Upgrading and University Preparation

Adult Basic Education (ABE) program

The Adult Basic Education (ABE) program has two levels: ABE and ABEUP.

UUP courses are for those who need to:

• Review and improve their English, computer, math, or science skills to meet employment requirements or for personal benefit.
• Enhance their life, educational, and employment readiness skills.
• Complete secondary school to earn the B.C. Adult Graduation diploma (Adult Dogwood).
• Complete prerequisite courses for post-secondary programs.

Entrance requirements

Adult Basic Education (ABE)

1. For entry into ABE courses, students must:
   • Be at least 19 years of age; or
   • Have a secondary school graduation diploma; or
   • Be 17 or 18 years of age and out of public school for at least one year.

Note 1: All Upgrading applicants who apply to ABE will not be able to take any university-level course until they have completed ENGL 081 or equivalent (see below) with a grade of C+ or better, or have been assessed at ENGL 091 or higher. The following are considered equivalent to ENGL 081:
• Communications 12 with a C+ or better
• Any English Language Arts 11 course or English 11 with a C or better
• English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 with a C- or better
• LPI essay ≥ 24 or higher (level 4)
• CPT ≥ 41
• TOEFL IBT 79–80
• TOEFL PBT 550
• IELTS Academic 6

Note 2: If students do not meet the entrance requirements, under certain conditions, they may apply for special admission.

Note 3: Students should consult UFV International if they are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Note 4: Students who have not graduated and have successfully completed ENGL 081 or equivalent (see Note 1, above) should apply to the ABEUP program.

Adult Basic Education University Preparation (ABEUP)

1. For entry into the ABEUP program, students must either:
   • Be a minimum of 18 years of age before the first day of classes; or
   • Have a secondary school graduation diploma.
2. Students must also have one of the following:
   • ENGL 081 with a C or better
   • Assessment at ENGL 091 or higher
   • Any English Language Arts 11 course or English 11 with a C or better
   • English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 with a C- or better
   • LPI essay ≥ 24 or higher (level 4)
   • CPT ≥ 41
   • TOEFL IBT 79-80
   • TOEFL PBT 550
   • IELTS Academic 6

Note 1: If students do not meet the entrance requirements, under certain conditions, they may apply for special admission.

Note 2: Students should consult UFV International if they are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

When to apply

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis throughout the year. Qualified applicants are considered for the next intake in which there is space. See Continuous application process for more information.

How to apply

Students apply to take an ABE course either online, or by calling or visiting their nearest UUP department to discuss their education and career goals with an Instructional Assistant. If necessary, students will be advised to register for an assessment session where their reading, writing, and/or math skills will be assessed. Students must complete and submit a UFV Application for Admission form to obtain a student number before they do the UUP placement assessment.

To find out when the next UUP information and assessment session will be held, please see the UUP Assessment section of the UUP website or contact the nearest UFV UUP centre by phone. Appointments may be booked online through www.ufv.ca/upgrading.

Registration into courses is dependent on available seats, so applying early is recommended.

How to register

Once applicants have applied for the ABE program and have a student number, they will be given a registration date.

Students who have been given a registration time and meet course prerequisites can register online or in person at the Office of the Registrar (OReg).

Students who do not meet course prerequisites will be given permission to register in courses based on their previous education, assessment results (if necessary), and their goals.

Financial aid

The Adult Upgrading Grant (AUG) is available to eligible students to help pay required fees and related costs. For information about the AUG, contact the UUP Instructional Assistant on campus or Student Financial Aid Services at 604-864-4601 in Abbotsford or 604-702-2618 in Chilliwack.

Program duration

The program is 15 weeks in duration.

Location

ABE courses are scheduled according to the UFV timetable. During the Fall and Winter semesters, courses are offered in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Hope. Summer semester courses are offered in Abbotsford and Chilliwack. Contact the UUP Instructional Assistant on campus (see above) for more information.

Workload

Three-credit UUP courses meet twice per week for 15 weeks for a total of 90 hours. In addition to attending classes, students are expected to work on assignments outside of class time. For this reason, a full-course load for ABE students is considered to be three courses (nine credits).

ABE levels

Fundamental level

Intermediate level

Advanced level

Note: MATH 084 or 085 may be used to fulfill the math requirement of the B.C. Adult Graduation diploma (see below for information about the B.C. Adult Graduation diploma).

Provincial level

Provincial-level courses help prepare students for further training in vocational, career, technical, or academic programs. It is important to consult an Advisor when planning such a program.

The UUP department offers the following Provincial-level courses.

Note: Provincial-level courses may be used to fulfill the requirements of the B.C. Adult Graduation diploma (see below for more information)

Undergraduate continuance

Students enrolled in undergraduate courses (courses numbered 100 or higher) must maintain an undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.00 to remain enrolled in Good Academic Standing at UFV. Students in Good Academic Standing will have no registration limits placed on them. Failure to meet the minimum CGPA requirement will result in restrictions on registration and may eventually lead to academic suspension from undergraduate studies at UFV. Students on Academic Warning or Academic Probation are limited to registering in 10 credits. For further details, see the Academic standing and undergraduate continuance section of the academic calendar. Academic standing is governed by UFV's Undergraduate Continuance policy (92).

Adult Basic Education University Preparation (ABEUP) program

Adult Basic Education University Preparation (ABEUP) is designed for those who have completed ENG 081 or are assessed at the ENG 091 level and want to obtain secondary school graduation or prerequisites to a post-secondary program with the option of taking three first-year university-level courses (maximum of three first-year University courses while in the ABEUP program). An assessment may be required before entry into the ABEUP program.

B.C. Adult Graduation diploma (Adult Dogwood)

The B.C. Adult Graduation diploma (Adult Dogwood) is the secondary school graduation diploma for adults, 18 years of age or over.

To be eligible for the Adult Dogwood, students must complete three courses after enrolling in an adult program, Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) may be used to meet any of the requirements for the Adult Dogwood.

• A Provincial-level English (ENGL 091) or higher course, and
• An Advanced-level (MATH 084 or MATH 085) or higher mathematics course, and
• Three additional courses at the Provincial-level or higher, or
• Advanced-level Social Sciences and two Provincial-level courses or higher

To complete the requirements, students may need to take some courses outside the UUP department, so it is important that students consult with their UUP Instructional Assistant when planning their program.

Note: To be eligible for the Adult Graduation diploma, students must be 18 years or older.

Note: Courses from the B.C. School System may be counted toward the Adult Graduation diploma; however, at least three courses must be taken as an adult.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.