Additional Basic Qualification (ABQ) Courses

Overview

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: The pass mark for all ABQ courses is 70%. For information that applies to all additional qualification courses, please see our Information and Regulations for AQ, ABQ, and HSQ Courses page.

ABQ Course Prerequisites

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 students 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

*Credits

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.

Teaching Subject Requirements

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:	Teaching Subject Requirements:
English	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.
Family Studies	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.
Geography	Geography courses. For a comprehensive list of suitable Geography courses, refer to Courses in our Academic Calendar and select Geography (GEOG) Courses.
Health & Physical Education	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.
History	History courses. For a comprehensive list of suitable History courses, refer to Courses in our Academic Calendar and select History (HIST) Courses.
Math	Mathematics courses. On a case by case basis, 1.0 FCE in Physics or statistics may be substituted. For a comprehensive list of suitable Geography courses, refer to Courses in our Academic Calendar and select Mathematics (MATH) Courses.
Social Sciences – General	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.