Established as East Kootenay Community College nearly 50 years ago, College of the Rockies (COTR) is a Canadian community college located in the province of British Columbia. The college aims to enrich and transform the lives of communities using education as a tool. In 1995, the college was renamed College of the Rockies. Every year, the college provides instruction in a wide range of academic programs to about 2,100 full-time equivalent students, including nearly 200 international students from over 30 countries.
COTR operates out of five campuses. Cranbrook is home to two campuses – the main campus that houses the majority of the administrative departments and student services and the Gold Creek campus that offers a range of trades programs. The programs and services offered by the three other regional campuses at Creston, Fernie and Golden are as diverse as the communities they serve.
Most campuses have their own unique and special “signature” programs, while also providing courses in adult basic education. The wide range of programs offered by COTR has evolved and expanded over the years and the delivery of online courses has continued to grow exponentially during the course of this journey.
All of COTR’s campuses respond to the requirements of their communities and society at large by offering students continuing education courses and access to online learning. The college’s state-of-the-art facilities complement the relevant and high-quality education on offer.
Graduates of the College of the Rockies often go on to work in senior leadership positions in a wide range of fields, including business, education, healthcare, science and the arts. The alumni generate over CAD 315 million every year in additional income for the economy local to the college, but graduates also work far afield, taking up careers in prominent organisations around the globe.
To help students achieve a similar level of success, the college employs an educational advisor team that is on-hand to help all students explore their options following completion of their studies, whether that is further education or exploring different career paths, and the steps needed to achieve those goals.
Students can request an appointment with an education advisor at any time, and can arrange to meet in person or via a web call or traditional phone call. The sessions are tailored to each student to help them discover what their own graduate path will look like, and so students will be given information on how to best prepare for these sessions to get the most out of them.
The College of the Rockies always aspires to offer students the best experiences possible, and it continues to grow and improve the facilities and services that it offers in order to meet that goal.
The college is never standing still – there are always events taking place to help students expand their network and explore new opportunities, such as the annual East Kootenay Career and Job Fair, which gives students the chance to meet employers from both the local region and further afield.
Students can also benefit from new ways of learning within their course. The college was recently selected to create up to 400 work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences that give students the chance to work on real-world projects and problems within their academic studies, putting their knowledge and skills to use on authentic scenarios.
And the college is expanding physically too. The college is always looking to improve and expand the facilities on offer.
8,31,004 Undergraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, check with institution for details
9,62,151 Postgraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, check with institution for details
6,67,111 Living costs Source: Government of Canada
6,00,400 To live on campus Source: Government of Canada
The cost of study at the College of the Rockies will vary depending on students’ chosen course, so it’s advisable to anyone considering applying that they familiarize themselves with the financial requirements for their course at the earliest opportunity.
Fees will involve tuition, but also a range of additional fees – some of which are mandatory, such as the application fee, whereas others are estimated costs to help students plan for the cost of living while at the college. All mandatory fees must be paid by international students as part of their application, otherwise they cannot confirm their place.
There are a range of bursaries and scholarships available to students, including entrance scholarships for those yet to begin their studies. Specific financial aid options are available for international students.
These International Student Excellence Scholarships are for CAD 2,000 and are awarded to students enrolled at the college who are planning to continue study. Only a maximum of five awards are granted, so competition can be intensive.
Each study program at the College of the Rockies has its own admission requirements. Most will require both English and Math qualifications, although this is not always essential depending on the specific program. Students will need to provide evidence of a secondary school graduation or equivalent, and basic computer skills are also expected of all students.
Minimum grade levels will vary by course – some that are deemed to be more complex will require students to have a higher pass grade and may require specific modules/subjects, especially within math.
All international students who are applying for the college from a country where English is not the primary language will be asked to provide evidence of English proficiency. This can either be through the completion of an English study program, or an English language test from IELTS, Pearson PTE, TOEFL, CAEL-CE. Students can check the minimum required scores for each on the college’s website.
The College of the Rockies acts on its strong and unwavering commitment to providing contemporary, quality education through its provision of state-of-the-art facilities across all campus locations.
Students will learn in modern environments, with access to all the tools and equipment they need to excel within their subject, develop their skills to professional standards. When they transfer either into work or a higher education degree at a partner university, they are ready to face all challenges that come their way. Where relevant, students will enjoy plenty of hands-on learning in practical scenarios, using the resources they would find in a professional environment.
This is reinforced by a talented and passionate faculty team, and the college’s commitment to developing study programs in partnership with industries. Students learn from a team who genuinely care about the success of their students, while courses are all designed to meet the ever-changing needs of the workforce across a range of fields.
The college offers a wide range of study programs across several departments and interest areas. Included in these are many programs suited to international students, including post-graduate work permit programs that can allow students to remain in Canada to work for a set period upon completion of their studies.
The different departments of the college, along with some of the PGWP programs available, are:
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