AURORA COLLEGE
General Studies Diploma start delayed to fall 2025

Due to a number of factors, Aurora College's Board of Governors has voted to delay the start of the new General Studies Diploma program by one year to fall 2025.

The General Studies Diploma is a new two-year program designed to allow graduates to meet the third-year entry requirements for both a Bachelor of Education (BEd) and a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), or to obtain post-secondary credits that are transferable to Aurora College degree and diploma programs or to other post-secondary institutions.

The Board of Governors made the decision to delay implementation of the General Studies Diploma to ensure all approvals and agreements are in place prior to the start of the program. That will ensure applicants are aware of exactly what courses they can take, the credentials they will receive and how the diploma can help them gain acceptance into other post-secondary programs of their choice.

Developing and introducing a new post-secondary program involves a number of steps and approvals, which can take a fair amount of time. In the Northwest Territories, those steps include a Quality Assurance Review by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE). The ECE review is a critical step in ensure the new General Studies program is approved for delivery in the NWT and that it is eligible for Student Financial Assistance. That review has not yet been completed.

Also, in order for credits to be transferable to other institutions, approvals and agreements must be in place with those institutions. This process is still underway. While Aurora College is confident the required approvals will be in place soon, they may not all be ready in time for the start of the 2024-2025 academic year.

Aurora College has reached out to all current applicants to discuss their options, which include deferring their applicant for one year and applying to other Aurora College programs.