Okanagan College is a public, post-secondary institution with over 120 certificates, diplomas, degrees and programs including apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship trades programs. Its largest campus is located in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1963, Okanagan College has since grown to be the largest college in British Columbia outside the Lower Mainland and Victoria with over 8,500 full-time students on four regional campuses and is the second-largest trade school in British Columbia. Approximately 1,000 international students from over 40 countries currently study at Okanagan College. The College also has one of the fastest growing populations of Aboriginal students of any college in the province; in the 2015-16 academic year Okanagan College delivered educational programming to 1680 Aboriginal students.
History
Okanagan College was the first college in British Columbia and first opened in 1906 in Summerland, BC. With roots dating back to 1963, Okanagan College has always played an important role in the development of the region. The name was changed to Okanagan University College c. 1995, but the older name Okanagan College was re-adopted on July 1, 2005, as OUC was divided into Okanagan College and UBC Okanagan.
Campuses
In 2006 Okanagan College operated four main campuses, Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon, and Salmon Arm as well as many smaller access centres.
Programs
The College offers a wide array of programs in university arts and science, business, trades, health, technologies, adult basic education, adult special education and continuing studies. Programs that may be of interest to international students include: ESL courses/language training, vocational and trades programs and four-year degrees in both Business and Computer Information Systems. Many students also choose the university transfer program which allows students a smooth transition and cost-saving entry method into many of Canada’s most prestigious universities. This program includes courses in history, literature, psychology, chemistry, biology, physics and gender studies. Faculty are university educated academics who care deeply about their students. The College also has a long history of successful study tours, student exchanges and customized group training programs. The College is also home to a number of programs that are unique to the institution, including the Sustainable Construction Management Technology program based out of at the Penticton campus. The program provides students with practical, hands-on education in current and emerging green building techniques and technologies.
