Program

Engineering Foundations (Certificate)


DOMESTIC APPLICATIONS

Winter 2025:  Applications are closed

Fall 2025: Apply Now! 


INTERNATIONAL APPLICATIONS

Please visit the International Application Deadline page to find out when applications may be available.

Faculty
Science & Technology
Department
Engineering
Credits
41.00
Length of Program
One year
Credential Type
Certificate
Campus
New Westminster
Learning Format
Full-time
Admission Type
Limited Enrolment
Offered
Fall
Winter

Overview

This full-time, one-year Engineering Foundations Certificate is designed for students who want to complete a bachelor’s degree in engineering at another institution and who prefer a gradual transition from high school. The program provides the courses for first-year engineering, including chemistry, physics and calculus. Small class sizes mean you’ll get lots of one-on-one time with instructors plus opportunities to get to know your classmates and work together in teams.

Transfer to university

All courses in the Engineering Foundations Certificate program are university transferable. A course is considered university-transferable if it transfers to at least one of British Columbia’s five research universities (UBC, UBC-Okanagan, SFU, University of Victoria or University of Northern British Columbia).

Transferring to UBC

Completion of the Engineering Foundations Certificate program within a period of two consecutive semesters, with a minimum GPA of 3.1, meets the requirements of the UBC Engineering Transfer Program and makes you eligible for a seat in the second year of UBC’s Engineering Degree program. See the more information tab for full eligibility details. 

If you’re looking for a more gradual transition into UBC Engineering, you should instead consider our two-year Diploma in Engineering and Fabrication Technologies program. The diploma program also qualifies as a UBC Engineering Transfer program, and can make you eligible for a seat in the second year of UBC’s Engineering Degree program.  

Completion of the Engineering Foundations Certificate program also makes you eligible for a seat in the second year of UBC’s Wood Products Processing degree, an award-winning program that will prepare you for a career in the wood products sector and related fields. 

Transferring to SFU

Completion of the Engineering Foundations Certificate can provide you with a guaranteed seat in the second year of SFU’s Engineering Science Degree programMechatronics Engineering program or Sustainable Energy Engineering program. See the more information tab for full eligibility details. 

Transferring to UVic

Completion of the Engineering Foundations Certificate can provide you with a guaranteed seat in the second year of UVic’s Engineering Degree program. See the more information tab for full eligibility details. 

Further studies at Douglas College

The Engineering Foundations Certificate fulfils several of the course requirements for our Diploma in Engineering and Fabrication Technologies. The diploma also meets the prerequisites for the UBC Engineering Transfer program and to the UVic Engineering guaranteed transfer program, while also providing practical experience that will give you a competitive edge in the job market and help you land cooperative education placements in university programs.

Job opportunities

Over 15,700 combined job openings in Information Systems Analysis, Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Physics and more are expected in B.C. for the next ten years.

 

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet the admission requirements listed below:

  • General College Admission Requirements
  • English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 with a minimum grade of B or acceptable substitution*
  • Physics 12 with a minimum grade of B or acceptable substitution*
  • Chemistry 12 with a minimum grade of B or acceptable substitution*
  • Precalculus 12 with a minimum grade of B or acceptable substitution*

*In most cases, university transferable coursework completed in the above subject areas can be used toward meeting the admission requirements.

Preferential GPA Admission:  Applicants will be offered admission based on the Grade Point Average (GPA) of the courses required for admission. Applicants with the highest GPAs will receive the first offers.

Students offered a seat in the program will receive priority registration and have earlier access to the courses required for the Engineering Foundation Certificate program.

 

Cost

Calculate your tuition and see the approximate cost of taking your program at Douglas College with the tuition & fee estimator. See costs broken down into categories including tuition fees, textbooks, student activity fees, U-Pass and more. 

