College/University Transfer

General requirements

You must have attempted a minimum of 24 units (credits) of transferable post-secondary studies, and may transfer up to a maximum of 60 units toward your degree program. 

Applicants with less than 24 units completed or in progress by their start date will be evaluated on the basis of their final high school requirements and grades, provided they present at least a 2.00 grade point average (GPA) on all post-secondary studies.  If this applies, please review high school requirements as outlined here and apply for admission by the high school application deadlines. High school requirements differ depending on your academic history.

You are required to declare all previously attempted high school and post-secondary studies.  You must be in good standing with a minimum 2.00 GPA (60%) to be considered for admission.

The chart below will help you understand how SFU calculates your admission based on post-secondary units, including failed or repeated attempts.

Post-Secondary units attempted

How admission is calculated
0 to 8 units Admission is based on your high school courses only
9 to 23 units Admission is generally based on your high school courses and grades, and post-secondary GPA using all transferable units attempted. Only the highest grade is used in the calculation for repeat courses.
More than 23 units Admission average is based on your post-secondary GPA calculated using all transferrable units attempted, with only the highest grade used in the GPA calculation for repeat courses.

Your admission average is calculated on all transferable courses attempted. If you repeat a transferable course for admission, the highest course attempt will be used in the GPA calculation. Admission to SFU is competitive, so we encourage you to review our Historical Admission Range Grades for more information before you apply.

In addition to the general and program-specific admission requirements (listed below), you must meet our English language admission requirement and Quantitative and analytical skills requirement. If you do not meet these requirements on your college or university studies, we may request your high school transcript.

Application dates and deadlines

Admission term Application period Document deadline Evaluation period Enrollment for the term
Spring 2025 (January)
August 1 - September 15 October 1 September-November From November
Summer 2025 (May)
December 1 - January 15 February 1 January-March From March
Fall 2025 (September)
March 1 - April 15
May 15 May - July From July

Note that different deadlines are in place for Preservice Professional Studies programs and the School for the Contemporary Arts. See https://www.sfu.ca/students/admission/apply.html

Transfer credit

After you have completed your application, transfer credit will be applied to your record during the admission evaluation process.  Transfer credit appeals will only be assessed after you have accepted your offer of admission. We may request that you provide detailed course outlines issued from your post-secondary institution, which should include:

  • a statement of course objective(s)
  • the duration/number of weeks (excluding final exam period)
  • hours per week of lecture (laboratory/tutorial/seminar/studio work) and the hours per week of required open laboratory work or open studio work
  • the method of evaluation and grading
  • the textbook(s) used
  • the amount of credit/units earned

Please use this form to submit a transfer credit appeal.

Information for applicants from BC colleges

A BC/Yukon transfer guide listing all first and second year transferable courses along with the SFU equivalent is available at www.bctransferguide.ca. Courses not listed in the transfer guide are not transferable.

BC Associate of Arts or Science degree holders will receive preference in admission, with a GPA 0.25 points less than the GPA required for regular transfer, but not less than 2.00 overall. If individually assigned transfer credit totals less than 60 units, the remainder will be general elective credit.

Information for applicants from universities

For university transfer, we support the Pan-Canadian Protocol on transferability of first and second year courses from any recognized Canadian university.

Information for applicants from colleges or institutes of applied arts and technology

If you have successfully completed a two or three year academic diploma program at a Canadian Institute of Technology or at a College of Applied Arts and Technology you may be considered for admission with a competitive overall program average. Admission is determined on an individual basis and transfer credit granted is very limited.

Information for applicants not in good academic standing or required to withdraw

If you are applying from a College or University and are not in good standing or have been required to withdraw from another post-secondary institution, you will be considered for admission only if you have attempted a minimum of 24 units of transferable studies since being required to withdraw. You will be required to satisfy both of the requirements listed below:

  • A GPA on the further course work of at least 0.50 points above the regular admission GPA
  • An overall CGPA of at least 2.00 on all transferable course work, from all post-secondary institution(s) attended

Beedie School of Business applicants: Students not in good academic standing or who have been required to withdraw from another post-secondary institution can be considered for admission after attempting a minimum of 24 new units of transferable studies. Students must achieve a minimum 2.67 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) across all transferable courses and admission to SFU Beedie will be based on a combination of a student’s academic performance and an assessment of their Supplemental Application. For details, please see the Beedie School of Business website.

