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“I had great teachers that were always accessible, and their personal feedback was extremely important. I highly recommend it if you are ready to study hard to improve your English abilities!” -Laura, ISEP Student
“ISEP has a very useful curriculum and great instructors. My English skills have improved a lot and I have gained more confidence in reading, writing, and also speaking English.” -Sung Jea Kim, ISEP student
“ISEP instructors are genuinely enthusiastic about supporting and improving our English skills, particularly having many opportunities to ask questions and providing constructive feedback.” -Ryosuke, ISEP Student
Life as an international student at BCIT: “it is definitely challenging to study at BCIT, but I believe it will be one of my greatest experiences in my life.” Read more
For over 50 years, BCIT has been a leader among Canadian post-secondary institutions with over 50,000 students enrolled annually. Learn more
Delivery: in person. See details.
The International Student Entry Program (ISEP) is an English program that teaches students the language and study skills needed to succeed at BCIT. ISEP prepares you for what really happens in the BCIT classroom!
If you already have a valid study permit and minimum language proficiency scores, processing times are typically much shorter than for students who need to apply for a study permit. For more information, please email the ISEP admissions staff.
For overseas applicants who do not have a valid study permit, please refer to the application opening dates and deadlines below. These dates allow enough time to process most study permits according to the Government of Canada’s estimated wait times.
| Term Start | Application Opening Date* | Application Deadline* |
|---|---|---|
| January | March 15 | October 15 |
| March | March 15 | January 2 |
| May | July 15 | March 1 |
| July | July 15 | May 1 |
| September | November 15 | July 2 |
| November | November 15 | September 1 |
*or next business day
This program is available to international applicants. A valid study permit is required prior to starting the program.
To submit your application:
Within two business days of submitting your completed application, BCIT will send a message to your personal and myBCIT email addresses. All correspondence regarding your application will be posted to your online myCommunication account at my.bcit.ca. We will send you an email when a new message is posted. It is important to watch for these emails or regularly check your account online.
You can expect to receive communication concerning the status of your application within four weeks.
Application fee: $154 (non-refundable)
First term fees:
The cost of the first term (seven weeks) is approximately $3,600 – $3,800 CAD. This includes:
First term fees are due 8 – 12 weeks before the start of your ISEP term. Please refer to your conditional acceptance letter for the deadline to reserve your seat.
Tuition and other fees per term: approximately $3,600 CAD.
Tuition for returning students is due 3 – 4 weeks before classes start. Students will receive a reminder email with the exact date, which can also be found on the ISEP program calendar.
All students must have medical insurance while attending BCIT. Medical insurance is provided through Guard.me (BCIT's student insurance provider) and costs $180 for three months. For more information, please visit Medical Insurance for ISEP Students.
Students should apply for BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) when they arrive in BC, so that they have coverage when their Guard.me insurance finishes.
Students are required to bring a laptop and headphones/earbuds with a microphone to class in order to complete class activities. Laptops must have a webcam and connect to WiFi.
| Refund Deadline | Refund* |
| 30 days prior to term start date | 100% |
| Within first week of term start | 85% |
| After first week of term | 0% |
*New students withdrawing from their first term will have the $1000 commitment fee deducted from their total refund amount.
| Please note: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundations classes are not currently being offered, but they will be available online in the future. | |||
| ISEP Foundations 1 (7 weeks) | Credits | ||
| ISEP 0015 | Listening/Speaking Foundations 1 | ||
This course is designed for students aiming for English proficiency at the Basic User level (CEFR A2). In this course, students will build their general English ability and begin to learn and practice effective classroom and study skills. Students will strengthen their comprehension of high-frequency vocabulary and develop the necessary skills to understand simple, short, clearly organized talks and lectures as well as conversations between other speakers. Students will also begin to learn how to participate in short discussions on topics related to everyday life including personal experiences, common events, work and school. Students will learn how to give a simple description or presentation on a familiar topic using a short series of simple linked phrases and sentences and providing brief supporting details or reasons. Learners will develop their knowledge of A2 vocabulary and grammar and will use some A2 level knowledge accurately in their speaking.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students aiming for English proficiency at the Basic User level (CEFR A2). In this course, students will build their general English ability and begin to learn and practice effective classroom and study skills. Students will strengthen their comprehension of high-frequency vocabulary and develop the necessary skills to understand simple texts on familiar, concrete matters related to everyday life. Learners will also develop key skills for writing effective basic paragraphs on familiar topics by viewing written models, following instructions, and exploring grammar features that can be used in writing tasks. Learners will be introduced to online discussion boards and share information about events or personal experiences. Learners will develop their knowledge of A2 vocabulary and grammar and will use some A2 level knowledge accurately in their writing.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students aiming for English proficiency at the Independent User level (CEFR Low B1). In this course, students will strengthen their general English ability and continue to learn and practice effective classroom and study skills. Students will build their ability to understand short, clearly organized talks and lectures as well as extended conversations between other speakers. Students will continue to learn how to function effectively in short discussions about topics related to everyday life, including personal experiences, common events, work and school. Students will strengthen their ability to express their feelings and opinions with supporting reasons in group discussions and deliver straightforward, short presentations on familiar topics, providing explanations and responding to questions. Learners will develop their knowledge of B1 vocabulary and grammar and will use most A2 level knowledge accurately in their speaking.