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Attention: Academic Upgrading Students and Applicants
Students will be expected to attend campus for a portion of the delivery of their course(s). Students are required to have access to a computer or laptop with a webcam and reliable internet access in order to enroll and meet the program requirements.
Program Options:
Academic and Career Entrance (ACE) Program
This is a collection of individual courses for adults wishing to improve their skills in English communication, mathematics, computers, science and more. Courses are offered at the Woodroffe Campus and can be taken individually or students can work towards the ACE Certificate — a widely recognized grade 12 equivalency — by taking a specific grouping of courses. These courses are recognized by Ontario colleges for admissions purposes. Hundreds of former Academic Upgrading students start post secondary programs every year. See below for more information on these courses.
Preparation for Health Sciences (PHS)
This is a package of four specific Academic Upgrading courses for adults wishing to qualify for Algonquin health science programs. Preparation for Health Sciences is offered twice per year (fall and winter) and includes courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics and success strategies.
The next available PHS start date is in late August 2024. To gain admission, prospective students must consult with an Academic Access Advisor and (usually) complete the English Language Skills Assessment (ELSA). This is a grade 12 level English test and is not the same as the Academic Upgrading initial reading assessment. Note: testing is not done during Advising appointments – it takes place in the weeks following. For more information about PHS, click here.
This Employment Ontario program is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario through the Canada-Ontario Job Fund Agreement.
ACE Program – Day Courses
Communication, Mathematics, Computer Skills and Success Strategies
Attention: Students will be expected to attend campus for a portion of the delivery of their course(s). Students are required to have access to a computer or laptop with a webcam and reliable internet access in order to enroll and meet the program requirements. Please contact the Academic Access Centre at aac@algonquincollege.com with any questions that you have.
The first step to registering for daytime Academic Upgrading courses is to contact the Academic Access Centre at aac@algonquincollege.com to request an appointment for the initial English reading assessment. A minimum English reading level is required to start all courses (including math and other courses). The assessment is free, and is offered in person, on campus, by appointment only. Students that meet Academic Upgrading’s minimum English reading requirement can then register in the program.
View sample questions and practice tests
The daytime Academic Upgrading program starts with an orientation where new students are assessed further and then placed in specific communication and/or math courses. This ‘Goal Orientation’ session is up to two weeks long (depending on which courses a student chooses). Goal Orientation classes are scheduled 8am to 2pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and 8 to 11am on Fridays. Students are expected to attend all class hours.
Following Goal Orientation, students are placed into appropriate communication and/or math courses. Here is an overview of the various communication and math levels. Subject to availability, students can choose either a weekly morning (8am to 12pm) or afternoon (12-4pm) schedule. Daytime Academic Upgrading Students attend four days per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. There are no classes on Wednesdays.
Goal Orientation students will be expected to attend campus for a portion of the delivery of their course(s). Students are required to have access to a computer or laptop with a webcam and reliable internet access in order to enroll and meet the program requirements. You will be informed of the attendance requirements during the registration process.
ACE Program – Evening Courses
Mathematics
Prospective students wishing to start the evening Academic Upgrading math courses must complete the initial English reading assessment described above.
After meeting the program’s English communication requirement new students register to start math. Courses usually start once per month and students attend two nights per week on Mondays and Wednesdays OR Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9pm. The first week of class is an orientation session. Math assessments are done the second week of class. Students are placed in appropriate math levels based on this assessment.
Goal Orientation students are required to have access to a computer or laptop with a webcam and reliable internet access in order to enroll and meet the program requirements. You will be informed of the attendance requirements during the registration process.
ACE Program – Evening Courses
Students are required to have access to a computer or laptop with a webcam and reliable internet access in order to enroll and meet the program requirements. Students will be expected to attend campus for all Evening Science course(s).
Sciences
Thank you for your interest in the Academic Upgrading Evening Sciences (College Preparation Biology and Chemistry).
The 2024 January intake is closed. We invite interested candidates to apply for the Fall 2024 intake by visiting our website in April 2024.
Prospective science students must successfully complete an initial English reading assessment before registering, as a minimum reading level is required for all Academic Upgrading courses. To request an appointment for the assessment, please fill out the Evening Science Application form on the main web page in April 2024.
College Preparation Biology – SCI5952
Tuesdays and Thursdays 6-9pm
August 2024 Intake: August 27 to December 12, 2024
This course will be offered again in January 2025
Study the cell, genetics, nutrition and the following body systems: nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, urinary, lymphatic, reproductive and digestive. This course is accepted as the biology prerequisite in the college system, including the two year Ontario College Diploma in Practical Nursing. It is not accepted by the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
College Preparation Chemistry – SCI5953
Mondays and Wednesdays 6-9pm
August 2024 Intake: August 26 – December 11, 2024
This course will be offered again in January 2025
Study the atom, matter, the periodic table, chemical bonding, the mole, chemical reactions, gas laws and an introduction to organic chemistry. This course is accepted as the chemistry prerequisite for programs in the college system, including the two year Ontario College Diploma in Practical Nursing. It is not accepted by the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
Admission Requirements
You are eligible for Academic Upgrading if you are:
- 19 years of age or older (students under 19 years of age must meet with an Academic Access Advisor to determine eligibility)
- Meet minimum reading requirements
- Ready to set goals for your future
- Willing to work and show progress
- Prepared to attend regularly
- Able to work independently
ACE Program Registration
Students will be expected to attend campus for a portion of the delivery of their course(s). Students are required to have access to a computer or laptop with a webcam and reliable internet access in order to enroll and meet the program requirements. Please contact the Academic Access Centre at aac@algonquincollege.com with any questions that you have.
All prospective Academic Upgrading students must successfully complete an English reading assessment before they can register in any courses. Following successful completion of the assessment, registration will be completed online. Registration in a particular session is subject to availability at the time of registration.
Academic Upgrading is free for most Ontario residents. Financial assistance may also be available for travel and/or childcare costs. Books and supplies are loaned to students at no cost. Students apply for funding at the time of registration. The following is required when registering:
- Valid government-issued photo ID
- Proof of status in Canada (if born outside of Canada)