Strong growth in applications for UBCO campus
Applications for admission to undergraduate programs at UBC Okanagan are expected to top 5,000 this spring, roughly 2.5 times the volume the university saw in 2005, the first year of operation for the Kelowna campus.
“Demand is particularly strong for nursing, engineering, and human kinetics,” said Ian Cull, UBCO associate vice-president, students.
“All three programs are expected to fill in 2011.
“The Ba chelor of Arts program has seen an impressive 24 per cent increase in new applications and will likely be the single greatest contributor to growth at our Okanagan campus this fall.”
Cull says direct-entry applications from Okanagan Valley secondary schools are up considerably, by 13 per cent.
But the real explosion has been from the Lower Mainland, where 684 students have indicated UBC Okanagan as their first choice of campus, a 45 per cent increase over the previous year.
“B.C. post-secondary transfer from other institutions also remains strong, with good applicant growth in local-area transfers,” said Cull.
Demand from the rest of Canada continues to grow, with 812 applications—up eight per cent —this year, and applications from the rest of the world are up 53 per cent from last year.
Applications have been received from prospective students in 92 countries.
Cull notes that it’s too early to project how many students will be registered this fall.
However, he says final enrolment may reach the ultimate goal of 6,932 full-time equivalent students, a target that was set for the UBCO campus by the provincial government.
While applications closed on Feb. 28, there is still an opportunity for students to apply for some programs.
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