Bow Valley College is a unique and interesting post-secondary institution that varies from others in campus composition, history, and different ways for people to apply!
On the whole, Bow Valley College offers many different programs in Business, Health and Wellness, Creative Technologies, Community Studies, Global Access, Foundational Learning (Academic Upgrading), Continuing Learning, and Open Studies.
The main BVC campus is the Calgary Downtown Campus which offers programs such as the Practical Nurse Diploma, the Medical Office Assistant Certificate, the Early Childhood Education & Development Diploma, the Business Administration Diploma(s), a Disability Studies Diploma or Certificate, a Health Care Aide Certificate, a Legal Assistant Diploma, different Justice Studies Specializations, and a Pharmacy Technician Diploma.
Six Campuses
In addition to the main Calgary Downtown Campus there are six campuses within the regions surrounding Calgary, these include places in:
- Airdrie: some programs include Open Studies Regional, an Administrative Professional Certificate, the Early Childhood Education & Development Diploma, a Practical Nurse Diploma, Employee Edge Business & Computer Training, Academic Upgrading, English Language Classes, Canadian Language Benchmark Testing, and Online Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR).
- Banff: programs offered in Banff include English Language Classes and Canadian Language Benchmark Testing.
- Cochrane: some programs include Open Studies Regional, the Administrative Professional Certificate, Early Childhood Education & Development Diploma, the Health Care Aide Certificate, Practical Nurse Diploma, Academic Upgrading, and Online Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR).
- High River: offers Open Studies Regional, Administrative Professional Certificate, Early Childhood Education & Development Diploma, Practical Nurse Diploma, Academic Upgrading, English Language Classes, Canadian Language Benchmark Testing, Online Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR), and Exam Proctoring.
- Okotoks: programs include Open Studies Regional, the Administrative Professional Certificate, Early Childhood Education & Development Diploma, Practical Nurse Diploma, Academic Upgrading, Online Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR), and also Exam Proctoring.
- Strathmore: some programs include Open Studies Regional, Administrative Professional Certificate, Employee Edge Business & Computer Training, Academic Upgrading, different English Language Classes, Canadian Language Benchmark Testing, and Online Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR).
Depending on the program or course, a variety of delivery methods may be offered (as well as some in conjunction with each other) such as In-Class, Combined Online, Anytime Online, Blended, Real-time Online, or Off-Campus.
History
Next, let’s look at a little bit of the college’s past! Bow Valley College has a unique history in its founding and how it operates now. In 1998, the Alberta Vocational College (first opened in 1961-65) was renamed to Bow Valley College, then becoming a Board-Governed institution. BVC opened the Iniikokaan Aboriginal Centre in 2013 and became the largest comprehensive community college in Alberta in 2014. Currently BVC has 17,500 students from 148 countries with 98 different languages!Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to apply and get into this post-secondary institution (mainly depending on the applicant’s situation)! It is first essential to note that this is not a fully comprehensive list and specific program requirements can vary greatly. However, the general different options are as follows (students should of course choose the appropriate application from the webpage here:
- Post-Secondary Programs Application: this is mainly for students applying straight out of highschool. The process guides you through ApplyAlberta and follows the directed following steps from there.
- International Application: students here can choose a program of study, complete and submit their application, gather the necessary international academic documents as needed per country, submit any fees, and once accepted apply for a study permit at the nearest Canadian Embassy or Consulate.
- Academic Upgrading Application: students who wish to upgrade highschool courses can check the program availability and application opening dates, then apply through ApplyAlberta, and submit desired transcripts or complete tests for placement.
- English Language Learning Application: this application is mainly for Canadian citizens (with Canadian Language Benchmarks CLB 3 to CLB 7), or
permanent residents or Convention refugees (with Canadian Language Benchmarks CLB 3 to CLB 7). Prior to applying, students will need a completed ELL Program application form, an email address, an Alberta Student Number, and recent Canadian Language Benchmarks results. From there, applying to BVC will vary in steps depending on student status (Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents and Refugees/Protected Persons, and International Students). A detailed list of BVC’s different English Language Proficiency Requirements can be viewed here.
Overall, Bow Valley College hosts a lot of useful information and opportunities for anyone looking to learn more about the school’s 7 campuses with their according to program offerings, course delivery methods, history facts of the institution, and all the ways it’s possible to apply! We hope this article was helpful and provided some insight into your post-secondary decisions!