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students aiming for English proficiency at the Independent User level (CEFR Low B1). In this course, students will strengthen their general English ability and continue to learn and practice effective classroom and study skills. Students will build their comprehension of key vocabulary words and develop the necessary skills to understand the content and structure of short reading texts from various genres. Learners will also develop key skills for writing effective paragraphs by viewing written models, following instructions, and exploring grammar features that can be used in writing tasks. Students will learn to write straightforward texts on a range of familiar subjects or topics of interest by linking a series of shorter discrete elements into a linear or logical sequence. Learners will become more familiar with online discussion boards and share opinions and information. Learners will develop their knowledge of B1 vocabulary and grammar and will use most A2 level knowledge accurately in their writing.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students aiming for English at the Independent User level (CEFR Mid-High B1). In this course, students will continue to build their general English ability and begin to focus on English that is necessary for effective participation in technical academic courses at BCIT. Students will build their ability to understand talks and lectures, technical instructions, and conversations between other speakers. Students will also develop their ability to listen to an explanation of a technical concept or idea, take notes, and give an oral summary. Students will practice describing intercultural experiences, functioning effectively in formal discussions, and co-operating in groups to solve practical hands-on problems and develop and pitch ideas. Learners will increase their range of B1 vocabulary and grammatical knowledge and will use A2 and some B1 level knowledge accurately in their speaking.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students aiming for English at the Independent User level (CEFR High B1). In this course, students will continue to build their general English ability and begin to focus on English that is necessary for effective participation in technical academic courses at BCIT. Students will read and demonstrate their understanding of straightforward texts that communicate information or arguments and investigate how authors use language to inform and convince readers. After analyzing various kinds of paragraph writing, learners will write short, straightforward, clear texts of different genres for different purposes. Learners will participate in online discussion boards and share, discuss, and analyze intercultural experiences. Learners will increase their range of B1 vocabulary and grammatical knowledge and will use A2 and some B1 level knowledge accurately in their writing.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students aiming for English proficiency at the Independent User level (CEFR Low B2). In this course, students will improve English skills in listening, speaking, grammar, and vocabulary, while also developing the collaborative skills needed to function effectively in BCIT programs. Learners will build their capacity to understand an increased variety of conversations between other speakers about technical academic topics and an increased variety of longer talks, lectures, and media recordings. Using content and language from listening in this course, learners will demonstrate greater fluency, precision and range of expression as they deliver a short monologue, present on a technical academic topic, and field simple questions about presentation content. They will also collaborate formally in a hands-on inquiry and share, select, and present on technical information. Learners will increase the range of B2 vocabulary and grammatical features they understand and will use most B1 level features accurately in their speaking.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students aiming for English proficiency at the Independent User level (CEFR Low B2). This course aims to improve English skills in reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary while also developing the collaborative skills needed to function effectively in BCIT programs. Experiential learning, intercultural competence, and academic study strategies are key components of this course. Specifically, learners will, through reading a variety of texts, develop an awareness of how authors adjust their writing depending on their intended audience and purpose. Learners will begin to use these techniques in their own writing. They will also learn early research skills by reading, evaluating the relevance of, and combining information from a variety of texts. Learners will actively focus on improving their comprehensibility and precision in email communication, short position papers, technical paragraphs and reports. Learners will increase the range of B2 vocabulary and grammatical features they understand and will use most B1 level features accurately in their writing.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students with English proficiency at the Independent User level (CEFR Mid B2). This course aims to improve English skills in listening, speaking, grammar, and vocabulary, while also developing the collaborative skills needed to function effectively in BCIT programs. Learners will begin to develop an improved capacity to follow a variety of conversations around them in diverse professional and technical academic contexts, both formal and informal. They will continue to develop their ability to follow a growing variety of technical academic listening texts, including talks, lectures, and audiovisual reports from news sources. Based on the content of talks, lectures, and reports, learners will strengthen their ability to deliver accurate, logically structured, and fluent oral summaries of technical academic content and news. Learners will also deliver and respond to presentations online. Finally, learners will begin to use the technical academic content, language, and techniques from listening in their spoken production and interaction through presentations and formal discussion. Learners will increase the range of B2 vocabulary and grammatical features they understand and will use B1 level features accurately in their speaking.