Mature Students

Interested in attending college? Don’t have your high school diploma? You could still qualify as a mature student, learn more!

Mature student status refers to applicants who are 19 and older as of the first day of classes without an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent but with the admission required courses. The admission required courses for our full-time programs are noted on each program page, and for some programs, a GED may be considered in place of these requirements.

If you do not have the prerequisite subject credits for the program you would like to apply to, you have options.

Durham College offers Academic Upgrading so that you can obtain the prerequisite courses required to enter a college program. For information about Academic Upgrading at Durham College please click here. You can also take the admission required courses through a local high school or adult learning centre.

While most programs only require academic prerequisites some programs may require additional pieces such as questionnaires, tests and portfolios. It is your responsibility to complete these requirements as part of the admission process. Detailed instructions and deadlines will be provided when you apply.

The best place to begin is Ontario Colleges where you will find information on colleges, programs and courses, the application process, important dates, financial assistance and mature students.

For specific program information at Durham College you can view programs by alphabetical order on the A to Z listing, by area of interest, or by academic school.

Note: International students must have the equivalent of an Ontario Secondary School Diploma and cannot apply as mature students. International student inquiries should be directed to the International office.