Program Description: The Associate of Arts Degree – AHCOTE (AAA) is awarded to students who complete two years of planned coursework at Northern Lights College. The AAA prepares students for entry into the Alaska Highway Consortium on Teacher Education (AHCOTE), the teacher-training program offered at NLC. Credits may also be applied toward a degree.
The AAA is offered as part of the University Arts and Sciences program, which provides university-level learning opportunities that reflect the intellectual and creative modes of inquiry practiced in the Arts and Sciences.
Program Contact: Lisa Verbisky
Dean: Steve Roe
Admission Requirements: To register for individual courses within the program:
- Prospective learners need to complete a College “Application for Admission” form. Admission forms can be obtained in person from NLC Student Services or downloaded in PDF format from nlc.bc.ca/pdfs/application.pdf. A one-time application fee is required.
- Where available, secondary school and/or post-secondary transcripts should be provided to indicate that prerequisites for specific courses have been met.
- Applicants who do not have at least a “B” in English 12 (or equivalent) or at least a “C” in a university-level English course must complete the NLC Writing Assessment before registering in English courses. Feedback on the Writing Assessment is provided to help students make informed decisions about course selection.
- Applicants who do not have secondary school and/or post-secondary transcripts that provide documentation of prerequisites should speak with an NLC Recruiter. In these situations, entry-level skills will be evaluated as required through the Writing Assessment, the Calculus Readiness Assessment, or other assessments.
Note: A Criminal Record Check is not an admission requirement for the Associate of Arts Degree (AHCOTE). However, before participating in the Education 252 practicum in Year 2 of the program, students must authorize a Solicitor General Criminal Record Check (SG/CRC). Under no circumstances will a student be permitted to begin the Education 252 practicum until a SG/CRC has been received and reviewed by NLC. Convictions for certain offences may disqualify students from participating in the course practicum and, therefore, from course/program completion. Students will be provided with information about the SG/CRC process at program orientations. SG/CRC searches can take from 3 to 6 weeks for completion, so students are urged to attend to this matter at least 6 weeks before the start of Education 252. Further, students are obligated to report any Schedule B criminal convictions that occur after they authorize an SG/CRC but are still enrolled in Education 252. Failure to do so may result in immediate dismissal from the Associate of Arts Degree (AHCOTE) program.
PDF version of the online CRC Consent Form
Length of Program: (weeks and total hours) The AA--AHCOTE involves 900 hours of class time and may be completed on a part-time or full-time basis. Where learners are attending full time, the credential may be completed in 60 weeks or two academic years.
Program Intake: (start/finish dates)
Start: September, January, May
Finish: December, April, June
Available Seats: 30 per course
Application Deadline: One week prior to start of University Arts and Sciences courses.
Career Prospects: Students who complete the Associate of Arts Degree designed for prospective teachers are eligible for AHCOTE and will eventually be seeking careers as teachers. Note, however, that completion of the designated Associate of Arts Degree is not a guarantee of admission into AHCOTE.
Affiliations/Partnerships: The AHCOTE program involves a partnership between School Districts 59, 60, 81, Simon Fraser University, the University of Northern British Columbia, and Northern Lights College. Courses comprising the AA--AHCOTE transfer to receiving institutions throughout British Columbia (see the BC Transfer Guide www.bctransferguide.ca).
Location: Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Chetwynd, and Fort Nelson, where resources and interest permit.
Additional Requirements/Supplies: (fees, supplies, materials) NIL
Eligibility for Canada Student Loans: Yes
Required Minimum Grade: (overall and/or minimum within a course)
A cumulative grade point average of 2.00 ("C") or better must be obtained from all courses applied toward the AA--AHCOTE.
Residency Requirement: (percentage of courses which must be taken at NLC)
25%
Required Courses: (list courses required to complete credential and total hours for each course)
Year 1 (Pre-Education Certificate)
Plus one lab science (students planning to enroll in AHCOTE should note that in some cases two NLC lab science courses are required to meet the SFU lab science requirement, eg., GEOG 112 and GEOG 114 or PHYS 103 and PHYS 104) (75-105 hrs per lab science)
Plus two or three open electives in Arts and Science, depending on the course(s) selected as a lab science (45 hrs per elective)
Year 2 (Completion of the Associate of Arts Degree)
Plus four 200-level Arts Electives (45 hrs)*
Plus one open Elective in Arts or Sciences (45 hrs)
Note that PSYC 211 is recommended as a 200-level Arts elective. However, PSYC 211 requires PSYC 101 and 102 as prerequisites.