Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Qualification Courses (AQ Courses) are courses that are accredited by the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT). Teachers can take these courses in order to upgrade and gain qualifications in a certain teaching division or subject area. Completed AQ courses will be posted to your Certificate of Qualification which is a document viewed by Ontario school boards for hiring purposes. 

Categorization

AQ courses are divided into five categories, otherwise referred to as 'schedules' as per the OCT.  Detailed information regarding the different schedules may be found at www.oct.ca .

• Additional Basic Qualifications (ABQ) - Schedule A: These courses are intended for candidates who wish to obtain another division. The Faculty of Education offers ABQ in the Primary and Junior Division and a number of subject specific courses in the Intermediate and Senior Divisions. With all but a few exceptions, ABQ courses have specific undergraduate credit pre-requisites.
• Additional Basic Qualifications (ABQ)-Technological Studies-Schedule B: These courses are intended for candidates who wish to obtain qualification in a technological subject area at the grade 9 and 10 level and/or at the grade 11 or 12 level.
• Additional Qualifications (AQ) - One Session - Schedule C: These courses are intended for candidates who wish to obtain qualification in an area which targets most recent professional development.
• Additional Qualifications (AQ) - Three Session - Schedule D: By completing Parts 1, 2 and Specialist, candidates will receive a Specialist recognition and may wish to consult with the Qualifications Evaluation Council of Ontario (QECO) or the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSST) to have their Certificate of Qualifications re-evaluated for a category change.
• Additional Qualifications (AQ) - Honour Specialist - Schedule E: These courses target leadership in a particular subject and prepare candidates for Educational Leadership positions. Honour Specialist courses have specific undergraduate credit pre-requisites along with a two-year teaching experience as verified by a Superintendent.

Teachers certified with the Ontario College of Teachers are eligible to take AQ courses. Ontario B.Ed students may take courses prior to membership with OCT, if they have met all the requirements to graduate and if they have applied to the OCT for a Certificate of Qualification.

If you are not a member of the Ontario College of Teachers, the Center for Executive and Professional Education at the University of Windsor will allow you to take an online AQ/ABQ course if you complete and submit the Recommendation Waiver Agreement form with your application.

Under this condition, CEPE will not report successful completion of your course to the Ontario College of Teachers now, or at any time in the future.

If you wish to receive recognition from the Ontario College of Teachers for a course you have taken under this waiver form, you will be required to register in and complete the above course again, in accordance with the policies and fees in effect at that time.

NOTE: If you are a new B.Ed. graduate and are in the process of obtaining your Ontario College of Teachers membership, this waiver requirement does not apply to you. When registering, please ensure you provide the six-digit number given to you by the Ontario College of Teachers.

Review the general requirements and prerequisites specific to the course you are interested in taking prior to registering.

If a candidate registers for a course and then realizes that they are not qualified — they will still be subject to the $50.00 non-refundable administration fee.

All candidates enrolling in AQ courses must be qualified for admission according to Regulation 184-97 of the Ontario College of Teacher's Act.

In order to be recommended for certification upon completion of a course, candidates must first meet the following basic requirements:

• Membership with the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT)
• Hold a valid Certificate of Qualification, Interim Certificate of Qualification or a Letter of Eligibility

Ontario B.Ed students may take courses prior to membership with OCT if they have met all the requirements to graduate and if they have applied to the OCT for a Certificate of Qualification.

It is the responsibility B.Ed. students to ensure that they become members in good standing with OCT before we can make the recommendation for the course taken. Students should have this standing after they have received their Bachelor of Education degree.  

Some courses have specific pre-requisites depending on which course you are taking. Refer to the individual course page for full information.

Important Notice:  While we endeavour to be as accurate as possible while reviewing your qualifications for courses in our program, the Faculty of Education bears no responsibility for ensuring you have met the qualifications as per the guidelines of the Ontario College of Teachers.  It is your responsibility to learn which prerequisites you will need. 

https://www.oct.ca/members/additional-qualifications/prerequisites

Proficiency testing information can be found here: https://www.uwindsor.ca/education/continuing/aq/proficiency

Newly qualified teachers are eligible to enrol in many of our AQ/ABQ courses.  

Your Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) Certificate of Qualification is your ticket to employment within Ontario's publicly-funded education system.  AQ courses allow you to enhance your Certificate of Qualification by adding teachables or demonstrating acquisition of important skills for the classroom.  An enhanced Certificate of Qualification sets you apart in the job market and opens the door to more employment opportunities across Ontario.  However, before you can register for our AQ courses, you must first commence the application process for membership with the Ontario College of Teachers. 

