Douglas College

Douglas College is the largest degree-granting college in Canada's westernmost province, British Columbia.

Founded in 1970, and with well over 50 years of educational heritage, Douglas offers the widest selection of bachelor's degrees and post-degree programs of any college in B.C.

The college supports over 20,000 students annually, distributed across two major campuses in metropolitan Vancouver. These students form an inclusive and truly international community, including more than 2500 international students representing over 100 countries worldwide. The college has a balanced approach towards education, and is known for combining the academic focus of a university with the vocational skills-oriented training of a college. Students gain a firm foundation in both of these approaches, making them versatile graduates who are well suited to further degree study or professional work.

The college provides a diverse range of flexible educational pathways, and many enrolled students on for-credit courses transfer to different research universities in B.C. and across Canada.

Major campuses in New Westminster and Coquitlam are supported by several smaller training centres in Surrey, Burnaby and Maple Ridge to form well-connected network of academic centres in the Vancouver area. They're easily accessible, with both main campuses directly on the local metro system (SkyTrain).

Douglas College has a strong culture of athletics, and its varsity sports teams are known as the Royals. The Royals compete across multiple athletics associations in men's and women's basketball, soccer and volleyball, as well as men's baseball and women's softball.

With more than fifty years of experience delivering a wide array of academic and vocational tuition, Douglas College is one of Canada's most established education providers.

The success of its courses is largely due to the quality of the curriculum and the expert team of teaching staff who deliver it. This group of around 960 teaching faculty is a diverse community of academics, educators, practitioners, researchers, and professionals who bring both rigour and experience to their classes. They are enthusiastic about the success of their students, encouraging them to reach their academic goals while also developing themselves personally.

Many tutors have spent years working in industry, and many are involved in ongoing research projects or professional work. This enables them to give up-to-date and professionally relevant insights that can help to inform each student's own career aspirations.

Additionally, there are around 900 other college employees who support the teaching staff with the shared goal of establishing an inspiring and supportive learning environment, where students feel respected and have the resources and guidance to study in confidence.

Douglas College offers a range of higher education programs including bachelor's degrees, associated degrees, and various other certifications and diplomas. In fact, the college offers the largest number of bachelor's degrees and post-degree programs of any college in B.C. spanning a wide variety of subject areas and fields of research.

Programs are delivered by the college's six academic faculties, which include the following:

• Applied Community Studies
• Commerce and Business Administration
• Health Sciences
• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Language, Literature and Performing Arts
• Science and Technology

There are more than 100 different programs to choose from, including the following 10 bachelor's degrees:

• Child and Youth Care
• Therapeutic Recreation
• Accounting
• Business Administration
• Financial Services
• Marketing
• Health Information Management
• Applied Criminology
• Applied Psychology
• Management

International students must meet the following necessary admission requirements for undergraduate level study (diploma, associate degree and bachelor's degree):

• High school graduation or 19 years of age by the end of the first month of studies in the semester of entry to Douglas College; and
• Minimum overall grade average of 60 percent (or equivalent) in the final year of high school; and
• Minimum final grade of C or 60 percent (or equivalent) in Grade 11 Mathematics or equivalent for most programs

International students must also demonstrate proof of English language proficiency by completing and submitting test scores from an accepted assessment system. Applicants can consult a comprehensive list of English language proficiency tests and scores accepted by Douglas College via the college's international students admission requirements page.

Applicants should note that official test scores and language pathway completion certificates have a two-year validity period from the date they were completed. Prospective students can contact Douglas College's International Admissions team with any questions or queries on academic and English language requirements. The college lists the most common ways of meeting English language proficiency requirements, and the international admissions team can advise applicants on any accepted qualifications which are not included on the entry requirements page.

If applicants do not meet the English language proficiency requirements for admission to the college, they can apply to the Douglas College English Language Learning and Acquisition Program (ELLA) or through one of its ESL Pathways partnerships. For entry onto ELLA programs, international students must have graduated from high school or be 19 years of age by the end of the first month of their first semester of studies at Douglas College. There are also English language proficiency requirements for ELLA programs. These can be viewed in full on the college's ELLA program page.

Douglas College has two major campus facilities in New Westminster and Coquitlam:

Each campus is a comprehensive learning environment, featuring all the amenities and services students need to study hard and achieve their education goals. Each campus hosts a range of activities and events to help students settle in, make friends and expand their interests in comfort and convenience.

In addition to academic facilities such as libraries, classrooms, laboratories, and lecture theatres, there are recreational spaces, outdoor areas, multiple food and drinks vendors, and a wide selection of sports and exercise facilities which students can use at both recreational and competitive levels.

Each campus is readily accessible by public transit. Skytrain is quick, inexpensive and has stations located within easy walking distance of both campuses. There are also secure bike facilities at each location, making it straightforward for students to commute to class while maintaining a low environmental impact.

Douglas College provides its international students with a range of scholarships and financial awards which are designed to help them fund the costs of their studies. The college currently offers nearly CAD 140,000 in entry scholarships to international students.

The college's Douglas International Education Regional Entrance Award is worth between CAD 1,000 and 2,000. The award does not require an application, and students are automatically assessed for the award upon their application to Douglas College. Successful recipients of the Douglas International Education Regional Entrance Award typically have strong English language proficiency test scores and an above average grade point average, equivalent to B or above.

The Dr. Guangwei Ouyang International Education Entrance Scholarship, meanwhile, is valued at CAD 2,500 and awarded in recognition of the academic performance, personal development, and community engagement of applicants. To be considered for The Dr. Guangwei Ouyang International Education Entrance Scholarship, students must submit an entrance scholarship form and have already applied for a place at Douglas College.

There are also a number of continuing student awards and scholarships available to international students at Douglas College, in addition to the college's Athletic Scholarship. Full details and associated criteria for all scholarships and awards available to international students at the college can be viewed on the Douglas College scholarships and awards for international students information page.

Douglas College is a forward-thinking institution, which is continually looking for new ways to provide accessible educational pathways that benefit the local and regional communities in the Vancouver area.

Access to affordable, well-located student housing is one of the biggest challenges facing post-secondary students in the region, particularly for those relocating from other parts of Canada or abroad. To address this need, Douglas College is constructing 808 Royal, a new 20-storey academic building and the college's first-ever student residence, located directly across the street from the New Westminster Campus at Eighth Street and Royal Avenue.

Once complete, 808 Royal will provide 368 beds for both domestic and international students, alongside modern teaching and learning spaces. The building is expected to be ready by the end of 2027.

By bringing purpose-built housing directly onto its New Westminster campus footprint, Douglas College is removing a major barrier to access, helping students settle in faster, focus on their studies, and become part of a vibrant, connected college community.