Can’t decide between college and university? A growing number of post-secondary institutions are making it possible for students to have the best of both worlds by offering combined programs.
A joint program is a way to obtain a college diploma and a university degree in just four years. By combining a liberal arts education from a university with the more applied, hands-on learning from a college, you can get a broader background and initial exposure in the field you are studying.
The best part of these combined programs is that they don’t cost more, and often cost less. You can start experiencing the things you like to do most early on, while earning a diploma and a degree at the same time.
The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), in Oshawa, Ont., offers three different combined programs with Durham College: Accounting Transfer to UOIT (ACTU), Diploma-to-Degree Bridging programs and the collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
“I would suggest this type of program to any student,” says Philippe Alberigo, a UOIT student. “This was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.”
With ACTU, students attend Durham College for two years and earn their Ontario college diploma. During their second year, students take a combination of courses from both Durham College and UOIT and then transfer to the university in their third year and study side-by-side with UOIT business students.
Alberigo says he saved money by joining the combined program, with lower tuition than a straight university program would have been. And although the program is a good transition from high school to post-secondary, it has a tough workload and students must learn to manage their time.
“At times it was an information overload,” says Alberigo. “Having said that, if you do commit and work at it, you should be fine.”
“Think of the unsure students,” says David Baker, UOIT’s Pathways and Transfer Credit Coordinator . “The program allows students in college to have the opportunity to try university-level classes.”
UOIT also offers a variety of diploma-to-degree bridging programs that are similar to ACTU. After two or three years of study at any Ontario college, students can apply for a university degree with their college credentials. These programs include Adult Education in Digital Technology, Biological Science, Commerce, Communication, Criminology, Information Technology, Kinesiology, Legal Studies and Nuclear Power.
In the collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, students apply their learning in a hands-on, simulated hospital environment, even in their first year.
“We’re proud that we’re creating innovative opportunities for college and university students,” says Victoria Choy, UOIT Registrar.
In Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg joined forces with Red River College’s Creative Communications program to offer the Joint Program in Communications.
“It’s extremely popular,” says Judith Kearns, chair of the Rhetoric, Writing and Communications department at the University of Winnipeg. “The balance of the liberal arts with applied studies creates a well-rounded education that many students are eager to take advantage of.”
Students in this major can study in four streams: public relations, advertising, broadcast production and journalism. Journalism students get to be reporters by going out and writing actual news stories, with the chance to be published in the school or local paper. Meanwhile, media production students are just as “hands-on” as they shoot and edit videos with equipment used in professional production.
Students typically spend about three years at the University of Winnipeg, where they can pursue their credits on a full-time or part-time basis. They are encouraged to apply early in this process for the joint program at Red River College, where they continue for their last two years. “We don’t want them to forget all their skills they got from college when they’re in university,” says Tracey Seida, Coordinator of the Creative Communications program at Red River College.
For students planning to apply for managerial positions, it’s helpful to have the diploma and the degree, instead of just the college diploma. And often, job opportunities come up at the end of the diploma. “They hit the pavement and start looking for a job,” says Seida, adding that 80 to 90 percent of graduates find employment within six months of graduating.
At Algonquin College, students can study nursing under the supervision of professors from the University of Ottawa and the college, and receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing under both schools’ names. With the collaborative program, students can attend university classes and clinicals under the same curriculum at whichever location is closest to them—the Woodroffe campus in west Ottawa or the Pembroke campus, which is about 1.5 hours from Ottawa. The Pembroke campus delivers some of its classes through teleconferencing. Students from Pembroke who can’t travel to the University of Ottawa can use this program to earn a university degree after four years of studying at Algonquin.
“This is a wonderful collaboration,” says Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs at Algonquin. “Students can access services from both the university and the college.”
These collaborative programs are portals to fulfilling professional careers.
