At Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada, Cert in Science and Technology Foundations is offered as a certificate in Natural Sciences programme. The programme runs for 1 year, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English.
At a glance
Degree:Certificate
Field:Natural Sciences
Duration: 1 year
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
We have no tuition fees on record for this programme yet.
— it helps other students.
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Overview Explore the fields of science and technology to define your career pathway. Innovations in science and technology have improved our daily lives by making the world easier to navigate and more accessible. The one-year Science and Technology Foundations Ontario College Certificate allows you to explore academic and career opportunities within the fields of applied science and technology, while developing fundamental skills in these areas and preparing you for a well-suited academic and professional pathway. In this program, you develop core skills through lectures and practical laboratories, which are common to all areas of applied science and technology, such as critical thinking, problem solving, team work, communication, computer skills, and applied mathematics. You increase your own awareness of industry and career opportunities within the fields of applied science and technology. You have an option of selecting two courses relating to either electronics or chemistry to guide possible career choices. You also develop strong academic and career planning skills to support you through the next stages of your studies and into your career. This science and technology foundations program provides you with an introduction to more advanced programs in these fields, including, but not limited to: Biotechnology - Advanced Environmental Technician Electromechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Technology Manufacturing Engineering Technician As a graduate, you will qualify to receive transfer credits in related programs for some courses taken in this program. Contact the Program Coordinator to explore specific transfer credit opportunities.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: College Eligibility requires an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or Mature Student status (19 or older without a diploma, subject to a fee-based academic achievement test). Program Eligibility for this certificate is Grade 12 English (ENG4C or equivalent). International or non-Canadian transcripts are assessed through ICAS or WES, and the program's published English-proficiency scale is IELTS Academic overall 6.0 with no band below 5.5, OR TOEFL iBT overall 80 with a minimum of 20 per component for tests before 21 January 2026 (a rescaled overall 4 with a 4 component minimum applies to tests from that date), OR Duolingo English Test overall 110 with at least 110 in Literacy and no score below 95.
Application Details
Start Date:Intake terms Algonquin lists for this program, read from its own availability table on 6 September 2026: Fall 2026 (AC Day 1 orientation 8 September 2026; Fall term classes start 9 September 2026). Term start dates come from the Registrar's Important Dates page, which also gives 11 January 2027 for the Winter 2027 term and 10 May 2027 for the Spring 2027 term. Availability changes as seats fill and an intake already under way may be closed, so check the program page before applying. Algonquin's academic year runs September to August.
Application Deadline:DOMESTIC APPLICANTS (Canadian citizens and permanent residents). Algonquin publishes no deadline unique to this program; the dates below are the college-wide Ontario colleges cycle and apply to every full-time day program. Applications go through ontariocolleges.ca, where 1 February is the equal consideration date each cycle: apply by then and your application is assessed alongside every other one received by that date, while applications arriving later are handled first-come, first-served for as long as places remain. For entry in Fall 2027 the ontariocolleges.ca application opened on 26 September 2026, colleges may begin issuing offers on 1 November 2026, the equal consideration date is 1 February 2027 and an offer must be accepted by 1 May 2027. The equal consideration date that governed the Fall 2026, Winter 2027 and Spring 2027 intakes was 1 February 2026 and has already passed, so those three starts are now first-come, first-served while seats last.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS. Apply directly to Algonquin on the International Application Form in its International Application Portal (AC360) rather than through ontariocolleges.ca, with a CAD 135 application fee. There is no single fixed international deadline: Algonquin asks you to confirm the program is open before applying, warns that a program's status can change to waitlisted or closed before an admissions officer reviews the file, and publishes a closing-date sheet for each intake. For the Fall 2026 intake that sheet gives this program's own dates: 10 September 2026 is the last day to apply on the International Application Portal and receive an acceptance, and 14 September 2026 is the last day to register.
