Planning

Educational success is realized when you know what you want from your education and where you can get it. Because there are many high-quality academic, technical and career education options in B.C., you need to be informed in order to make the best choice.

Life-long learners benefit by building a personalized learning plan – one that helps them achieve both personal and career goals. Start building your plan by considering:

What career suits my aptitude and skill set?
Do my goals match current labour market demands?
Which institutions offer programs that will help me achieve my career goals?

Before you decide on a program or institution, it’s also important to:

Read current information about the academic field or career that interests you, including job market information about careers or professions in high demand.
Learn more about the programs that will help you realize your goals, including entrance requirements, expenses, locations and instructional methods.
Choose the right post-secondary institution – plan a campus visit to learn about their reputation, instructors and entrance requirements.
Understand what kind of credential or professional designation is required to be licensed for work in B.C.

Planning Tools

Use these tools to help build your personalized learning plan.

Education Planner
Find reliable, detailed and searchable information about post-secondary programs in B.C.
MyCreditsBC
Students that have already taken courses at some public post-secondary institutions can review their unofficial transcript of credits online.
CanLearn
Use Canada’s post-secondary education resource to help you decide what and where to study and how to cover education expenses.
Universities, Colleges and Institutes in B.C.
Explore the various public and private post-secondary institutions in B.C.
CoursesBC
Check out online and distance courses available at B.C.’s public post-secondary institutions.
ApplyBC
Apply to some of B.C.’s post-secondary institutions online.

Career Planning

Use WorkBC to learn about B.C.’s key industries and the demand for specific skills. Find information that will help you determine which job, career or profession is best for you.

Credentials

Program completion often means that students are awarded a credential or designation. Credentials awarded in B.C. include certificates, diplomas, associate degrees, bachelor degrees, masters’ degrees and doctorate degrees.

Make sure the program you select offers a credential that meets both your learning objectives and career goals. Use Education Planner to find out which institutions offer the type of credential programs you need.

Be an informed student. Only authorized public and private post-secondary institutions in B.C. can offer degrees. If you are unsure about whether an institution is authorized, please check the list of institutions NOT authorized to grant degrees in British Columbia before making any decisions about enrolment.

Many trades and professional careers in B.C. are governed by licensing and regulatory bodies. Review “Permits and Licences” in the B.C. Government Service Finder or learn more about requirements for:

Post-Secondary Data

If you’re craving more information, use post-secondary data to find out about:

Student outcomes – what did students think of their program and how many graduated?
Education costs – how much are students paying for post-secondary education?
Enrolment – how many students are enrolled in public institutions?
Archived data – which public institution programs have been most popular and what trends do student demographics reveal?