½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Pre-Approval Application Guide


Use the pre-approval application if you have failed a course at ½ûÂþÌìÌà that is required for graduation and you want to take an equivalent course at another post-secondary institution and transfer the credit to ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ.

IMPORTANT: Use the pre-approval application if you have failed a course at ½ûÂþÌìÌà that is required for graduation and you want to take an equivalent course at ½ûÂþÌìÌà or at another post-secondary institution and transfer the credit to ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ*.

You must complete the pre-approval process and obtain a Letter of Permission from the RPL Office before enrolling in the requested course.

*Note regarding equivalent ½ûÂþÌìÌà courses: You do not need to apply for RPL or Pre-Approval if the course you wish to take has the identical course code as the failed course.

STEP 1: Determine whether you are eligible for pre-approval

You are eligible for pre-approval if you:

  • Are active in a full-time program**;
  • Are in good financial standing;
  • Have failed an ½ûÂþÌìÌà course that is required for graduation and do not have the option to re-take the course; and
  • Have successfully completed (or be in the process of completing*) all pre-requisite ½ûÂþÌìÌà courses leading up to the failed course.

*Note regarding in-progress pre-requisite courses:
You may submit an application for pre-approval while you are in the process of completing the required pre-requisites, however, your application will remain on hold until you are able to provide proof that you have been successful in the pre-requisite course.

** Pre-approval is only available for the program you are actively enrolled in. 

STEP 2: Meet with a Co-ordinating Instructor or other student advisor

To determine whether pre-approval is the right option for you, you should discuss your situation with your Co-ordinating Instructor or another student advisor. You can review the Evaluated Courses Master List with your advisor to check if any external or ½ûÂþÌìÌà courses have been approved for credit toward the ½ûÂþÌìÌà course you need to make up.

Helpful Tip: If the course you want to take has been approved on the Evaluated Courses Master List, you still must submit an application form so that we can issue you a Letter of Permission outlining the conditions for pre-approval.

If you wish to take a course that has not already been approved, you must obtain a detailed course outline* which clearly identifies the learning outcomes and methods of assessment. This course outline will be assessed against the ½ûÂþÌìÌà course you need to determine whether at least 80% of the competencies, scope, and level of learning match.

For pre-approval purposes, the requested course must be offered by a recognized, credit-granting post-secondary institution.

*Note: If the course you wish to take is an ½ûÂþÌìÌà course, you do not need to provide a detailed course outline.

STEP 3: Complete the pre-approval application and attach supporting documents

The RPL Office, your Co-ordinating Instructor, or a student advisor can provide you with the link to the online pre-approval application form (Note for CIs and advisors: The application link is on the ). Please note this link is different from the standard credit transfer application link on the RPL portal. If you submit an RPL credit transfer application for a failed/incomplete ½ûÂþÌìÌà course, your application will be rejected and you will be required to complete the pre-approval application instead.

A separate application must be submitted for each pre-approval request.

Attach the following documentation to the application form:

  • A scanned copy of your unofficial ½ûÂþÌìÌà transcript
  • If you are applying to take a course that has not already been approved on the Evaluated Courses Master List, you must also submit a detailed course outline* which identifies the learning outcomes and the methods of assessment

*Note: If the course you wish to take is an ½ûÂþÌìÌà course, you do not need to provide a detailed course outline.

When you submit the application form, you will receive an acknowledgement email confirming that we received your application. To ensure the message does not go to your junk folder, please add “@nbcc.ca” to your safe sender email list.

If your application is approved, you will receive a Letter of Permission outlining the conditions for pre-approval.

If your application is rejected, you may submit another application for pre-approval using a different external post-secondary or ½ûÂþÌìÌà course.

STEP 4: Complete the pre-approved course and provide your official transcript to the RPL Office

Once you have successfully completed the pre-approved course, request an official transcript* from the post-secondary institution and have them send it via email to RPL@nbcc.ca

*Note: If the course you have been pre-approved to take is an ½ûÂþÌìÌà course, you need only submit a copy of your unofficial ½ûÂþÌìÌà transcript. 

Your transcript must show you achieved a minimum grade of 60% in the course for which you received pre-approval. Once all conditions have been met, your ½ûÂþÌìÌà transcript will be updated and your Academic Chair will be notified.