Students can earn external credentials by taking courses, programs or activities that fall outside the normal B.C. school curriculum. An example might be graduation credits for Grades 10, 11 or 12 given to students who have completed B.C. Conservatory of Music training.
Because these courses are developed and offered outside the B.C. school system, they must meet specific criteria in order to be authorized as an external credential course – this includes the same (or greater) level of depth, breadth, and rigour as would be found in Ministry-developed Grade 10, 11 or 12 courses, as well as an evaluation component that assesses the intended learning outcomes. Organizations offering these kinds of courses must also:
Click here for a list of organizations offering approved external credentials
If you’d like to use the External Sport Credentials Program as credit towards graduation, here are few things to remember:
External Sport Credentials are elective credits and cannot be used to substitute for required courses such as Physical Education 10.
Once a student has received credit for a particular level within the athlete, official or coach categories, they cannot receive additional credits for duplicate participation. For example, an athlete who has earned credits for Athlete 12 by being selected and competing on a provincial team cannot receive an additional 4 credits for Athlete 12 if they have progressed and been selected and competed on a national team. A student can only receive credit for Athlete 12 once. As well, you cannot receive additional credit for the same category level if you have met the standards and criteria in more than one sport.
High school, community and club sport programs are not eligible for external credit because they don’t meet organizational eligibility standards and minimum high performance sport criteria.
Students seeking credits for a sport course or program are required to present specific documentation as proof of participation or completion. All letters and certificates must: