College pathways significantly improve access to engineering degrees for marginalized or underrepresented students. Although several provinces in Canada have established pathways for students wishing to move from an engineering technology diploma to an engineering degree, such as Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta, and British Columbia, no province-wide pathway in Ontario’s higher education system exists. As a result, transfer students are faced with a myriad of challenges and limited transfer pathways due to the institution-specific and complex nature of transfer articulation agreements in Ontario. This paper reports on the development of a province-wide diploma-to-degree engineering transfer pathway in Ontario. The proposed pathway program builds upon findings from a previous qualitative research study conducted by the co-authors which highlighted key factors necessary to develop future large-scale transfer pathways. The pathway was designed with the flexibility to incorporate extant institution specific pathways, while also providing a solid foundation for the development of a pilot multi-institutional bridge program. The challenges associated with creating a streamlined transfer pathway from engineering technology to engineering are myriad, and key outcomes from this project will continue to inform the development of possible approaches to a consistent, Ontario-wide engineering transfer program.
Engineering Technology and Engineering Program Comparison of Underrepresented Students in the Same Institution
