Outline Plan For Open Multidisciplinary Credentials

I am sharing an update on the Strategic Plan deliverable I’m leading, which falls under our commitment to future-proof applied education and the initiative for Interdisciplinary and Integrative Learning.

Aligned with our mandate of strategic workforce development and connection to industry, BCIT has identified a growing need for multidisciplinary and customizable education that can be offered alongside our traditional cohort model. Increasingly, employers and learners alike are looking for greater flexibility to select and combine courses that relate directly to specific and emerging career paths and provide immediate benefit through targeted knowledge or skills.

To meet this goal, we established a pan-institutional working group to develop a new open multidisciplinary credential. Based on extensive consultation across the Institute over the last year, we are pleased to announce that the Education Council and the Board of Governors recently approved the new Associate Certificate in Multidisciplinary Studies. This program provides students with the opportunity to study across at least two disciplines of their choice as well as develop skills focused on workplace competencies, cultural and Indigenous literacies, and awareness of sustainability issues.

Embedded within the philosophy of the program is recognition of prior learning, from both formal education and non-traditional formats. The framework provides students with structure and flexibility, and aligns with our strategic goal of establishing new ways to bridge disciplines and create customizable pathways for careers at the intersection of disciplines. This educational model is a response to the increasing diversity in learners and their needs, complements and extends our ongoing commitment to applied experiential learning and relationships with industry, and forms an integral part of our Agile Learning strategy.

We are now working with industry partners to pilot the new credential, and with the benefit of what we learn from this initial offering, we will make it available to a broader range of students. It also provides a natural bridge for microcredentials, allowing students to demonstrate learning in specific competencies and apply credit from microcredentials towards the Associate Certificate in Multidisciplinary Studies or another credential as appropriate.

We look forward to sharing updates on this new model at upcoming community events as we continue to renew and extend our educational offerings.

Thank you,