Will an Associates Degree from an American college transfer to Canadian or International college?

Question

Almost completed the AA in California, want to study out of the country on an international student visa. Anybody have any experience on how to do this easily?

Answer 1

First, be careful about your terminology because the terms 'university' and 'college' are not interchangeable in Canada like they are in the States. In Canada, ‘colleges’ are similar to our 2-year schools, like the one you’re currently attending. You’ll want a Canadian ‘university’ for a BS/BA or Masters, etc.

Second, make sure you get a copy of the college catalog from your U.S. school … the version that has the detailed course descriptions. Each Canadian school is different, but generally – just like between schools in the U.S. - you can transfer credits as long as the course descriptions are similar enough. Even if you can’t transfer ‘course for course’ in your major, you should be able to use ‘left over’ credits for ‘general education requirements’ at the Canadian school. My son attends a university in Canada and can take ‘general education’ courses at a community college while home in the States over the summer and transfer them up as long as they’re pre-approved by his department. The same goes for courses in his major if they’re similar enough.

Also, if you are a U.S. citizen, you’re eligible for the Stafford Student Loan and your parents are eligible for the Parents PLUS loan as long as the Canadian school is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (most are). The website below might help you – specifically the information about the differences between the two educational systems (including grading) and the search engines to find schools by major and location. Good luck!