Additional Basic Qualification (ABQ) Courses
The purpose of Additional Basic Qualification (ABQ) courses is to expand your knowledge of program development, delivery, and assessment in a specific division. ABQ courses allow you to advance your teaching skills by adding knowledge of another division or subject to your teaching qualifications. ABQ courses provide certified teachers with qualifications in the following divisions: Primary, Junior, Intermediate, Senior.
Note: All of our AQ, ABQ, and HSQ courses are certified by the Ontario College of Teachers and are approved as a Micro-credential by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) of Ontario and are OSAP-MC eligible at Lakehead University.
Primary Curriculum and Instruction
Junior Curriculum & Instruction
Intermediate Curriculum and Instruction - English
Intermediate Curriculum and Instruction - Geography
Intermediate Curriculum and Instruction - Health and Physical Education
Intermediate Curriculum and Instruction - History
Intermediate Curriculum and Instruction - Family Studies
Intermediate Curriculum and Instruction - Mathematics
Senior Curriculum and Instruction - English
Senior Curriculum and Instruction - Geography
Senior Curriculum and Instruction - Health and Physical Education
Senior Curriculum and Instruction - History
Senior Curriculum and Instruction - Social Sciences - General
Senior Curriculum and Instruction - Family Studies
This offering is approved as a Micro-credential by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) of Ontario and is OSAP-MC eligible at Lakehead University.
To learn more about the provincial program and how to apply for OSAP for Micro-credentials, please visit Ontario.ca Micro-credentials from Ontario’s postsecondary schools.
To learn more about OSAP for Micro-credentials, please visit Lakehead Student Central.
Lakehead University’s Calendar outlines the general admission requirements for all Lakehead University courses, programs, and workshops. These prerequisites include the following:
- A general Certificate of Qualification and registration in good standing with the Ontario College of Teachers; and
- A recognized postsecondary degree or equivalent
In addition to Lakehead University’s general admission requirements, all prospective ABQ learners must meet the following requirements:
Intermediate ABQ Courses
- Two (2) full university credits* or equivalent in the teachable subject
Senior ABQ Courses (initial certification)
- Five (5) full university credits* or equivalent in the teachable subject
Senior ABQ Courses (second or subsequent teachable subjects)
- Three (3) full university credits* or equivalent in the teachable subject
Note: The pass mark for all ABQ courses is 70%.
The measurement unit for a course that indicates its relative weight within a program. Normally, credits are assigned as a half credit (0.5) or full credit (1.0) and appear on the academic record. Usually, a half credit lasts one term (e.g. Fall or Winter), and consists of 36 hours of instructional time; while a full credit generally spans two terms (e.g. Fall and Winter) and consists of 72 hours of instructional time. Two half credit (0.5) courses are equivalent to one full credit (1.0), also known as one full course equivalent.
Note: If you have completed a course that may satisfy your teaching subject requirement but it is not listed below, please submit a course syllabus for review.
Teaching Subject: English
Teaching Subject Requirements: English courses (e.g. composition, rhetoric, literary studies, etc.). For a more comprehensive list of suitable English courses, refer to Courses in our Academic Calendar and select English (ENGL) Courses.
Teaching Subject: Family Studies
Teaching Subject Requirements: Courses from at least two of the following subject areas: Interdisciplinary Studies, Psychology, Sociology, or Women’s Studies. For a comprehensive list of suitable Family Studies courses, refer to Courses in our Academic Calendar and select one of the subject areas listed above.
Teaching Subject: Geography
Teaching Subject Requirements: Geography courses. For a comprehensive list of suitable Geography courses, refer to Courses in our Academic Calendar and select Geography (GEOG) Courses.
Teaching Subject: Health & Physical Education
Teaching Subject Requirements: Courses from the following subject areas: Kinesiology, Physical Education, or Human Kinetics. Activity courses (e.g. basketball, hockey, etc.) do not count. Only one full-year course, or the equivalent, in Anatomy and/or Physiology will count toward the Health & Physical Education teaching subject. For a comprehensive list of suitable Kinesiology courses, refer to Courses in our Academic Calendar and select Kinesiology (KINE) Courses.
Teaching Subject: History
Teaching Subject Requirements: History courses. For a comprehensive list of suitable History courses, refer to Courses in our Academic Calendar and select History (HIST) Courses.
