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Dual Credit Policy

HCOS students are permitted to take dual credit courses from approved post-secondary institutions

Policy Statement

Students may earn credits toward graduation in a variety of ways. In addition to earning credits by successfully completing courses delivered by a B.C. public or independent school, students will be awarded credits through this policy for dual credit courses. 

Rationale

Learning is a life-long activity. Students learn in a variety of ways, some of which take place outside of British Columbia or outside of the regular secondary school program. Schools will grant credit towards graduation for learning that has been assessed and matches or exceeds provincial, national or international standards.

Policy in full

This policy describes how HCOS awards credit to students who have successfully completed an equivalent Grade 10, 11 or 12 course from an educational jurisdiction or institution outside the B.C. school system.

HCOS will award credit based on equivalency for Grades 10, 11 and 12 Ministry-developed courses (including courses with a Graduation Program Exam) and Board Authorized courses. There is no limit to the number of credits students may be awarded through equivalency.

Credit from Post-Secondary Courses Policy

This policy describes how students earn credit towards graduation by earning credit for courses at specific Post Secondary Institutions. Equivalency credit will be awarded based on HCOS Course Challenge and Equivalency Policy.

Students are entitled to earn "dual credit" if they earn credit that leads to a post-secondary credential from a post-secondary institution which is a member of the British Columbia Transfer System or offered in French through Educacentre.

Post-secondary courses for which credit may be earned must be documented as follows:

Applicable post-secondary level courses count towards the required number of Grade 12 level credits needed to satisfy graduation requirements.

Procedures for Earning Dual Credit

All post-secondary level courses will be reported using course codes listed in the online Course Registry.

For reporting and transcript purposes, HCOS will assign all credits earned at a post-secondary institution a letter grade and percentage. Provided a course consists of the standard number of hours for most courses offered at that post-secondary institution, such courses will be awarded four credits, regardless of the number of credits indicated on the post-secondary institution's transcript. However, if the course at the post-secondary institution is offered in modules, credits awarded should be proportionate to 4 credits for the whole course.

Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses do not count for dual credit. For information on how to report these for credit toward graduation, see the online Course Registry.