Admission requirements

College eligibility

The minimum admission requirement for postsecondary programs is one of the following:

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with the majority (eight of 14) of your senior level (Grade 11 or higher) credits at the college preparation, university/college preparation or university preparation level
Equivalent secondary school diploma from another province or territory in Canada (Please note: A recognized equivalent to an OSSD may be accepted if you meet the levels, subjects and overall averages required for admission to the college. Generally the requirement is successful completion of a Grade 12 diploma except in Quebec where the equivalent is Secondary V) or
Equivalent secondary school diploma from outside of Canada. Applicants who have been educated outside of Canada must have their documents evaluated by a credential assessment service (CAS) and submit proof of educational qualifications in order to determine if their level of achievement is equivalent to an OSSD.

Please note: only original or certified copies of academic records will be accepted. In addition, documents not written in English must be submitted with a certified, true translation. Evaluations could take several weeks to complete so please allow enough time for your results to be forwarded to your college choices in order to meet the admission deadlines.

Mature student status (MSS)

If you are age 19 or older as of the first day of classes and do not possess an OSSD or equivalent, you may be considered for admission to the college as a mature student. You will be required to complete the prerequisite subject credit(s) and submit your successful grades for use in the admissions selection process for all program admissions.

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Meeting the minimum admissions requirement does not guarantee entrance to a program.

Program eligibility

Some programs require you to meet additional admission criteria including, but not limited to, specific academic prerequisites; essays, tests or questionnaires; the submission of a portfolio; and the inclusion of an entry immunization form. Admission eligibility requirements for each program may vary and are listed in

detail in the program section of this calendar.

It is your responsibility to complete these requirements as part of the admission process. Detailed instructions and deadlines will be provided when you apply.

Please note: You are responsible for knowing the requirements for entering a particular profession (e.g. physical attributes/qualifications, being addiction free,

having a clear criminal reference check, etc.).

Equivalent admissions requirements other provinces and territories

Applicants whose secondary school studies have been completed outside Ontario must submit evidence of equivalent standing. Recognized equivalents to an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) may be accepted if the applicant meets the requirements for admission to the college levels, subjects and overall averages required. Generally the requirement is successful completion of a Grade 12 diploma, except for Quebec where the equivalent is Secondary V.

Equivalent admissions requirements outside of Canada

If you already have a Credential Assessment Report issued by World Education Services (WES) or International Credential Assessment Service (ICAS), contact the agency to see if the report can be forwarded to OCAS (Ontario Colleges Application Service). They will distribute the results to all the Colleges you have applied to.

You will be required to submit either a post graduate comprehensive – course by course report from ICAS or a comprehensive report from WES. This assessment must be received at ontariocolleges.ca on or before February 1st to be considered for the oversubscribed programs. In some cases the assessment could take as long as 5 weeks. We suggest that you submit both your Secondary (High School) documents report and Post Secondary (College/University) documents; this will assist Durham College in assessing your marks for entry.

To obtain a Credential Assessment Report visit either ICAS (1.800.321.6021) or WES (1.866.343.0070) for information about obtaining a report and having it transmitted to Colleges. Additional information is also available at ontariocolleges.ca.