An overview of Douglas College

Douglas College is the largest educational institution in British Columbia

Founded in 1970, Douglas College is the largest degree-granting college in British Columbia, Canada, educating nearly 25,000 students annually. The College has two major campuses in Metro Vancouver (New Westminster and Coquitlam), as well as a number of smaller training facilities in Surrey, Burnaby, and Maple Ridge. Douglas is one of Metro Vancouver’s most accessible post-secondary institutions, with both main campuses directly on SkyTrain lines, attracting students from all over the region.

History

The college was founded in 1970 and is named after Sir James Douglas, the former Governor of British Columbia. Kwantlen College separated from Douglas College in 1981.

Coat of arms

On January 21, 2020, the coat of arms of Douglas College was revealed to the public.

Carrie Lynn Victor, a Coast Salish artist, created the emblem for the college’s 50th anniversary.

The emblem was the first in Canadian history to be entirely designed by an Indigenous artist. The heart in the center of the emblem refers to the college’s motto, ‘Do what you love.’ The crown on top is made of cedar, a local wood material. A raven perches on top of the crest, representing cleverness as the bird does. There are also two Douglas fir trees surrounding the raven to represent a connection to the college’s name.

Below the shield is the words ‘Excellence, Knowledge, Passion’ in Coast Salish. The use of Indigenous language acknowledges that the college is located on First Nations territory.

Advantages of Douglas College

• It is one of British Columbia’s largest public colleges.
• The college has 1000 international students from over 60 countries, making it a truly diverse and international institution.
• The college allows students to transfer after two years at Douglas to a top-ranked public university in Canada.
• It provides over 500 courses to students and has an excellent class size of less than 35 students.

Campus

In Metro Vancouver, the college has two major campuses- one in New Westminster (Royal Avenue and Anvil Tower) and one in Coquitlam, the David Liam Campus. In addition, the college has a smaller Training Centre campus in Surrey.

Academic programs are divided into six faculties- Child, Family, and Community Studies; Commerce & Business Administration; Health Sciences; Humanities & Social Sciences; Language, Literature, & Performing Arts; and Science & Technology. International students at the college can choose between New Westminster campus housing and off-campus housing.

Courses

Douglas College offers ten bachelor’s degrees in areas such as health care, human services, business, creative arts, public university arts, and various science courses.

Applied Psychology, Psychiatric Nursing, Physical Education and Coaching, Business Administration, Nursing, Therapeutic, Child and Youth Care, Recreation Performing Arts, Criminology, and Social Work are also taught at the college.

Applied Community Studies

• Child and Youth Care
• Disability & Community Studies
• Early Childhood Education
• Sign Language Interpretation
• Social Work
• Therapeutic Recreation
• Vocational Education and Skills Training
• Youth Justice

Commerce & Business Administration

• Accounting
• Business
• Business Law
• Commerce & Business Administration
• Computing Studies & Information Systems
• Economics
• Finance
• Hospitality Management
• Marketing
• Office Administration

Health Sciences

• Health Care Support Work
• Health Information Management
• Nursing
• Nursing – Psychiatric
• Humanities & Social Sciences
• Anthropology
• Criminology
• Geography and the Environment
• History

Humanities & Social Sciences

• Interdisciplinary HSS
• Interdisciplinary LLPA
• Legal Studies
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Psychology

Sociology

• Language, Literature & Performing Arts
• Bachelor of Performing Arts
• Communications
• Creative Writing
• English
• English Language Learning and Acquisition
• Gender, Sexualities, and Women’s Studies
• Global Learning Global Citizenship
• Intercultural and International Studies
• Modern Languages
• Music
• Performing & Fine Arts
• Stagecraft & Event Technology
• Teaching English as a Second Language
• Theatre

Science & Technology

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computing Science
• Dispensing Opticianry
• Earth & Environmental Sciences
• Engineering
• Geological Resources
• Hearing Instrument Practitioner
• Mathematics
• Mathematics & Science Teaching
• Opticianry
• Science & Technology
• Sport Science
• Veterinary Technology

Rankings

• Douglas College is ranked 6256 in World Ranking and 85 in Country Rankings.
• It has 1801 in the Continental ranking.

Alumni

The university has a large number of alumni from all over the world.

Notable alumni

• Adrian Holmes, actor
• Daniel Igali, Olympic gold medalist wrestler
• Elizabeth Bachinsky, a poet
• Farhan Lalji, sports reporter
• Frank Giustra, businessman and philanthropist
• Lance Ryan, opera vocalist
• N. Robin Crossby, game designer
• Sky Lee, author
• Terry Glavin, author, and journalist

Key takeaways

• Douglas College offers bachelor’s degrees, arts and science courses, and other career programs as well. Approximately 17,000 credit students, 8,500 continuing education students, and 4,210 international students are enrolled in the college.
• The college has two major campuses In Metro Vancouver, one in New Westminster (Royal Avenue and Anvil Tower) and one in Coquitlam named David Liam. In addition, the college has a smaller Training Centre campus in Surrey. 
• Douglas College provides ten bachelor’s degrees for disciplines such as health care, human services, business, creative arts, public university arts, and various other science courses like Applied Psychology, Psychiatric Nursing, Physical Education, etc. 

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FAQs

Q1. What is Douglas’ acceptance rate?

Ans- Douglas College has a 25.0% acceptance rate.

Q2. How much does it cost to apply to Douglas College?

Ans- The application fee is $36.70 for Canadian or permanent residents and $100 for international students.

Q3. What schools offer Criminology in BC?

Ans- Programs and courses available in British Columbia-

• Criminology – Capilano College. 
• Criminology – College of New Caledonia. 
• Youth Justice Program – Douglas College. 
• Diploma in Legal Studies – Douglas College. 
• Diploma in Criminology – Douglas College. 
• Bachelor of Arts (Criminology Major) – Kwantlen University College