Skip to content

British Columbia Institute of Technology

Compare BCIT programs, application routes, tuition estimates, housing and student support. This includes a detailed Computer Information Technology example. That example has program-specific entry and work-experience routes.

Burnaby, Vancouver, British Columbia · Institute of technology · Official sources reviewed September 12, 2026 · How we check guides

British Columbia Institute of Technology campus buildings
BCIT campus · Capture date unconfirmedPhoto: Grassbag · CC BY-SA 3.0

The short answer

  • BCIT has programs in business, computing, engineering, health and trades.
  • It lists 300+ programs, from certificates and diplomas to degrees and trades training.
  • You apply through EducationPlannerBC and can pick up to two program choices.
  • BCIT looks at your second choice only if you are not eligible for the first, you ask, and space is left.
  • For the CIT Diploma, September 2026 was closed and January 2027 was open as checked September 12, 2026.

Institution and locations

BCIT at a glance

BCIT describes applied, career-focused education across multiple campuses and delivery contexts.

BCIT describes itself as an applied polytechnic. It has programs in business, computing, engineering, health, trades, and other areas. Its published institutional figures include 300+ programs. They also include multiple credential levels. Those are current page figures. They are not a dated catalogue count.

More about BCIT at a glance

Location is program-specific. BCIT calls Burnaby its main hub. Its campus directory also lists Downtown Vancouver, the Marine Campus in North Vancouver, the Aerospace Technology Campus in Richmond, the Annacis Island Campus in Delta, and the Centre for Applied Research and Innovation in Burnaby. Confirm the exact campus, schedule, and delivery mode on the program page before planning a commute or housing.

Decision checklist

  • Record the exact credential, program code, intake, campus, and delivery mode.
  • Treat institutional marketing totals as page-dated context, not guarantees of current availability.
  • Match the teaching campus to housing and the services you will use each week.

Admissions depend on the program

BCIT’s general process starts with the exact program page and its current requirements.

Applicants select a program and start date, identify whether it is competitive or first-qualified, read the exact academic, English-language, and document requirements, and apply through EducationPlannerBC. BCIT says an application is incomplete until required documents arrive. Meeting a minimum does not guarantee an offer in a competitive program.

More about admissions and deadlines

You may select up to two program choices. BCIT considers the second only if you are ineligible for the first, and only on request and if space is available. After applying, use your BCIT ID and myBCIT to follow up. Check the current dates and requirements for your applicant category; Fall 2027 availability is not confirmed here.

CIT Level 1 requires Category 2 English: English Studies 12 at 67% or equivalent. For math, BCIT lists Pre-Calculus 12 at 67%, Foundations of Math 12 at 73%, or another linked acceptable BC or Yukon course. Qualified applicants are accepted on a first-qualified basis while space remains; intakes may fill before the deadline.

CIT ordinary-entry application windows (table)

Checked

Annual dates published by BCIT, or the next business day. Openings are at 9 a.m.; deadlines are at 11:59 p.m. Intakes may fill earlier. Direct-entry dates differ.

CIT ordinary-entry application windows
IntakeApplications openDomestic deadlineInternational deadline
JanuaryFebruary 1 of the preceding yearJanuary 2 of the intake yearNovember 1 of the preceding year
SeptemberOctober 1 of the preceding yearSeptember 1 of the intake yearJuly 2 of the intake year

Source for this table: Computer Information Technology — Entrance Requirements tab

Decision checklist

  • Copy prerequisites, grades, English proof, documents, and deadline from the selected program page.
  • Keep applicant category and intake cycle attached to every requirement.
  • Use the ordinary Level 1 process or the separate direct-entry assessment that matches your prior study.

Programs and transfer options

BCIT’s program pages control the details that differ by credential, campus, intake, and applicant type.

The Computer Information Technology (CIT) Diploma is a concrete current example: a full-time two-year diploma with September and January intakes and in-person Downtown Vancouver delivery. Its four terms consist of three 15-week terms and one 20-week term. BCIT publishes a Monday-to-Friday schedule from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., calls the workload heavy, and recommends that students not work during school terms. The page gives a current cost estimate, but not a universal BCIT price.

More about programs and pathways

CIT includes two four-month projects with real industry clients. Its optional co-op is a separate route with two paid work-term courses completed between Levels 3 and 4; space is limited and selection is based on average GPAs in Terms 1 and 2.

The final-term internship is a separate individual industry practicum in place of one team project and requires at least 100 hours of part-time paid or unpaid work over 10 weeks or more. These are program-specific routes, not institution-wide placement promises. Keep them separate from named pathways such as the five-year Honours Biotechnology joint BCIT–UBC program, which has its own applicant-status rules.

For transfer credit into CIT, you must first be accepted into the diploma. The program page lists a minimum 60% in equivalent courses completed within five years, with matching learning outcomes. Previously earned credits can cover no more than 50% of the credential.

CIT has separate ordinary-entry and direct-entry application windows. The admissions section compares the ordinary-entry dates. As checked September 12, 2026, September 2026 was closed to new applications and January 2027 was accepting applications; live availability controls.

Direct entry to Level 2 or 3 is a different process: applicants need a program pre-assessment and proof of all requirements. Complete applications are due July 15 for September or November 30 for January, or the next business day. Direct entry is competitive and seat-dependent; BCIT warns that overseas-document assessment may take up to four months.

