York University and Ryerson University have teamed up to launch an online platform that gives students a quick and easy way to enrol in degree credit courses at either institution.
The Ryerson-York Exchange provides students with a diverse list of about 40 courses that have been pre-approved for credit transfer, so eligible York students can earn credits toward their degrees at Ryerson and vice versa. The online platform is now open and can be found at ryersonyorkexchange.ca.
The courses offered are among the most popular at both universities and range from astronomy, economics and psychology to calculus and epidemiology.
“We are committed to improving access, mobility and flexibility for postsecondary students and this most recent 
initiative enhances the cross-registration efforts already offered by Ryerson and York,” says Rhonda Lenton (left), provost and vice-president academic of York University. “The exchange program builds on our respective strengths and leverages technology to make cross-registration easier for students.”
Prior to the launch of the initiative, students had to obtain letters of permission and complete a number of steps before being able to cross-register for courses at the other institution. Under the exchange program, students pay all fees to their home university and courses taken at the partner institution are included on transcripts.
“This new process supports our ongoing efforts to enhance credit transfer for students and is a new phase in our collaborative efforts with York University,” said Mohamed Lachemi, provost and vice-president academic at Ryerson University. “We are thrilled to be launching this initiative and pleased to be adding to the many ways in which we offer students the ability to earn credit for work at our colleague institutions.”
The Ryerson-York Exchange program is open to undergraduate students in second year or higher. The initial course offering is for classes this fall, with additional courses to be available in winter 2014 and subsequent terms.
More information is available at ryersonyorkexchange.ca.