Columbia College offers Associate of Arts Degree in Communication, an associate's degree in Communication Studies programme in Vancouver, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Tuition for international students is CAD 36,600 per total (CAD 17,100 per total for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Associate's Degree
Field:Communication Studies
Duration: 2 years
Delivery: On Campus
Local tuition: CAD 17,100 / total
International tuition: CAD 36,600 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Associate of Arts Degree in Communication at Columbia College is a two-year, transfer-oriented associate degree taught at the college's main campus on Terminal Avenue in Vancouver. It corresponds to the first two years of a four-year bachelor's degree and is built around a minimum of 20 courses (60-plus credits), including at least six second-year courses spread across two or more subject areas. The program studies media and technology within their historical and cultural contexts, with coursework in communication theory, media history, television studies, intercultural communication, advertising, cultural industries, information technology, and research methods. Columbia College runs on a tri-semester calendar with intakes in January, May, and September, letting students take 3 to 5 courses per term and complete the degree in as little as 16 months on an accelerated schedule or over a standard two years. On completion, British Columbia universities guarantee transfer of 60 credits toward a bachelor's degree in Communication or a related field. The program suits students who want to explore how communication, media, and technology shape society before transferring into fields such as advertising, public relations, journalism, or digital media.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:60.00 / %
Admission Requirements: This Associate of Arts Degree in Communication follows Columbia College's institution-wide admission standard rather than a programme-specific one: a North American (or 12-year) high-school graduate needs a British Columbia-equivalent average of 60% or better across four academic Grade 12 subjects; the college publishes parallel equivalencies for British-patterned systems (five O-level/GCSE/IGCSE/SPM passes at a 'C' average plus three A-levels at 'D' or four AS-levels), Post-Soviet systems (4.0 average), the IB (a completed diploma), India (75% on the best four Grade 12 State Board/National Open School courses, or 70% for CBSE/ICSE), and other twelve-year systems (a 'C' average); every applicant must be at least 15 when classes start. English is judged against the college's own English 101 (university-transfer) table: met through the Language and Writing Assessment or by IELTS Academic overall 6.5 with a 6.5 writing band, TOEFL iBT 88 overall (writing 21, plus two of reading/listening/speaking at 21), PTE Academic 65 overall with 65 in writing, CAEL 70 or above with 70 in writing, or Duolingo 115+; lower scores place a student into non-credit preparatory English first. Transfer into a Bachelor's programme afterwards depends on the GPA each receiving university sets for its own admission.
Application Details
Start Date:January, May and September
Application Deadline:Columbia College runs a tri-semester system with a single published deadline table that covers all applicants for the 2026-27 cycle: Winter 2027 entry closes 13 November 2026, Summer 2027 closes 12 March 2027, and Fall 2027 closes 18 June 2027, with tuition deposits due roughly ten days after each deadline. The college publishes no separate international closing date -- the same dates apply to domestic and international applicants alike, though international students pay a $200 application fee (versus $50 domestic) and are advised to apply early to allow time for study-permit processing. Admission is deadline-based rather than rolling. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
