Requirements

Admission requirements for each college program can be found under the program list or download the Programs Admission Chart.

Alberta Grade 12 Course Groups

Admission requirements for specific programs will often refer to Alberta Grade 12 course groups. These groups are:

Group A (Humanities)

  • English Language Arts (ELA) 30-1
  • Social Studies 30 (Etudes Social)
  • Language (other than English) at the 30 level
  • Additional language (other than English) at the 30 level
  • Francais 30 or FLA 30
  • Aboriginal Studies 30

Group B (Fine Arts)

  • Art 30
  • Art 31
  • Applied Graphic  Arts 35
  • Communication Technology Advanced Level, Career and Technology Studies (CTS) (5 credits)
  • Dance 35
  • Drama 30
  • Music 30 (Choral, Instrumental or General (5 credits)
  • Music 35
  • Musical Theatre 35
  • Performing Arts 35A, 35B, or 35C

Group C (Sciences)

  • Biology 30
  • Chemistry 30
  • Mathematics 30-1 or 30-2
  • Mathematics 31
  • Physics 30
  • Science 30
  • Computer Science (CSE) Advanced Level, Career and Technology Studies (CTS) (5 credits)

Group D (Optional Subjects)

  • 5 credits at the 30, 33 or 35 level (Grade 12)

Note: May also include two three-credit Alberta grade 12 subjects (Excluding Special Projects 30) or five credits in Advanced Series Career and Technology (CTS) courses.
Note: Math 30-2 and Social Studies 30-2 are considered Group D subjects, as long as a higher level in the same subject is not also used for admission. For example, if Math 30-1 is used to satisfy the Group C requirement Math 30-2 can’t be used to satisfy a Group D requirement.

Alberta Education Courses Used For Admission and Prerequisite

RDC Career and Academic Preparation CAP courses and upgrading courses from other colleges are equivalent to Alberta high school diploma courses for admission purposes.

Alberta Education Course Name RDC CAP Course Name
Accounting 10/20 Accounting 075
Biology 10/20 Biology 075
Biology 30 Biology 095
Chemistry 10/20 Chemistry 075
Chemistry 30 Chemistry 095
Computing 20 Computing 085
ELA 10-1/ELA 20-2 English 075
ELA 30-1   English 095
ELA 30-2 English 090
French 10/20 French 101
French 30 French 102
Math 10-C Math 075
Math 20-1/ 20-2 Math 085
Math 30-1 Math 096
Math 30-2 Math 092
Math 31 Math 097
Physics 10/20 Physics 075
Physics 30 Physics 095
Social Studies 13 No equivalent
Social Studies 23 No equivalent
Social Studies 30 Social Studies 095
Social Studies 33 Social Studies 090
Spanish 10/20 Spanish 101
Spanish 30 Spanish 102

CAP - Alberta Education Grade Comparison

Note: This grade comparison does not represent grade conversions made by RDC instructors when grades are assigned. It is a statement of competence equivalency between Career and Academic Preparation Program and Alberta Education courses and  is used for admission purposes only.

Alberta Education % CAP gpa CAP
100 - 90 4.00 A, A+
89 3.95  
88 3.90  
87 3.85  
86 3.80  
85 3.75  
84 3.70 A-
83 3.63  
82 3.56  
81 3.50  
80 3.43  
79 3.37  
78 3.30 B+
77 3.23  
76 3.15  
75 3.08  
74 3.00 B
73 2.93  
72 2.85  
71 2.78  
70 2.70 B-
69 2.60  
68 2.50  
67 2.40  
66 2.30 C+
65 2.23  
64 2.15  
63 2.08  
62 2.00 C
61 1.93  
60 1.85  
59 1.78  
58 1.70 C-
57 1.60  
56 1.50  
55 1.40  
54 1.30 D+
53 1.23  
52 1.15  
51 1.08  
50 1.00 D
0-49 0 F

Credentials from Other Provinces and Countries

If you are from another province or country, you must have courses comparable to those of Alberta applicants. Contact the Registrar's Office for information on specific requirements.

English Language Proficiency

Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate English Language Proficiency for admission to credit programs.

Enrolment Quotas and Limits

Many RDC programs and courses have limited enrollment, and fill quickly due to a high number of applications.

Home School Applicant

RDC recognizes that students learn and acquire knowledge in a variety of settings. Nonetheless, this learning needs to be measured. Applicants must meet competence equivalency for the prerequisite courses required for admission to the specific program.   
An applicant, who has completed a Home Education Program, may qualify for admission in two ways:

  1. Apply for Career and Academic Preparation and complete an assessment
  2. Successfully pass Alberta Education Diploma Exams or other provincial education equivalents.

Residency Requirement

In order to qualify for an RDC program credential, students must complete 25% of the credit requirements for the credential through enrollment in RDC courses. Please note that some RDC programs may have a different residency requirement.