Even though you are not yet a member with the Ontario College of Teachers, B.Ed. students in their graduating year may still register for a Spring or Summer Additional Qualifications (AQ) course based on the following:

• The Faculty of Education has recommended you for certification.
• You have applied to become a member with the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT.)
• You will supply our office with your OCT registration number when you enroll in a course.  This is asked during the enrollment process.
• If you are graduating from a University other than the University of Windsor, you must email a copy of your Bachelor of Education transcript to aq@uwindsor.ca so we can confirm you are in your graduating year or provide a copy of your transitional OCT Certificate.
• It is understood that you will not receive credit for your Additional Qualifications course until your OCT certificate is permanent and in good standing.
• If there are issues with your registration with the Ontario College of Teachers, we ask that you notify our office of any potential delays.

Yes.  However...  (please read below)

I did my teacher training outside of Ontario. Can I register for an AQ Course?

Yes.  However...  (please read below)

Any educator is welcome to further their professional development by enrolling in our online AQ courses.  

However, only those registered with the Ontario College of Teachers will be given recognition for the courses on their OCT Certificate of Qualification and Registration. 

Registration for Non-OCT Members

If you are not a member of the Ontario College of Teachers, the Faculty of Education at the University of Windsor will allow you to take an online AQ/ABQ course if you complete and submit the Recommendation Waiver Agreement form with your application.

Under this condition, the Faculty of Education will not report successful completion of your course to the Ontario College of Teachers now, or at any time in the future.

If you wish to receive recognition from the Ontario College of Teachers for a course you have taken under this waiver form, you will be required to register in and complete that course again, in accordance with the policies and fees in effect at that time.

NOTE: If you are a new B.Ed. graduate and are in the process of obtaining your Ontario College of Teachers membership, this waiver requirement does not apply to you. When registering, please ensure you provide the six-digit number given to you by the Ontario College of Teachers.

Teachers graduated from a Faculty of Education outside of Ontario. All of the above applies. You are welcome to enrol in our AQ courses, but the actions required on your part depend on your personal objectives for taking the AQ course.

Teachers who have graduated from a Faculty of Education outside of Ontario who intend for their AQ study to be recorded on their OCT Certificate of Qualification must first be members in good standing with the Ontario College of Teachers before they can be approved for taking an AQ course.  

Those simply wishing to further their professional development as an educator, with no formal OCT recognition, must complete and submit the Recommendation Waiver Agreement form after registering for a course.

Although we appreciate your interest in registering for an AQ course with us at the University of Windsor, please note that we can no longer accept late course registrations. Please be sure to apply by the deadline date in order to secure your spot for the upcoming semester. 

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 

1. Visit our regsitration page.
2. Log In/Register: Select the Log In/Register option.
   • New User: If you’re new to the system, select "New User" and complete the required details.
   • Confirm Email: You’ll receive an email—click the link to confirm your email address.
3. Select Courses: Navigate to "Course Offerings" and choose your semester and course.
4. Course Info: Review the course description, requirements, and materials.
5. Add to Cart: Click "Add to Cart" to continue with registration

Email: Send your documents as a PDF to aq@uwindsor.ca.

Mail: If you prefer to mail documents, send them to:

University of Windsor
Faculty of Education
Attention: Continuing Education
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4

For UWindsor Graduates: If you completed your degree at the University of Windsor, access your transcript through UWinsite Student, then email it to aq@uwindsor.ca.

The Ontario College of Teachers mandates that all AQ courses are required to have 100 hours of course work plus an additional 25 hours of non-monitored instruction.

Online Courses

Online courses are divided into modules with specific due dates.  A course outline will be provided that lists due dates for course assignments and for discussion posts.  For online courses 11 weeks or more, candidates should expect to spend at least 10-12 hours a week working on such things as posting, reading and interacting in Discussions. For condensed online courses (for example, 6 weeks), candidates should expect to spend at least 3-4 hours a day on course work.  

Blended Courses

For blended courses, each module will have assigned online time, with the remaining time assigned for onsite instruction.

Condensed Courses - Spring & Fall 

For courses that are offered over a compressed time (usually 6 weeks) in Spring or Fall semesters, candidates should expect to spend 3-4 hours per day working on postings or assignments.

The Faculty of Education uses Brightspace for AQ courses, where you’ll find key features:

1. Content: Access course modules and materials, including assignments and "Put into Practice" activities.
2. Discussions: Participate in class forums to engage with peers and instructors.
3. Grade Centre: Track your grades and see feedback based on the course rubric.

• Submit Assignments: Ensure all assignments and postings are completed to avoid penalties.
• Grades: View your grades online. Once submitted, your completion will be recommended to the Ontario College of Teachers, and it should appear on your Certificate of Qualification within 4-6 weeks.
• Course Evaluation: At the end of the course, you’ll be asked to evaluate your instructor.

