University Transfer: Environmental Studies Certificate is a certificate in Upgrading/upskilling programme taught at Vancouver Community College in Vancouver, Canada. The programme runs for 16 months, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 4,800 per total for local students.
This certificate builds critical thinking skills applied to global, interdisciplinary problems and decision-making, alongside the ability to interpret literature critically and judge what information a task actually requires. Students also practise accepted research methods across professional enquiry, communication and scholarly work, while developing the scientific and quantitative methodology and analytical skills expected for entry into second-year science coursework.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission requires English Studies 12 with a minimum 'B' grade, Life Sciences 11 at 'C+', Anatomy & Physiology 12 at 'C+', Chemistry 11 at 'C+', and Pre-Calculus 11 at 'C' (or equivalents); students aiming at the BSc Environmental Science transfer option (Option C) must additionally complete Pre-Calculus 12 at 'B', Chemistry 12 at 'C+' and Physics 12 at 'C+'. No standardized English test score (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo, CAEL) is published. General VCC conditions apply: Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, age 16 or older or secondary-school graduation, and submission of official transcripts and other documents. For assured admission to SFU under the applicable pathways, VCC calculates a cumulative GPA of 2.75 from each course's best attempt, completed within 16 months.
Application Details
Start Date:January, May and September intakes. VCC's academic year runs in three terms: Winter (January to April), Spring/Summer (May to August) and Fall (September to December).
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply through EducationPlannerBC. VCC publishes this programme's windows term by term on its When to Apply page: Winter 2027 entry (January start) — open 15 July 2026, close 1 December 2026; Spring/Summer 2027 entry (May start) — open 15 November 2026, close 1 April 2027; Fall 2027 entry (September start) — open 15 March 2027, close 1 August 2027. Seats go to eligible applicants in the order their applications are completed, so the programme can close before the listed end date once it fills. VCC flags this programme as one that still accepts late applications after the close date. VCC's page for this programme states it is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and points international students to VCC International, which lists separately the programmes and intakes open to them; there the application periods open on 1 February, 1 June and 1 October of the previous year for the Winter, Spring/Summer and Fall terms, with no fixed closing date — a programme accepts applications until roughly three to four months before classes begin, or until its seats are gone.
