Equivalencies for academic admission

We use our admissions test to check if your current knowledge matches what we need from the high school courses listed for academic admission. If you have not successfully qualified for admission to your chosen program, our Admissions or Student Recruitment office will get in touch and allow you to put your application fee and test results toward our Academic Upgrading program.

Look at the admission requirements on each program page to see if it accepts the admissions test and what high school courses it will be testing for. To qualify, you need test results which match the high school courses listed for the program. Learn more on the Admissions and Placement Testing webpage.

We do not accept other college or university’s admissions tests.

Courses you take at Bow Valley College or another post-secondary institution may count in place of the high school courses you need for admission. This includes dual-credit programs like International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement. You can see the accepted courses on our website or Transfer Alberta. New equivalencies will be reviewed by the program chair, dean’s office, or admissions manager.

You need a grade of “D” or better in these courses¹. We use Bow Valley College’s grading and credit scales to check equivalence. These courses might give you credit in the program, and we will contact you to apply for transfer credit after you are admitted.

You can take many courses at Bow Valley College in Open Studies.

The list of accepted courses can change. The latest chart on our website will be official.

¹School of Health & Wellness programs require a higher grade.

Bow Valley College Academic English 2 (ELLA0122) is accepted in place of English 30 for most programs:

• A minimum grade of "B" is required for Interdisciplinary Therapy Assistant Diploma, Practical Nurse Diploma, and Pharmacy Technician Diploma;
• A minimum grade of "B-" is required for all other programs that require English 30.

Bow Valley College welcomes home-based learners – those who finished high school at home in Canada or the U.S. If you’re a home-based learner, you can meet the “academic” requirement for admission in a few ways:

• Finish the needed high school course(s) and show the grades on an official provincial/territorial transcript. This includes courses done through Bow Valley College academic upgrading.
• Satisfactory scores on the Bow Valley College admissions test for the program of interest.
• Complete the college-level courses that match the high school courses required for the program. This includes courses from Bow Valley College's Open Studies.
• After applying for admission, submit your home-based education portfolio/transcript and a letter of intent through our home-based learner pathway:
  
  • Finish the high school course(s) you need for admission and present them on a home-based education portfolio/transcript.
  • You can find instructions for the Letter of Intent at the Letter of Intent Guidelines. The Letter of Intent needs approval from the manager of admissions. They will look at how well it demonstrates your academic, personal, and career readiness for the program you're interested in.
  • If you are admitted in this way, you will be limited to nine (9) credits in your first term. You are encouraged to talk to Academic Advising before signing up for classes. Some programs might require you to take specific courses or to meet the program chair before you start.

If you're thinking of transferring to another college or university after your Bow Valley College program, it's important to check their admission requirements. They might be different from what we have here.

Bow Valley College believes in including all adult students. A "mature student" is someone who is 20 years or older at the time of admission and a Canadian resident. They may not have completed the high school courses needed for admission.

A mature student can meet the "academic" requirement for admission in a few ways:

• Finish the needed high school course(s) and show the grades on an official provincial/territorial transcript. This includes courses taken through Bow Valley College academic upgrading.
• Satisfactory scores on the Bow Valley College admissions test for the program of interest.
• After applying for admission, send us your résumé and a letter of intent through our mature student pathway:
  • Your résumé should show your work, volunteering, community service, and education history over two or more years.
  • You can find instructions for the Letter of Intent at the Letter of Intent Guidelines.
  • The Letter of Intent and your résumé need approval from the manager of admissions. They will look at how well it demonstrates your academic, personal, and career readiness for the program you're interested in.
  • If you are admitted in this way, you will be limited to nine (9) credits in your first term. You are encouraged to talk to Academic Advising before signing up for classes. Some programs might require you to take specific courses or to meet the program chair before you start.

Many applicants over 20 might call themselves "mature students," but they in fact finished high school. They should apply normally using their high school transcripts for faster processing and to avoid restrictions on classes.

Anyone who previously went to college or university must tell us on their application and send us their official transcripts.

If you're thinking of transferring to another college or university after your Bow Valley College program, it's important to check their admission requirements. They might be different from what we have here.