Letter of Permission
If you would like to enrol in an accredited course at another Canadian university and receive credit toward your University of Toronto Engineering degree, you must apply for a Letter of Permission (LOP) through the Engineering Portal. Please note that paper forms are no longer accepted for applications.
Once approved, the LOP indicates that the course has been pre-approved for credit provided you successfully complete the approved course with the minimum grade requirement. Any credit you earn from the approved course will count towards your University of Toronto Engineering degree. Please note that the grade you receive will not be recorded in your U of T transcript or included in your GPA.
The non-refundable processing fee for each LOP request is $42 per institution. The LOP application is only valid for a single university and only for a single academic session. You must complete a separate LOP application for an additional university or for an additional session. LOPs are only valid for their stated term.
Once your application has been submitted along with the payment and any required course outlines and/or supporting documents, it will be reviewed by your undergraduate department. Please note that it can take up to four weeks to receive the LOP decision.
For each course request, please submit a current course syllabus including the following information:
- Length of the course
- Number of hours
- Grading scheme
- Number of essays, tests and examinations
- Method of instruction (online, in-person, hybrid, etc.)
LOPs are not routinely approved. Students are expected to complete courses at U of T whenever possible. Students must provide reasons as to why the LOP is necessary by explaining the importance of the requested course and why the course cannot be taken at U of T, along with the reasons for choosing the institution.
Note: LOPs will typically not be granted if an equivalent course is being offered at U of T in the same session.
Core course requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. If you are requesting a core course, please contact your Engineering Academic Advisor prior to submitting the LOP request. Transfer credits are not normally granted for online or distance courses unless you can demonstrate through your application that there are extenuating circumstances.
The course submitted for approval must not be graded on a pass/fail or credit/no-credit basis. You must obtain a final mark of 60% or higher in the course taken at the other university (provided that the passing mark in the course is 50%) to receive the transfer credit.
If your LOP application is approved, you may enrol in the accredited course that was pre-approved by the Office of the Registrar. Please be aware that providing the LOP does not guarantee that you will be able to enrol in the course at the host university.
LOP for Engineering Minors and Engineering Certificates
If you are interested in taking a course toward an Engineering Minor or Certificate, please note that there is a maximum number of transfer credits that will count towards an Engineering Minor and Engineering Certificate. If you have any questions, please contact the Faculty's Cross-Disciplinary Program Office at engineering.minors@utoronto.ca.
- Engineering Minor maximum transfer credits: three courses (1.5 FCE) per Minor
- Engineering Certificate maximum transfer credits: one course (0.5 FCE) per Certificate
After Course Completion
Once you have successfully completed the course, please make arrangements to have the host university send an official transcript of your studies directly to the Office of the Registrar. If the issuing institution offers an electronic transcript service, upon completion, please request the transcript to be sent via email to admissions@engineering.utoronto.ca. If an electronic transcript service is not available, an official transcript can be sent by mail to the following address:
Office of the Registrar
Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto
35 St. George St. Rm. 157
Toronto, ON M5S 1A4
Transcripts received through other methods will not be considered official. Upon receipt and verification of the transcript, we will process the transfer of credit(s) to your academic record.
Application Dates
| Sessions for Letter of Permission | Application Begins | Application, Payment and Documentation Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Fall (September - December) | July 15 | August 15 |
| Winter (January - April) | September 15 | November 15 |
| Summer (May - August) | February 15 | April 15 |
If you enrol at another institution without receiving permission from the Registrar’s Office, any credit you earn at the other university may not be transferable to your degree. Students that have already completed a course must contact the Engineering Admissions Office regarding a Post-Admission transfer credit assessment at admissions@engineering.utoronto.ca.
LOP requests to enrol in a course outside of Canada will not be approved. Students interested in attending an exchange outside of Canada should review institutions with an exchange agreement with the University of Toronto or apply for a Post-Admission Transfer Credit assessment once they receive the final marks for the course completed. If you decide to enrol in a course without a LOP, there is no guarantee that transfer credits will be approved.
If your LOP deadline has passed, you can apply for a Post-Admission Transfer Credit assessment once you have completed the course(s).
Post-Admission Transfer Credit
Students who completed courses at another accredited institution, since enrolling at U of T Engineering, can request Post-Admission Transfer Credit through the Engineering Portal. Please note that there is no guarantee that the course(s) completed will be eligible for transfer credit(s) toward your U of T Engineering degree.
If you plan to take a course in an upcoming session at an accredited Canadian university, please submit a Letter of Permission (LOP) instead. That can be done through the Engineering Portal. LOPs are not provided for courses taken at institutions outside of Canada.
Typically, Post-Admission Transfer Credits are not awarded for core courses. Please speak to your Academic Advisor if you require a core course to graduate in a session before it is offered at U of T. Transfer credits will not be awarded for courses with a pass/fail or credit/no credit grading scale.
Students that are U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents: As of July 1, 2023, students registered in distance education or online courses are not eligible for U.S. Federal Direct Loans, per Federal Student Aid rules.
Eligibility Guidelines
- Courses taken at an accredited Canadian University (that is not a core course)
- Courses taken at an accredited University outside of Canada need to be offered as part of their own degree program*
- Within the limit of the maximum number of transfer credits that can be awarded towards Engineering Minors and Engineering Certificates:
- Engineering Minor maximum transfer credits: Three courses (1.5 FCE) per Minor
- Engineering Certificate maximum transfer credits: One course (0.5 FCE) per Certificate
- If you have any inquiries, please contact the Faculty's Cross-Disciplinary Program Office at engineering.minors@utoronto.ca
*Courses offered by third-party programs in affiliation with universities outside of Canada are not eligible for Post-Admission Transfer Credit.
Application Dates
| Sessions for Post-Admission Transfer Credit | Application Begins | Application, Payment and Documentation Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Fall (September - December) | January 15 | February 15 |
| Winter (January - April) | June 15 | July 15 |
| Summer (May - August) | September 15 | October 15 |
Please submit your Post-Admission Transfer Credit request no later than the term following the course's completion. For students who would like to join the convocation in June, please submit your application no later than February 15.
Students will be required to pay a $42 non-refundable processing fee, provide a detailed course syllabus for each course that will be considered and a final official transcript indicating all final marks from the institution. If the issuing institution offers an electronic transcript service, upon completion, please request the transcript to be sent to admissions@engineering.utoronto.ca. If an electronic transcript service is not available, an official final transcript can be sent by mail to the following address:
Office of the Registrar
Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto
35 St. George St. Rm. 157
Toronto, ON M5S 1A4
Transcripts received through other methods will not be considered official.
For courses taken at universities in China, a transcript from the Center for Student Services and Development (CSSD) verification is required.
For each course request, please submit a course syllabus which includes the following information:
- Length of the course
- Number of hours
- Grading scheme
- Number of essays, tests, and examinations
- Reading list
- Course instructor(s)
- Method of instruction (online, in-person, hybrid, etc)
Your Post-Admission Transfer Credit request will only be considered once you have submitted all the required documentation listed above.
It can take approximately four weeks for a decision to be made. Once a decision has been made on your Post-Admission Transfer Credit request, you will be notified via email.