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MHC Admissions

Medicine Hat College welcomes applications from Canadian and International students, who have completed high school; studied at other post-secondary institutions; and who have not completed high school. Applicants are considered for the most appropriate of three admission routes, according to their qualifications.

Download Admissions Chart (pdf)

High school
High school applicants have secondary (high school) credentials only with little or no post-secondary study. Applicants will need to consult the program(s) of interest to determine which specific high school subjects are required for admission to specific program(s). If you do not have the high school requirements indicated for admission to your initial choice of program you may qualify for other programs at the college. Please contact Advising and/or Admissions for additional information.

Transfer
Transfer applicants have post-secondary coursework or credentials through recognized university, college, or technical institutions. If you have previous coursework, you should consult the program(s) of interest to determine if transfer status is considered for admission. For information on gaining credit towards program requirements, consult the section on Recognition of Prior Learning/Education in the calendar.

Mature
Mature applicants are 21 years or older who may not have a complete high school matriculation. In some programs, mature student admission requirements may differ from general admission requirements. Academic assessment may be necessary.

Combined Matriculation/University Transfer

Applicants combine high school equivalent (matriculation) courses with university courses.

General Studies
Applicants are intending to complete a certificate, diploma, or combination of diploma and university studies but are not currently admitted to any specific program.

Senior Citizen
Applicants are 65 years and older. You may enroll in one 3- credit course per semester that is not part of quota programs or in the Conservatory of Music and Dance (this may not also apply to Continuing Studies offerings and you will need to contact Continuing Studies for additional information). If space is limited in a course, paying credit students will be given preference and any credit course that has insufficient enrollment of credit students will be cancelled. Costs (books, supplies) other than tuition are your responsibility.

Special
Applicants have been formally admitted to study in the College, and are registered in one course, but not to a specific program. It is highly recommended that you have the prerequisites for specific courses but it is not required.

Visiting
Applicants are formally admitted to the College, but as a student of another accredited institution, you are permitted to take courses for credit towards a degree or diploma program in your home institution. As a visiting student you
a) must provide written authorization from a responsible officer of your home institution upon registration.
b)are permitted to register, on a courtesy basis, in only those courses specified by the responsible officer of your home institution for the session indicated.
c) will assume responsibility for formally requesting an official transcript and paying the required fees.
d) will be subject to all rules and regulations applicable to students of Medicine Hat College.

Continuing Students Who Are Changing Programs
Continuing students who have continuous registration from one semester to another and who wish to change their academic program, must apply for the new program. Continuing student applicants will be considered according to the same admission criteria as new applicants.

Admission of Students without a High School Diploma
Admission of students under 18 years
Students under the age of 18 may be accepted for admission with a letter of recommendation from a high school principal. You may be required to take the Medicine Hat College Academic Assessment. Please contact an Academic Advisor for further information (403) 529-3819 or 1-866-282-8394.

Home Schooling or Home Education
If you have completed a Home Schooling or Home Education program you may qualify for admission by
• providing relevant provincial diploma examinations;
• completing Medicine Hat College Prior Learning Assessment for desired high school subjects;
• writing the Medicine Hat College Academic Assessment in English and Math;
• university transfer admission; or
• other admission routes.

For further information please contact

Craig Wood
Dean of Students/Registrar
Medicine Hat College
299 College Drive SE
Medicine Hat, AB T1A 3Y6
(403)529-3821 or 1-866-282-8395 ext. 3821

Admission of International Students

Academic qualifications
If you are considering application to credit programs, you will need to allow at least six months prior to program application deadlines for processing of your application and receipt of your international transcripts. Students are responsible for providing English translations of transcripts.

You will be required to meet standards similar to those required by Alberta universities. If you are an International student whose native language is not English, you must also comply with the Medicine Hat College English requirements.

