SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS A growing number of students are enrolling on programmes available at Vancouver’s University Canada West (UCW). Tim Banerjee Dhoul presents an overview of this recent addition to the Business Graduates Association (BGA)’s network
HISTORY UCW was founded in 2004 by David Strong, former president of the University of Victoria. His aim was to provide an independent and accessible alternative to British Columbia’s public universities. The school became part of the Global University Systems group in 2014 and has since seen a surge in student numbers, particularly from international backgrounds, in the context of rising demand. Today, UCW has more than 14,000 enrolled students from approximately 110 different countries. COURSES At master’s level, UCW offers a two-year MBA programme on-campus or online. The programme is arranged into four core tiers, with a choice of nine elective areas thereafter to provide specialised knowledge matching participants’ individual ambitions. For undergraduates, UCW offers bachelor’s degrees in commerce and business communication as well as an interdisciplinary associate of arts programme. It also offers a collection of micro-credential courses focused on technology, business and innovation.
LOCATION UCW is based in Vancouver, the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada and the most populous city in British Columbia. The city’s scenic surrounds, mild climate and diversity are strong draws for tourists and students alike, as is its economy; there is a burgeoning high-technology sector and its port provides Canada’s gateway to the Pacific Rim. There are two UCW campuses in Vancouver’s bustling downtown. Its 90,000 square-foot Vancouver House campus is moments away from the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path, the 28-kilometre Vancouver seawall. The school’s West Pender campus, meanwhile, is spread across nine floors of the London Building in the financial district.
36 Business Impact • ISSUE 1 • 2024
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