Optical Office Assistant | NorQuest College

Program requirements

Academic requirements

Language Arts – this requirement can be met with any of the following, or an equivalent course:
- 50% in English Language Arts 30-1
- 65% in English Language Arts 30-2
- 50% in ESLG 1860
- 65% in ESLG 1898
Mathematics – this requirement can be met with any of the following, or an equivalent course:
- 65% in MATH 1905
- 50% in Mathematics 10-3

Academic Assessment - Applicants who have submitted an application may be able to meet their academic requirements with a free assessment. Click here for more details or email student.advisor@norquest.ca to meet with an advisor.

Note: Academic admission requirements are different from English language proficiency requirements. NorQuest College English for Academic Purposes courses may be used to meet both requirements. See below for details.

English language proficiency requirements

If English is your second language, you must provide proof of English language proficiency before admission. These results must be no more than two years old when you start your program.

Test scores we accept:

IELTS Academic: overall score of 6.5; no section score below 6.0
TOEFL iBT: 84; no section score below 21
Cambridge English Language Assessment: 180; no section score below 165
CAEL: 70; no section score below 70
PTE Academic: 59; no section score below 56
Duolingo: 115
minimum of:
- 80% in ESLS 8000 or ESLS 8100, and 80% in ESLW 8000 or ESLW 8100; or
- 50% in ESLG 1898 and ESLG 1899
- 50% in ESLG 1860 and ESLG 1861

Practicum/work experience requirements

Students need to travel to various locations to complete their clinical practice experiences. Within the time frame of the program, every effort is made to accommodate students in clinical placements. Students may need to travel up to 100 kilometres. Access to a vehicle may be needed. Students may be needed to work a variety of shifts during practicum including days, evenings, and weekends.

Before you attend your practicum, you will need:

to successfully complete all prerequisite courses.
the following courses. Certificates will be awarded upon completion:
- WHMIS: XBUS 1017 (current within three years)
a keyboarding speed of 40 words per minute, verified in XBUS 1165
a clear Police Information Check. A Vulnerable Sector Check is also needed if you are over 18 years of age.
to complete the AHS Information & Privacy online learning module.

There may be costs associated with completing these requirements. See Completing work, practicum, and clinical requirements for details and further instructions.

International students: You must get a co-op work permit before beginning the work-integrated learning component of the program. A medical exam may also be needed. See Co-op work permit for more information.

Progression and graduation

Students must receive a B- grade in each course to progress through the program.

Students must pass all courses and achieve a minimum 2.7 grade point average (GPA) to qualify for graduation.

Honours criteria

Overall grade point average (GPA) greater than or equal to 3.7
The student must not have failed or repeated any courses

Technology requirements

Students need a computer with Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access), and a stable Internet connection for this program. Learn more about Bring your own device.

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