Students who come to Cap tend to fall in love with the place. In fact, they are often reluctant to leave (just like in-laws who show up for a "short" visit). We've heard many reasons why students grow so attached to the university. Here are only a few:
We’re a teaching institution
There are two types of universities: research institutions and teaching institutions. In a research institution, the professors are engaged primarily in research. In a teaching institution, the instructors are engaged primarily in teaching. So when a student attends a teaching institution like Capilano University, they feel more connected to the place, and get to learn from someone whose main goal is to teach—someone who will take the time to figure out and remember the student's learning style, their needs, and their strengths. Not to mention their name.
A little class goes a long way
We keep our classes small. In fact, none of our classes has more than 35 students. That’s because as a teaching institution, our focus is on creating the best learning environment possible. An environment that enables teachers to recognize students’ individual needs, strengths, and talents. If classes become too large, our instructors’ ability to deliver top-flight instruction is compromised, and they can’t develop the relationships necessary for meaningful learning. For us, that’s just plain unacceptable. We're guessing it probably is for students as well.
We’re academia nuts
Our instructors are crazy in love with what they do, which is very good news for students. Their passionate professorship is wildly infectious, and after only a few weeks in a Capilano University classroom you’ll see how inspired teaching translates into inspired learning—how the gap between what a student is learning and who they are disappears, how what they're studying becomes real and students come to love what they're learning. And when that happens, when students start doing something they knew they were meant to do, well, you just can’t top that feeling.
A rare mix of the conventional and the unconventional
We offer courses you’d expect to find at any university, plus many you wouldn’t. Alongside traditional offerings such as Philosophy, English, and Physics, you’ll find uncommon gems like Wilderness Leadership, Jazz Studies, and Motion Picture Arts. This varied mix of programs gives your student an exceptional choice of study and career paths, and dramatically increases the odds that they'll get to study something that genuinely interests them.
We put the cred in credit
Capilano University gets that when everything is said and done, textbook wisdom and street smarts need to stroll in step. That when your student comes face-to-face with the work world, they have to be able to handle anything that world can throw at them. That’s why our faculty are more than instructors. They are guides. Guides by your student's side who can help them as they make their initial forays into the work world. With outstanding credentials in fields from business and music to applied behaviour analysis and tourism, along with real-world connections forged from years of working in the industry, Capilano University faculty let students not only make the grade, but also lets them make their mark.
Like-minded, not high-minded.
There is no intellectual snobbery at Cap. We believe excellence in education is for everyone. And by everyone we mean the high school student who knows exactly what he wants to do in life. And the high school student who has absolutely no clue what he wants. We also mean the mature student who wants to expand her skill set. In fact, we mean anyone who is driven by a thirst for knowledge, is hungry for direction, or craves new skills. Whatever the motivation, we’ll help students put their mind to it.
A wide choice of study options
Capilano University gives students an incredible range of study options, which is great if they're not one-hundred percent sure what they want to study. For instance, a student can complete two years of academic studies and then transfer to another university, or stay with us for a full four years and earn an applied degree. If they’re thinking more along the lines of a career, our certificate and diploma programs are an ideal way to get started. And don’t forget about our continuing education division, which offers a surprising mix of courses for career and personal development.
It’s a big world in here—our international flavour
Capilano University knows that if students want to go places in this world, they have to go places in this world. That’s why we have partnerships with educational institutions around the world. Students can study at foreign universities or colleges and earn university credit while paying Cap tuition fees. We offer study tours and international exchanges to countries such as France, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Mexico, Japan, and Australia. See Study Abroad for more details.
A stress-destroying campus
The Capilano University campus is striking in its uncommon beauty. Lush forests and immaculately manicured grounds can put the most stressed mind at ease, providing a welcome respite from the busy academic schedule students must contend with.
The North Shore lifestyle
Mountains that leap out of the ground and fill the sky. Trees that will take your breath away. Mesmerizing ocean views. Kayaking, hiking, camping. Shopping at the local market. How about a trip to the city? Capilano University is only twenty minutes away from downtown Vancouver, after all. What we're trying to say is, at Capilano University, there's plenty for students to do and enjoy when they're not in class or the library.