For more information, refer to the tuition fee charts

Program Requirements

Curriculum Framework

Graduation Requirements For Students Completing By Summer 2023:

  • Successful completion of a minimum of 41 credits
  • At least 50% (20.5 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College
  • Time limit to complete program graduation requirements: four (4) years

Graduation Requirements For Students Completing After Summer 2023:

  • Successful completion of a minimum of 41 credits
  • At least 50% (20.5 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College
  • Time limit to complete program graduation requirements: four (4) years
  • Graduate in Good Academic Standing (Cumulative GPA of 1.50 - See Academic Performance Policy)

Course Requirements:

Course Number Course Title Credits

MATH 1120

Calculus I

3.00

MATH 1220

Calculus II

3.00

MATH 2210*

Applied Linear Algebra

3.00

PHYS 1110

Mechanics

5.00

PHYS 1210

Electromagnetism, Optics, Modern Physics

5.00

CHEM 1150**

Chemistry for Engineering

4.00

ENGR 1110

Engineering Graphics and Design

3.00

CMPT 1109

Computer Programming I

3.00

Arts UT Elective***

Select one UT Arts elective course

3.00

Select one course from the following two options:

CMNS 1135

Professional Communication for Engineering Students

3.00

ENGL 1130

Academic Writing

3.00

Select two courses from the following options:

CHEM 1210

Chemical Energetics and Dynamics

5.00

CMPT 1209

Computer Programming II

3.00

ECON 1250

Principles of Macroeconomics

3.00

ENGR 1100

Engineering and Technology in Society

3.00

ENGR 1180

Introduction to Engineering Analysis

3.00

ENGR 1190

Introduction to Engineering Design

4.00

MATH 2321

Calculus III

3.00

PHYS 1170

Mechanics for Applied Science

3.00

Total Credits (min)

 

41.00

* MATH 2232 may be used as an acceptable substitution for MATH 2210

** CHEM 1110 may be used as an acceptable substitution for CHEM 1150

*** A University Transferable course is a course that transfers to one of the Research Universities - SFU, UBC (UBCV or UBCO), UNBC, or UVIC in the BC Transfer Guide.

Academic Standard

To maintain status in the Certificate in Engineering Foundations program, students must meet the following criteria:

  1. maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.33 each semester; AND
  2. achieve a minimum grade of “C” in all registered academic courses; AND
  3. register in a minimum of four required courses per semester in at least two out of three semesters per year.

NOTE: if any of the above criteria are not met, students may be placed on program probation for one semester. Any students on program probation that do not meet the above criteria may be removed from the program. Students who are not able to remain enrolled in the program may complete the credential through open enrolment.

Program Guidelines

Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

FAQs

Successful engineers tend to have the following qualities:

  • self-awareness
  • integrity
  • creativity
  • social and ethical responsibility
  • critical thinking skills
  • problem solving skills
  • good listening and observational skills
  • collaborative and teamwork skills
  • aptitude in math and science
  • interest in technology
  • proficient written and verbal communication skills
  • time and stress management skills

As an engineering student, you will build on these qualities to develop the knowledge, attitudes, and competencies to work and excel in the engineering field. 

Applications are accepted starting 12 months prior to the start of a semester.  This program has two intakes per year in the Fall and Winter semesters. Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as offers to the program are sent on a first-qualified, first-admitted basis.

Please see the Becoming a Student section of the website for further application information.

The two engineering programs are open to all students meeting the admission requirements to the College and the entrance requirements to the programs.

The standard entrance requirements for the engineering programs are found on the “program requirements” tab found above on this page.

In addition, there are standard entrance requirements for Douglas College:

Douglas College General Admission Information

Yes, you may apply for admission to the College in order to complete all the prerequisite courses. You can then apply for the program while completing the program entrance requirements.

Contact the Engineering Coordinator for advice on entrance requirements.

The fees for the program are the standard course fees for domestic and international students. The exact values can be found on the Douglas College website:

Douglas College Tuition Fee Chart

At this time our programs are not offered via part time studies; they have been designed to be taken as full-time study. However, students who have taken courses in advance of entering the engineering programs will have a reduced course load.

Contact the Engineering Coordinator for advice on part-time options.

International applicants are encouraged to apply. Douglas College International is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of our international students. Please direct your inquiries to cie@douglascollege.ca.

Yes! You can apply to the program at any time during your studies at Douglas College. If you are accepted, the courses you have taken will count toward the completion of your credential and you will have a reduced course load.

