Brandon University welcomes adult students to study with us and become part of our community. As an adult student you will earn a quality education and receive individualized attention to help you achieve academic success.  

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS/ELIGIBILITY

The admission criteria for adult learners are dependent upon your most recent educational experience.  Students who do not meet the admission requirements for Regular student status (for example, you have not graduated high school, and have not attend post-secondary) and who meet the following criteria may be admitted with Mature student status:

1. At least 21 year of age by September 1 for Fall term starters, January 1st for Winter term starters, and May 1 for Spring/Summer term starters;
2. Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada.

Examples of How to Apply based on your most recent education:

Transfer Credit

If you have attended another accredited post-secondary institution (college, polytechnic or university), your transcripts will be automatically assessed for potential transfer credit at Brandon University upon acceptance.   The Course Transfer Database has a listing of all courses that have been evaluated for credit by BU in the past five years.  If a course from an accredited institution does not appear in the database, then it could be evaluated by BU faculty for potential credit.  The Admissions Office will determine from your transcripts if you are eligible for transfer credit from our database and will contact you to submit course outlines/syllabi for any courses which have not recently been evaluated for credit.  Transfer credit assessment can take up to twelve weeks or longer to complete so we encourage you to apply early for the term you wish to attend.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition

As an adult learner admitted to Brandon University, you may want to consider whether you bring to university a wealth of experience, knowledge, and skills acquired while working or through personal endeavors such as a hobby. If you have acquired university level learning through your hard work, you may be eligible to have your prior learning assessed for university credits.

Contact the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) department at Brandon University for more information.

Canadian Forces

Brandon University welcomes Canadian Forces personnel (including Reserve members), their spouses, and dependent children to join the university community and pursue a degree program. In recognition of the fact that a CF personnel’s or spouse’s program of study may be interrupted due to special circumstances, Brandon University has waived the regular residency requirements. For more information on this regulation, see the current Brandon University Undergraduate Calendar, Section 4.1.16. Brandon University also acknowledges that CF personnel attain university level learning gained though Canadian Forces training programs and courses. To assist in the assessment of this learning, CF members admitted to Brandon University are requested to arrange a meeting with the PLAR Coordinator (plar@brandonu.ca) and submit a copy of their Member’s Personnel Resume Record.

Student Services

Education is a lifelong journey and adult learners have their own unique challenges and experiences. If you are ready to transition into a post-secondary learning environment contact Student Services to help you accomplish your goals. Click on the links below to contact the specific area:

Academic Advisors in Student Services are available to help you chose the right sort of courses so you can proceed well through your program. All new students are required to contact Student Services for advising.

Academic Skills – As a BU student you have access to a full range of services offered in the Academic Skills Centre, including Writing, Math, and Learning Skills. The professional staff is ready to help you learn from these situations so in the future your next assignment might be easier to complete.

Career Services – As an adult learner, you might already have a career goal in mind when starting your BU degree, but it can never hurt to discuss possible career options that are relevant to the wide array of degrees offered at Brandon University. The staff in Career Services is ready to assist in these decisions.

Student Accessibility Services – For adult learners who have a temporary disability or a recurrent or permanent condition that may hamper their academic work, Student Accessibility Services works to facilitate the needs of these individuals, in consultation with appropriate faculty and staff. Accommodation may include providing alternative testing methods and settings; arranging for alternative format materials; arranging a reader, tutor, or note-taker services; and ensuring accessible classrooms.

Personal Counselling – Your experiences, values, interests, hopes and dreams are important to everyone on campus. Brandon University shares and celebrates in your success. However, sometimes life does not go as planned, and troubles interfere with your success as a student. Staff in Counselling Services provides a safe and confidential environment to deal with issues such as anxiety and stress, relationship and family issues, self-esteem, depression, sadness and loss. Students are referred to services in the community when necessary.