Inbound Exchange

Toronto Metropolitan University's academic year is divided into two semesters.

Students can study in the following terms:

• Fall Semester (September to December)
• Winter Semester (January to April)
• Full Year (September to April)

View the academic calendar here: https://www.torontomu.ca/calendar/

To participate in the exchange program, students must: 

• Have completed at least one full academic year with their home institution.
• Have a minimum grade point average (CGPA) of 2.5 or 70% equivalent

Please note that students are not required to submit a portfolio. 

In addition, we do not require students to submit proof of English proficiency. The home institution is responsible for ensuring that nominated students meet Toronto Metropolitan University’s English language requirements. As a rule of thumb, students should have the minimum IELTS level in order to successful at Toronto Metropolitan University:

• IELTS: 6.5
• TOEFL iBT: 92-93
• MELAB: 90
• CAEL: 70
• PTE: 60

When exchange students apply to study at The Creative School, they are placed into one of our undergraduate programs as determined by Toronto Metropolitan University's bilateral Exchange Agreement with the partner institution. 

Students typically enroll in four courses which is considered a full course load at Toronto Metropolitan University. We don’t recommend more than four courses as there will be a considerable amount of in-class and out-of-class classwork and studying. 

Students are supported by a designated Academic Coordinator from the program department who is their first point of contact for course enrollment (adding or dropping courses) and any academic inquiries. The Academic Coordinator will email students a list of available courses two to three months before the start of the semester. The course list will comprise available courses, which are considered suitable for students' level, and would provide important disciplinary knowledge/skills within the field of study. Please note that the most updated course offerings will be made available to students two to three months prior to the exchange semester.

Students might also be asked to shortlist back-up courses. Where possible, students will be registered in their preferred classes. Due to availability and timetabling conflicts, it is not always possible to honour all preferences, which is why it is important to have back-up options. Successful course enrolment will be dependent on a number of factors: availability, scheduling, class capacity and prerequisite requirements. 

Students are permitted to make changes to their timetable (adding or dropping a course) during the first two weeks of classes. To do so, they should speak with their Toronto Metropolitan University Academic Coordinator  It is highly recommended for all students to meet with their Toronto Metropolitan University Academic Coordinator during the first week of classes to discuss their final timetable.

Inbound students’ home institution is responsible for determining the credit worth of each course and how the credits transfer back to the home institution. Generally, one Toronto Metropolitan University course is equivalent to about four to six ECTS.

Transcripts will be sent directly to the home university one to two months after the end of the semester. 

Home institutions that are determining credit equivalency should consider the following:

• There are 12 weeks of teaching in a semester.
• There are typically three hours of lectures per week. This does not include time needed for self-study, working on assignments, exams, group work, etc.  

Students should expect to put in a few extra study hours per course outside of class. Outside of teaching hours, a typical student is required to complete multiple components for any one course: class participation, mini assignments, a group project, a midterm essay/project, and a final exam/assignment. Hours of study are dependent on the course and how much time the student commits to the completion of all assessment components.

Courses may be divided into a lecture and lab. For larger courses, students are divided into smaller sections. Within these sections, students will get to know their classmates fairly quickly as the sections meet every week. For each course, expect to be in class for two to three hours per week. For example, if students are taking four courses, expect to be in classes for eight to 12 hours per week.

It is common for a course to be graded on multiple components: participation, mini assignments, midterm essay, group project, and final exam.

The exam period usually lasts two weeks. Exam schedules are posted online one month before the last day of classes. The format of exam and final assessments will be determined by the course instructor.

Please note that there are no rewrites, resits, or retakes to make up for a failed exam.

For the grading guideline, please visit: https://www.torontomu.ca/current-students/grades-standings/transcripts/legend/#undergraduate-grade-scales.

Please note that student grades are usually released two to three weeks after the end of the exam period.

Planning for your exchange at The Creative School in Toronto? Read our  (PDF file) Pre-Arrival Guide to help you plan for your study abroad. It contains helpful information such as: 

• Immigration
• Housing/Accommodation
• Transportation
• Finances
• UHIP (Mandatory Health Insurance)
• Living in Toronto

When students receive their Offer of Acceptance, they will also receive all of this information to help them best prepare for their international semester. Additionally, the TMU Global team hosts regular information sessions covering these topics for incoming exchange students after acceptance.