Pre-Admission Planning

Post-Secondary Application

The links provided below offer access to a variety of informative resources covering a wide range of topics on career and program choice, and recognition of prior learning.

Kwantlen Advising provides current and prospective students with assistance in planning their education and allows them to connect with an educational advisor.

EducationPlanner.bc.ca is endorsed by the public post-secondary institutions of British Columbia, managed by the BC Council on Admissions and Transfer, and funded by the BC Ministry of Advanced Education. This site allows you to search for post-secondary programs by field of study, subject, institution and length of program. It also has a section providing information on school location and eligibility requirements, financial aid (loans, scholarships, grants, co-op programs), international student data and former student outcome feedback.

WorkFutures.bc.ca provides a comprehensive description of close to 200 occupations as they relate directly to the BC labour market. It is for learners, individuals interested in changing careers or re-entering the labour market, and for career practitioners.

Careercruising.com is an excellent, thorough Canadian website offering information on hundreds of occupations, labour market information, links to Canadian post-secondary institutions and job-search topics. You will require a username and password to access this website.

The Federal Government’s website jobfutures.ca profiles over 226 occupational groups covering the entire Canadian labour market, education and work experiences of recent graduates from 155 post-secondary educational programs in Canada, and links to more than 100 interesting sites.

Jobstvnews.com has produced more than 400 career videos that include on the job interviews with working professionals (Career Video Profiles), and offers helpful planning advice about career sector futures (Expert Comment) and insights into the rewards of making the right career choice (I love my Job).

The Professional Association of Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC) offers a tidy summary of what engineers do, what careers in engineering are available and what educational pathways exist to become an engineer. Similarly, the Association of Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of B.C. (ASTTBC) provides information about the educational pathways which exist to becoming a certified technician or technologist, along with a whole range of career profiles and potential salaries (which may shock you).

Itabc.ca is the Industry Training Authority website for apprenticeship and trades training in British Columbia. The ITA is a provincial government agency with legislated responsibility to govern and develop the industry training system in B.C. It works with industry, people who are pursuing training, and the educational providers to develop an approach that will effectively meet industry training needs, now and in the future. It provides information about industrial training opportunities as well as how and where to apply. Kwantlen University College offers numerous apprenticeship and trades programs, and is the some provincial provider of the horticulture apprenticeship training.

Finally, pas.bc.ca makes applying for public post-secondary education quick and easy. Twenty-five of BC's universities, university colleges, colleges, and institutions are now accepting applications through this application-for-admission service. You can submit a one-step, on-line application to most of BC's public post-secondary institutions and programs. That means no more waiting in line, no more long-distance calls, no more licking stamps, no more voice mail loops and no more submitting separate applications to each institution.

Prior Learning Recognition and Course Transfer

These links provide valuable information on the transfer of prior learning into Kwantlen, and the transfer of Kwantlen course credits to other post-secondary institutions. You should consult Kwantlen's Calendar pages for information on how to obtain transfer credit to Kwantlen and how much credit transfer is possible.

On behalf of the BC Government, BCIT hosts an International Credential Evaluation Service that provides recognition of international credentials compared to the British Columbia standards. The ICES assessment facilitates admission processing at Kwantlen University College. There is a charge for this service, and further information can be found at bcit.ca/ices.

Kwantlen University College recognizes that a program's learning outcomes can sometimes be achieved through experiential, rather than formal traditional learning. Prior learning includes the skills and knowledge gained through learning experiences such as industry-based training, professional development workshops and seminars, private study, and work experience. Kwantlen’s Calendar provides information on Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR).

The Applied Academics course pathway offered through British Columbia's high schools is designed for students that are not planning to pursue an academic degree at a university, university college or college. As such, it does not readily gain recognition by the academics, and at best it is generally regarded at a lower level the “Principles” pathway. The “Applications” pathway was designed to address entry needs for trades and technical programs, and for careers not requiring the understanding of the level of mathematics or science traditionally found in an academic degree. As such, many of BC’s public colleges and university colleges accept these courses as an equivalent or alternate entry requirement in the trades or technical areas. The BC Ministry of Education’s website bced.gov.bc.ca/careers/aa offers information on these courses and how they are recognized by Kwantlen University College and elsewhere in the province. Caution, this site may not be regularly updated or reflect the current or complete status of course recognition across the post-secondary system.

The BC Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) offers valuable tips on how the provincial course transfer system operates between the post-secondary institutions within the province, along with course-by-course detail of articulated transfer arrangements. Their Transfer Tips information is highly useful, and their extensive research on the success and challenges of course transfer within BC is available for reading.