The University of Northern British Columbia is growing and has achieved a record enrolment for the fall semester. 3750 students are currently registered in university-credit courses at UNBC, an increase of nearly 4% over this time last year.

The increase is due to a number of factors:

• a new program in rural nursing with nearly 50 students.
• new “for-credit” offerings in Continuing Studies and English-language studies.
• a 7.4% increase in registrations at regional campuses, including a new Master of Education degree program in Grande Prairie with about 25 students.
• growth in the number of students pursuing master’s and PhD programming. In fact, the number of graduate students at UNBC has surpassed 500 for the first time, a 16% increase over the fall semester in 2006. This year, there has been particular growth in the University’s environmental programs and the MBA.

“This is a tremendous achievement for everyone at UNBC as we respond to demographic challenges, a busy regional economy, and increased competition within the post-secondary marketplace,” says UNBC President, Don Cozzetto. “What we’re seeing is a change in our student population and it’s up to us to realize these changes and respond. This means providing more opportunities for graduate students and more opportunities for ‘non-traditional’ students to take focused programs on a flexible schedule. We’re an education destination for students from around the province.”

While UNBC’s fall enrolment overall is up over last year, there has been a small decline in the number of students pursuing bachelor’s degrees at the University. There are 3105 students in undergraduate degrees, a 1.6% drop compared to last year.

“As we assess our enrolment situation, it’s gratifying to see a consistent trend up,” adds Dr. Cozzetto. “Last fall, we were up slightly as well, but we experienced a big jump in our summer enrolment. In fact, more than 1900 students were registered in summer programming this year, up nearly 50% over last year.”

The numbers presented above are from the end of the “add-drop” period, during which time students can register or drop-out without academic penalty. The final and official fall enrolment will be determined on November 1.

Contact:
Dr. Don Cozzetto, President, UNBC – 250.960.5600
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC – 250.960.5622

 

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