Types of Admission

Admission to an Institution vs Admission to a Program

Every post-secondary institution in BC sets its own admission policies. Most institutions set criteria for general admission to the institution, while the criteria for admission to individual programs are specified separately. Institutional and program specific admission information is available on each institution's website.

Students can also search Education Planner for both institutional and program specific admission information on over 1700 programs offered by BC's public institutions.

Admission to an institution does not guarantee admission to a program or to specific courses.

Whether in a university, a university college, a college or an institute, admission to all or most programs may be highly competitive due to limited spaces. Grades are usually the most important criteria, often in combination with required courses. Portfolios and interviews may be part of the admission process in some programs.

"Open" Admission

Many institutions have an "open" admission policy, versus competitive admission. This means that if a student meets some basic requirements, such as language proficiency, Canadian citizenship or residency, or minimum age, he or she is deemed admissible to the institution on a first-come, first-served basis. Once a student is admitted, institutions will work with him/her to establish an appropriate course of studies depending on his/her background and goals.

Even in some institutions that distinguish between "open" admission to the institution as opposed to separate admission to a program, in practice the two may be synonymous. That is, students must apply to a program at the same time as they apply to the institution, and therefore the requirements to be admitted to the program will determine their admission to the institution also.

There is considerable variation, therefore, in policy and practice even among institutions with "open" admission. Students should check the admission criteria carefully for both the institutions and the program in which they intend to enrol.