Any courses taken at other institutions must be submitted to Douglas College for transfer evaluation. If transfer credit is granted, up to 50% of the credential requirements may be satisfied by transfer credits. The remaining 50% of the credential requirements must be taken at Douglas College.

International applicants are encouraged to apply. Douglas College International is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of our international students. Please direct your inquiries to cie@douglascollege.ca.

All of the courses in the Engineering Foundations Certificate are fully transferable to universities in British Columbia. Most, but not all, of the courses in the Diploma in Engineering and Fabrication Technologies program are transferable to universities in British Columbia. You can check the BC Transfer Guide to see which Douglas College courses transfer to what other institutions.

There are two engineering programs at Douglas College: the Engineering Foundations Certificate program and the Diploma in Engineering and Fabrication Technologies program. Both programs are university transferrable.

Engineering Foundations is a full-time, one-year certificate program designed for students interested in pursuing an engineering degree at another institution. The Engineering Foundations program offers the courses necessary for first year engineering, including chemistry, physics and calculus. The one-year certificate is fully transferable to the UBC SFU and UVic engineering programs.

Engineering and Fabrication Technologies is a full-time, two-year diploma program designed to offer a balance between academic and applied knowledge that will help prepare you for a career in engineering or allow you to transfer to a university program. The Diploma in Engineering and Fabrication Technologies program includes several hands-on applied courses where you will pick up plenty of new skills! These practical skills include constructing and programming robots, using a Raspberry Pi to control other devices, and fabricating prototype devices using technologies such as water-jets and laser cutters.

Yes! Douglas College Engineering has transfer agreements with UBC Engineering, SFU Engineering, UVIC Engineering and the UBC Wood Products Processing program. These agreements allow Douglas College Engineering students to get a seat in the second year of the above-mentioned programs, provided they meet certain conditions. More information is in the more information tab on this page.

Students who do not meet the conditions of the transfer agreements can still transfer to the institution of their choice by way of the competitive entry transfer mechanism using transfer credits from Douglas College to another post-secondary institution.

There is a transfer agreement between Douglas College and SFU Engineering. The more information tab found above on this page outlines all of the course requirements for this agreement. Alternatively, if you complete the Diploma in Engineering and Fabrication Technologies you will have the option to choose all the necessary courses to transfer into second-year engineering at SFU, as well as additional second-year course requirements. Furthermore, you’ll gain a wealth of hands-on experience from several practical courses.

There is a transfer agreement between Douglas College and UBC Engineering. The more information tab found above on this page outlines all of the course requirements for this agreement. Alternatively, if you complete the Diploma in Engineering and Fabrication Technologies you will have the option to choose all the necessary courses to transfer into second-year engineering at UBC, as well as additional second-year course requirements. Furthermore, you’ll gain a wealth of hands-on experience from several practical courses.

There is a transfer agreement between Douglas College and UVIC Engineering. The more information tab found above on this page outlines all of the course requirements for this agreement. Alternatively, if you complete the Diploma in Engineering and Fabrication Technologies you will have the option to choose all the necessary courses to transfer into second-year engineering at UVIC, as well as additional second-year course requirements. Furthermore, you’ll gain a wealth of hands-on experience from several practical courses.

All classes are offered during the day with some in the late afternoon or evening. The program is offered at the New Westminster campus.

Some of the courses in the program are offered in every semester, while others are offered only once per year. It is best to contact the Engineering Coordinator for more information about specific course offerings.

For students entering in the Fall (September) intake, it will take up to one year (two or three semesters) to complete the Engineering Foundations Certificate program. For students entering in the Winter (January) intake, it may take longer than one year (up to five semesters) to complete the program due to course sequencing and offerings. Please consult the Engineering Program Coordinator for more information. It is strongly recommended that students start the Engineering Foundations Certificate program in September.

There are no specific scholarships for the engineering program, but scholarships may be available through the College in general for domestic and international students:

Douglas College scholarships and awards

More Information

Tuition deposit

When offered a full-time seat in this program a non-refundable, non-transferable $350 tuition deposit is required.