Current CIT diploma snapshot (table)

Checked

Current CIT diploma snapshot
ItemPublished detail
Credential and lengthDiploma; full-time, 2 years
Intakes and deliverySeptember and January; in-person Downtown Vancouver
Ordinary Level 1 entryCategory 2 English: English Studies 12 (67%) or equivalent; Pre-Calculus 12 (67%), Foundations of Math 12 (73%), or another listed acceptable BC or Yukon math course; first-qualified while space remains
Work-integrated learningTwo four-month real-client projects; optional paid co-op is limited and GPA-selected; a separate individual internship may replace one team project

Source for this table: Computer Information Technology — Entrance Requirements tab, Computer Information Technology diploma

Requesting credit for previous study in CIT

This is a course-credit assessment after admission to CIT, not a guaranteed transfer or direct-entry offer.

  1. Receive admission to the diploma

    The program page requires acceptance into CIT before course-credit consideration.

  2. Check your previous courses

    The published conditions include a 60% minimum grade, completion within five years, and matching learning outcomes.

  3. Submit the course-credit exemption form

    The instructor and program head assess equivalence. Previously earned credits can account for at most 50% of the credential.

Checked . Sources: Computer Information Technology — Entrance Requirements tab; Computer Information Technology diploma

Decision checklist

  • Verify current program availability and exact prerequisites before advising an application.
  • Treat transfer, laddering, co-op, and internship rules as program-specific.
  • Check the live intake status before committing to an application or related costs.

Plan support before term starts

BCIT provides distinct academic, accessibility, wellness, and portal services.

CIT takes place in person at BCIT's Downtown Campus. The address is 555 Seymour Street, near Granville SkyTrain Station. BCIT's Library offers online databases, e-books, research guides and research help. But its current physical-library contact page lists Burnaby, Aerospace and Marine, not Downtown. Use the service and location that matches your task. Do not assume every campus has the same facilities.

More about student life and support

Counselling is free and private for BCIT students. Accessibility Services helps with permanent or temporary disabilities and medical conditions. It does this through its registration process. Student Health Services has its physical clinic at Burnaby. Appointments may be in person or virtual. This depends on the medical issue. Access is only for students enrolled now and taking courses. Confirm the appointment format and location when you book.

Service and location check for a Downtown CIT student (table)

Checked

Service and location check for a Downtown CIT student
NeedCurrent route or location
ClassesCIT is in person at Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour St., near Granville SkyTrain Station
Library and researchUse BCIT’s online collections, research guides and research help; the current campus contact list does not name a Downtown physical library branch
CounsellingStudents book the free, confidential service themselves and confirm whether telephone, video or in-person delivery is available
AccessibilityRegister through Accessibility Services and confirm appointment format or location; no particular accommodation is guaranteed
Student healthPhysical clinic at Burnaby SE16 Room 127; an appointment may be in person or virtual depending on the medical issue
RecreationThe current Recreation Services page identifies its facilities at Burnaby; check the location before planning a class, league or fitness visit
Program requirementsProgram Advising handles program selection, application preparation, entrance requirements and upgrading

Source for this table: Computer Information Technology diploma, Downtown Campus, Library, Library Contacts by Campus, Counselling and Student Development, Accessibility Services, Student Health Services Hours and Location, Recreation Services, BCIT Contacts

Decision checklist

  • Register with Accessibility Services early and follow its current documentation process.
  • Use counselling for wellbeing, Program Advising for program facts, and the booking page to confirm health-service delivery.
  • Confirm the appointment format and physical location before travelling to a service.

Check the work option attached to the program

BCIT names participating co-op programs, while individual program pages control eligibility and selection.

BCIT’s co-op list includes CIT, but inclusion does not guarantee a place or placement. CIT’s optional co-op consists of two paid work-term courses between Levels 3 and 4; space is limited and admission is based on average GPAs from Terms 1 and 2. Its final-term internship is a separate individual practicum in place of one team project and requires at least 100 hours of part-time paid or unpaid work over 10 weeks or more.

More about careers and work experience

As checked September 12, 2026, BCIT’s international program directory labels CIT as accepting international students and eligible for students to apply for a post-graduation work permit. BCIT also says students must meet all other current IRCC criteria and that IRCC alone decides whether to issue a permit. Check the selected program and federal rules before relying on this status.

Decision checklist

  • Verify whether co-op or internship is optional, competitive, paid, and available in the selected intake.
  • Do not convert projects or co-op availability into a job or immigration guarantee.
  • Check current program-specific permit information separately from co-op selection and placement.

Continue by decision

At a glance

  • Public applied polytechnic in British Columbia
  • Program-specific campuses and intake dates
  • Diplomas, degrees, certificates, and trades pathways
  • Competitive co-op and internship options in selected programs

Official sources

Open the official page again before applying, accepting an offer, paying, selecting housing, or relying on a transfer or immigration pathway.

Educational guidance only. Requirements, prices, transfers, housing, immigration eligibility, and availability can change; use the official links in this guide before acting.

Plan your next step

Reopen the exact official program page for your intake and applicant category. Save the requirement, cost, campus, and deadline evidence you used, then confirm any uncertainty with the institution.

Prepared by the Stellar Advisers editorial team · reviewed September 12, 2026