Ministry Policy Site

International Student Graduation Credit Policy

Issued May 2004, and in effect July 1, 2004.

Revised July, 2007 and in effect September 1, 2007

Current policy for new international students enrolled after September 1, 2007.

(Students enrolled prior to September 1, 2007, may continue under the 2004 policy criteria. Please refer to the 2004 policy.)

The revised 2007 policy applies to international students studying in British Columbia who wish to earn a British Columbia Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma). It applies only to students on the 2004 graduation program.

The policy provides Boards of Education and independent school authorities with the flexibility to offer programs that meet the needs of international students, while also ensuring that international students who intend to graduate satisfactorily complete specified courses in British Columbia's 2004 graduation program and do not earn all or certain course credits through an Equivalency review or Challenge process.

Each year, many students come to British Columbia because they and their parents value the high quality of education provided by the British Columbia school system.

Some international students enroll in British Columbia schools to upgrade their skills in one of Canada's two official languages, or to benefit from a cross-cultural experience. These language/cultural programs do not involve the Ministry's accreditation or issuance of the Dogwood Diploma.

Other international students enroll in British Columbia schools with the goal of meeting graduation requirements and earning a Dogwood Diploma. If these international students were allowed to earn all of their graduation credits through Equivalency reviews or Challenge processes, then the international credibility of the Dogwood Diploma could potentially be compromised if the students were not demonstrably competent in English or French, or were not adequately prepared for post-secondary education.

See Ministerial Order 302/04, the Graduation Program Order

Definition - "International Student:" For the purposes of this policy, an international student is a student from outside of Canada who is in British Columbia for the purpose of obtaining an educational program, is not ordinarily resident in British Columbia or eligible for provincial or federal funding, and whose language of instruction in the previous two years of education was neither French nor English.

This policy recognizes that international students working towards a Dogwood Diploma may begin their studies in a British Columbia school at a point other than the beginning of their Grade 10 year (i.e., the start of the 2004 graduation program). Regardless of when students begin their graduation programs, international students must meet all graduation requirements as well as the requirements set out in this policy in ways that ensure competence in one of Canada's two official languages in order to obtain a Dogwood Diploma.

International students who enter a British Columbia school after Grade 10 may be able to meet many of their personal goals. However, international students who enter a British Columbia school at the beginning of Grade 12 may find it difficult to meet all of the requirements for earning a Dogwood Diploma, unless they have had considerable instruction in one of Canada's two official languages prior to coming to British Columbia.

To ensure language competencies, International students, when working toward a Dogwood certificate, are restricted in which courses may receive credit through equivalency, external credentials, or challenge for skills and knowledge obtained in a language other than English or French .

Boards of Education and independent school authorities may award School Completion Certificates to international students, in accordance with the board's or authority's written criteria and the Ministry's guidelines. When a program leading to a School Completion Certificate is advertised, communication should clearly distinguish the differences between a School Completion Certificate and a Dogwood Diploma.

To earn a Dogwood Diploma, international students must meet all graduation requirements.

In addition, there are a number of specific conditions that pertain to International students (who have not been educated in either English or French in the previous two years). Such international students:

1. may earn credit for Language Arts 10, Science 10 and a Mathematics 10 either by enrolling in the course or challenging the course. Either way, the provincial exam is mandatory. Under no circumstances may International students be granted credit for these courses without completing the course or challenge process and writing the provincial exam ; equivalency review for these courses is not permitted.
2. must also earn credit for Graduation Transitions through a school-supported course or process.

International students must be assessed to determine if all the Graduation Transitions Prescribed Learning Outcomes have been met, regardless of the grade level at which they enter a British Columbia school. Like students on the 2004 Graduation Program, when the requirements have been met, international students will be assigned four (4) credits and “requirements met (RM)” will be noted on their transcript.

Schools should assist students in finding appropriate work experience or community involvement that does not conflict with the terms of their legal status in Canada. (In most cases, international students may not engage in paid employment).

3. must earn credit for courses in the following categories through instruction from a British Columbia-certified teacher. No Equivalency review or Challenge process is permitted:

Language Arts 11 Language Arts 12 One of Science 11 or 12 One of Mathematics 11 or 12 Social Studies 11, Civic Studies 11 or BC First Nations Studies 12 Planning 10

Other Graduation Program courses may receive credit through an Equivalency review or Challenge process.

4. For Language Arts 10, Mathematics 10, Science 10, Socials Studies 11, BC First Nations Studies 12, Civic Studies 11, and Language Arts 12, students are required to write provincial final exams. All other provincial Grade 12 exams are optional.

Course Information Book

Handbook of Procedures for details concerning TRAX submissions and exam procedures.

If you have any questions relating to the International Student Graduation Credit Policy, please contact Theo Vandeweg, Assistant Deputy Inspector, Independent Schools, Governance Department.