, and access to the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.

You may add classes to your schedule to maintain a full-time status. Apply early to ensure you can add classes before the add/drop deadline each semester if you would like to maintain a full-time course load.

Credit Transfer: Applications for external Credit Transfer must be accompanied by a non-refundable $16/course evaluation fee.

Letter of Permission: Applications for a Letter of Permission must be accompanied by a non-refundable $16/course processing fee.

PLAR: The PLAR fee is $148.86 per course and is non-refundable. Once processed by the Transfer Services Team, this fee will automatically be added to your student account. If you choose not to proceed with the requested PLAR, you will be required to submit a refund appeal through the Transfer Services department.

Learn how to pay fees.

PLAR (Mass Challenge): The mass challenge PLAR fee is $20 and is available to Full-Time & Part-Time students. This option is not available to students registered with Professional & Part-Time Learning.

Please note: Any successful credit transfer and/or PLAR applications will not result in a tuition-fee adjustment unless you are dropped to part-time status before day 10. Please consult with Financial Aid if you are in receipt of OSAP and have questions regarding the number of courses you can be exempt from without dropping to part-time status and how this could impact your funding.

Prior learning completed at a career college or private institution is not eligible for credit transfer. Courses must be completed at a recognized post-secondary institution. If you have studied previously through a career college or private institution, you can investigate Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR).

General education credit recognition

 Durham College recognizes the learning and leadership developed through military training. Eligible students who have completed Canadian Armed Forces Developmental Periods (DPs) may receive exemptions from General Education (GNED) and COMM 1100 courses required in their program (excluding any required Indigenous elective).

• DP1: Earns 1 GNED credit exemption
• DP2: Earns 2 GNED credit exemptions
• DP3: Earns 3 GNED and COMM 1100 credit exemptions

Applications for Credit Transfer for any Ontario Tech-transfer programs will be reviewed in partnership with Ontario Tech University on an individual basis.

Ontario Tech University will not be granting any transfer credits for students in any of our joint transfer programs (ACTU, BETU, FNTU, HRTU,MKTU, SCTU, CSTU) for any of their 5 embedded courses. Ontario Tech University requires students to take all five of the embedded courses with them.

Students enrolled in a fast-track program are not eligible for credit transfer.

Students in the Protection, Security and Investigation program are required to provide a front and back copy of their license as well as proof of completion of the Ontario 40-hour Security Guard course from a registered training provider that is recognized by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services – Private Security Branch. When applying with the new online application form, please select that you studied at another recognized post-secondary institution and attach a front- and back-copy of your security license in place of the course outline.

Students in the Paramedic, Paramedic – Advanced Care and Firefighter – Pre-Service Education and Training programs require a minimum passing grade of 70 percent to qualify for credit transfer.

For Paralegal (diploma, graduate certificate and honours bachelor) students, any course submitted for credit transfer must have been taught as part of an accredited program with the Law Society of Ontario by a licensed lawyer and/or a licensed paralegal that is registered with the Law Society of Ontario. In addition, to ensure accreditation requirements are met, the previous course(s) submitted must meet 100% of the learning outcomes covered in the requested Durham College course. If there is insufficient evidence that 100% of learning outcomes have been covered, the request will be returned denied. As per LSO requirements you can also only transfer up to 40% of the total amount of courses at Durham College.

Students who have successfully completed the OYAP Cook Level I program with a minimum grade of 70% are eligible to transfer into Durham College’s Culinary Management – OYAP stream (CMGO). For students who do not meet the full admission requirements for the CMGO program but wish to transfer individual course credits, only courses with a final grade of 70% or higher will be considered for transfer.

Durham College upholds the professional standards and entry-to-practice competencies established by the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO). To ensure that all students transferring into Nursing program streams (Practical Nursing and Critical Care Nursing) possess current and relevant clinical knowledge, the College enforces requirements on core nursing coursework.

Core nursing courses, identified by course codes beginning with NURS and courses from the Critical Care Nursing program, contain essential theoretical and clinical knowledge that must reflect current and relevant standards of nursing practice. In alignment with CNO expectations regarding maintenance of competence and current practice knowledge, Durham College requires that any prior education or experience used for transfer credit or PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition) toward core NURS or Critical Care Nursing courses must have been completed within the past three (3) years at the start of their program.

Any NURS- or Critical Care Nursing course or related experience older than three (3) years will not be eligible for transfer credit or PLAR and will be denied. Students seeking admission or re-entry may be required to repeat expired coursework to ensure readiness for safe and competent clinical practice.

This policy is designed to protect academic integrity, support student success, and ensure graduates are prepared to meet professional nursing standards in Ontario.

Graduates of this program are eligible to register with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) which means they must demonstrate the core competencies and have practical hours supervised by someone who is appropriately credentialed and who is an experienced employee of the social service agency, familiar with the Social Services field.

When applying for prior learning assessment recognition (PLAR), each of the field placement courses in this program require a separate application and demonstration of varied field experience. Example: An applicant may have worked within a single agency for several years and they may apply these hours/experience from that role, but they must demonstrate varied responsibilities within their experience to meet criteria of each field placement course.

• Note that the criteria of the Field Placement Preparation Course should be addressed prior to any of the field placement and seminar courses.

COMM 1100 credit transfer requests may require completion of an AI module before transfer credit can be fully approved. If your previous course is deemed equivalent but does not contain the required Artificial Intelligence (AI) component, you will be instructed to complete AI Workforce Readiness: Module 0 through DC Connect. Additional instructions and requirements will be provided through the Credit Transfer Portal, if applicable.

McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada and Ontario Colleges have partnered to offer educational opportunities for McDonald’s employees to pursue post-secondary education in Business programs at colleges throughout Ontario.

Durham College (DC) will grant recognition for first-year business credit into our Entrepreneurship and Small Business – Business (McDonald’s transfer) program to McDonald’s second assistant managers who have completed the Management Development Program Level 2 (MDP), and the following additional requirements:

1. Business Math assessment or course.
2. Communications assessment or course.
3. General Education Elective course.

Upon completion of the McDonald’s MDP Level 2 successful applicants to DC’s diploma program can complete a two-year Ontario College diploma in as little as one year. Our program is offered in-class on a full-time or part-time basis, with some courses available online.

Apply to level 1 of DC’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business – Business (McDonald’s Transfer) program (code: BESM) at Ontario Colleges.

Submit the following documentation as part of your application to this program:

• McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Training Verification form signed by the applicant’s McDonald’s regional training manager (Training must have been completed within three years of the application).
• Secondary school transcript and any post-secondary transcripts (if applicable).

Please note: DC reserves the right to validate that you have met Grade 12 English and math admission requirements through previous education or pre-admission testing.