Learner Pathways System (LPS)
Access Learner Pathways tools for member institutions
Disclaimer
The personal information that you are being asked to provide is collected under the authority of section 8 of the Government Organization Act and is managed in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP). We do not sell, rent or share our mailing list. We do not link to other mailing list databases. More information can be found under our Privacy Policy. Alternatively, you can contact us directly at acat@gov.ab.ca.
ACAT member institutions use transfer agreements to create, record and maintain admission and transfer opportunities for students. If an institution develops courses or programs with a high potential for student mobility, they contact other members with similar offerings to see if an agreement can be reached. Every ACAT member is encouraged to identify a Contact Person to lead and manage this process.
ACAT works to ensure institutions developing and implementing student mobility agreements use consistent language, processes and tools - simplifying the process and making it easier to share information. As part of ACAT’s Learner Pathways Modernization Initiative (LPMI), online tools were developed to further streamline transfer agreement negotiations between member institutions, and make it easier for learners and academic advisors to access student mobility information. Contact Persons at member institutions use these tools to:
- Negotiate and finalize transfer agreements
- Upload and share information about program and course transfer opportunities and agreements
- Update reference data for their institution
- Access system-wide information
- Find ACAT member institution contact information
- Provide contact information for use by other institutions
Alberta’s transfer system is also continually evolving as student mobility opportunities expand throughout the province and nation. These resources are therefore regularly reviewed to ensure they reflect any resulting updates to processes, terms and standards for the system.
Contact Persons at ACAT member institutions update the LPS Catalog using three applications, which help manage different types of information. These applications require users to sign in with a MyAlberta Digital ID (MADI), requiring you to login through MADI. You will also need user confirmation codes, provided by the ACAT Secretariat, to access individual applications.
Download the the LPS System Overview guide for a printable version of the information provided below.
LPS Applications
LPS Catalog
The Catalog is the central repository for all articulation agreements, and program and course transfer opportunities between ACAT institutional members, including:
- Institutional agreements
- Post-secondary programs and courses
- Advanced Placement (AP) & International Baccalaureate (IB) classes
- Dual Credit
- Upgrading courses
The Catalog includes both:
- Reciprocal course agreements - between two member institutions that agree on the inter-transferability of a course
- Course decisions - where one institution has decided to grant transfer credit for another institution’s course
The Catalog is updated by ACAT member institutions to populate the Transfer Alberta search tool. An institution that is not an ACAT member, but offers a course that is transferable to one or more member institutions, will also have that information entered to the LPS Catalog.
LPS Catalog Administration
Manage institution information and reference data, ACAT transfer system reference data, high school course information and guide periods.
Login to the Catalog How-To Guide How-To Videos
Transfer Credit Evaluation System (TCES)
TCES is designed for individual course, program and agreement creation and management by the TO institution. You can also generate articulation proposals as the FROM institutions in this tool.
Login How-To-Guide How-To Videos
Data Collection and Reporting (DCaR)
DCaR is a mass upload tool for course, program and agreement creation and management by the TO institution.
Login How-To Guide How-To Videos
Dual Credit-related Opportunities (DCRO) (formerly High School Transitions (HS))
The Dual Credit-Related Opportunity (DCRO)Module contains information on dual credit and other high school transitions pathways, all of which allow high school students to earn credits towards their high school diploma while simultaneously earning credits towards a post-secondary credential. These credentials can include:
- certificates
- diplomas
- degrees
- first period apprenticeship
Some common high school pathways include specific Career and Technology Studies streams, and the Registered Apprenticeship Program.
The purpose of the DCRO module is to record details of dual credit and high school transitions pathways, so that potential partners can see what is being or will be offered.
Partners and Permission Levels
All data in the DCRO module will be entered by school authority-designated representatives. No one else will be granted this access, because all DCRO agreements include an Alberta school authority, as they relate to high school students. School authority representatives can view, edit, and create agreements.
