Western Canadian Deans' Agreement

Take courses at other universities with the Western Canadian Deans' Agreement

Do you need to stay close to home, or take a specialized course? Or, do you just want a change?

Take some of your graduate-level courses for your Royal Roads degree, diploma or certificate through other universities located in Western Canada. We call these other universities “host institutions,” while Royal Roads is your “home institution.”

This exchange was introduced by the Western Canadian Deans' Agreement, which was established in 1974 as an expression of co-operation and mutual support among universities offering graduate programs in western Canada. Its primary purpose is the reciprocal enrichment of graduate programs in participating universities.

When you complete courses at a host institution under this agreement, we count them as transfer credits toward your Royal Roads program. You can earn up to:

  • 12 transfer credits for a master's degree
  • 6 credits for a graduate diploma
  • 3 credits for a graduate certificate

Tuition and fees

Under this agreement, you pay your normal home institution tuition to Royal Roads. You don’t need to pay tuition to your host institution.

However, you might need to pay other fees to your host institution:

  • student fees
  • activity fees
  • application fees
  • ancillary fees

These fees will also be waived, wherever possible.

How to qualify

Here are a few requirements you need to meet:

  • You are a student in good standing in a Royal Roads master’s, graduate diploma or graduate certificate program. (Doctoral students are not eligible.)
  • You have all your Royal Roads tuition and other fees paid up to date.
  • You must choose a course approved by your Royal Roads program. The course needs to be equivalent to what your program offers for its core or elective courses.
  • If you are taking the Royal Roads Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, your course choices need to be part of your approved 36-credit program schedule.

Non-eligible courses

Some courses are not eligible for this exchange:

  • audit courses
  • continuing studies courses
  • non-credit courses
  • host institution courses you’ve already completed

How to get permission

Current RRU students

Review the application deadline information found on the Western Canadian Dean's Agreement site. Some institutions will require more than two weeks processing time. 

After a conversation with your Program Head, fill out the downloadable authorization form and return it to Royal Roads University for approval. 

Visiting students

Students wishing to take a course at Royal Roads University through the Western Canadian Dean's Agreement, should submit their completed Western Canadian Dean's Authorization form to Royal Roads University at least four weeks prior to the start date of the course they are wishing to take.

Participation in the course will depend on course availability and course enrollment capacities. Please consult with your graduate program office for procedural requirements at your home institution.

Your responsibilities under this agreement

If you are a current student at Royal Roads University:

  • Send your registration confirmation from the host institution to the Royal Roads University Registrar's Office as soon as you receive it.

  • Meet the host university’s requirements for deadlines, class capacities and course prerequisites.

  • Ask your host institution to send your official transcripts to Royal Roads University Registrar's Office after you have completed your courses at their institution.

  • Complete all courses under this agreement within a total of 12 months, which do not need to happen consecutively.

If you are a visiting student:

  • Meet the host university's requirements for deadlines, class capacities and course pre-requisites.

  • Have your home institution complete and send your Western Canadian Dean's Agreement Authorization form to Royal Roads University at least four weeks in advance of the course(s) start date(s).

  • As soon as you receive your registration confirmation from Royal Roads University, send the notification to the Graduate Records Office of your home institution.

  • Arrange for official transcripts from the Royal Roads University Registrar's Office to be sent to your home institution confirming successful completion of the course(s) selected.

Participating institutions

A list of participating institutions can be found on the Western Canadian Dean's of Graduate Studies site.