Program specific requirements 

Faculty of Applied Sciences

Computing Science, Software Systems

Minimum of 24 units of transferable coursework, including:

  • One Mathematics course from: MACM 101, 201, MATH 150 (or 151), 152, 240 (or 232)
  • One Computing Science course from: CMPT 125 (or 126, 128 or 135), 225, 295 (or 150 or 250), 276 (or 275)
  • One additional Mathematics or Computing science course chosen from the above lists

Engineering Science

Minimum of 24 units of transferable coursework, including:

  • One Mathematics course from: MATH 152, MATH 232 (or 240)
  • One Computing Science course from: CMPT 128 (or 135; or (125 and 127)), 225;
  • One Physics course from: PHYS 121 (or 141), PHYS 221, PHYS 321

Mechatronic Systems Engineering

Minimum of 24 units of transferable coursework, including:

  • One MATH course from: Math 152, 232 or 240
  • One Computing course from: CMPT 130, 135 (or 128; or (125 and 127)) or 225
  • One Physics course from: PHYS 140 (or 120), 141 (or 121)

Sustainable Energy Engineering

A minimum of 24 units of transferable coursework, including courses that are accepted by SFU as equivalents to the following:

  • One MATH course from: MATH 152, 232, or 240
  • One CMPT course from: CMPT 130, 128, 135 or (both CMPT 125 and 127)
  • One CHEM course from: CHEM 120, 121 or (both CHEM 122 and 126)
  • One PHYS course from: PHYS 140, 141, 120, or 121

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Anthropology; Asia-Canada; Cognitive Science; Criminology; Economics; English; Explorations; First Nations; French; French Cohort; Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies; Gerontology; Hellenic Studies; History; Humanities; International Studies; Labour Studies; Languages; Latin American Studies; Linguistics; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology; World Literature

Beedie School of Business

Accounting, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Finance, Human Resource Management, International Business, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Operations Management, Strategic Analysis

By the document submission deadline, you must have:

 

  • 24 or more transferable units complete or in-progress
  • The 4 required courses completed with a minimum C- grade
  • A minimum 2.67 CGPA

 

Required courses:

  • ECON 103 (or ECON 113)
  • ECON 105 (or ECON 115)
  • MATH 157 (or MATH 151, 154, or 150)
  • One of: Any 3- unit transferable ENGL course or PHIL 100W, 105, 110, 120W, 150 or WL 101W, 103W, 104W, 105W

For college/university transfer applicants, admission to SFU Beedie will be based on a combination of a student’s academic performance and an assessment of their Supplemental Application. For details, please see the Beedie School of Business website.

Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology

Communication

Contemporary Arts

Interactive Arts and Technology

Minimum of 24 units of transferable course work including:

  • One of: CMPT 120, 125, 126, 128, 130, 135 or 166
  • One of MATH 150, 151, 154 or 157 or  MACM 101 
  • One first year English course

Faculty of Education

Bachelor of General Studies

Bachelor of Education

Faculty of Environment

Archaeology, Human Geography, Urban Worlds (BA)

Environmental Science, Physical Geography (BSc)

Minimum of 24 units of transferable work, including:

  • One transferable math course
  • Two transferable science courses (in different subject areas)

NOTE: Senior level math/science high school courses may be used in place of transferable math/science courses.

Geographic Information Science (BSc)

Global Environmental Systems, Resource and Environmental Management (BEnv)

Faculty of Health Sciences

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Science

Minimum of 24 units of transferable work, including:

  • One transferable Math course 

Note, a senior level high school math course may be used in place of a transferable math course

Faculty of Science

Behavioral Neuroscience, Biological Sciences, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Chemistry, Data Science, Earth Sciences, General Science, Mathematics, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Physics, Statistics and Actuarial Science

Minimum of 24 units of transferable work, including:

  • One transferable math course
  • Two transferable science courses (in different subject areas)

NOTE: Senior level math/science high school courses may be used in place of transferable math/science courses.

Diverse qualifications 

Admission pathway for students who meet minimum admission standards and have demonstrated commitment or excellence in other endeavours, or who have succeeded in their studies despite difficult circumstances.