Selkirk College
Selkirk College
Established in 1966 in Castlegar, the college is now comprised of eight campuses and learning centers around the West Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary in the province of British Columbia. Overall, around 2,300 students study here today, and 700 of them are international. It welcomes students from all around the world, claiming that this educational institution will become their home away from home.
Programs
Selkirk College's academic life is subdivided into schools. There are eight of them: the School of Arts, the School of Academic Upgrading and Development; the School of Business; the School of Environment and Geomatics; the School of Health and Human Services; the School of Hospitality and Tourism; the School of Industry and Trades; and the School of University Arts and Sciences.
Before starting the main studies, Selkirk College provides students with a program that aims to brush up their knowledge of the language and achieve a sufficient level for the university and college-level programs. The English language program at Selkirk College allows students to start at the very basic level and work their way up to the Advanced level. Classes take twenty-two hours per week on the basic level, but the whole study period varies and can last from one to six terms.
What’s so peculiar about this program is that during the study process, students gain credits that can be transferred to the diploma and university transfer programs at Selkirk College. The English language program at Selkirk College even allows for taking some of the elective disciplines. Students can choose among Leadership, Global Cooking, Nature Studies, Speaking Professionally, Volunteering/Internship, and a number of others. What’s more, students will have a chance to go skiing, canoeing, hiking, and traveling to other cities during the English language course to practice their skills outside of a classroom and enjoy the nature of the province of British Columbia.
After a student has achieved the level of proficiency in English perfect to comprehend the academic curriculum, they can choose one of the diploma programs of Selkirk College. For example, it can be Digital Fabrication and Design. It lasts for two years at the Trail campus. The program demands that students keep up with the pace at which modern technology evolves, and Selkirk College perfectly understands this. For this reason, the academic curriculum is constantly being enriched, and classes are equipped with all the modern technology and tools needed for the practice of digital fabrication and design. Students learn 3D computer aided design, sustainable product design, subtractive manufacturing, rapid photocopying, and a lot of other disciplines. After achieving a diploma at Selkirk College, students can work in civil and mechanical engineering, architectural design, industrial design, mass timber production, and many other spheres.
Another diploma program offered at Selkirk College is Early Childhood Care and Education. Today, it can be taken either in the online or in a blended format that combines online and offline classes. Students also have a choice between part-time and full-time study modes of the program at Selkirk College.
For successful acquisition of the knowledge needed to work in the child care sphere professionally, it’s necessary to feel comfortable around small children, and be highly patient and empathetic. Selkirk College will give you the knowledge important for working with toddlers and infants and all the necessary methodology and tools for their effective education. A graduate from this program will surely find a job after completing their studies at Selkirk College, as it’s predicted that by 2027, around nine thousand early childhood educators will be needed only in the province of British Columbia.
By the way, a certificate is also possible to achieve by studying this program, but the study period will be shortened to nine months, hence the number of disciplines learned.
A Peace and Justice Studies program can also be taken at Selkirk College to obtain a Liberal Arts Diploma. It aims to teach students how to resolve and understand problems and conflict not only on the interpersonal level but also in the global context. It can be taken at the Castlegar Campus of Selkirk College, where students will learn the following courses: Global Perspectives on Peace, Leadership for Peace, Environment, Conflict, and Justice, and a much bigger number of other interesting disciplines.
Selkirk College offers two programs that lead to a Bachelor's degree, they are Geographic Information Systems and Nursing.
An Associate Degree can be obtained by completing the following programs: English, Elementary Education, History, Biochemistry, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Psychology, and others.
The program of Psychology aims to teach international and local students all aspects of human behavior, psychology, and actions and where they stem from. Students can focus their research on a particular aspect of human psychology that they are most interested in. It can be problems of decision making, the study of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, or consulting families and children. Irrespective of the future choice of a student, Selkirk College lays a great foundation of knowledge that can be greatly extended. During the two-year program, students study about such disciplines as Emotional and Social Disorders, Adult Development, Biological Psychology, Child Development, and others.
After achieving an Associate of Arts in Psychology, students can go to the University of British Columbia to study Psychology on a more profound level and obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree. The Okanagan Campus of the University of British Columbia welcomes international students and allows them to complete a co-op term, during which students gain paid work experience. Moreover, students can earn an Honours Bachelor's degree if they choose to specialize in one of the fields of Psychology. During the studies, Psychology students are even offered the opportunity to earn a certificate in Communications and Rhetoric by earning fifteen credits of the program.
Selkirk College offers students the opportunity to get a scholarship or an award that aims to alleviate the financial burden of foreign citizens. Usually, a discount and financial aid are awarded for high academic achievements and outstanding athletic performances.
Accommodation
International students are offered a great opportunity to live in one of the Selkirk College halls of residence, which has places for 209 people. It was announced that Selkirk College would begin building a third hall of residence for students in 2022. All the buildings are located within several minutes' walk of the main campus of Selkirk College so that students don’t waste time and money on commuting to classes.
The best choice for new Selkirk College students and every newcomer to Canada is Homestay. The idea of the program is to provide an international student with affordable housing and a family atmosphere at the same time. As moving to another country causes a lot of stress, host family members gently introduce a student to the Canadian culture, lifestyle, and, of course, the English language. They are the ones who play a major role in an international student’s process of settling in Canada, which is why they’re carefully checked before being allowed to host a student from another country. Every student will have their own bedroom, access to all the home families, and three meals a day. If an intentional student decides to move, they must notify the host family thirty days in advance. Most of the time, Canadian family members and international students stay close friends long after their graduation from Selkirk College, but sometimes they can be matched incorrectly and have troubles with communication. In this case, students can always contact a support worker and ask them for advice or even a change of family. Usually, it will cost an international student around CAD 3,400 per four months to participate in a homestay program. If a student wants to stay with the family after the end of the term, they will need to pay CAD 35 per day.
Of course, international students can also rent an apartment alone or with their friends during their studies at Selkirk College. The average rent price for a one-bedroom apartment in Castlegar’s city center is CAD 1,700, while a flat outside of the center costs around CAD 400 less. The final monthly price will also depend on other factors such as furnishing, utility bills, and neighbourhood.
Future Prospects
After completing a full-time program in one of the Canadian higher education institutions such as Selkirk College, international graduates can apply for a post-graduation work permit and stay in Canada for work for three more years. They may as well extend their study permit and go for other academic credentials in the province of British Columbia and at any other Canadian institutions, and only then obtain a visa that allows them to work. Then, Selkirk College graduates will be able to achieve permanent resident status and even Canadian citizenship..
Being not limited by the borders of Canada, international graduates can also travel anywhere in the world and find a job or other academic opportunities, as the academic credentials gained at Selkirk College are recognized in a large number of countries.
In case, if you need help with Custodianship and Homestay in order to study in Selkirk College, please fill in application below or contact us directly.
