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Admission Requirements

Minimum Academic Entrance Requirements:

Regular Applicants:

A regular applicant will have BC High School graduation, or equivalent ( ABE Provincial Level ) or will currently be completing Grade 12.

English Requirement:

A minimum grade of 60 percent in one of: English 12 or TPC 12 ( Technical & Professional Communications ) or ABE Provincial Level English.

Applicants with a passing grade of less than 60 percent will be required to write the LPI ( Language Proficiency Index) and obtain a score of at least 24/40 ( level 4 ).

Note: Communications 12 is not acceptable.

Mature Applicants:

Applicants who do not have high school graduation may apply for admission as a mature student provided that they are at least 19 years of age and have not attended secondary school on a full-time basis for a minimum period of one year.

Mature applicants will be subject to the same English entrance requirements that apply to regular applicants.

Applicants with an OUC Human Service Worker Certificate:

Graduates of the ten-month HSW (Human Service Worker ) certificate program offered by Okanagan University College may apply for advanced standing in the two-year diploma program. Graduates from similar certificate programs offered by other post-secondary institutions may also apply for advanced standing. Course equivalence will be determined on an individual basis in consultation with the Department Chair. Graduates of HSW certificate programs may be admissible to the second year of the diploma program.

Applicants granted advanced standing will be subject to Okanagan College’s policy on residence requirements which requires that at least one-half of the course requirements be completed at Okanagan College.

General Entrance Requirements:

In addition to the minimum academic entrance requirements, the following will also apply to all applicants; regular, mature and graduates of a certificate program:

  1. Medical Examination: Applicants are required to submit a physician’s report confirming good health. The medical exam must be undertaken not more than 12 months prior to enrolment in the program. Applicants must be capable of engaging in physical activities; including but not restricted to lifting , responding to emergency situations or administering emergency restraints.
  2. Tuberculin Test: Applicants must submit evidence of a negative tuberculin test taken no more than 6 months priot to the start date of the program or evidence of an appropriate follow-up in the event of a positive test result.
  3. Successful Completion of a First Aid Certificate: All applicants are required to submit proof of having successfully completed a first aid certificate, either Red Cross Standard or St. John Ambulance, no more than 12 months prior to admission.
  4. Criminal Record Check: All applicants are required complete a criminal record check no more than 3 months prior to commencement of classes. The results must be received by the Admissions Office not later than the commencement of classes. Non-compliance will normally result in forfeiture of admission to the program.

Order of Admission

Applicants who satisfy the entrance requirements will be granted admission in chronological order, based on the date of application. Regular and mature applicants will be granted admission in proportion to the number of regular and mature students in the application pool.