Additional Qualifications (AQs)
Ongoing professional learning is a critical part of teaching. Ontario Certified Teachers are expected to participate in ongoing learning throughout their careers to improve outcomes for Ontario students.
Created by teachers for teachers, Additional Basic Qualifications (ABQs) and Additional Qualification (AQs) courses are designed to be taken after certification. They can help you expand your knowledge and classroom skills, as well as prepare you for career changes. When completed, they are added to your teaching certificate.
ABQs indicate divisions and subjects, and AQs indicate subjects or teaching specialties.
ABQs and AQs are organized by our AQ schedule (A, B, C, D or E) according to their purpose and content. There are also basic qualification courses for teaching in the primary or junior divisions.
Specialized AQ programs exist for:
While the College does not offer ABQs and AQs, our mandate includes:
Colleges, universities, teacher federations, principals’ and supervisory officers’ organizations, school boards and community and subject organizations can offer ABQs and AQs that have been accredited by the College.
How You Can Help
The College periodically reviews and updates guidelines for AQ courses. The process includes literature reviews, surveys, writing teams and other approaches. This work involves members of the profession, the public and education system partners.
If you’d like to participate, please review draft guidelines that are currently open for feedback.
If you would like to help develop AQ course guidelines, please review the selection criteria, roles and responsibilities, and then complete and submit the Expression of Interest Form.
We will notify you about any available opportunities.
Have more questions about Additional Qualifications? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
