Does University of Alberta accept Chemistry HL?

What to watch for:

• Engineering students — read this carefully. The Faculty of Engineering recommends declining all transfer credit for first-year courses. This is not a generic suggestion — the page explains that if you accept transfer credit and have a Light Load Adjustment, it will lower your ranking for entry into second-year engineering programs. You would then need to fill your schedule with second-year courses to maintain a full course load, which the Faculty does not recommend because students need the best GPA possible for discipline selection. Additionally, transfer credit for qualifying-year courses does not reduce the minimum load requirement of 37.0 units — meaning you still carry a full course load even if you accept the credit. The Faculty also notes that IB courses do not cover the same applications as the first-year engineering courses, and that students will end up missing a large amount of relevant information. Chemistry and Math are the only IB subjects where Engineering grants the actual course credit (CHEM 103, not just a complementary studies elective) — but the ranking and content-gap risks still apply.
• CHEM 101 is only the first half of intro chemistry. CHEM 102 (Introductory University Chemistry II) is the second half, and IB does not grant credit for it. CHEM 102 requires CHEM 101 or 103 as a prerequisite. So you still need to take the second course at UAlberta.
• Prerequisite chains downstream. CHEM 261 (Organic Chemistry I) requires CHEM 101 or 103 — your transfer credit satisfies this. But many upper-year Chemistry courses require both CHEM 101/103 and CHEM 102/105. For example, CHEM 211 (Quantitative Analytical Chemistry) requires CHEM 102. Plan to complete CHEM 102 (or CHEM 105 for Engineering) early to keep your full prerequisite chain open.
• Do not retake a course you have transfer credit for. UAlberta explicitly warns: if you wish to retake a course, you must first decline your transfer credit. If you sit in CHEM 101 without declining, you risk complications with your academic record (see UAlberta IB Transfer Credit).
• Professional program pathways: UAlberta notes that you may meet professional program prerequisites with your IB coursework, including Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Science, and Radiation Therapy. It is recommended to check directly with the professional program to understand how transfer credit is treated in their specific admissions process.