Dual credit programs

Learn how eligible secondary students can take college or apprenticeship credit courses that count towards high school graduation.

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About dual credit programs

Dual credit programs allow eligible students in high school to take college or apprenticeship courses that count towards:

their Ontario Secondary School Diploma
a postsecondary certificate, diploma, degree or a Certificate of Apprenticeship

High school students taking dual credit courses benefit from the supervision and support of their college instructor and the dual credit teacher at their school. Students also have access to a variety of college supports and services.

Starting in the 2023-24 school year, Non-College Training Delivery Agents will also support the delivery of Dual Credit Level 1 Apprenticeship training programs. More information about this option will be available on this page in the coming weeks.

The Ministry of Education approves all dual credit programs.

Ontario high schools have a variety of job skills programs to help meet the needs, interests and strengths of all students, engaging them in learning and preparing them for graduation, life beyond high school and the jobs of the future.

Learn about other programs in schools that help students explore careers

Benefits of dual credit programs

Participating in dual credit programs helps students to:

complete their Ontario Secondary School Diploma
make a successful transition to college or an apprenticeship program
increase their awareness of the various college and apprenticeship pathways available to them
gain greater insight into education and career planning decisions.

Eligibility

The school board or the school principal or guidance department oversees which students can take a dual credit program, on a case-by-case basis.

Students may be eligible if they are:

at risk of not graduating from high school
enrolled in a Specialist High Skills Major
enrolled in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program
returning to high school to get their diploma
interested in exploring career pathways, including apprenticeships
looking for help with the transition to college or an apprenticeship program

Types of dual credits

There are two categories of dual credits:

college-delivered dual credit courses
team-taught dual credit courses

Students can take Level 1 apprenticeship courses (in-class, hands-on learning) from either of these categories to complete required in-class learning.

College-delivered dual credit courses

These dual credit courses are college or Level 1 apprenticeship courses that are delivered by participating publicly funded Ontario colleges.

For apprenticeship courses, students typically travel to the college for two or more days per week for a semester in order to complete their in-class Level 1 apprenticeship.

Students can earn up to four optional high school credits by completing college-delivered courses.

Team-taught dual credit courses

These courses are delivered jointly by college instructors and high school teachers. Students taking this type of dual credit course learn material from the secondary curriculum and college or apprenticeship curriculum. Paired high school and college courses must have significant content overlap.

Apprenticeship courses include the secondary school curriculum and the in-class Level 1 apprenticeship curriculum. Typically, these programs are delivered in a two-period block at the secondary school.

There is no limit on the number of compulsory or optional high school credits that students can earn through team-taught dual credit courses.

Find a dual credit program

Search for dual credit programs at your local publicly funded college and talk to the high school principal or guidance counsellor to see if they are offered at the school.

All publicly-funded school boards with secondary schools and all Ontario colleges of applied arts and technology are involved in providing high school students with opportunities to earn ministry-approved dual credits.

Assessment and recording

Dual credits are assessed and recorded depending on how they are delivered and whether the student is a registered apprentice.

College-delivered course content is assessed based on college requirements, while high school course content is assessed based on the Ontario curriculum according to ministry policy.

College-delivered courses

The college instructor is responsible for assessing and evaluating a student’s achievement. The college records the appropriate college credit value on the student’s college record.

The high school principal also records the credit value, as determined by the Ministry of Education, on the student’s Ontario Student Transcript.

Team-taught courses

College content is graded by the college instructor and the secondary school content is graded by the high school dual credit teacher.

When a student completes their course requirements:

college courses are recorded on their college record
successful learning from the Ontario curriculum is recorded on their Ontario Student Transcript
the high school records that the student has completed a team-taught college course in their Student Management System

Apprenticeship programs

All college curriculum content is assessed and evaluated by the college instructor or professor.

In the case of college-delivered apprenticeship programs, the high school principal adds the college’s mark on the student’s report card and Ontario Student Transcript.

For team-taught apprenticeship programs, the college instructor or professor grades the college curriculum content and the high school dual credit teacher grades the secondary school curriculum content.

The high school must record that the student has completed a team-taught apprenticeship program in their Student Management System, while the college documents the completion of the Level 1 in-class program.

If the student is a registered apprentice, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development also records the completion of Level 1 apprenticeship in-class training.

Additional Information

For more information about dual credit programs speak to your local high school principal or guidance department. You can also read the pathways to apprenticeship resource.

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