Academic Upgrading Grades 7 to 12

Program Overview

NorQuest College operates as an accredited high school and offers courses that follow the Alberta Education curriculum. As a post-secondary institution, we also offer high school equivalency courses that are accepted by Alberta universities and colleges under the Alberta Council for Admissions and Transfer agreement and by Canadian post-secondary institutions.

The Academic Upgrading Grades 7 to 12 program is offered in a friendly, mature, and student-oriented environment. We will help to make your college experience pleasant and successful.

We will assess your skills and your prior learning by reviewing your transcripts and/or having you write a placement assessment so that you begin at the level that is right for you. Our qualified staff will help you design an individual learning plan to meet your specific needs and to ensure that you understand your educational path. If you experience learning difficulties or are physically challenged, we will work with you to accommodate your needs.

Career Potential

Academic upgrading increases your job opportunities and enables you to meet the specific academic course requirements for certificate, diploma, or degree programs at post-secondary institutions such as NorQuest, NAIT, Grant MacEwan University, or the University of Alberta.

eCampusAlberta

NorQuest College is proud to be part of this exciting online learning initiative that gives students access to a wide range of courses and programs from 15 colleges and technical institutes throughout the province. When you register with NorQuest for an eCampusAlberta upgrading course, you will have access to the College's excellent student support services, including online tutoring, the Learner Centre, and the library.

Visit the eCampusAlberta website at www.ecampusalberta.ca for more information.

Please click here for information on NorQuest's eCampusAlberta upgrading courses.

Support Services

To assist you with your academic studies and personal needs, we provide the following support services:

• Career and personal counselling
• Admissions services
• Supports for students with disabilities
• Library services including Internet access and career information
• Drop-in computer labs, including computer-assisted instruction
• An excellent and supportive teaching staff
• Drop-in study rooms with tutoring available
• Free drop-in tutoring available
• Online tutoring by appointment

Tutorial Services

5th Floor, Learner Centre
For information: 780.644.5864

Get extra help with class material, writing assignments, or homework in the Tutorial Centre. You can receive assistance with your courses Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM. Your instructor can refer you, or you can drop in when you need help. Tutorial support is available free of charge to NorQuest students.

Services include:

• One-on-one tutoring in all math, science, English, social studies, financial management, and computer classes
• Online tutoring by appointment for online classes
• Workshops in response to student needs such as pronunciation/conversation, diploma exam preparation, and the development of skills identified in the Canadian Language Benchmarks

Transferability

At NorQuest, students may take either Alberta Education credit courses or NorQuest high school equivalency courses. Alberta Education credit courses appear on both the Alberta Education transcript and the NorQuest College transcript. High school equivalency courses appear only on the NorQuest College transcript.

Alberta Education or NorQuest Equivalency Courses

NorQuest College offers Alberta Education credit courses that can be used to attain your high school diploma. Students taking Alberta Education courses at the 30 level must write the Alberta Education diploma exam in order to receive a final grade in the course. The final grade is calculated by blending the class mark and the diploma exam mark and is recorded on a student's Alberta Education transcript. The NorQuest transcript will state only the final class grade.

NorQuest equivalency courses follow the same curriculum as the Alberta Education courses, but students do not have to write the Alberta Education final exam. High school equivalency courses are accepted in lieu of Alberta Education courses for admission purposes by most post-secondary institutions in Alberta and Canada. To ensure this acceptance, all courses are reviewed and approved by the Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer (ACAT). A listing of all acceptable equivalency courses is published annually. Visit the TransferAlberta website located at www.transferalberta.ca to view the current list. This guide is used by both Alberta and Canadian post-secondary institutions to evaluate equivalency courses for admission to their post-secondary programs.

Credential

Students who successfully meet the appropriate course requirements will be awarded a NorQuest High Grade 12 Equivalency Diploma.

Achieving a High School Diploma

Students at NorQuest have several options to achieve a high school diploma credential. An academic advisor can assist in determining the right diploma route for you.

The following routes to a high school diploma are available:

• NorQuest College Grade 12 Equivalency diploma
• Alberta High School diploma (granted by Alberta Education)
• Alberta High School Equivalency diploma (granted by Alberta Education)
• GED (General Educational Development) (granted by Alberta Education)

NorQuest High School Equivalency Diploma

NorQuest offers a high school equivalency diploma that is accepted by post-secondary institutions, trade schools, and employers. Students may take either Alberta Education credit courses or NorQuest high school equivalency courses to qualify for the diploma.

Possession of a high school equivalency diploma does not guarantee admission to a post-secondary institution. Students who intend to enter a post-secondary institution must check the calendars of these institutions for the applicable admission requirements and plan their senior high school courses accordingly. Few programs require mature students to possess a complete high school diploma.

Students must successfully complete the following requirements with a grade of 50% or greater in each course. A minimum of three courses must be completed with NorQuest College.

