College of the Rockies students who transfer to university to complete a degree are among the most successful transfer students in the province, according to a new report from the British Columbia Council on Admission and Transfer (BCCAT).
In a press release, the college explained that the Profile and Performance report shows that COTR transfer students have an 87 per cent degree-completion rate, which is the highest of any transfer institution in the province. They are also among the top-performing students academically, with grade point averages (GPAs) in the top two or three of all B.C. post-secondary institutions, after transfer and upon completion of graduation.
“The BCCAT report proves the value of starting at the College and completing two years of coursework before transferring to a university,” said Darrell Bethune, dean of business and university arts and science programs. “And students love the more personal experience at College of the Rockies.”
Close to one-third of B.C. students at UBC-Vancouver and University of Victoria are transfer students, and more than half of B.C. students at Simon Fraser University have transferred from another institution.
“The success of our transfer students shows that it’s a great deal to start close to home in a more personal college environment, and students know a good deal when they see one,” Bethune said.
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COTR has a variety of transfer options and many academic programs for university-bound students. There is a new two-year Associate Degree in Environmental Science, which transfers as the first two years of a four-year science degree.
The press release states that certificate, diploma, and associate degree options are available in either Arts or Science, as well as specialized university level programs in Kinesiology, Tourism Management, Recreation Management, Hospitality Management, Accounting, Marketing, and Business Management. The College also has longstanding partnership degree programs in nursing and education.
According to the BCCAT report, more than half of all College of the Rockies transfer students complete at least 55 credits of coursework (close to two full academic years) before they transfer.
“We can assure students that going to the College is a strong investment in your academic undergraduate degree, and a very popular option provincially,” Bethune said. “Across the B.C. system, the average college student transfers 45 to 50 credits to a receiving institution, and College of the Rockies’ pattern is the same.”
One student, Kendall Plant, completed two years of science courses at COTR before transferring to UVIC to complete her bachelor’s degree in microbiology. She says that starting with two years in college helped her to succeed.
“Attending the College for the first couple of years of my education made me a more confident learner,” she said. “The smaller class sizes and more intimate setting allowed me to discover more about myself and my style of learning before attending a much larger institution.”
College of the Rockies also has dual admission agreements with the University of Victoria and University of Lethbridge which provide students the opportunity to complete up to two-years of credits at the College while also being considered a student at either university. Upon finishing their coursework at the College, students then move seamlessly into their guaranteed spot at university.
