Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, because students outgoing on a formal exchange program are registered and enrolled at the University of Alberta for the duration of their term(s) abroad, they remain eligible for all regular UofA scholarships, awards and bursaries as well as Canada and Alberta student loans to support their exchange term(s). Application to these should be done in prior to departure on exchange and would work in the same way as it normally does for an applicant staying at the UofA.

Please note, however, that your participation on exchange could make you ineligible to apply for certain UofA awards upon return from your exchange. This is particularly true if the award requires full-time status (30 credits/year) or certain GPA metrics for eligibility. Courses taken on exchange cannot be used to calculate a GPA for awards purposes because it would operate unevenly. Every institution and every system is different and there is no fair or straightforward way to translate grade equivalencies that would put students going on exchange on an even competitive field with students who have stayed home. Therefore, the exchange term grades are excluded from award considerations and only UofA-taught courses are factored into a student's GPA.

For this same reason, academic designations might be affected upon return from an international program as credits/grades achieved on exchange cannot be taken into consideration for UofA academic standing, scholarship opportunities or graduation distinction. 

BCom and MBA students, including international students, can all potentially participate on an exchange program through the Alberta School of Business.

• BCom applicants are required to complete at least their first year of studies in the Alberta School of Business before they are eligible to participate on exchange. Applications may be submitted anytime after completion of two semesters, but the earliest a student can participate on exchange would be their fourth semester in the BCom Program.
• Candidates should have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Focus will be put on performance after entering the School of Business when evaluating candidates. Final approval of academic eligibility will be at the discretion of the BCom or MBA Office.
  Note: Some institutions and destinations are highly competitive and might require a higher GPA than the minimum indicated.
• Applicants must be registered in a Bachelor of Commerce or MBA degree at the UofA with at least *3 credits remaining before completing degree requirements. BCom applicants must be registered as continuing full-time students. MBA candidates completing their degree on a part-time basis are also eligible to participate on an exchange.
• BCom students in the Co-op program are eligible to also participate on an exchange, but must work out timing and coordination with both offices to ensure all requirements and obligations can be met for both programs.

No. All exchange programs available through the Alberta School of Business offer courses taught in English, although the selection of English courses is greater at some institutions than it is at others. Regardless, most participating students are able to take a full load of classes on exchange and successfully operate within the environment of the home country even if English is their only language. Participants who do possess adequate second language skills may choose to take courses in that language from the native curriculum assuming they are proficient enough to follow the academic content and pending an assessment exam/proof of proficiency to the host institution.

Participants going to any destination where English is not the native language are always encouraged to learn some of the language before going and to build upon that during the exchange. Having at least some knowledge of the local language can certainly open up doors and add layers of depth to the overall experience, but it is not a requirement for participation.

No. Exchanges are possible only at institutions with which the School or University has established a formal partnership agreement. These agreements allow for the bilateral movement of students between the institutions and facilitate an expedited and simplified admission procedure. It also allows students to pay home tuition and fees for semester programs. A list of institutions with which the Alberta School of Business currently has formal exchange agreements can be found on our Partner Institutions page. Business students are also able to participate on an exchange through one of the university-wide partnerships available through the UofA Go Abroad Office.

However, if there is no formal agreement in place at the University of Alberta, a short-term study at an international institution might be possible as an independent study abroad. This differs from a formal exchange in that applicants apply as a visiting student directly to the institution they wish to attend, but as the name suggests, it is an independent endeavor. With no exchange agreement to facilitate the process, it is up to the individual student to seek admission through the regular application process according to that institution and, if accepted on a short-term program, pay tuition and fees to that institution. It is also necessary for students pursuing an independent study abroad (often called "free movers") to ensure that their UofA degree program would recognize any credits they might take at another institution and can count them towards a degree.

We look at a variety of factors and make selections based on the overall application package. Academic achievement is one of the criteria we look at, but it is not the only factor. Applicants to the exchange program should have at least a 3.0 GPA overall and especially for their semesters immediately prior to the exchange term. Having a high GPA always helps an application, but does not outweigh the other factors considered. Some of the important aspects we look for in applications include:

• a candidate's preparation and motivation;

• clear, well-thought-out reasons for wanting to participate and ideas for how it will benefit them and fit with their future goals;

• ability to adapt not only to the cultural and social aspects of an international exchange program but also to the different academic systems at the host institution;

• ability to not only benefit from, but contribute to the program and host institution through demonstration of past and planned extracurricular, volunteer and social activities;

• preparation and planning of the financial aspects of participating on an exchange; and

• an overall impression based on the interview and written materials of what kind of representative the candidate will be for the Alberta School of Business and the UofA as a whole to the partner school and in the foreign country.

