Post-secondary programs offer different credentials that are determined by the amount of time a student spends in a particular program. For example, the majority of college offerings last two or three years and result in a college diploma or an advanced college diploma, respectively. Meanwhile, university programs typically last four years and students are awarded with a Bachelor degree. Today, however, colleges are beginning to offer students degree undertakings that are typically reserved for university institutions.
While these degree programs take four years to complete, they offer a uniquely college experience. What does this mean? Firstly, because class sizes are smaller than those offered at university level, the four-year programs aren’t just academically based. They also feature interactive features such as presentations, projects and classroom discussions that would not be possible in traditional university lectures of, for example, 500 people. Secondly, the small class sizes also allow students to interact regularly with their instructors. As such, instructors get to know students past their student number and submitted assignments. Students benefit by having real conversations about their future goals that instructors can help them to achieve through networking with professionals and other means. Thirdly, attending a bachelor program at college level saves students money, as tuition is notoriously less expensive than that of university offerings.
Centennial College in Toronto is one of the post-secondary institutions now offering degree programs. It currently facilitates four such undertakings, three in the School of Engineering, Technology and Applied Science and the other in the School of Communication, Media and Design.
In the School of Engineering Technology and Design, students can attend Bachelor of Applied Information Sciences – Computer and Communication Networks, Bachelor of Applied Information Sciences – Software Systems Design, and Bachelor of Applied Information Sciences – Bridging to Software Systems Design. The latter two are essentially the same offering, which boasts a unique focus on system design, a blend of technology and business subjects as well as industry placement. It also provides specialization in mobile application development or service-oriented architecture and cloud computing. The program places emphasis on advanced software standards and management. However, the Bridging option allows computer program/analyst graduates or software engineering graduates from Centennial or from a similar program from another college to join the program in the fifth semester. As such, these students may be eligible to obtain this four-year Bachelor of Applied Information Sciences in Software System Design (SSD) in two years.
The final Bachelor program offering at Centennial College is Public Relations Management. Through theoretical and applied learning in and out of the classroom, including completion of real world projects, it teaches students public relations, corporate communications and social media as a tool for managing both. To balance their training, students attend ten core business courses offered in partnership with Centennial’s School of Business.