Education Advising

If you are in a program where registrations are completed for you, you should take the prescribed number of classes.

If you are in an Arts, Science, Business diploma or degree program, five courses (15 credits) per semester is the traditional course load for university students. If you are an upgrading student, it is a good idea to consider your work and family responsibilities. Take the amount of courses that would enable you to succeed in your classes. You are the one who knows what the right decision is for you!

If you receive funding from student loans, a sponsor, scholarship or bursary, consult with Financial Aid and Awards (or your sponsor) to find out how many courses they require you to take.

Two courses (6 credits) is usually considered part-time study, three courses (9 credits) or more is full-time study. In addition to your funding requirements, consider your work and family responsibilities and take the amount of courses that would enable you to succeed in your classes.

All university transfer courses are 3 credits each, 3 hours of lecture time (more in-class time for courses with labs and/or seminars). You should plan for 6-9 hours of homework each week for every class. Six courses are the maximum you can take without written approval from the appropriate dean or designate; this would not be recommended in your first year of study.

Prerequisites are courses that must be taken BEFORE another course is take, so it is extremely important that you check for prerequisites in a course description. Success in the course could be jeopardized if you do not possess the prerequisite and you will also risk being dropped from the course just before it starts. It is also important to look ahead to courses you wish to take in future terms and ensure you take the required prerequisite courses beforehand.

Corequisites are courses that need to be taken together.

Always read the course description for a class. They can be found in ClassFinder or in the calendar under course descriptions. See the "Course Layout and Definitions" tab for a full breakdown of course description terms.

The answer is entirely at the professor's discretion and will be based on their faculty's practices and policies. You can approach the professor with a Request to Waive Pre or Corequisites form and ask for their permission. Be prepared to give academic reasons why you feel you will be successful in the course without the pre- or corequisite. Permission is not always granted, but if they say yes, take the completed form to the Registrar's Office or Administration Office.

If you want to complete the Adult Dogwood, begin with English and Math courses and contact an Education Advisor to plan your remaining courses. Find out about upgrading admissions here. There are many ways to complete the Adult Graduation Diploma, some of which may allow you to take academic or vocational programs at the college. 

Do you know the admissions requirements for upgrading? Once that's all set, check the registration dates for Upgrading (also known as AACP or ABE) on your campus.

• Kelowna: For upgrading courses that are at the grade 11 and 12 level, you can register online (you must have the pre-requisites courses/Skills Assessment at the required grade level). All other upgrading courses must be registered by bringing a completed “Registration and Withdrawal” form to the Registrar’s Office. Check the course in ClassFinder to see if you need the instructor’s approval on your Registration and Withdrawal form.
• All other campuses: contact the AACP co-ordinator at your home campus (Penticton, Vernon or Salmon Arm-Revelstoke), especially if you are a new student.

In order to take a course at Okanagan College, you need to apply and be accepted to a program. Once you are admitted to a program you can then register for courses within your area for which you have the course prerequisites. The first step is to decide which program(s) you wish to apply to.

Here is some information to get you started:

• All programs require that you have graduated from high school, OR are at least 19 years of age and have not attended a traditional high school for at least 12 months
• Most programs will require an English language admission requirement and may require that you complete other academic courses
• Some programs will require you to have completed non-academic requirements
• OC offers admission to students on a “first-applied, first-offered” basis for all programs with the exception of our nursing programs. Apply if you already meet the academic admission requirements for your program OR if you will meet those requirements by the end of the June preceding your fall admission date
• You will need to send an official copy of your high school transcript and post-secondary transcripts to Okanagan College
• If you have courses from other colleges and universities that are not over 10 years old, you can request transfer credit

Meet with an advisor, review admission information and program description for your prospective program and apply for admission to your new program.

Use the B.C. Transfer Guide to see how your Okanagan College transfer in or out to other colleges and universities in British Columbia. It is your responsibility to contact a program advisor at your intended school early in your studies at OC. There may be other courses they would wish you to take for your particular program.

They are welcome to come with you to an advising appointment. However, without you being present, they cannot get advice for you unless you give Okanagan College permission to release your information to them. This is true for parents, spouses or sponsors; no information can be shared without your prior consent.

Do you consent to the release of your information? 

Log into myOkanagan and fill out the "Consent to Release Information" online form. 

If you have been out of high school for three years or more, or you do not have the pre-requisite course, we recommended that you complete the Skills Assessment to determine which Okanagan College class is the best fit for you. Contact an Education Advisor for assistance.