Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) is now offering an improved gateway to flexible learning pathways.
KPU Flex is an initiative designed to shorten the path to program completion by recognizing prior learning and competencies. Prospective students will be able to apply for academic credits for the knowledge and skills they have already acquired through their work, volunteer and life experiences.
This option is geared towards mid-career professionals looking to advance their career, mature learners with years of experience or anyone seeking to gain academic credit for prior learning.
“KPU Flex is for anyone, whether it’s someone wanting to come back to school and upskill or someone who's had it as their goal to achieve an academic credential,” says Pal Trehan, Recognition of Prior Learning Specialist at KPU. “The whole idea is to make education more accessible and to streamline program completion so you don’t have to start from scratch.”
Applicants will be assessed for prior learning by submitting portfolios containing samples of previous work and, in some cases, participating in interviews with faculty members. The application and assessment are free of charge for select programs using the portfolio approach.
“Assessments aren’t just based on experience, or time spent in a certain role,” says Meredith Laird, Manager of Curricular Support at KPU. “Applicants will have to be able to demonstrate that they already have some of the competencies they would develop through the program.”
KPU Flex is currently applicable to the university’s Diploma in Brewing and Brewery Operations and all programs offered by the Melville School of Business. The option is expanding to other credentials.
“Our long-term goal would be to make this pathway accessible to every single program at KPU,” says Laird.
For more information about the initiative, visit KPU Flex.