Applicant Categories

The following categories are used to classify all applicants for admission to KPU. Applicants in all categories are subject to published admission requirements.

High School

An applicant who is a graduate, or will be graduating from, a BC Secondary school prior to the start of the standard term of admission (or the equivalent from another school system in Canada or another country).
Applicants who have completed home-schooling may be considered on a case-by-case basis and may require supplementary evidence of academic ability. 

Transfer

An applicant who has successfully completed 9 or more credits above the preparatory level from a recognized post-secondary institution.

Mature

An applicant who will be 19 years of age or older on the first day of the standard term of admission.

Aboriginal

An Aboriginal applicant may be considered on an individual basis through an assessment of educational background, cultural knowledge, life experience, academic goals and personal achievements. Each applicant under the Aboriginal admission category will be evaluated by the Aboriginal Admissions Committee composed of one Aboriginal faculty member, one representative of the Faculty to which the candidate is applying, one designated member of the KPU Aboriginal Advisory Committee and one representative from Admissions. The committee will have the authority to recommend to the Registrar students for admission and determine if specific conditions are required for enrolment.

Aboriginal peoples refers to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples of Canada. Candidates seeking admission consideration under this category must self-identify as an Aboriginal applicant. Aboriginal applicants include status and non-status First Nations, Métis, or Inuit. Documentation of Aboriginal heritage can include, but is not limited to a First nations, Inuit, or Métis status card. It can also include official letters from Aboriginal organizations, or written or oral statements from Elders, or other relevant information identified by the applicant.

Access

An applicant pursuing programming offered through KPU’s Access programs department who is 18 years of age or older and has received The School Completion (“Evergreen”) Certificate, may be admitted as an access student.

Other Applicant Classifications

General Interest

The General Interest applicant category is for non-credential-seeking students. Students may enroll in up to a maximum of 12-credits. Students admitted under the General Interest category may not earn a credential.

Concurrent

An applicant enrolled in a BC secondary school who wishes to register in courses at KPU may be admitted as a concurrent student. The University reserves the right to limit the number of seats available to Concurrent students (in total and per section). The applicant must have the written consent of the parent or legal guardian, a high school transcript, and letter of support from the secondary school principal. In all circumstances the primary home of students admitted in the concurrent admissions category is understood to be the high school and school district to which they belong. 

Dual Credit

High school students enrolled in a BC High School with whom KPU has a partnership agreement may be permitted to take a limited number of undergraduate courses at KPU. Continued registration as a dual credit student in subsequent semester(s) is contingent on the continued support of the secondary school principal and the student maintaining good academic standing. In all circumstances the primary home institution of students admitted under the dual credit applicant category is understood to be the high school and school district to which they belong.

Exchange

An exchange student is someone from one of KPU’s approved partner institutions who has been nominated by their institution to come on an exchange to KPU. Exchange students may be of domestic or international status and pay tuition and fees to their home institution and not KPU.

Visiting

A visiting student is someone who is attending a home institution and wishes to spend a period of time up to one year studying at KPU with the intent of taking credit earned at KPU back to the home institution. Visiting students must provide a Letter of Permission from their home institution.

This online version of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Calendar is the official version of the University Calendar. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, KPU reserves the right to make any corrections in the contents and provisions of this calendar without notice. In addition, the University reserves the right to cancel, add, or revise contents or change fees at any time without notice. To report errors or omissions, or send comments or suggestions, please email Calendar.Editor@kpu.ca

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