Universities, Colleges and Private Degree-Granting Institutions
Transfer is the ability of a student to be able to move from one institution to another and have previous equivalent course work recognized for credit. Its primary purpose is to facilitate access, flexibility and efficiency for students moving between institutions.
The British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) was established in 1989 with a mandate to facilitate admission, articulation, and transfer arrangements among British Columbia's public and private postsecondary institutions. Specifically, the council encourages institutions to develop policies that facilitate student mobility and transferability of postsecondary courses and block credit so that credit granted at one institution can be applied toward credentials at other institutions.
There are 37 public and private B.C. post-secondary institutions that are members of the B.C. transfer system, as well as Yukon University and Athabasca University. They establish formal transfer agreements for courses and programs where there is high demand and affinity. All these guaranteed credit equivalencies are recorded in the B.C. Transfer Guide. BCCAT also regularly collaborates with its provincial counterparts across Canada to share and expand upon transfer pathways.
All public and a large number of private institutions also establish informal transfer on a case-by-case, or student-by-student basis. These agreements are managed privately by each institution and are not directly overseen by BCCAT.
As of 2021, there were over 239,000 course transfer, 1,400 block transfer, and 50 guaranteed admissions degree partnership agreements in the B.C. transfer system, providing diverse educational pathway opportunities for students. BCCAT also recently expanded the BC Transfer Guide to include out of province and international equivalencies, making it the first province to show how students can receive credit from outside of BC.
Currently, some private postsecondary institutions in British Columbia offer academic courses and/or programs that are transferable to public universities, within the transfer principles and definitions established by BCCAT. As well, most private degree granting institutions are program members of the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfers (BCCAT) and accept credits from other institutions that are part of the transfer guide. Information on credit transfer is the responsibility of BCCAT and is provided in the B.C. Transfer Guide.
Education Planner (EPBC) was established in 2016 through a partnership between British Columbia's public post-secondary institutions and the provincial government to improve access to post-secondary education. Specifically, EPBC has a mandate to improve post-secondary planning and application services, and to provide a provincial student data exchange hub to improve student mobility and facilitate the distribution of electronic student records.
Using EPBC, prospective learners can search all undergraduate and graduate programs offered by BC's public universities, colleges, and institutes, and compare admission requirements, tuition fees, and application deadlines. For most of BC's public post-secondary institutions, EPBC is also how prospective learners complete and submit applications for their chosen program(s).
Comprehensive review of this information: January 2021