Academic Upgrading
This summer, meet your admission conditions and earn university credit at the same time.
Our Academic Upgrading (AU) opportunity is open to graduating high school students with current conditional offers of admission to the University of Guelph or another Ontario post-secondary institution.*
AU provides high school students the opportunity to improve their grades to become more competitive or admissible to Canadian post-secondary programs by completing high school 4U equivalent courses.
All AU courses are offered in an online asynchronous format (no scheduled classes to attend) providing you with the flexibility and convenience to study at a time and place that works best for you and your schedule.
Gain exposure to a more advanced learning environment, get a taste of university course format and systems, and get ahead by earning university credit prior to your official degree start date.
With access to academic advising and academic accessibility accommodation services, the School of Continuing Studies is committed to ensuring you have the support you need to succeed. Email our academic advisor with any questions.
*Be sure to check with the admission team at the post-secondary institution you have received conditional admission from to ensure that they will acknowledge this academic upgrading opportunity and recognize it as meeting admission requirements for a 4U course.
Admission
The following criteria must be met for admission to the Academic Upgrading opportunity:
- You are currently a high school student.
- You have received an offer of admission letter/email from an Ontario university.
- You meet University of Guelph English Proficiency Requirements.
Course enrolment, for Summer semesters, opens in March and closes:
- In early May for 12-week courses
- In early May for early summer 6-week courses
- In late June for late summer 6-week courses
Please note that space is limited. Seats are claimed on a first-come-first-served basis.
Please email our main office for exact closing dates.
Steps to Enrol
- Select a course from the available AU courses below.
- Add an Academic Upgrading course to your cart.
- Select the tuition fee that aligns with your citizenship/residency status.
- Go to Checkout.
- Create an account or log in to your account.*
- Complete the Open Learning Program Application form. Be sure to specify Academic Upgrading when asked why you are interested in taking courses through the Open Learning Program.
- Enter payment details at checkout to complete your registration.
*Please ensure the account is created with the name and email address of the learner.
Courses
Below is a list of available courses through the Academic Upgrading (AU) opportunity and their Ontario Secondary School (OSS) equivalent course codes. By clicking on each course code, you can view additional details about each course (e.g., course dates, course fees, refund schedule, course description, technical requirements, etc.) and enrol.
Please note that additional courses are being planned for summer 2026.
Courses Available through the Academic Upgrading Opportunity
| Course Code | Course Title | OSS Equivalent Course Code | Recommended Preparation Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGL*1030 | Effective Writing | ENG4U | ENG3U or equivalent |
| CHEM*1060 | Introductory Chemistry | SCH4U | SCH3U or equivalent |
Please note that while ENGL*1030 is not an equivalent course to ENG4U, it meets the admission requirements for ENG4U. ENGL*1030 goes above and beyond what an ENG4U equivalent course would include. AU courses offered by the University of Guelph do not count for OSSD credit; these are not dual-credit courses.
Courses listed in the table above count for degree credit/university undergraduate credit at the University of Guelph.
Modes of Delivery
All courses are offered in an online asynchronous format. There are no set times for meetings/lectures, etc. Please note that assessments will be due on specific dates at specific times.
Grading Framework
To create a safe space for high school learners to try out university learning and mitigate academic risk, a Credit/No Credit grading framework is applied to learners completing courses through the Academic Upgrading opportunity. Please see our Credit/No Credit grade policy for additional information.
A Credit/No Credit grading framework provides learners with the option to flip their final grade from Credit/No Credit to a numeric final grade after the last day of classes.
Please note that grades obtained through the School of Continuing Studies may be able to count for transfer credit at another post-secondary institution. How a credit transfers is up to the discretion of the receiving institution. Please reach out to the institution you are interested in transferring credit to in order to learn more about how School of Continuing Studies courses may transfer.
Grading Policy
The University of Guelph is committed to developing the whole learner, providing a learning environment that encourages exploration. The School of Continuing Studies (SCS) credit/no credit grade option encourages student learning and participation in academic areas in which they have interest but perhaps not expertise. This policy allows learners taking courses through the SCS’s Academic Upgrading (AU) and High School Enrichment (HSE) opportunities to receive credit for eligible courses without impacting their cumulative average. This grade option is not available to University of Guelph students who fall under the purview of the Undergraduate, Graduate or Associate Diploma calendars or general Open Learning program students.
The intention of this option is to provide AU and HSE learners with the opportunity to explore university level learning. The application of this grade option to a course is automatic upon enrolment in the HSE and AU opportunities and is not subject to consideration through the academic consideration process.
Learners complete coursework as usual and must achieve a final mark of at least 50%, to receive a Credit (CR) under this option. So long as a learner does not reverse a credit/no credit request for a final numeric grade, the course(s) are not included in the calculation of the learner’s overall cumulative or semester average.
The SCS’s credit/no credit policy is separate from the University of Guelph undergraduate credit/no credit policy. They bear no influence on one another. The SCS’s credit/no credit policy, therefore, does not impact the total number of credits/courses an undergraduate student is allowed to apply the undergraduate Credit/No Credit policy to.
Courses where the credit/no credit grade option has been applied can be used subsequently to satisfy Degree-Credit Certificate or Diploma requirements, provided those courses are included in the Certificate or Diploma in question.
If a learner fails the course and receives a No Credit (NCR), it is in the learner's best interest not to request that the credit/no credit grade option be reversed to a numeric final grade. Nevertheless, the option to change the NCR final grade into a numeric final grade will still be available to the learner.
Reversing the Credit/No Credit Grade Option:
The credit/no credit grade option applied to courses taken by HSE and AU learners can be reverted to a numeric final grade, after the last day of classes, by submitting a reversal request by email to the learner success advisor.
Cost
Tuition fees listed on course pages are subject to change and do not include the cost of textbooks or other required/supplementary reading and learning materials. You may purchase these materials from the University Bookstore, the Co-op Bookstore, or from another third-party seller.
The School of Continuing Studies is a cost recovery operation and requires payment upon registration. We are unable to offer financial aid or a payment plan. You may, however, qualify for a bursary. Please visit our Financial Assistance page for more information about our bursaries.
Bursaries
Canadian citizens and permanent residents interested in enrolling in the Academic Upgrading opportunity courses are eligible to apply for a School of Continuing Studies bursary. Our bursaries can each cover the tuition fees of one course.
Contact Us
University of Guelph undergraduate program requirements can be found on the Undergraduate Degree Requirements for Ontario Applicants webpage. If you wish to speak to a University of Guelph Admission Counsellor to determine if the Academic Upgrading (AU) opportunity is right for you, please reach out to admission@uoguelph.ca .
If you have additional questions about the Academic Upgrading (AU) opportunity, please email the Manager, Learner Success and Credit Learning Access or phone 519-824-4120 ext. 54828.