Understanding Prerequisite Courses

• Prerequisite courses, if any, for each program are outlined on the course description page for each program.
• Applicants who do not have the specific English or math prerequisites choice may be offered these courses through College Prep. See Columbia’s Bridging Programs – College Prep. Students could also seek Academic Upgrading courses at other educational institutions.

Credit for Prior Learning:

• Applicants with certificates, diplomas or degrees may be admitted to Columbia College to pursue a program. Some courses taken previously may be used to satisfy specific course requirements for a certificate or diploma at Columbia. This opportunity is only available in cases where the program at Columbia charges tuition on a course by course basis. In most cases the student will have to provide a detailed outline of the course he/she has previously taken, transcripts of completion and grades, and may also be required to take a challenge exam to demonstrate he/she still possesses the required knowledge and/or skill(s). An applicant may also choose to prepare a portfolio as a PLAR option. Please contact the PLAR Advisor for more information on Prior Learning Assessments and the costs associated.
• Read more in the PLAR Guidelines 2016 document.

Please note, a $60.00 non-refundable application fee is required to apply. You will be required to submit your application fee in order for us to process your application. The application fee covers your assessment test (where applicable), and consultation with your Admission Advisor. Your application file must be fully complete to be considered for admission.

All documents submitted in support of an application for admission become the property of Columbia College and will not be returned to the student.

A student’s application must be submitted on the proper application form available from the Main Office in Building 802, Student Admission Advisor, or our website. Every blank space in the application form must be completed in full or marked N.A. (not applicable) if no appropriate answer can be given. Applicants are currently required to pay an application fee covering the administrative costs related to the admission process when applying to a program at Columbia College.

Apply Now

Columbia’s goal is to select the most suitable candidates for each program. Columbia’s Student Services Admission Advisors will begin the selection process once they receive a completed Admission Application.

The selection process normally includes the following steps:

• Establish a student file and thoroughly review all documents including the application form to ensure they are complete, accurate and meet the specific program requirements. All documents submitted in support of an application for admission become the property of Columbia College and will not be returned to the student.
• Advise the applicant of all documents required and steps involved in the selection process and observe his/her efficiency and effectiveness in responding to requests/requirements;
• Assess the applicant’s suitability to the field of employment, attitude, motivation level, and work ethic;
• Assess the applicant’s academic knowledge, skills and abilities (Columbia College Academic Assessment);
• Assess the applicant’s maturity, level of interest, energy level, commitment to his/her future occupation, willingness to work hard and learn, and become an effective team member.

A Professional Program applicant who has been admitted to a program/course will be considered a registered student once he/she has paid the applicable registration fees and has signed a Contract of Tuition form. The student will have also received information on policies applicable to students and signed a document which provides information concerning graduation rates for his/her program of choice. This means that he/she will be expected to begin attending classes on the date stated on his/her program contract. Seats will be reserved for all students who have signed tuition contracts and paid the registration fees unless a student has been specifically advised that he/she is being placed on a waiting list. Some registered students may be advised, at the time they are arranging their finances and signing their tuition contracts, that they will be put on a waiting list. Please note that tuitions may change in August of each year and students enrolled to take programs on or after that date are subject to those new fees.

Candidates who submit applications earlier and are formally admitted sooner will be able to move on to the registration process faster. Those who have completed the registration process earlier will have a greater chance of being assured a seat in a program.

When several students complete the registration process in the same period of time Columbia will move to prioritizing registration on the following basis:

• first priority – students active in the College at the end of the previous semester, pursuing a full program of study continuing from one semester or year of study to the next or moving from one program to another;
• second priority – students newly admitted or readmitted to the College on a full-time basis, and have paid the applicable registration fee;
• third priority – students active in the College at the end of the previous semester but who are not pursuing a full-time program of study;
• fourth priority – students newly admitted or readmitted to the College but who are not pursuing a full-time program of study;
• fifth priority – visiting students admitted to the College with a letter of authority from their home institutions;
• sixth priority – seniors*, audit students, and other students not officially admitted to the College.

* Please note: Some seniors may qualify for the senior citizen fee reduction. Please contact an advisor for more information.

The most suitable applicants will be notified of their admission status as soon as possible. The normal processing time for admission is one to three weeks after all required documents/information have been received by the College and all steps in the selection process have been completed.

Columbia College reserves the right to refuse admission to any individual.

Once a student has been admitted, if required, it may take an additional eight weeks from the time a funding application is sent in to secure grant funding from the government and approximately four weeks for funding from Student Aid Alberta. Students with documented permanent disabilities applying for disability-related funding will need approximately three to six months to complete the process, provided that the student has acceptable documentation to support the disability. An Accessibility Services Advisor will guide the student through the funding application process. To learn more about Columbia’s Accessibility Services, please click here.

Applicants will be advised of their admission status as follows:

• Provisional Acceptance
  Applicants who are provisionally accepted are individuals who must still meet certain admission requirements. This status does not guarantee a seat in a program or course until all admission conditions are met, the Contract of Tuition is signed and required registration fees paid (Professional Programs).
• Accepted
  The most suitable applicants who meet all academic and other program requirements may be deemed accepted. Seats will be reserved for these individuals once their contracts are signed, required fees paid, and tuition funding approved.
• Waiting List
  When the number of accepted applicants has reached the maximum number that can be accommodated, the remaining most suitable applicants, who have met all acceptance requirements, will be placed on a waiting list. When space becomes available they will then be considered for acceptance status. Waiting list applicants who are not accepted for the current session are not required to re-submit new application forms to be considered for acceptance in the subsequent intake unless they ask to be withdrawn from future enrollment.
• Declined Applicants
  Applicants who are not admitted.
• Cancelled Applicants
  Applicants who advise that they do not wish to enroll in the selected program or course.