Dual Credit

As a high school student, you can take a post-secondary course and earn credits in high school and at Northwestern Polytechnic at the same time. You can experience our courses, teaching styles and learning environments while continuing to receive support from your high school Guidance Counsellor and your parents. It’s a great opportunity to get ahead on your post-secondary studies and blaze your future path.

Participating in dual credit enables you to progress toward a post-secondary program before finishing high school or to prepare for the workforce after completing high school. Dual credit can help you determine what post-secondary program to apply for by finding areas of study you're interested in or ruling out areas in which you thought you were interested. Research indicates several benefits from being involved in dual credit programs, including increases in student attendance, student engagement and achievement, and career and life goal setting.

Dual credit is available for:

• NWP Bachelor’s Degrees
• University Transfer courses
• Certificate and Diploma programs 

We offer dual credit courses in person and online. Currently, dual credit opportunities are available in many different programs. Find a complete list of courses here. Your school's Guidance Counsellor will have details about courses and programs available to your school. 

Generally, students in grades 11 and 12 can apply for dual credit courses. Your school's Guidance Counsellor will assist you in determining if you're eligible and if there is a dual credit course or program that fits your interests and schedule. Courses have different prerequisites to consider when selecting which one to apply for. You can contact dualcredit@NWpolytech.ca for assistance as well.

Each school district will address costs independently. Please speak to your Guidance Counsellor for the particulars of your school. Good news, though, for 2025-2026, NWP is waiving application fees! Your school may cover the cost of tuition and expect you to cover the costs of the textbook or other additional fees. You can find what textbook your course requires through the on-campus Bookstore. They may also ask you to submit a Caution Fee to be reimbursed once you successfully complete the course. Ask your Guidance Counsellor about your school district's Caution Fee.
 

Meet with your high school Guidance Counsellor to plan course or program options. You will be required to complete a Student Information and Permission package and submit this, along with Caution Fees, to your school. The school will submit it to the NWP Dual Credit team. Once they’ve verified your eligibility, you will be sent a voucher code and instructions on how to apply through the email you provided. To get a package, please talk to your school's Guidance Counsellor or Principal. 

We strongly encourage you to submit your package as early as possible to save your seat in a course. Registration begins in May before the next academic year, and you may register for Fall, Winter, and Spring Semester courses. Please note that application packages submitted at the start of a semester will have delays in processing, and a seat in the course may not be available.

Once you’ve applied online, it will take some time for NWP to register you in your courses. Once NWP approves your application, we will notify you by email and register you in your desired course. If there are concerns with your application, NWP will contact you.

Most courses start in the Fall and Winter Semesters, beginning in early September and January. 

You will receive all the necessary information at New Student Orientation events, which take place before classes start. If you cannot attend Orientation or have questions along the way, you are always welcome to contact DualCredit@NWpolytech.ca. Once classes begin, your instructor will communicate directly with you, often through myClass or your NWP student email.

If you are struggling, please get in touch with your instructor, DualCredit@NWpolytech.ca, and/or your guidance counsellor. We want you to be successful and will help you address any issues or look at options to ensure you meet your goals.

Find your textbooks and course requirements through the on-campus Bookstore.
 

If you're starting to plan for post-secondary (it's never too early to start!), an Academic Advisor can help answer your questions. They can explain how a dual credit course would fit into a program, transfer to another institution, or if you have the high school requirements to get into a program. To book an appointment, please call 1-888-539-4772.

Many of our dual credit courses are transferable to other institutions. The ACAT Guide will help you understand NWP course transferability to Alberta universities. If you have any questions about transferring, you can arrange to speak with an Advisor.
 

YES! You will receive a letter grade on an official NWP transcript. Your high school transcript will include a numeric grade for the equivalent course(s) and a note that a post-secondary institution awarded it.