Transfer agreements

UBC ENGINEERING

The Engineering Transfer Program provides students enrolled in the Douglas College Engineering Foundations Certificate (EFC) program transfer credit and makes them eligible for admission into the second-year of the Engineering degree program at the University of British Columbia-Vancouver (UBCV). The Engineering Foundations Certificate (EFC) program provides transfer credit and guaranteed admission into the second-year of the Engineering degree program at the University of British Columbia-Okanagan (UBCO).  

Under the terms of this agreement, EFC students complete courses toward the UBC Engineering program over two consecutive semesters at Douglas College, then transfer into the second-year of the UBC Engineering degree program for the start of the following academic year.  Note that the number of seats for this transfer pathway to UBCV is limited; it may be possible for UBCV to accept additional students depending on demand during any given year. There is no restriction on the number of seats for transfer to UBCO.

Note that this is a challenging and demanding transfer pathway that leaves no time for part-time jobs or other commitments. Only attempt this transfer pathway if you are an academically strong student who intends to devote all your time to your studies. Students looking to take two years to transfer should instead consider the guaranteed transfer pathway between the Douglas College Diploma in Engineering and Fabrication Technologies program and UBC Engineering.

Requirements:

Fall Semester-21 creditsWinter Semester-21 Credits
CHEM 1150-4ARTS ELEC-3*
CMPT 1109-3ENGR 1190-4
ENGL 1130-3MATH 1220-3
ENGR 1110-3MATH 2210-3
MATH 1120-3PHYS 1170-3
PHYS 1110-5PHYS 1210-5

*UBC ARTS ELEC: ECON 1150 is strongly recommended. For students who do not meet UBC’s English language admission requirement, choose one of ENGL 1102, 1106, 1109, 1114, 1115 or 1118. Contact the Engineering Coordinator for more information.

  1. Students must complete all courses in the EFC program at Douglas College, choosing the courses as given in the table above. No courses may be transferred in from another institution.
  2. Students must have a GPA of at least 3.1 on the required pathway courses at Douglas College for transfer to UBCV; students must have a GPA of at least 2.8 on the required pathway courses for transfer to UBCO.
  3. All required pathway courses must be taken in two consecutive semesters starting in the Fall semester of a given year academic year. Students starting the program in any other semester are ineligible for this transfer pathway.
  4. Students must apply to UBC Engineering for admission by the application deadline during the academic year in which they are completing this one-year program. The admission offer cannot be deferred to a later year.
  5. Students must meet all other general requirements for admission to UBC, including the English language admission requirement. See the note above regarding ARTS ELEC.

For UBCV, note that the admission offer refers only to admission to the Faculty of Applied Science. Once a student is admitted, there is another competition for program specialization (Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, etc.). Admitted students are ranked and assigned to a specialization according to their stated preferences. If a student's first choice of specialization fills, then the student is put into their second or third choice of specialization. There is no further competition process for transfer to UBCO.

Competitive Entry Pathway: Students who do not meet the UBC Engineering Transfer Program requirements may be eligible to enter the UBC Engineering degree program based on the existing college transfer criteria for admission: https://engineering.ubc.ca/admissions/undergraduate/transfers.  

Specifically, students must have the equivalent of at least 27 UBC credits of first-year UBC Engineering program courses (9 Douglas College courses) at the end of the Winter semester in order to be considered for transfer to second-year engineering for the following September. Courses taken in the summer semester will not be used for determining admission into second-year engineering, but will be counted for transfer credit.

The GPA admission requirement for competitive transfer is set by UBC Engineering and is typically in the 3.5-3.7 GPA-range. Note that transfer via this pathway is highly competitive; students should instead consider the guaranteed transfer pathway between the Douglas College Diploma in Engineering and Fabrication Technologies program and UBC Engineering, which offers a reduced entrance GPA: https://www.douglascollege.ca/programs-courses/catalogue/programs/DPEGESS

SFU ENGINEERING

Assured Admission Pathway: Douglas College Engineering Foundations Certificate (EFC) students are eligible for assured transfer into second year of one of the Engineering Science (ENSC), Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSE), or Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) programs at SFU. Under the terms of this agreement, graduates of the Douglas College EFC program admitted into the SFU School of Engineering Science may be awarded up to 38 transfer credits to be applied toward SFU’s Bachelor of Applied Science - Engineering Science degree program. EFC program graduates admitted into the SFU School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering may be awarded up to 38 transfer credits to be applied toward SFU’s Bachelor of Applied Science - Mechatronic Systems Engineering degree program. EFC program graduates admitted into the SFU School of Sustainable Energy Engineering may be awarded up to 42 transfer credits to be applied toward SFU’s Bachelor of Applied Science – Sustainable Energy Engineering degree program.

