This thesis examines the historical evolution of the credit transfer policy and its implications on the roles and interplay between colleges and universities. This in-depth analysis of credit transfer evaluates the establishment of College of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs) in the 1960s, to present day initiatives in place to create a system wide credit transfer system between colleges and universities. The theoretical framework is comprised of two major components: firstly, through an examination of policy tools used over the years, this thesis provides a basis to understand measures that have been employed to address the issue of credit transfer. Secondly, through the organization adaptation approach and resource dependency theory, the credit transfer discussion contextualizes the overall impact on the relationship between colleges and universities. The findings conclude that although higher educational institutions are proactively responding to credit transfer demands, the hierarchical structure between universities and colleges is still prevalent.

This thesis examines the historical evolution of the credit transfer policy and its implications on the roles and interplay between colleges and universities. This in-depth analysis of credit transfer evaluates the establishment of College of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs) in the 1960s, to present day initiatives in place to create a system wide credit transfer system between colleges and universities. The theoretical framework is comprised of two major components: firstly, through an examination of policy tools used over the years, this thesis provides a basis to understand measures that have been employed to address the issue of credit transfer. Secondly, through the organization adaptation approach and resource dependency theory, the credit transfer discussion contextualizes the overall impact on the relationship between colleges and universities. The findings conclude that although higher educational institutions are proactively responding to credit transfer demands, the hierarchical structure between universities and colleges is still prevalent.