Prince George, B.C. – The University of Northern British Columbia has partnered with LaSalle College Vancouver (LCV) to broaden academic pathways and enhance educational opportunities for students at both institutions.

The new academic partnership facilitates seamless transitions for students from LCV to UNBC and will introduce innovative academic offerings in Vancouver, incorporating LCV’s focus on design with the sustainable business and economic development focus of the programs in UNBC’s Faculty of Business and Economics. 

“We are pleased to collaborate with UNBC, one of Canada's top research universities, to provide greater access to learning opportunities for students of both institutions,” says LCI Education Chief Learning Officer and Executive Vice President Dr. Jason Dewling, on behalf of LCV. “Both organizations are committed to providing access to further education. This partnership gives our students a pathway into UNBC programs, and it gives UNBC students access to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in the City of Vancouver."

As part of the new agreement, LCV now serves as the Vancouver location for UNBC’s 21-month MBA program.

“This new partnership is part of reimagining how we educate in a changing world, by offering unique and expanded pathways for students to pursue both their undergraduate and graduate studies,” says UNBC President Dr. Geoff Payne. “By offering the opportunity for students to ladder into UNBC’s Bachelor of Commerce program and bringing the University’s MBA program to the College’s Vancouver campus, we are harnessing the energy of our collaborative network. Together, we are enhancing an innovative and supportive learning and knowledge generation ecosystem that will empower future leaders and drive regional growth."

Under a new pathway agreement, students who complete the Associate of Arts (AOA) degree at LCV and are then admitted to the Bachelor of Commerce with a major in General Business at UNBC will be able to transfer directly into the third year of the Bachelor’s degree program. This collaboration will offer a seamless academic transition for students aiming to advance their studies after successfully completing the accelerated 18-month AOA degree program in Vancouver.

“This alliance is about more than just articulating students from a two-year program into a four-year degree program in business. This is seen as a strategically important move for the UNBC Bachelor of Commerce program as we lean into teaching sustainable business and economic development,” says UNBC Faculty of Business and Economics Dean Dr. Ron Camp. “To achieve a sustainable future, graduates need to be able to visualize and design that future and that is where we see the strengths of LCV really supporting UNBC’s programs. LCV’s focus on design thinking will help to enhance the design discussion in UNBC classes. Through this collaboration we believe that UNBC and LCV will be leading the way in designing a sustainable future for B.C. and the world.” 

“LaSalle College Vancouver and UNBC are a great fit as partners. We share a common vision of providing quality education, fostering student success and an emphasis on education for sustainable development,” says LCV Chief Academic Officer Dr. Jamie Kemp. “We know that graduates from our Associate of Arts program will feel ‘at home’ in the third year of UNBC’s Bachelor of Commerce program. They are accustomed to small class sizes and one-on-one attention from their instructors. Plus, we have structured our program in a way that ensures they will have the academic preparation they need to succeed in further study.”

The partnership between LCV and UNBC is a significant step in expanding academic opportunities for students, reinforces the value of collaborative educational efforts and is the beginning of a broader collaboration between the two institutions.

To learn more about UNBC’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, please visit: https://www.unbc.ca/commerce/mba. 

To learn more about LCV’s Associate of Arts degree program, please visit: https://lasallecollegevancouver.lcieducation.com/en/programs-and-courses/associate-of-arts