College of the Rockies and Thompson Rivers University are pleased to announce the signing of a Dual Admission Agreement that gives COTR students the ability to move seamlessly from their college in Cranbrook to the university.

Effective immediately COTR students in University Transfer studies in Arts, Science or Business Administration can apply for dual admission directly into TRU’s Bachelor of Arts, Science or Business Administration degree programs at the same they apply to enter the college, or in the following semesters of their first or second year at COTR.

Once they have completed at least 30 credits of study at COTR they are assured of their ability to move on to TRU. They won’t be considered transfer students and will be permitted the same registration priority privileges as ongoing TRU students. In addition, they will still be eligible to apply for TRU transfer scholarships, valued at $2,000 each.

“The establishment of a dual admission process for the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Business Administration provides students with a clear, flexible and reliable pathway from College of the Rockies programs to TRU degrees,” said Dr. Ulrich Scheck, TRU Provost and Vice-President, Academic.

College of the Rockies Senior Instructional Officer Doug McLachlan added, “There is no doubt this cooperative initiative will benefit COTR students and provide them with additional university degree opportunities. We look forward to working closely with TRU to ensure the dual admission process is a success for all involved.”

Thompson Rivers University, which has been granting degrees for 15 years and was given full university status by the Ministry of Advanced Education in 2005, is now the forth largest provincial university with over 9,000 students on campus and more than 12,000 studying by distance. TRU also offers students a significant number of international opportunities as one of only three Canadian universities who are members of ISEP, the International Student Exchange Program.

College of the Rockies was established in 1975 to serve the residents of the East Kootenay region. It offers a wide variety of Career/Technical, Vocational and Trades training programs in addition to University Transfer and Business Administration courses to more than 3,000 on-campus students annually. The college also offers internships and study abroad opportunities in a number of different countries and has a block transfer agreement with Griffith University in Australia.

COTR students have traditionally transferred to Lower Mainland or Alberta universities but with the Dual Admission Agreement now in place with TRU, more may now choose to attend university in BC closer to the East Kootenay region.

COTR students who complete their degrees at TRU will have additional opportunities for Study Abroad semesters and exchanges with almost 300 universities around the world, as well as international field courses. TRU also offers students the practical experience of co-op education (with credits) in all three degrees covered by this agreement, along with extensive involvement and support for undergraduate student research in many different fields.