In the field of Toronto education, College and University represent two very different pathways to success. Colleges in Toronto are focused on providing students with a direct pathway to employment by giving them hands-on, relevant experience in the career of their choice. Meanwhile, Universities aim for theory and thought, to give their students a sound base of creative and analytical knowledge before sending them out into the world. Which road to travel down is a difficult choice for a student-to-be, but Centennial College offers an inclusive alternative. It is one of several Toronto collegesthat are offering special joint programs by partnering with institutions such as Ryerson University and the University of Toronto. These programs allow students to receive double the education and double the accreditation by taking classes at both schools, and exploring both post-secondary-education paths. Typically, a student will spend a few semesters at a university to learn the theory, then travel to Centennial College for the second half of their education, to use their facilities and work on the practical. Currently, the college offers joint programs that include Journalism, New Media Studies, a Bachelor of Science Nursing, and Paramedicine.

The advantages of these programs are obvious, in that they allow a student to see and experience two sides of the educational coin. Colleges focus on providing a hands-on approach to life skills, and putting a student to work as much as possible before graduation. Centennial College’s programs put less of an emphasis on passive lectures, and more on getting them to actively participate in their field, both in on-campus labs and facilities, and in the outside world via co-op and placements. At the other end of the spectrum, the university experience offers the theory behind the practical experience. A university education can ensure thatstudents practicingtheir craft in practical college settings know why they’re doing, with a solid educational foundation of rules and best practices.

Two kinds of education deserve two kinds of credit, and graduates of a joint program will possess both a degree and a diploma to add to their resume, as proof that they have a unique wealth of knowledge and experience. The end product of this sort of combined program is a student with a uniquely broad, blended skill set, an employable person with an impressive resume.

SOURCE Centennial College