Douglas College

New Westminster, Canada • Founded 1970

Updated Sep 2026 · Source: douglascollege.ca

Overview

English Name: Douglas College
Founded: 1970
Institution Type: Higher education institution

Douglas College is a public post-secondary college in British Columbia, operating campuses in New Westminster and Coquitlam.

It teaches across applied community studies, commerce and business administration, health sciences, humanities and social sciences, language and performing arts, and science and technology, with subjects including early childhood education, social work, nursing, psychiatric nursing, health care assistance, accounting, marketing, hospitality management, criminology, psychology, theatre, music, creative writing, biology, chemistry, computing science and veterinary technology. Credentials range from certificates and diplomas through associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, post-degree diplomas and graduate diplomas.

Instruction is delivered in English, and the college publishes an English-language-proficiency requirement for admission. A cooperative education program places students in paid, program-related work terms, and a separate Continuing Education division offers non-credit courses in areas such as health-professional development, business, leadership and recreation.

A University Transfer stream lets students complete lower-level coursework at Douglas before continuing toward a degree elsewhere.

This mix of career-oriented diplomas, university-transfer coursework, upgrading, and continuing-education offerings suits recent secondary-school graduates, students planning to transfer into a university degree program, career changers seeking applied credentials, and international students meeting the college's English-proficiency standard.

Location & Contact

Find Douglas College on the map and its contact channels below.

Academic Details

Below are the institutional metrics for Douglas College: scale, staffing, and accreditation.

Academic Year: Three semesters a year: Fall from September to December, Winter from January to April, and Summer from May to August. Standard courses run fifteen weeks.
Admission Requirements: HOW TO APPLY (both applicant types): every applicant, domestic or international, applies through EducationPlannerBC, and you may name only one programme per application. The application fee is non-refundable and differs by applicant type: CAD 38.90 for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, CAD 100 for international applicants. Douglas will not take transcripts from the applicant's own hands — they must arrive electronically or in a sealed envelope from the Ministry of Education, the school or the issuing post-secondary institution, and a transcript not in English must be sent together with a certified translation by an authorised translator. B.C. secondary students order theirs through the provincial Student Transcript Services; paper copies of B.C. high-school transcripts are no longer accepted. Domestic applicants can watch progress in myApplication. International applicants are asked to contact International Admissions to confirm the programme is open to them before applying, then upload each document as a separate PDF with the EducationPlannerBC application; where entry requirements are met, an offer letter is issued within five business days, and the offer is accepted by paying a deposit, after which the letter of acceptance follows. DOMESTIC ACADEMIC ENTRY: an applicant must satisfy at least one of five general criteria — British Columbia secondary school graduation or an equivalent; standing one course short of that graduation or its equivalent; being at least nineteen by the end of the first month of the first semester attended; being seventeen on the first day of that semester and having been out of school for at least a year; or holding a certificate or equivalent from a special-needs programme after twelve years of schooling, or an Evergreen or Leaving School Certificate. That general criterion plus the college English standard covers most programmes; Limited Enrolment and Open Plus programmes add their own requirements, which are listed on each programme page. DOMESTIC ENGLISH: one of the following. Secondary-school routes — English Studies 12 at C, English First Peoples 12 at C, English 12 at C or Communications 12 at B (the last two judged on the blended course and provincial exam grade), AP English Language or Literature at 3, or IB English Language SL or HL at 3. Tests — the Douglas College English Assessment, TOEFL iBT (in person or online) 83, TOEFL Essentials 9 with no section under 8, IELTS Academic 6.5 overall (the Academic module only), EIKEN Grade 1, CAEL 60 for both the overall and the essay score, Cambridge English CAE 75 or B, Cambridge English CPE 60 or C, Canadian Language Benchmark 8 in each of listening, speaking, reading and writing, Duolingo English Test 110 overall sent directly to the college, or PTE Academic 56. Other routes — the GED Fourth Test Series Language Arts writing and reading paper at 450, a B.C. Adult Graduation programme including English 12 at C, an ABE English course at the level of ENGU 0355, specified Douglas upgrading courses (ENGU and ELLA) at the stated grade or mastery, a bachelor's degree or higher taken in English, current enrolment in or a pass from a college-level English, written communications, creative writing or literature course at an English-language post-secondary institution, or study at an accredited institution in one of the countries and territories Douglas recognises as English-language. Applicants below this level may still register in Douglas upgrading courses, but not in college-level ones. Several limited-enrolment programmes and individual courses set a different English bar, so check the programme page. INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC ENTRY (published separately, and the levels differ). For undergraduate study — diploma, associate degree or bachelor's degree — an applicant must meet one of: high-school graduation from B.C. or an equivalent school system with an overall average of at least 60 percent, or the equivalent, in the final year; being nineteen or older by the end of the first month of the first semester; or being seventeen on the first day of that semester after at least a year out of school. On top of that, most programmes want Grade 11 Mathematics or its equivalent at a final grade of C, that is 60 percent or the equivalent. For post-degree and post-baccalaureate study the standard is different again: graduation from a recognised degree-granting institution with a bachelor's degree of at least three years, and a cumulative average of at least 60 percent or its equivalent across that degree. INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH: TOEFL iBT (in person or online) 83 overall, with writing at 21 or better for post-degree and post-baccalaureate programmes, sent to the college by ETS under institution code 9568; TOEFL Essentials 9 with nothing under 8; IELTS Academic 6.5 overall, with no band under 6.0 for post-degree and post-baccalaureate programmes (IELTS General Training is not accepted); Duolingo English Test 110 sent directly; CAEL 60 for overall and essay; Cambridge English CAE 75 or B; Cambridge English CPE 60 or C; Canadian Language Benchmark 8 in each of the four skills; PTE Academic 56; EIKEN Grade 1; B.C. English 12 or English Studies 12 at C, meaning 60 percent; B.C. Communications 12 at B, meaning 73 percent; IB English Language A at SL or HL at 3 or C; AP English Language or Literature at 3 or C; enrolment in an English or communications course at a recognised B.C. post-secondary institution, where a grade of C is recommended; or a bachelor's degree or higher taken at an English-language institution. DEADLINES DIFFER BY APPLICANT TYPE AND SEMESTER — see the application deadline shown on each programme page, and the summary under the programme's own deadline field.
Total Students: 14,000