Schedules:

Given below are the SFU-transfer schedules that students are strongly advised to follow. Contact the engineering program coordinator (engineering@douglascollege.ca) for advice on course selection or drafting an alternate timetable, as some of the above courses are offered only once per year.

SFU ENGINEERING

Fall Semester - 14 creditsWinter Semester – 15 creditsSummer Semester - 13 credits
CMPT 1109-3ENGR 1190-42ARTS ELEC-3*
ENGR 1110-31MATH 1220-3CHEM 1150-4
MATH 1120-3MATH 2210-3CMNS 1135-3
PHYS 1110-5PHYS 1210-5ENGR 1100-3

1: ENGR 1110 is a requirement for the Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSE) assured admission pathway, but cannot be used toward MSE program requirements. Students will receive the articulated transfer credit but it will be considered as a non-program-related elective.

2: ENGR 1190 is a requirement for the Engineering Science (ENSC) assured admission pathway, but cannot be used toward the ENSC program requirements. Students will receive the articulated transfer credit but it will be considered as a non-program-related elective.

*: SFU ARTS ELEC: For ENSC/MSE choose ECON 1150, for students interested in SFU ENSC Biomedical engineering or SFU SEE, a B-Humanities SFU course must be taken instead of ECON 1150. Contact the Engineering Coordinator for more information.

NOTE: For the Engineering Science (ENSC) program, students will be required to complete ENSC 120 and ENSC 180 at SFU upon transfer. For the Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSE) program, Engineering Foundations students will be required to complete MSE 100 at SFU upon transfer. For the Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) program, Engineering Foundations students will be required to complete CMPT 135 at SFU upon transfer.

Requirements:

  1. Students must complete all courses in the EFC program at Douglas College, choosing the courses as given in the table above. No courses may be transferred in from another institution.
  2. To quality for Assured Admission, students must have a GPA of at least 2.75 on the required pathway courses at Douglas (calculated using the best attempt for each course) and an overall CGPA of 2.75 on any transferable coursework from all post-secondary institutions attended (calculated using the best attempt for each course). 
  3. All pathway courses must be completed at Douglas College within sixteen (16) months of commencing the EFC program. No courses may be transferred into the certificate. For at least two of the terms within the certificate program at Douglas College, students must meet a minimum course load of 12 credits per term which must include the courses specified at http://www.sfu.ca/students/admission-requirements/canadian-transfer/college-university.html.html)

NOTE:

  • Students who were required to withdraw or were not in good academic standing upon leaving a former post-secondary institution, or who were formerly in a Faculty of Applied Sciences program at SFU, are not eligible for consideration under the Assured Admission pathway.
  • Admission into the Assured Admission pathway is limited to domestic students. International students are eligible for the Competitive Admission pathway which is dependent on the availability of international student seats at SFU within the School of Engineering Science, the School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, and the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering.
  • If the Assured Admission Program GPA required on the pathway courses in the EFC program is higher than the current CGPA cutoff for external transfer students transferring into SFU Faculty of Applied Sciences, students may be admitted via the assured pathway based on the current CGPA cutoff for external transfer students.
  • All applicants to the SEE program are required to submit a supplemental application which will be reviewed by the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering.
  • Applicants from all pathways must meet the general SFU English language and quantitative admission requirements.

Competitive Entry Pathway: Douglas College EFC students who do not meet the Assured Admission pathway criteria may be eligible to enter the SFU School of Engineering Science, the SFU School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, or the SFU School of Sustainable Energy Engineering based on existing Canadian college/university transfer criteria for admission (24 credits of transferable coursework, which must include the courses specified for Canadian college/university transfer into the Faculty of Applied Sciences and the respective Schools, found on the SFU Admissions website (https://www.sfu.ca/students/admission/admission-requirements.html ).  Students must also meet the competitive admission GPA requirement for the Faculty of Applied Sciences for the term in which they are applying for admission to SFU. 