Applications are received on an on-going basis and reviewed in the order they are received. Those identified as exceptional candidates may be awarded early selection, usually within two to three weeks of their application submission. The remaining available spots in the exchange program will be allocated according to the outcome of the reviews at the end of the application period. Early application is strongly encouraged, but does not guarantee selection.

Please Note: selection from the Alberta School of Business does not guarantee admission to the partner institution. See below question for more information.

Assuming approval by ASB and nomination to the partner, it is technically still possible that a student can be rejected by the host university. Because each of our partners is an independent institution, they reserve the right to have the final say at who studies at their university and who doesn't. We cannot admit a student to another institution. Your final acceptance and confirmation of participation therefore, can only come from the host.

That being said, most institutions under exchange agreements rely on their partners to do most of the screening process to determine appropriate candidates for exchange. And perhaps more importantly, if we think a student will not ultimately be admitted by the partner, we do not want to nominate them in the first place. It doesn't look good for the relationship we maintain with that institution. However, although it is not automatic or guaranteed, receiving approval & nomination from the Alberta School of Business is a very good indicator that a candidate is likely to be accepted by the host institution. Part of our selection process is to ensure we only nominate suitable candidates in the first place.

In preparation for your exchange application, I recommend trying to learn about as many aspects related to participation on the exchange as possible. It certainly does not need to be exhaustive at this point and you'll continue to find out more about everything as the process goes on, but some things you'll definitely want to be familiar with going into the interview include a basic understanding of:

• course offerings at the host institution

• associated costs

• housing options

• semester dates

• academic structure

• the institution itself - facilities, extracurriculars, etc.

• the city/location

• transportation

• general exchange process moving forward

We also use the interview to answer whatever remaining questions an applicant might have and help give you more information on everything related to your participation. However, the more research you do at the start, the better your application will initially look, it should mean better preparation for the program, and ultimately, you want it to translate into a smoother transition and better experience on exchange. In addition to the above, the one thing we look for in the initial interview of exchange candidates is well-thought-out reasons for wanting to participate and being able to explain your goals and motivations for pursuing your destination of choice. And of course, you'll need a decent understanding of many of the things listed above in order to do that.

Students on a semester exchange program are required to maintain full-time student status, so you will need to take the minimum full-time course load according to the host institution standards. Every institution is different, but most of our partners have a similar full-time status definition to that at the University of Alberta. That is usually the approximate equivalent of 9-15 UofA credits/term, which can mean anywhere from 2 to 10 partner institution courses, depending on the destination.

*However, regardless of how many credits you are required to take at the host institution, that is separate from how many you transfer back to your degree here. You actually don't have to transfer back any credits, although most students understandably prefer to. You will only transfer back the credits you want AND get approved by your Program Office. So even if you are required by the partner institution to take, say 4 courses/12 credits on exchange, you can choose to seek credit for only the ones you need for your degree at the UofA. The other courses you take on exchange for which you do not wish to seek transfer credit can be anything you wish/of personal interest because they will not be taken into consideration here.

*Please note: participants will pay the same UofA tuition and fees for an exchange program regardless of the number of courses taken at the host institution or how many credits they transfer back to their degree at the UofA. Please see our Costs page for more information on tuition and costs for outgoing exchange. 

*Spring/Summer and MBA programs will vary.

Grades from exchanges do not change a participant's UofA GPA. With approval from the Program Office, credits from coursework done on exchange can be counted towards a degree program, but the grades do not transfer. Exchanges operate on a basic pass/fail system. Students do need to pass the foreign-taught courses with a minimum UofA equivalent (at least a C- for BCom; at least a C+ equivalent for MBA) in order to count the credit, but the grades from an exchange program are not factored into GPA, whether credit is transferred or not. A student's UofA GPA will therefore remain the same as it was prior to exchange participation. With such different grading systems around the world, there is no way to translate grades to a common metric and compare students who have studied at different institutions. For that reason, only UofA-taught courses are factored into your UofA GPA.

HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTE:
Even though it is strictly pass/fail for your current UofA degree, if you ever decide to apply for grad school, law school or sometimes even some scholarships, the admission/selection committees will almost always consider your UofA transcript incomplete and will require your exchange institution transcript (with all the grades from exchange) as well, just as they'd want to see all transcripts from every other institution you've attended. That means that you could have a great UofA transcript with a high GPA, but the marks you achieve at the foreign institution could influence the success of an application for admission to another school/program. So for your current degree, grades do not transfer. But for anything else outside your current degree that you might pursue down the road, you'll want to make sure your grades from exchange look good too.