Standardized Test
Applicants will be considered who present acceptable ACT (American College Testing Program) or SAT (Scholastic Achievement Test) scores. In the case of SAT tests, the applicant must present SAT Verbal, SAT Mathematical and three additional SAT II test scores. Applicants who present only SAT I scores and who present high school records (at least five Grade 12-level courses in academic subjects including English, and 60% or better average on these courses), will be considered for admission on an individual basis.

General Certificate of Education
Applicants will be considered who present two subjects at the Advanced/Principal level and three subjects at the GCSE/Ordinary level (if you are a student from the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries). Grades of D and E at the Ordinary level and Advanced supplementary levels (7, 8, 9) on school certificates are not acceptable. If you have not successfully completed two "A" level courses, you will be able to take a combined university transfer/college program IF you have a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (213 computer based). You must have completed five ordinary "O" courses with no grades of "D" or "E".

English Language Requirements
The language of instruction and communication at Medicine Hat College is English. Regardless of country of origin or citizenship status, if your first language is not English, you must demonstrate proficiency in the English language before you will be admitted to a credit program or permitted to enroll in credit courses.

English language proficiency can be demonstrated by any one of:

1. Successful completion of the Advanced ESL (ESL 100) program at Medicine Hat College;
2. Completion of an Alberta Grade 12 diploma or the equivalent;
3. Completion of Alberta English 30 or the Canadian equivalent with grades of 60% or better;
4. Achievement of a TOEFL score of 550 (213 computer based) or better; or
5. Achievement of an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) overall band score of 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5.

If you are considering transferring to a university or other post secondary institution from Medicine Hat College please consult with that institution or a Medicine Hat College Academic Advisor regarding the English Language requirements as they may be different from Medicine Hat College

Admission to Credit Courses from Medicine Hat College ESL Programs
As an international student in the ESL programs, you must have official TOEFL scores of at least 500 to take any credit classes at Medicine Hat College.

With an Official TOEFL score between 500 and 549, you will be permitted to take up to two credit courses per semester along with the ESL Program.

If you have a TOEFL score of 499 and below, or if you do not submit a TOEFL score, you must concentrate exclusively on the Intensive ESL program. You may not take additional credit courses.

Applying to Credit Programs for Admission as an ESL Student
In order to apply to specific credit courses, present official documents that verify you have completed the required prerequisite courses (e.g., if you plan to take university transfer English 202A, you must have successfully completed English 30-1 or equivalent).

Landed Immigrants
As a landed immigrant whose first language is not English, you may be admitted to Medicine Hat College by meeting the English proficiency requirements and the academic admission standards of the program of your choice.


When to Apply
Due to the large volume of applications and specific admission requirements, students are encouraged to apply early in the year for Fall semester programs. Applications are received and considered until the programs are full.

You may apply at any time to Medicine Hat College. For most programs, application begins:

October 1, 2009 for Winter Semester 2010

November 1, 2009 for Fall Semester 2010

Admissions Schedule for Fall Programs
While you may apply at any time to some Medicine Hat College programs, there are some programs that experience high volumes of applications for limited seats. You are strongly urged to apply early. Applications to programs where deadlines apply will be accepted until the program is full; which means that applications received after the deadline may still be considered. Once the program is full and oversubscribed, however, applications may be cut off at any time. For more information contact the Admissions Office (403)529-3827 or 1-866-282-8394 ext. 3827.

Admissions Schedule for Winter Intakes in Programs
Some programs offer winter intakes and include the following programs:

College Preparation
Early Learning and Child Care
Education Assistant
General Studies
Global Tourism and Marketing
Health Care Aide
University Studies

If your program of interest does not offer a winter intake, you may be able to take some of the classes as a General Studies or University Studies student. Pelase contact the academic advising office at 403.529.3819 for further information.

How to Apply
On-line
Apply to Medicine Hat College on-line at www.mhc.ab.ca.

Mail in form
You may submit an application form by mail or in person to:

Student Services
Medicine Hat College
299 College Drive SE
Medicine Hat AB T1A 3Y6

Application fee
There is a one time $60 application fee required to process your application.

