Program standards are developed by the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Branch (PEQAB) and apply to all similar programs of instruction offered by publicly funded colleges across the province. Program standards promote consistency in education/training outcomes across all public colleges, principally Ontario Colleges (and in some cases, career colleges, district school boards and Indigenous Institutes).

Program standards development initiated in 1993 with the following objectives:
1. More consistency to college programming across the province;
2. Broader focus to college programs – including the essential employability skills and general education requirements to ensure graduates have skills to be flexible and to continue to learn and adapt;
3. Public accountability for quality and relevance of college programs.

PEQAB has responsibility for the development, review, approval and release of system-wide standards for programs of instruction for Colleges in Ontario.

For additional information regarding Program Standards and to view all PEQAB approved Program Standards, please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/college-program-standards.

For the 2025 – 2026 cycle, the Program Standards under development/review can be found here. Additionally, a Program Standards 101 presentation can be found here.

Please note that the Program Standards operation is within the PEQAB Branch which also supports the Board but separate from the functions of the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board itself.

Our Team

Below you will find information regarding members of the team and the Program Standards that they are responsible for. Each Project Officer / Chargée de projet, with the support of the Team Lead / Senior Policy Advisor, is responsible for leading their respective reviews and drafting the Program Standard(s) in consultation with our stakeholders.

For general inquiries about Program Standards, please contact: psu@ontario.ca.