Exemptions

Can I Be Exempted From My General Education or Degree Breadth Courses?

Yes, you can request an exemption if one of the following applies:

  • You can show that you have successfully completed a post-secondary college or university course that addresses one of the General Education themes or Degree Breadth Leveling criteria required by your program. Read about the exemption process.
  • You believe that you have acquired knowledge and skills equivalent to a post-secondary course through work or life experiences. In this case, you will need to apply for a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). Read about the PLAR process.

Exemption Process

Use this process if you have successfully completed a course that addresses one or more of the general education themes or meets the degree breadth leveling criteria. Even if you expect to get an exemption, be sure to select a general education or degree breadth elective and register. If you are successful in your exemption application, you will be withdrawn from the course.

Step 1: Ensure that the course you are basing your exemption request on meets the following criteria:

  • The course you have taken must be post-secondary and offered by an accredited post-secondary institution.
  • The course must have been at least 42 hours long.
  • For general education, the course must address one of the General Education themes specified for your program. For degree breadth, the course must align with the leveling criteria for the specified elective.
  • You must have received a mark of C or better in the course if from an External institution or a grade of D- or better from Algonquin College.

Step 2: Complete an Internal or External Exemption Request

  • The process to request a Transfer of Credit (Exemption) is automated at Woodroffe Campus.
  • Sign in to your ACSIS account.
  • Select the Transfer of Credit/Exemption button and follow the step-by-step instructions presented online.

For all campuses, a $10.00 fee per external exemption request applies. There is no cost for internal exemption requests.

Note: if you apply for an exemption after the start of the term and before Week 5, you are still required to attend classes and submit assignments until the decision on your application has been returned to you. If your application is approved, the Registrar’s Office will withdraw you from the course. Applications made after Week 4 will be processed for the following term.

For further information on the exemption process, please refer to the Requesting External Transfer of Credit (Exemption) Requests Student User Manual.

 

Unique General Education Exemptions

Mandated General Education Courses: Students requesting an exemption for a mandated (or embedded) General Education course are will need to apply for the exact course in the “Core (Mandatory)” area in ACSIS. This will be assessed by the department.

General Education English Electives: Students requesting an exemption for an English General Education elective are to apply in the “General Education (Elective)” are in ACSIS and make sure to note in the “additional information: area that they wish to be assessed for an English General Education Elective. These exemption requests will be sent to the English Coordinator in the department.

Mandated Degree Breadth Courses (PHI2000/2004, QUA2000/2001): These courses can only be exempted on the basis of similar courses taken at the degree-level.