Douglas EFC students applying for the SFU School of Sustainable Energy Engineering will also be required to submit a supplemental application. Information regarding the supplemental application may be found on the SFU Admissions website (https://www.sfu.ca/students/admission/admission-requirements/see-supplemental.html).

Furthermore, students must have the following courses completed or in progress at the time of application: http://www.sfu.ca/engineering/prospective-students/undergraduate-students/admissions/transfer.html

  • CMPT 1109
  • One of MATH 1220 or MATH 2210
  • PHYS 1210

UVIC ENGINEERING

This transfer agreement provides direct transfer and guaranteed admission for Douglas College EFC students into the second-year of the Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) degree program at the University of Victoria (UVic). Under the agreement, Douglas College EFC students take all first-year Bachelor of Engineering courses at Douglas College, except ENGR 130, then transfer to UVic at the beginning of their second year.

Ø ENGR 130 (Introduction to Professional Practice) is a course completed by all students in the BEng program soon after they begin the UVic program. Douglas College students will take this course after transfer to UVic.

Requirements:

Contact the engineering program coordinator (engineering@douglascollege.ca) for advice on course selection or drafting a timetable, as some of the above courses are offered only once per year. Given below is the UVic-transfer schedule that students are strongly advised to follow

Fall Semester - 14 creditsWinter Semester - 15 creditsSummer Semester - 13 credits
CMPT 1109-3ENGR 1190-4CHEM 1150-4
ENGR 1110-3MATH 1220-3CMNS 1135-3
MATH 1120-3PHYS 1170-3ENGL 1130-3 (ARTS ELEC)
PHYS 1110-5PHYS 1210-5MATH 2210-3
  1. Students must complete all courses in the EFC program at Douglas College, choosing the courses as given in the table above. No courses may be transferred in from another institution.
  2. Students must successfully complete all of the courses in the agreement with a minimum UVic GPA of C+ (or UVic 3.0 or DOUG 2.33) and no courses with grades less than C. This includes the courses listed above as well as any additional courses the student may take while at Douglas College.
  3. Students must have eight (8) courses completed or in progress at the time of application to UVic.

NOTE: Douglas College students will compete on an equal footing with UVic students for placement in their chosen program: Biomedical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical or Software, which begin in second year. Where any program is oversubscribed, competitive grades are considered. Students whose grades are not competitive enough to gain admission in their first choice of program will be offered an alternate program.

UBC WOOD PRODUCTS PROCESSING

Douglas College’s Engineering Foundations program provides qualified graduates with a transfer pathway into the Faculty of Forestry – B.Sc. (Wood Products Processing) program at UBC. Through this pathway, Douglas College students are eligible to transfer seamlessly into second year of the Wood Products Processing (WPP) program at UBC.

Requirements:

Given below is the UBC WPP-transfer schedule that students are strongly advised to follow

Requirements:

Fall Semester-21 creditsWinter Semester-21 Credits
CHEM 1150-4ECON 1150-3
CMPT 1109-3ENGR 1190-4
ENGL 1130-3MATH 1220-3
ENGR 1110-3MATH 2210-3
MATH 1120-3PHYS 1170-3
PHYS 1110-5PHYS 1210-5
  1. Students must complete all courses in the Engineering Foundations program at Douglas College choosing the courses as given in the table above. Note that ECON 1150 must be chosen as the ARTS elective. No courses may be transferred in from another institution.
  2. Students completing the required pathway courses at Douglas College with a GPA within the range 2.0-2.5 will be eligible for transfer to UBC Wood Products Processing.
  3.  All required pathway courses must be taken in two consecutive semesters starting in the Fall semester of a given academic year. Students starting the program in any other semester are ineligible for this transfer pathway.
  4. Students must apply to UBC for admission by the application deadline during the academic year in which they are completing this one-year program. The admission offer cannot be deferred to a later year.
  5. Students must meet all other general requirements for admission to UBC.