Transfer Student FAQs

Log into myTrent and look for the Transfer Credits icon under Academics. You will see the credits you earned at other institutions on the left, and what they equate to at Trent on the right. 

We don’t have firm definitions of what it means to be a first, second, third, fourth, fifth (and so on) year student. The focus is instead on earning credits for your degree. Some are specific to your program, some will ensure you meet the University’s degree requirements, and some will be electives. As long as you have the prerequisites (if there are any) for any given class, you may register for it, regardless of the level (1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000). It makes sense to focus on the lower-level credits you need first, so start there. 

• The Academic Calendar contains degree requirements and course descriptions for every program and every course. It is published each year and you should follow the calendar published in your first year at Trent. That said, you may instead use the requirements for any subsequent year. 

• The Academic Timetable shows which classes are offered each semester, as well as the format of the class, the time, and location. You can find it in myTrent under Academics. 

• What is a major, joint major, and minor? This academic glossary explains it all. 

• To better understand course codes, formats, and building abbreviations check out this page. 

• There are 3 types of transfer credits a student can earn. 

• Assigned Credits: An assigned credit is granted when the content of a course at another university or college is considered an exact equivalent to a course at Trent.  

• Unassigned Departmental Credits: An unassigned departmental credit is granted when the course materials from another university or college are comparable with the subject material in a discipline at Trent University for which there is not an equivalent course (e.g. Political Studies YR1: Unassigned)  

• Unassigned General Credits: An unassigned general credit is granted when the subject of the course is not taught at Trent (e.g. Science YR3: Unassigned or Arts YR3: Unassigned). 

• Trent maintains a transfer credit database of course equivalencies at other institutions. You may search the database and contact transfercredits@trentu.ca if you find a course listed, which you completed with the minimum grade requirement, and did not receive a specific credit for.  

• If the course you took elsewhere is not in our database, you may submit the course syllabus using the Transfer Credit Course Syllabi Submission form found under the Academics tab of your myTrent portal. When we receive your course syllabi, they are reviewed by the relevant faculty member for a possible Trent equivalent. The results of that evaluation are posted to your academic record (Transfer Credit icon). Please note that this process can take a few weeks. 

The Academic Calendar has your program requirements as well as course descriptions. Use the version published the year you started at Trent, or from whenever you changed your major. 

• Electives are any courses that aren’t required for your degree. There is no list of electives; students may choose from any class offered, as long as they have the prerequisites.  

• To determine how many electives you can take, start with the total credits needed for your degree (20.0 for Honours, 15.0 for General), then subtract the number of credits required for your program. Whatever is left is for electives. Make sure you check the University Degree Requirements in the Academic Calendar to ensure you are meeting the requirements beyond what is outlined for your program. Academic Advisors are here to help navigate your program and degree requirements. 

Trent offers two streams of The Bridge Program in August. One is for high school-to-university students, the other is for college-to-university students. The program is designed to give incoming students a solid foundation and a head start to successfully transition into their first year at Trent – all while earning a half–credit toward their degree. More details here. 

• New transfer students can book with our Academic Transitions Advisor 

• All other students can book with an Academic Advisor 

The maximum 1000-level credits that can count towards your degree is 7.0. Check how many transfer credits are at the 1000-level, or YR 1, to ensure you will not go over 7.0 total when selecting courses at Trent. If you do go over by necessity or by accident, it is OK, it just means they will not all count towards your degree. You may end up with more total credits than needed. 

• Many of our competitive co-op programs allow for some transfer credits. Students need to apply specifically for Co-op streams when applying to Trent. Please contact admissions@trentu.ca if you have questions about your application or want to re-apply for Co-op instead. 

• ⁠Some co-op programs do offer a "transfer-in option" which is only available to full-time, first year Trent students. Not all co-op programs offer a transfer-in option. You can find more details here.  

• Students who are considering applying for co-op are encouraged to do their research about their program of interest. A good place to start is reviewing the co-op website in detail, specifically the FAQ and the work term schedule pages. If applicable, the transfer-in process usually takes place in December and January each year. More details can be found here. 

• Co-op is not the only way to get valuable career experience while at Trent. Check out Careerspace and their resources and services for experiential learning.  

Students must register themselves in all of their courses, each year of study. Students can search for courses, add them to their plan, and register for them using Self Service, which is accessed through myTrent. Find helpful resources and instructions on how to register for courses here. 

Current Trent students are welcome to apply to transfer into either nursing streams. Applications for current Trent students will become available in mid-September. The "Transfer to Nursing" icon is located in the myTrent student portal, under the Academics tab. Applications are due by early March. For more information on admissions requirements for current Trent students, please refer to the Admissions Information guide or contact nursingadmissions@trentu.ca  

Contact an Academic Transitions Advisor with questions about:
email: academicadvising@trentu.ca

• Your transfer credits, what they mean, and how they fit into your degree plan
• How to plan your timetable and register for classes
• Navigating your first year at Trent University and how to access services and supports
• Book an appointment with an Academic Transitions Advisor

Contact our Admissions Team with questions about:
email: transfercredits@trentu.ca

• Your transfer credit assessment
• Submitting course syllabi 
• The terms or conditions of your offer

Contact an Academic Advisor if you have been at Trent for over a year and would like Academic Advising support:
email: academicadvising@trentu.ca

Students at the Trent Durham GTA campus can contact Trent Durham Academic Advising:
email: durhamacademicadvising@trentu.ca