British Columbia Institute of Technology

Can anyone confirm that BCIT is a legit Canadian school?
They offer competancy based DL degrees:
http://programs.bcit.ca/program.php3?program=dis_btech_busi_01#Length

 

It is definitely a legitimate provincially run school.

I seems to parallel the situation in my province, Alberta. Technical schools provide what would be considered job training. Until recently they offered only certificates, not degrees.

Transferring courses from technical schools to universities usually involved a loss of credits. A 3 year certificate might get 2 years of university credit.

They broadened their programs a bit and started offering degrees like Bachelor of Technology or Bachelor of Applied Studies in various fields.

The schools are well respected for what they do but I am unsure whether universities consider the degrees to be fully equivalent to a degree in an academic field. I just don't know.

 

Re: Re: British Columbia Institute of Technology

Dennis,

A friend of mine looked at BCIT because they have a construction management degree in cooperation with the University of Bath. He had a hard time finding out information on their status, and ruled them out. This is not to say their not legit. I think the problem was they are (as you mentioned) not a university, and he was not framiliar with the Canadian system of educational standards. Do you or anyone else know how "technical institutes" are regulated, because BCIT offers some interesting programs in technical education?

 

BCIT

Like all Canadian degree-granting institutions, BCIT is as legitimate as it gets. Although it does not have "university" in its name, neither does MIT, or CalTech.

BCIT has quite a good reputation in Canada.

 

Re: BCIT

I'm not doubting they are legit. I think what scared my friend off was that they are not listed in the Handbook of Commonwealth Universities, which is probably due to their status as a technical institute (or an old copy of the handbook). I'm wondering how technical schools a regulated in Canada. Do they have some sort of charter or license?

 

Technical schools would be authorized under an act of the provincial legislature, which would also appoint the board, and provide about 90 % of the funding. They are (or were) essentially part of the provincial government with less autonomy than universities.

Alberta has the Northern and the Southern Alberta Institutes of Technology. British Columbia may be slightly different.

 

I studied at BCIT for 3 years so know it quite well. I actually live across the street from it. The Province gave it the power to grant bachelor degrees since early 2000s and it's gradually moving towards the polytechnic university status similar to BC's Kwantlan Polytechnic University, although no quite there yet.

 

Wow! A nine year old thread.

 

I thought I had been hacked until I noticed the original posting date.