Overview
Quebec educational institutions rely on the “R Score” to enable transfer from cégeps into the universities for those with grades that meet the admission and transfer requirements. Referenced as the cote de rendement au collégial (CRC or cote R in French), it is a statistical method that classifies college students' academic performances in Quebec to aid admission selection processes and results in students entering at the second-year level. For transfers from non-CEGEPs, the admission and transfer credit reviews are conducted on a case-by-case basis.
Through its registrars, the Bureau de Coopération Interuniversitaire (BCI) has created a pathway to enable students to study at more than one institution. Through the Authorization to Transfer Credit system, students can search, review, and request approval to complete credits at another university during an academic year. Called the Quebec Inter-University Transfer Agreement (AEHE-IUT) or Autorisation d'études hors établissement (AEHE), this agreement allows students registered at any of the province's universities to take courses at another Quebec university, which will count toward a degree at their home university if successfully completed.
Universities and Cégeps
Quebec has a long history supporting transfer as evidenced by its cégep system and the collaboration between these educational institutions, the universities, and the provincial government. As a result, successful completion of studies at the cégep level enables entry into second year at Quebec universities. The cégep-to-university transition can occur through program equivalencies governed by a memorandum of understanding. So-called “DEC-BAC” (college diploma to bachelor's degree) programs are governed by specific agreements between educational institutions and allow students to obtain a number of university credits for their college studies. These agreements apply only to technical courses, since general-stream courses are prerequisites to university admission in the first place.
College programs are authorized by the minister and reviewed by individual colleges. Cégep admission applications are centralized and processed in regional centres in Montreal, Quebec City, and Saguenay–Lac St-Jean, to ensure uniform province-wide processing. Harmonization of vocational and technical training can fall under individual agreements between colleges and school boards. These are used to harmonize programs and prevent duplication of curriculum in the vocational and technical sector in order to smooth the transition between secondary and college programs.
More and more equivalencies are set between college and university programs, leading to “DEC-BAC” bridges (college diploma to bachelor's degree) in technical fields. Most universities have also made arrangements to admit students with a technical DEC.
There is no provincial guide covering equivalencies or transfers from other educational institutions, but Quebec university registrars use specific resources to determine possible equivalencies. One such resource is the Guide des niveaux de formation pour l'admission générale des candidats non québécois published under the auspices of the Bureau de Coopération Interuniversitaire (BCI). Responsibility for recognizing training from another country lies with Quebec educational institutions (schools, colleges, and universities).
To facilitate mobility for students wishing to change universities, institutions may recognize prior studies under a credit-transfer mechanism between recognized universities, up to a maximum of two-thirds of credits for a specific program, according to policies that vary between educational institutions. Since programs vary between educational institutions as well, a number of mechanisms such as exemption or course substitution are also provided. Such mechanisms are the responsibility of the host institution and the program committee concerned. Transfers are not automatic.
Private Subsidized or Nonsubsidized Colleges and Institutes
Because the programs in these educational institutions are authorized by the minister, transfers between colleges fall under the responsibility of individual colleges.
Inter-regional Collaboration
Through the Bureau de coopération Interuniversitaire, the Quebec university registrars have supported the ARUCC MyCreds™ | MesCertif™ National Network initiative which is creating a national document- and data-exchange network for official postsecondary transcripts, as well as virtual “wallets” for learners to advance student mobility.
Learner resources
Comprehensive review of this information: 2022