Recognition of Prior Learning

Who can apply

Any student duly admitted in a program at ÉTS, who has registered for courses and who has successfully completed one of the course or one of the activity in their program, either in another university or in another program at ÉTS.

When do I apply?

Undergraduate student:

As soon as possible before one of either possibility: no later than the end of the 4^th semester of registration or before completing half of the credits of your program.

Graduate and postgraduate student:

As soon as possible after being admitted to ÉTS and no later than the end of the 1^st semester of registration.

Please note that you can only make one request, per program, so you must list all your activities on the same form. The Registrar’s Office will not accept applications received after the deadline. Late applications are automatically denied.

How do I apply?

1. Complete the request form (pdf, available in French only):

Left-hand section: Write the name of the successfully completed course.
Right-hand section: Write the name of the course in your program that you feel is equivalent to the course already completed.

2. Attach the following documents to the application:

ÉTS courses successfully completed: none
Courses successfully completed at another university:
- Syllabus of the course (version for the semester when you successfully completed the course)
- Official transcripts, sent directly by the institution and bearing the institution’s seal (for Québec universities, it may be sent via the BCI server)

3. Send the form to the Registrar’s Office through the Info-ÉTS form (subject: Course registration and your student account; sub-subject: Recognition of prior learning)

Once all required documents are received, please allow, generally, from 3 to 4 weeks for processing, but the delay may take up to 6 weeks.

Remarks : For undergraduate students

Exemptions or integrations are not generally granted for Québec technical college studies, but some substitutions or exemptions may be possible for general college studies. [art. 4.5]
Recognition of prior learning cannot result in the granting of more than half the credits for a certificate or more than two-thirds the credits for a bachelor’s degree. [art. 4.8]. Students in an undergraduate short program can only receive credit for one prior course.
For engineering science courses (course codes starting with CTN, ELE, GOL, GPA, GTI, LOG, and MEC), only courses successfully completed at a recognized Québec engineering school can be considered.
The knowledge or skills used to establish the candidate's admission eligibility cannot be considered in an application for recognition of prior learning.
For more information, please refer to Chapter 4 of the Règlement des études de 1er cycle (undergraduate education regulations, in French only).

Remarks : For graduate and postgraduate students

Recognition of prior learning cannot result in the granting of more than half the credits for a DESS, more than two-thirds the credits for a master’s degree (excluding bridge programs), or more than two-thirds the credits for a doctorate. Students in graduate short programs can only receive credit for one prior course. [art. 5.7]
Except as permitted by articles  5.6.2 and 5.7.1, recognition of prior learning in a course credited in a program already sanctioned by a degree only results in a substitution. [art. 5.3 f)]
The knowledge or skills used to establish the candidate's admission eligibility cannot be considered in an application for recognition of prior learning. [art. 5.3 b)]
For more information, please refer to Chapter 5 of the Règlement des études de cycles supérieurs (graduate and postgraduate studies regulations, in French only).