Each CEGEP program leading to a Diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC) is made up of two components:
GENERAL EDUCATION CONCENTRATION COURSESGeneral Education
The General Education component of a student’s DEC fosters connections between the world of CEGEP and the greater human society in which we are all a part. Students will gain insights into how people see their world, how they communicate, solve problems, and gain self-awareness. Courses in General Education are designed to make links between the course of studies in an academic program and the world outside the College gates.
The compulsory subjects common to all CEGEP programs are:
English
- Introduction to English: To analyze and produce various forms of discourse
- Literary Genres: To apply a critical approach to literary genres
- Literary Themes: To apply a critical approach to a literary theme
- B-Block: To communicate in the forms of discourse appropriate to one or more fields of study
Humanities
- World Views: To apply a critical thought process to world views
- Knowledge: To apply a logical analytical process to how knowledge is organized and used
- B-Block: To apply a critical thought process to ethical issues relevant to a field of study
French
- Level 1: Basic communication in French
- Level 2: More advanced communication in French
- Level 3: To communicate comfortably in French
- Level 4: To engage in a cultural or literary subject in French
-
- Obligatory course
- B-Block: To apply these communication skills to a field of study
Students are placed into a French level based on their Quebec Secondary V final French grades or by the result of the placement testing.
Physical Education
- Lifestyle Courses: To help students develop awareness of their own health and lifestyle behaviours
- Activity Courses: To encourage students to assess their abilities and monitor their improvement in a specific activity
- Active Living Courses: To equip students with the tools and knowledge to take control of their personal health and physical well-being now and in the future.
Complementary
The complementary courses provide an opportunity for students to explore subjects outside their field of concentration.
Note that Liberal Arts (700.B0), Arts & Sciences (700.A0), and Double DEC (200.12) students achieve Complementary competencies as part of their Concentration Courses of choice.
Concentration Courses
Concentration courses are those courses which are directly related to DEC program. Different programs have different number of Concentration Courses. Pre-University programs have between 12 and 16 program-specific courses while Technical programs have between 15 and 36 program specific courses, including the stage component.
Comprehensive Assessment
The Règlement sur le régime des études collégiales (RREC) requires graduating students in all diploma programs (DEC) to demonstrate that integration of acquired competencies of a given program of studies has taken place. It allows the College to verify that the overall program outcomes, as defined by means of the Exit Profile, have been achieved by the students.
Ministerial Exit Exam
All students registered in a DEC or DCS (Diplôme d’études collégiales or Diploma of College Studies) program in CEGEP must take and pass the Ministerial Language Examination before graduating and obtaining a diploma, either the Ministerial Examination of College English (known as the English Exit Exam) or the Épreuve uniforme de français.. The examination held in May, August, and December, is designed to determine whether students have achieved a satisfactory level of competence in English or French. Students are only required to write one of these examinations. Which exam the student writes will depend on if they are a holder of a certificate of eligibility for English education.
