In the past, most internationally educated engineers who landed in Alberta as an immigrant experienced a lot of challenges in order to work as engineers.
High school education in the Philippines is somewhat different compared to the high school curriculum of the Canadian Education System. In the last issues of the Alberta Filipino Journal, I wrote articles on how internationally educated engineers can address these issues and eventually become engineers in Alberta.
For most Filipinos, the education of our children is the most treasured accomplishment we can give them. It is in our culture that we push our children to continue and eventually get their post-secondary degrees. Post-secondary degrees are the University or College Degree equivalent in the Philippines. For engineers in the Philippines, it takes 5 years to complete once an individual has graduated from high school (4th year HS) and it is about 200 credit units to complete engineering education. With the implementation of the K-12 education in the Philippines, Grades 11 and 12 are equivalent to the 2 years College curriculum in the Philippines with the focus on the student’s chosen track, whether it is in Engineering, Business or the Medical Profession.
In Canada, the post-secondary (University) education starts with the preparation for the courses or subjects they will be taking from Grades 10 to 12, which is senior high school.
To be admitted into the Faculty of Engineering in each University, students who are applying directly from a high school in Canada must have successfully completed the following and satisfies the minimum grade average for each of the core courses:
The students must complete the 5 Alberta Grade 12 courses or their equivalents:
English 30-1, Math 30-1, Math 31, Physics 30, and Chemistry 30.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Transfer Credit
Some senior high schools offer IB Programs. When senior high school students take this path, they can receive a university-level credit for IB work completed in high school. Transfer credit can allow the student to free up time in their university course schedule and save money.
Advance Placement Courses
From Grades 10 to 12, students have the option to take the courses as AP. With the Advance Placement (AP) transfer credit, the student will also receive university-level credit for AP work completed in high school, meaning the student has the option not to take that course in university and proceed to the next level course as its pre-requisites.
It is a fact that most Filipino-born children studying in Alberta excel in their high school education. This is a testament of the cultural values that embody each Filipino when it comes to the importance of Education. As we always say, we should not settle for anything less, let us encourage our children to pursue a university degree.
