Office of the Registrar

Advanced credit may be granted to conditionally accepted or accepted applicants who have completed equivalent studies at an accredited post-secondary institution.

Instructions

• For advanced consideration, applicants  must submit a completed Advanced Credit Request form to the Office of the Registrar
• A separate request form is required for each course you are requesting.
• Requests which are incomplete or that do not comply with the requirements listed below will not be reviewed.
• There is no fee for an Advanced Credit Request.

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS – Course work must be successfully completed at an accredited post-secondary institution and relevant to the program that you are enrolling/enrolled into.  You must have official transcripts of any previous education sent directly to the College from the issuing institution before advanced credit will be considered. Transcripts must be submitted in English. You are responsible for submitting certified English translations if required. For more information about official transcript submission, see Transcripts.

RESEARCH – Before you submit your advanced credit request, research course equivalencies. You can find Keyano College course descriptions on our Credit Calendar. You can also research official external advanced credit agreements by visiting www.transferalberta.ca.

COURSE OUTLINES / SYLLABUS – A course outline/syllabus is required for evaluation of advanced credit.  You must provide the complete outline for each course; short program calendar descriptions are not sufficient. The course outline must be from the time when you took the course, or you must provide verification from the school that the learning outcomes did not change. Outlines must be in English and you are responsible for having certified translations provided.

DEADLINE – Recommended: Requests for advanced credit should be submitted at least one month before the start date of the term in which the course you are requesting credit for is scheduled. Late requests, especially those received after the term has started, may result in academic and financial penalties based on the date that the advanced credit request was received by the Office of the Registrar.

Last day to submit: Requests for advanced credit for courses a student is currently enrolled in must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the DROP deadline of that semester. The official academic schedule is available on the Academic Schedule webpage. 

REVIEW TIME – An advanced credit review can take 4-12 weeks once all required documents are received. Once you are admitted to your program, we strongly recommend that you immediately apply for advanced credit to avoid any academic or financial penalties.  We do not recommend that you drop courses from your timetable until you have been notified that credit has been awarded.  If for some reason credit is denied, you may not be able to be reinstated in the course.

GRADES – For advanced credit to be awarded, the minimum progression grade required is a C- or 60%. Credit will not be considered for courses for which your grade is in progress, incomplete, failed, or for which advanced credit was awarded by another institution. Advanced credit will not be considered after an unsuccessful course attempt in a Keyano program. If your progress in a course is unsatisfactory, you will be required to repeat that course.

RESIDENCY - The amount of advanced credit awarded is limited to 50% of the credit load within a certificate or diploma program at Keyano College. You will be notified when maximum credit has been reached. Be aware that the amount of advanced credit you are awarded could affect your full-time status in any given term, and furthermore, affect any funding you may be receiving based on full-time status

SHELF LIFE – All courses are subject to time limitations for awarding advanced credit, as up-to-date knowledge and skills are essential to student success. Five years is the standard shelf life for a program’s discipline-specific subjects (e.g. Nursing, including Anatomy and Physiology courses), and 10 years is the standard shelf life for more general courses (such as English or Psychology). Keyano College reserves the right to determine the shelf life, and these requirements may vary by faculty.  Shelf life is based on the term/year a course was completed, not when the program was completed.

FINAL DOCUMENTATION – Once the review is completed, advanced credit will be posted to your transcript with a grade of CR, and you will receive notification via your Keyano student email account (keyanomail).  Once posted, you can view approved advanced credit through your Self Service account. Check your Keyanomail and Self Service accounts on a regular basis for updates. 

APPEALS – If you wish to appeal an advanced credit decision, your appeal must be made in writing to the Office of the Registrar within 30 days of when the results are posted.  You must provide sufficient reasons as to why advanced credit should be reconsidered. Appeals beyond the 30-day timeline will not be considered. Any decisions in regards to the appeal are final.

The appropriate Program Chair and the Registrar will determine the credit to be granted. The Registrar will convey the decision by letter to the applicant. Approved courses will be recorded on Keyano College student transcript with a grade of CR. A grade of CR (Credit/Challenged Exam) will not contribute towards a student’s Grade Point Average (GPA).

Advanced credit is awarded only to the extent it fits the program in which the applicant is enrolled and valid only if the student completes at least half of the program at Keyano College. If doubt exists as to the suitability of the courses under consideration, an interview is conducted with the applicant and the final decision is made by the Program Chair, the Registrar, and the Dean of the School. All transfers of credit shall be governed by the applicable academic regulations. Students who receive advanced credit for a course may repeat the course at Keyano College for credit; however, the Keyano grade will not be used in calculating the grade point average for purposes of academic standing and awards.

Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) is defined as awarding credit for learning which has taken place outside of post‑secondary institutions. PLAR provides a way of recognizing learning which has taken place on the job, in employment-based training, or in a variety of experiences outside of the workplace. For PLAR consideration, applicants must submit a completed PLAR form to the Office of the Registrar.

PLAR is available to students who have been admitted to Keyano College programs. Prior Learning is assessed utilizing a formal assessment process, which may include examinations, projects, auditions, performances, essays, and assignments. The final decision regarding the assessment methodology rests with the Instructor of the course and appropriate Program Chair. Students who receive a failing grade in a course because of PLAR will not be permitted a second opportunity. Prior Learning must equate to existing Keyano College courses. Unless otherwise stated, University Studies and Nursing courses are exempt from PLAR.

Additional information for Practical Nurse diploma students

As a part of the PLAR process, PN students must also:

• provide dates of work experience in a related job position and/or supportive education certificates (e.g. workshops taken)
• letters of recommendation from current employer and/or letters of reference outlining the candidate’s suitability for PLAR
• proof of work experience in the last two years as provided by employers
• exam and/or performance assessment

The standard fee for PLAR is 50% of the normal course fee. When PLAR can be made at the time of admission to a program based on admission and placement, the fee will be reduced to 25% of the normal course fee. Fees are non-refundable and must be paid one week prior to the student undertaking the assessment process.

Successful completion of PLAR will be indicated by a grade of PL. This grade is not calculated in GPA. The transfer credits earned by PLAR at Keyano College to another post-secondary institution will be governed by the policies of the receiving institution.