British Columbia institutions of higher learning are known the world over for their high quality, rigorous standards, innovative programs and international appeal.
At every level – grammar school, high school, technical school, college or university – British Columbia offers unparalleled value and quality, and a large variety of options.
General Education Facts
Education in British Columbia runs from Kindergarten (Year 0) to Grade 12.
Individual municipalities are responsible for operating schools within their jurisdictions through local school boards.
The provincial education ministry, the Ministry of Education, is responsible for provincial curriculum development and management, as well as teacher certification.
All schools in British Columbia must follow the same basic curriculum, regardless of religious or political affiliation, though many schools offer exciting courses and opportunities beyond the core requirements.
Post Secondary Education Facts
In Canada, there are basically four types of post-secondary educational institution:
Universities, which are empowered to grant all levels of post-secondary degree
University Colleges, which are empowered to grant four-year and two year degrees, as well as technical degrees
Colleges, which are empowered to grant two-year and vocational degrees
Private schools that offer specific religious, vocational, technical or language training.
In Canada, post-secondary education is the responsibility of the provincial and territorial governments, and the provinces administer all funds provided by the Government of Canada for the express purpose of college and university administration.
In British Columbia, the ministry responsible for managing higher education is the Ministry of Science and Universities.
The federal government, however, still offers a variety of funding options to individuals and universities for research, student financial aid, and for various scholarships.
Opportunities in British Columbia
The province’s largest, best-regarded and best-endowed university is the University of British Columbia (UBC), with the main campus on the western tip of beautiful Vancouver, host of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Year after year, UBC is recognized as one of Canada’s top 3 institutions of higher learning, and one of the top 50 in the world.
Simon Fraser University (SFU) is the Vancouver area’s second largest university, located on leafy Burnaby Mountain with a village-like atmosphere and views overlooking the Pacific Ocean, SFU is known across Canada for its business school, as well as its economics and urban studies programs.
The British Columbia Institute of Technology, located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, is the best known and highest-regarded technical school in Western Canada.
Vancouver Community College offers a large range of programs, from culinary arts to technical writing, along with programs in languages, tourism, nursing, and university transfer.
The University of Victoria is well known for its engineering and economics programs, along with its law school, political science/public administration programs, and the convivial atmosphere in beautiful old-world Victoria.
Thompson Rivers University, in the highland city of Kamloops, offers excellent tourism and business management programs, along with advanced internship/placement options, and the Open Learning Agency, the province’s largest correspondence university.