Login to registration site using your UWinID and password.

• There is a menu on the left.
• Select My enrollment History option
• There is a request drop button.  Select the button.
• Select on-screen prompt regarding reason for dropping course.
• Select submit.
• The drop request notification will be submitted to the Faculty of Education.  Once the notification has been received, the drop will be processed.

There is a $50.00 drop fee if you drop after the course start date.

If you request a drop after the semester drop deadline, you are not eligible for a refund.

All refunds will be processed to the credit card that the payment was made.  If this card is no longer valid, contact aq@uwindsor.ca.

The University of Windsor reserves the right to cancel course offerings and to change locations and dates. Candidates will be notified of any cancellations and a full refund including the non-refundable amounts will be issued.

Informal Review

Where a student wishes to review a grade awarded for assigned work at any time during the term the course is being taught, and up to the time recommendations are officially submitted to the College of Teachers, an informal inquiry can be made to the Instructor responsible for the course. Assigned work includes tests, seminars, oral presentations, final projects and all other academic exercises that will be used in calculating a grade.

The purpose of the inquiry is to review the work submitted and to allow for any reconsideration of the grade status if it is in question. This must be done within the time limit as established by the Instructor, but not later than ten working days after the release or publication of the status. This review does not preclude the student from appealing in a formal manner.

Formal Grade Appeal

When a student believes their evaluation in the course does not accurately represent their accomplishments because of incorrect evaluation of work or because of procedural irregularity, the following procedure shall be made available.

• The student may formally appeal through the Faculty of Education at a fee of $35.00.
• The appeal will be referred to the Faculty of Education who will be required to instruct the Instructor responsible for assigning that grade to review all assigned work for the purposes of re-evaluation.
• The Associate Dean or the Continuing Teacher Education Program Coordinator shall inform the student of the result of the appeal. The student will be informed of the outcome, with reasons (if reasons for the appeal were submitted) in writing and if successful, the $35.00 fee will be refunded.

A student who wishes to receive consideration on matters affecting or shown to affect their academic performance, such as, serious health circumstances or bereavement based on medical or compassionate grounds, or unanticipated extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the student (e.g., jury duty, caring for an ill family member, labour disputes, etc.), should communicate with the Instructor as soon as possible, or at the time when a student's performance is evaluated for the purpose of assigning a grade, taking into account the severity of the illness, bereavement, or other extenuating circumstance. The instructor may choose to handle the matter informally.

In this particular case, too, a student may wish to communicate with the Continuing Teacher Education Program Coordinator as soon as possible, or at the time when a student's performance is evaluated for the purpose of assigning a grade, taking into account the severity of the illness, bereavement, or other extenuating circumstance. A letter of rationale, requesting alternate evaluation or accommodation, and supporting documents (e.g. the attending physician's letter, the call to jury duty) must be submitted. If the Continuing Teacher Education Program Coordinator finds the grounds sufficient, the student's request will be forwarded to the Instructor who shall provide an alternate evaluation or accommodation.

A student who receives an "Incomplete" will be expected to submit all required assignments as per discussion with the Instructor within four weeks after the last class session, at which time, if the student still did not meet all the requirements, a final grade of INC will be entered in the student’s record, except in exceptional circumstances in which case the Continuing Teacher Education Program Coordinator shall specify a period of time greater than four weeks.  This grade will be listed on any academic generated.

Tax receipts will be available by the end of February for those students who took an AQ course in Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall semesters of the previous year. Students will receive an email indicating that the tax receipts are ready.  Tax receipts are accessible by logging into your continuing education student account. 

Continuing Teacher Education Program  transcripts are available at a cost of $10 per copy. 

1. Order your transcript through the Continuing Education Online Portal
2. You can request the transcript as a special request once you have signed into your Continuing Education Student Account. 
3. This transcript will include all courses that you have taken through the Continuing Teacher Education Program (e.g. AQ, ABQ, PQP, IB) with the Faculty of Education at the University of Windsor.
4. Ensure you select the number of copies you want and enter the specific mailing address(s) of where you want the transcript(s) sent.
5. If you have taken Additional Qualifications courses prior to 2010,  and require this information to be included on the transcript, please alert us to this fact during your request and we will make sure those courses are included.

Requests will not be processed until payment has been received.  An email will be sent to you when the transcript has been generated and mailed to the location(s) as specified.

Note:  This request is for Continuing Education Transcripts only.  If you wish to obtain a University of Windsor transcript for your degree, please contact the Office of the Registrar.  www.uwindsor.ca/registrar/711/transcripts

If you experience difficulties executing this transaction online, call the Faculty of Education to request assistance at 519-253-3000 ext. 6734 or email aq@uwindsor.ca.