Teaching Subject: Social Sciences - General
Teaching Subject Requirements: Courses from at least two of the following subject areas: Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, or Women's Studies. For a comprehensive list of suitable Family Studies courses, refer to Courses in our Academic Calendar and select one of the subject areas listed above.
We deliver our AQ, ABQ, and HSQ courses in ways that best suit your needs. We offer courses using the following delivery methods:
Online Delivery
- Online delivery allows you to complete your course using D2L/Brightspace to ensure that you can access information easily, communicate effectively, and complete your learning goals. Online courses are primarily asynchronous. Some courses have optional synchronous components to supplement asynchronous learning. For PQP and SOQP, those synchronous components are strongly encouraged, or in some cases required.
Blended Delivery
- Our Blended Delivery option lets you experience the best aspects of both face-to-face and online learning; this option combines short, face-to-face sessions with elements of our flexible online delivery.
Lakehead University awards a full credit equivalent (1.0 FCE) in Education for any completed AQ, ABQ, or HSQ course.
All of our AQ, ABQ, and HSQ courses are fully transferable; jurisdictions outside of Ontario award credit for any additional qualification courses that you complete at Lakehead University. Note: All of our AQ, ABQ, and HSQ courses are certified by the Ontario College of Teachers.
Expected Workload per Course
As stated in Ontario Regulation 176/10, all of our AQ, ABQ, and HSQ courses require a minimum of 125 hours of work of which 100 hours is contact time and 25 hours is documented hours of related study.
The following table provides a guideline for determining a course’s workload based on academic term:
Fall
Total Number of Weeks: 11
Suggested hours of work (per week): 11.5
Winter
Total Number of Weeks: 11
Suggested hours of work (per week): 11.5
Spring
Total Number of Weeks: 7
Suggested hours of work (per week): 18
Summer
Total Number of Weeks: 6
Suggested hours of work (per week): 21
Course Load per Term
Learners may take up to two (2) FCEs in the Fall/Winter and two (2) FCE in each of the Spring and Summer terms.
If you wish to register for more courses, you must complete a Request for Overload form and submit it the Department of Professional Development in Education.
For all AQ, ABQ, and HSQ courses, official transcripts are required and must be forwarded directly from the issuing university. As the applicant, you must ensure that all necessary documentation reaches Lakehead University before the course's application deadline.
Many of our AQ, ABQ, and HSQ courses require you to buy and use a textbook. You can order textbooks and materials directly from Lakehead University's Alumni Bookstore.
Online courses are delivered online. Information about accessing your course(s) will be distributed through your Lakehead University e-mail account. Please test your browser and view our online learning environment using the following link:
Once you complete an AQ, ABQ, or HSQ course, the Department of Professional Development in Education recommends you to the Ontario College of Teachers. If you meet all of the necessary requirements, the Ontario College of Teachers will add your additional qualifications to your Certificate of Qualification
Note: It is your responsibility to understand Ontario Regulation 176/10 and any other Ontario College of Teacher requirements.
To withdraw from an AQ, ABQ, or HSQ course, you must complete a Change in Registration form and then submit it to the Department of Professional Development in Education.
For more information about withdrawing from an AQ, ABQ, or HSQ course, such as a term's specific dates, please see our University Calendar:
Receiving a Refund
To receive a refund for your AQ, ABQ, or HSQ course, you must withdraw from the course before a specific date. For information about each term's refund schedule, please see the Refund Policy & Schedule section of Lakehead University's Fees page, select the appropriate term's schedule, and scroll to the section (Additional Qualifications Courses). You can also view our departmental page on withdrawals and refunds.
If you are a new Bachelor of Education graduate and you wish to take an additional qualification course, you must first pay your Ontario College of Teachers membership dues and be a member in good standing. If you have met all the requirements to graduate from Lakehead University's Bachelor of Education program, and have paid your OCT membership and obtained your OCT number, but have not yet graduated, you may be eligible to register for a Spring AQ course. Please contact us to discuss (aq@lakeheadu.ca).
All learners at Lakehead University are subject to the Student Code of Conduct. Disciplinary action may be taken against the violators of academic dishonesty as per the Regulations related to Academic Dishonesty in the Lakehead University Calendar. In addition, as members of the teaching profession, learners taking courses leading to recommendations to the Ontario College of Teachers for additional qualifications are expected to demonstrate professional behaviour reflective of the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession and the Ethical Standards of Practice in the Teaching Profession.
Contact Lakehead University's Department of Professional Development in Education
For further information or questions on programs and/or courses by the Professional Development in Education department, please use the form below.