Partners who can request read-only access are:
- Post-secondary institution representatives, who may be a different person than the regular Contact Person
- Firm representatives of industries and businesses who support such experiences for students
- Ministry representatives who are involved in awarding credentials (such as for Apprenticeship, Green Certificate)
Information in the DCRO Module
Both agreements and DCRO-related contact data are stored in this module.
Agreement data includes the partners involved. Each type of agreement will include a different combination of partners, such as the:
- School authority
- Post-secondary institution
- Firm
- Ministry
Agreements will also detail:
- Applicable courses
- Overall description
- Any contributions in kind
Financial data is collected, but is only viewable by the partners to the agreement – no-one else can see it.
While the data in this module drives the Transfer Alberta Search Tool, students and the public only see data relevant to their interests, such as the:
- high school courses involved
- post-secondary credits available
- partner institutions where the various opportunities are offered
Students can search by agreements relevant to their high school or their school authority (called a school district in the search tool). They will not have to know anything about the typology of agreements in order to search results, nor will they have to know which partners are involved.
A DCRO Module How-To Guide is available here.
For authorized access to or assistance with the DCRO module, please contact ae.lps@gov.ab.ca.
MADI LPS Access
MADI gives users access to several online applications using a single “User ID and Password” (not only for the LPS applications).
New LPS users or existing users requiring additional access for an LPS application(s) should complete the following steps to obtain confirmation codes:
Contact Persons
LPS member institution Contact Persons should email the ACAT Secretariat to request permission for confirmation codes for the Catalog, DCaR, and TCES, so that you can begin the enrolment process and gain access to the applications. Contact Persons manage their institution’s data in the LPS and will generally receive read/write permissions for the applications.
Academic Advisors/Institution Representatives
Academic advisors and other post-secondary institution users who wish to have access to view data in the Catalog and TCES to support your work with students should contact your institution’s Contact Person(s) in the articulation/transfer office of your institution to request permission for read only access. Should your request be granted/authenticated, your institution’s Contact Persons will then email approved institution users’ information to the ACAT Secretariat, so that confirmation codes can be issued to these authenticated read-only users for the Catalog and TCES.
Other Education Stakeholder Users
Other education stakeholder users who wish to have access to view data in the Catalog and TCES to support your work with students should contact the ACAT Secretariat to request confirmation codes for read-only permissions for the Catalog and TCES. Your identity and purpose for access will be authenticated by the Secretariat prior to potential confirmation codes being issued.
Other users, such as school authority representatives managing high school transitions or dual credit-related data or post-secondary institutions, firms, or ministries viewing this data, will require their school authority (such as their superintendent, associate superintendent, principal) or organization to contact the ACAT Secretariat to request permission for you to have confirmation codes for the Dual Credit-Related Opportunity (DCRO) module and LPS Catalog. Then, you can begin the enrolment process and gain access to the applications. These users will manage their dual credit partnerships’ data and/or PLAR data in the LPS and will generally receive read/write permissions for the applications.
The following user information should be included in your email in order to request confirmation codes for a user account:
- First and last name
- Institution/organization role
- Institution/organization name
- Institution/organization email address
- Institution/organization phone number
- Type of access requested based on your role (such as read/write or read only)
Once users are approved and authenticated, the ACAT Secretariat will email you a confirmation code for each LPS application you need access to. After receiving the confirmation code(s), you can activate your LPS application.
Forms
Contact persons at ACAT member institutions use these forms to negotiate and confirm transfer agreements with other institutions, and to upload data into LPS applications.
Course Offerings (CSV File)
Establishes formal agreements about course data standards.
Download Blank CSV File Format Guide
Program Offerings (CSV File)
Establishes formal agreements about program data standards.
Download Blank CSV File Format Guide
Agreements Between Institutions (CSV File)
Establishes formal student mobility agreements between institutions.
Data Dictionary
The Data Dictionary for Alberta’s transfer system is a guide to key terms and definitions used to support system standards, ensuring we use consistent language to describe processes, courses, programs and agreements.
In this section
Learn about getting admitted, transferring and support for planning your pathway through post-secondary.
LPS Dashboard
Select an application to log into and gain access.