1. One of English 30-1, 30-2, 030-1, or 030-2
2. One additional 30-level course from Group A
3. Three additional high school courses from Group B (or equivalent)

Group A:

• Pure Mathematics 30 (030)
• Applied Mathematics 30 (030)
• Mathematics 31 (031)
• Social Studies 30-1 (030-1)
• Social Studies 30-2 (030-2)
• Biology 30 (030)
• Chemistry 30 (030)
• Physics 30 (030)
• Aboriginal Studies 30 (030)

Group B:

• Social Studies 20-1 (020-1), 20-2 (020-2), 30-1(030-1), or 30-2 (030-2)
• Aboriginal Studies 20 (020) or 30 (030)
• Biology 20, Biology 30 Prep, or Biology 30 (030)
• Chemistry 20, Chemistry 30 Prep, or Chemistry 30 (030)
• Physics 20, Physics 30 Prep, or Physics 30 (030)
• Applied Mathematics 20 (020) or 30 (030)
• Pure Mathematics 20 (020) or 30 (030)
• Cree Language and Culture 20-3Y (020) or 30-3Y (030)
• Math for Business (5 credits)
• Business Essentials (5 credits)
• Financial Management (5 credits)
• Information Processing (5 credits)
• Legal Studies (5 credits)
• Health Essentials (5 credits)
• Anatomy and Physiology (6 credits)

Alberta High School Diploma

A "regular" Alberta High School diploma (issued by Alberta Education) requires a minimum of 100 credits, including the following:

• Grade 10, 11, and 12 English Language Arts (either -1 or -2)
• Grade 10, 11, and 12 Social Studies (either -1 or -2)
• Mathematics (10 credits)
• Science (10 credits)
• Physical Education (3 credits)
• Career and Life Management 20 (3 credits )
• 10 additional credits in any of the following: CTS, fine arts, second languages, Physical Education 20 and/or 30, RAP courses, or IOP credit
• 10 additional credits in any 30-level courses (in addition to English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Alberta High School Equivalency Diploma

An Alberta High School Equivalency diploma (issued by Alberta Education) may be obtained two ways:

1. Transcript Evaluation

Students must accumulate 100 Alberta Education credits to qualify for an Alberta High School Equivalency diploma.

A minimum of 60 credits must be gained through classroom instruction in a school or other institution accredited by or acceptable to Alberta Education (for out-of-province students), offering approved senior high school courses, as follows:

• One high school course in mathematics (5 credits)
• One high school course in science (3 credits)
• English Language Arts 30-1 or English Language Arts 30-2 (5 credits)
• One other 30-level course, other than English Language Arts (5 credits)
• Additional high school courses (42 credits)

Students must accumulate a minimum of 40 additional credits, which must be earned as follows:

• Additional high school courses
• Additional approved adult education courses under recognized agencies such as public colleges, institutes of technology, extension divisions of universities, adult evening classes, and/or
• A maximum of 15 credits for maturity, according to the following scale:
• Age 21-24 inclusive (5 credits)
• Age 25-29 inclusive (10 credits)
• Age 30 and over (15 credits)
• A maximum of 5 credits for extensive travel
• A maximum of 5 credits for extensive reading

If you are 18 years or older as of September 1 of the current school year, out of school for 10 consecutive months or more, have taken Alberta Education courses through a high school and/or NorQuest College, but lack the necessary 100 credits for an Alberta High School diploma, this option may be possible for you.

Please contact NorQuest Assessment Services at 780.644.6095 for more information. There is a $50 fee for this service. Out-of-province transcript evaluation, a necessary step in this process for anyone applying non-Alberta credits toward their diploma, is an additional $25.

2. GED (Tests of General Educational Development)

The second method of obtaining a high school equivalency diploma requires that you complete and pass five subject tests. The five General Educational Development (GED) tests are:

• Language Arts - Writing Test (Part I and Part II)
• Social Studies
• Science
• Language Arts - Reading Test
• Mathematics (Part I and Part II)

Although GED is an alternative method of obtaining a high school equivalency diploma that is acceptable to many employers, it is not normally accepted in lieu of Alberta Education or NorQuest equivalency academic upgrading credit courses for admission to higher education at post-secondary institutions. This includes most certificate and diploma programs offered at NorQuest College. If you intend to apply to a post-secondary program, check to see whether GED is an acceptable admission requirement.

To be eligible to write the GED, you must be 18 years or older and out of school for at least 10 consecutive months. You must pass all five tests with a minimum standard score of 450 or better in each test.

Please see the following link for more information: http://education.alberta.ca/students/grad/hsed/alternative1.aspx

NorQuest College is an accredited GED testing centre; click here for GED writing dates. Please note that students must register to write the GED exams and pay appropriate GED testing fees.

NorQuest also provides GED preparation classes, both during the day and in the evening. A GED Prep course is also available as a continuing education course in the evening. GED exam fees are not included with either of these options.

Tuition and Fees

Please refer to our Tuition and Fees page for the 2011/12 tuition and fees schedule.

Course Listing (2011/12)

• Not all courses are offered each academic year.

Grades 7 to 9

Grades 10 to 12

Last updated: October 10, 2011