Transcripts
All applicants are required to provide official transcripts of
• High school education. Official transcripts must be ordered from the Department of Education in the province(s) where students attended high school.
• Post-secondary education. Official transcripts must be provided from the Registrar’s Office of each institution attended.

Photocopies or faxed copies of transcripts are not considered official, but may be used in the interim for conditional admission purposes.

Please note: All high school and post-secondary school official transcripts must be received by the Admissions Office before the start of classes. Failure to provide transcripts may result in being withdrawn for the second semester of study.

Identification of Disabilities

At Medicine Hat College we are committed to ensuring that you are afforded an academic environment based on equality, respect for individual differences, and academic integrity. If you have a disability (physical, sensory, medical and learning or communication impairment) and require accommodation, please indicate these to us early in the admissions process. We will endeavor to provide you with educational opportunities that will maximize your College experience within the resources that we have available. There are many categories of disabilities including physical, sensory, medical, learning disabilities, and communication impairments.

Prior to your final acceptance, you will need to arrange for a personal interview with our Disabilities Services Coordinator. During your consultation, the Coordinator will attempt to ensure that your educational goals are realistic, that Medicine Hat College can satisfy those educational goals, and that admission to a program or course does not present a safety hazard to yourself or others.

Academic Assessment
The Academic Assessment is a tool used to determine current skill levels in English and Math. It has been designed to help you, if you have been out of school five years or more, to begin at a level that will enable you to be successful in your studies. The test does not provide a grade; rather it is a determination of starting level.

To register for the Academic Assessment, first apply to the College for admission. You may then schedule a time with the Academic Resources Centre to write the essay and math quizzes. The Assessment may be between 8 am and 8 pm Monday - Thursday and Fridays 8 am - 5 pm by appointment only.

Results are available approximately two days later. An appointment time may be scheduled with an Academic Advisor to discuss placement recommendations and to plan an appropriate course of study.

Offers of Admission or Acceptance

Conditional acceptance
If you are admitted to Medicine Hat College and are required to take a specific course as the basis of admission, you may be dismissed from the College if your academic performance, behavior, or attendance in the mandatory course is unsatisfactory. (Please refer to the Medicine Hat College Dismissal Policy for details.)

If you are enrolled in a combined College Preparation / University Transfer program and you withdraw from required prerequisite College Preparation courses, you may also be required to withdraw from all of the University Transfer courses (contact the Registrar's Office for more details).

Registration Deposit
Once you are accepted to a new program or if you are returning to the college after an absence of at least one semester, you are required to apply a $100 registration deposit (which is credited towards your tuition) before you can register in classes. If you are accepted to a quota program, you need to confirm your acceptance of the offer and to pay the deposit within three weeks of receiving your acceptance letter.

Pre-professional requirements
• In addition to academic requirements, you may be asked for additional admission requirements. See the Pre-professional requirements of each program in the Calendar.
• It is your responsibility to ensure you are able to meet the health and fitness requirements of some programs.
• Some programs (e.g., Nursing, Early Childhood Development, Child and Youth Care, Paramedic, and Health Care Aide) have specific health requirements. You will be advised of these requirements after you have been accepted.
• If you have serious medical problems (e.g., disabilities, epilepsy, hemophilia) please refer to the information on Students with Disabilities.
• You are urged to get immunized for Mumps, Measles and Rubella before coming to Medicine Hat College. Tetanus and Diphtheria boosters should be taken every 10 years. Check with your local Health Unit for more information.

Re-Admission to Medicine Hat College
If you have previously withdrawn, either voluntarily, or upon request of the Registrar's Office from a program, you must submit a new application for admission form for all quota programs. Re-admission is subject to all College regulations.

Admissions Refusal
Medicine Hat College reserves the right to reject any applications for admission on the basis of medical reasons and/or other grounds, even if other entrance requirements have been met.