Direct Entry

There are two routes to entry to BC post-secondary institutions:

• the direct entry route, in which a student enters a post-secondary institution directly from high school; and
  
  
• the transfer route, in which a student starts a degree program at one institution and then transfers to another to finish the program and graduate. Many students transfer from more than one institution. The transfer route can be taken by all students whether or not they are eligible for the direct entry route.

In addition, there are a few other admission categories.

The Direct Route

Universities

As a general rule, students seeking admission to a university (other than the TRU - Open Learning) directly from a BC/Yukon secondary school must have successfully completed, as a minimum, English 12 and three additional academic Grade 12 subjects, and must have completed Grade 11 Language, Science and Mathematics courses.

• Simon Fraser University requires five Grade 12 courses for admission, from a broader range of subjects.
  
  
• The University of Northern British Columbia requires a minimum of five Grade 12 courses: English 12, three from a list of eligible Grade 12 courses, and one other Grade 12 course (consult the UNBC Calendar for details).
  
  
• TRU - Open Learning has no academic requirements for admission to the institution but requires students to satisfy prerequisites for some programs and courses. See also Grades & Prerequisites.

Some universities publish in their yearly calendars a required minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) that applicants must have attained, generally about a C+ average. Other universities publish only the actual GPAs with which students were admitted in recent semesters. Most often, actual GPAs are significantly higher than calendar GPAs because of high demand for available spaces. See also Grades & Prerequisites.

Colleges

For direct admission to colleges, including the post-secondary programs at private colleges, a student should have graduated from grade 12 or the equivalent, or be a mature student (i.e. over the age of 19 and out of school for a year or more).

• Since colleges offer a wide range of programs, some of which have no academic requirements for admission, students can be admitted to some colleges without having to apply to be admitted to a program at the same time. Once admitted, students can work with an advisor to identify an appropriate course of study.
  
  
• Some college programs do require students to satisfy prerequisites for individual programs and courses. In most cases, particularly for math and science courses, the prerequisites are the same as for equivalent university courses. See also Grades & Prerequisites.
  
  
• Many colleges make specific provision for secondary students who lack one or two courses at graduation to make up the deficiencies while at the same time pursuing a partial post-secondary program.
  
  
• Mature students do not need to be secondary school graduates but do have to meet the individual course prerequisites for their chosen program of studies. Mature students can upgrade for these specific course requirements in a college or university Adult Basic Education program. Some institutions accept a specific score on an achievement test in lieu of a prerequisite.

Institutes

The BC Institute of Technology and the Justice Institute of BC offer a wide variety of programs. Besides the general institutional requirements for admission, each student must satisfy the admission criteria for the specific program for which he/she applies. The Emily Carr Institute places emphasis on a student's portfolio as well as on secondary school graduation for direct admission. Nicola Valley Institute of Technology and the Institute of Indigenous Government have admission criteria similar to that of colleges.

Secondary School Equivalence

All BC post-secondary institutions admit adults who have attained the BC Adult Graduation Diploma (BCAGD). This Diploma has replaced two former credentials offered by secondary schools (the Adult Dogwood) and colleges (the Provincial Diploma in Adult Basic Education). The GED (General Educational Development) is not considered equivalent to BC Grade 12, and is not acceptable for admission to most post-secondary programs.

Detailed information about the requirements for the BCAGD can be found in the ABE Articulation Handbook.

Detailed information about the use of the BCAGD as a basis of admission to four universities