Programs Offered

Below are Douglas College's active programmes, grouped by degree level, with search.

158 programmes on record. Each level below shows a sample. Compare these on the programs page All programs in Canada

Bachelor's Degree 15 programmes

Showing 10 of 15.

Honours Degree 2 programmes

Associate's Degree 29 programmes

Showing 10 of 29.

Certificate 48 programmes

Showing 10 of 48.

Diploma 30 programmes

Showing 10 of 30.

Foundation 1 programme

Postgraduate Diploma 33 programmes

Showing 10 of 33.

How to apply to Douglas College

Five steps that capture how applications to Douglas College flow.

  1. 1
    Identify the right programme

    Use the programme finder to browse Douglas College's 158 active programmes. Filter by keyword or scan by degree level. Read curriculum details on each programme's dedicated page if available.

  2. 2
    Check entry requirements

    Programme-level requirements at Douglas College typically include academic transcripts, language proficiency proof, identity documents, and a personal statement or interview. Confirm specific requirements with the admissions office.

  3. 3
    Prepare your application documents

    Prepare academic transcripts, ID/passport copies, language proficiency proof, a personal statement, and reference letters. International candidates may need apostilled or notarised translations — start early to avoid deadline pressure.

  4. 4
    Submit via the institution

    Douglas College processes applications through www.douglascollege.ca. Create an account, fill out the application form, and submit your documents. Note application deadlines, which vary by intake and programme.

  5. 5
    Get in touch with admissions

    Confirm receipt of your application with the admissions office and keep an eye on your portal for status changes. Reach the institution by phone at 604 527 5400. Quick responses to any follow-up requests keep your application moving smoothly through the review process.

Frequently Asked Questions about Douglas College

Below are key facts about Douglas College, drawn directly from institutional records.

In what year was Douglas College established?

Douglas College was founded in 1970 (approximately 56 years ago).

In which city is Douglas College?

Douglas College is based in New Westminster, Canada.

How many students study at Douglas College?

Douglas College has approximately 14,000 students.

What is Douglas College's official website?

Douglas College's official website is www.douglascollege.ca.

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