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students with English proficiency at the Independent User level (CEFR Mid B2). This course aims to improve English skills in reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary, while also developing the collaborative skills needed to function effectively in BCIT programs. Experiential learning, intercultural competence, and academic study strategies are key components of the course. Specifically, learners will read a variety of texts, noticing how authors use informational, argumentative, and instructional content, language, and organization in writing to achieve their purposes. Learners will read and respond to texts in various ways. Learners will read purposefully, making choices as they navigate multiple texts about a topic (e.g. different procedures for analyzing problems), texts containing multiple sub-genres (e.g. textbook chapters), and multimodal texts (online websites). Learners will read intensively where needed and use information from texts for different purposes. They will apply instructions, procedures, and advice to analyze problems in writing. Learners will combine information from textbooks to demonstrate understanding. Students will improve their ability to extract key concepts and paraphrase ideas into their own words. They will also use techniques found in texts to write their own argumentative texts. Learners will actively focus on being precise, accurate, and effective in their use of genres and sub-genres to produce an opinion piece, a problem analysis text, and report or essay. Learners will increase the range of B2 vocabulary and grammatical features they understand and will use B1 accurately in their writing.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students with the English proficiency at the Independent User level (CEFR High B2). The course aims to improve English skills in listening, speaking, grammar, and vocabulary, while also developing the collaborative skills needed to function effectively in BCIT programs. Experiential learning, intercultural competence, and academic study strategies are key components of the course. Specifically, learners will broaden and deepen their capacity to use strategies in order to comprehend a variety of listening texts, including talks, lectures, and instructional videos. Learners will also enhance the capacity to participate in a greater variety of spoken interaction types (e.g. collaborating with classmates, networking, collaborating in hands-on learning environments) that bring them into the informal and hands-on contexts found in BCIT. Learners will similarly enhance their ability to give information, make decisions, and deliver presentations and reports with clearly linked ideas, sophisticated thematic and conceptual development, and improved language awareness. Learners will increase the range of B2 vocabulary and grammatical features they understand and will use B1 and some B2 level features accurately in their speaking.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students with English proficiency at the Independent User level (CEFR High B2). This course aims to improve English skills in reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary, while also developing the collaborative skills needed to function effectively in BCIT programs. Experiential learning, intercultural competence, and academic study strategies are key components of the course. In this course, students will read and write increasingly authentic technical academic texts and participate in tasks that reflect those they will face in their BCIT programs. Specifically, learners will read a greater volume of material, including parts of a textbook, pre-lab/workshop material, multiple case studies, and multiple articles connected to student life and technical academic topics of interest. They will write texts with a set purpose, genre, and rhetorical organization where significant precision, accuracy, and coherence is necessary (e.g. writing a lab/workshop report or synopsis). They will also write longer, goal-oriented texts that require effective and impactful language use (e.g. essay, student success plan). Learners will increase the range of B2 vocabulary and grammatical features they understand and will use B1 and some B2 level features accurately in their writing.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students with English proficiency at the Independent/Proficient User level (CEFR High B2 - Low C1) This course is aimed at supporting learners in transitioning successfully into their BCIT programs. This course consolidates the language competences learned in the program and provides learners opportunities to critically evaluate the effectiveness of their language use. Specifically, learners will engage in activities that mirror those they are likely to encounter in their studies such as collaborating together on projects and giving and following extended talks. They will focus on communicating detailed and complex ideas reliably and precisely, while also flexibly adjusting their style and linguistic choices depending on their purpose and/or audience. They will sharpen their ability to listen to lectures and select the key information. They will develop their ability to interact with others by reflecting on and discussing how culture, personality and assumptions may influence these interactions. Experiential learning, intercultural competence, and academic study strategies are embedded in the course. Learners will increase the range of B2-C1 vocabulary and grammatical features they understand and will use B1and most B2 level features accurately in their speaking.
Prerequisite(s):
This course is designed for students with the English proficiency at the Independent/Proficient User level (CEFR High B2 - Low C1). This course is aimed at supporting learners in transitioning successfully into their BCIT programs. This course consolidates the language competences learned in the program and raises the stakes in terms of how effectively learners use the language. Specifically, learners will read and evaluate a variety of advanced, authentic technical academic texts for comprehension and write a variety of genres typical of their target mainstream learning environment at BCIT. Learners will read course documents, instructor communications, and lengthy textbook material so as to identify course expectations and synthesize content for assignments. Learners' will use their advanced research skills to produce an expository essay on their target discipline within a 21st century workplace. In the last half of the course, learners will collaborate to produce a formal proposal for a volunteer service learning project by evaluating past technical initiatives, developing and pitching an idea, and then collaborating F2F/online to write a detailed proposal as a team. Experiential learning, intercultural competence, and academic study strategies are embedded in the course. Learners will increase the range of B2-C1 vocabulary and grammatical features they understand and will use B1-B2 level features accurately in their writing.
Prerequisite(s):
Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.
