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British Columbia Adult Graduation Diploma Program

Last updated on August 23, 2024

An adult high school diploma is the British Columbia Adult Graduation Diploma (BCAGD), also known as the “Adult Dogwood.”  It is for adult learners (18 years of age and older) who want to take courses in order to complete high school and obtain their adult high school diploma.  Courses can be taken at school district continuing education centres and/or at one of the public post-secondary institutions that delivers Adult Education programs across the province.

Getting Your High School Credential

To graduate with an Adult Dogwood, students must have:

  • A required Language Arts 12 course
  • A Math 11 or 12 course 
  • At least three additional Grade 12 electives, or a Grade 11 Socials Studies course and two additional Grade 12 electives

Courses and credits can be counted from either or both the public secondary and post-secondary systems.

Of the five courses required for the Adult Dogwood, at least three must be completed after the adult student has entered the Adult Graduation Program, either through enrolment (instruction) or Prior Learning Assessment. This means that students can receive credit toward the Adult Dogwood for no more than two qualifying courses completed while in the B.C. (school-aged) Graduation Program. You cannot receive an Adult Dogwood using only courses completed prior to enrolling in the Adult Graduation Program.

Adult learners are not required to complete the Graduation Numeracy or Literacy Assessments to graduate with the Adult Dogwood. At the same time, adult learners should be aware that some post-secondary institutions may require that students write assessments/examinations for admission purposes.

For questions and answers regarding the Adult Dogwood, please refer to the 2024/25 Adult Basic Education Articulation Handbook​.

Requirements for the British Columbia Adult Graduation Diploma (Adult Dogwood)

B.C. Post Secondary System Qualifying Courses

B.C. Secondary School System Qualifying Courses

A Provincial Level (Grade 12) English or higher OR

A required Language Arts 12 course (English Studies 12, English First Peoples 12, or Francophone equivalent) (4 credits)
An Advanced (Grade 11) or Provincial Level or higher Mathematics* OR  A Mathematics 11 or 12 (4 credits)
Three additional courses at the Provincial Level or higher or Advanced Social Sciences and two Provincial Level courses or higher OR Three Grade 12 Ministry-Authorized courses (4 credits each) or a Grade 11 Social Studies course (4 credits) and two Grade 12 Ministry-Authorized courses (4 credits each) (12 credits total)
Total: 5 courses Total: 20 credits

*A student is also able to take and obtain credit towards the Adult Dogwood for both Advanced level and Provincial level (or higher) Mathematics. In the latter case, Mathematics would be one of the electives.

Students can also use other course credits towards graduation, for example:

  • Adult Education courses (offered at many colleges and universities)
  • Post-secondary courses
  • Ministry-Authorized courses taken a long time ago

The institution issuing the diploma will require all transfer credit information and relevant transcripts to verify courses taken and grades received.

Transcripts: Getting a transcript to prove credits will depend on where courses were taken.

 
Courses taken...
At a B.C. high school At a post-secondary institution
  • Contact the institution to request a transcript

Prior Learning Assessment

Adult students may also get credit for current or past work skills or post-secondary training courses by undertaking a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). Public post-secondary institutions and continuing education centres can help with this step by reviewing past work history to determine if it qualifies for course credit. This will ensure adult students start at a course level that is comfortable for them and/or help them gain the skills needed to successfully complete graduation requirements.

Contact a continuing education centre or public post-secondary institution directly for more information about their process for getting PLA credits.