Post-Secondary Institutions

Alberta's post-secondary system
Alberta Advanced Education, along with its boards and councils, works with post-secondary institutions to ensure all Albertans have access to high quality learning opportunities.

Post-secondary Learning Act
The Post-secondary Learning Act sets the stage for taking Alberta's post-secondary system into the future as a system that is accessible, flexible and responsive regardless of where a student chooses to learn.

Institutional Mandates
The Alberta post-secondary system provides learners with a comprehensive range of learning opportunities provided by public colleges, technical institutes and universities. These distinctions are recognized in legislation and reinforced by individual institutional mandates approved by the Minister. Collectively, institutional mandates define the public post-secondary system's purpose and range of programming and activities.

Tuition Fee Policy
The Government of Alberta has implemented a revised Tuition Fee Policy that places a 30% threshold on students’ contributions to the institutional cost of delivering post-secondary education. The policy also places restrictions on maximum annual tuition fee increases at institutions.

Degree Program Approval Process
This document outlines the process for reviewing proposals for all new degree programs at public and private post-secondary institutions.

What subjects can I study?
If you are planning to work in a specific occupation, or would like more information about career choices before you decide on a field of study, Alberta Occupational Profiles is a good place to start. This site includes duties, working conditions, skills and education required, employment outlook, salary and other information about specific occupations.

Up-to-date information about educational and training programs in Alberta is also compiled by Alberta Human Resources and Employment.

Where can I study?
Alberta is home to a wide variety of post-secondary institutions located throughout the province. In addition to Albertans studying in their home province, post-secondary opportunities for Albertans to study abroad and for foreign students to study in Alberta are also available and two examples of Alberta's International Education Strategy at work. The Alberta Government also recently signed a number of agreements with Citizenship and Immigration Canada to attract more foreign students to Alberta.

Can I transfer course credits between post-secondary institutions?
In many cases, yes. The Alberta Transfer Guide contains the transfer agreements between post-secondary institutions in Alberta as well as Aurora College and Nunavut Arctic College. Learners who wish to transfer are encouraged to consult the Guide and to contact the post-secondary institution to which they are transferring.

What are the admission requirements for post-secondary institutions?
Alberta Advanced Education has pulled together the post-secondary admission requirements for the subject areas of Mathematics and English Language Arts. For complete admission requirement information, please contact individual post-secondary institutions.

These charts outline the grades required for admission to undergraduate degree or university transfer programs that are directly accessible from high school.

How can I pay for my studies?
The Government of Alberta offers a wide range of student financial assistance programs to ensure that financial need is not a barrier to post-secondary education.

Initiatives, Projects and Reviews
To continually meet the different needs, interests and concerns of Albertans, Alberta Advanced Education sometimes undertakes special projects, initiatives and reviews. The department is also involved in a number of important cross-government efforts.

Facts on Funding and Alberta's Learning System
Information on post-secondary education funding and excellence in our learning system.