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NWCC transfer deal with Finland university

Northwest Community College students can now complete their studies in the hometown of Santa Claus.
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Vice president, Education, Students and International, Justin Kohlman at the home of Santa Claus when he signed the transfer agreement Lapland University of Applied Sciences. Contributed photo

Northwest Community College (NWCC) students can now complete their studies in the hometown of Santa Claus.

Just in time for Christmas, NWCC has signed an agreement with Lapland University of Applied Sciences. The University, which is located further north than Whitehorse, is an international leader in Arctic courses and programs. The main campus is located in Rovaniemi, Finland. The town is about the same size as Terrace and bills itself as the official hometown of Santa Claus.

This is the fourth international agreement that allows students to start their studies at NWCC and complete their degree elsewhere in the world. Other agreements are already in place in Australia, Portugal and Denmark. More are expected to be signed in the United States, Brazil and Japan in the coming months.

“Our goal is to provide adventurous pathways coming into our college and going out of the college,” said NWCC president Ken Burt. “Wherever our students want to go, we want to help them be successful.”

NWCC students who study business, arts, science, engineering and fine arts can transfer to Lapland University to complete their degree. English-language degrees available to NWCC students include international business (including a specialization in Aboriginal entrepreneurship), tourism, information technology, fine arts and mining engineering. For many courses, students who study at NWCC for two years would only need to do one more year in Lapland to finish their degree.

“Most European degrees are only three years so this option not only provides an opportunity to study overseas at a reduced rate, but it means finishing a degree in one less year than it would take in Canada,” said Burt.

Tuition for the university is 8,000 Euros per year. As per terms of the agreement, Lapland University will reimburse all students who successfully complete their studies 60 per cent of the tuition. For more information about degree partnerships and transfer agreements available to students at NWCC, visit nwcc.bc.ca/degree-partnerships.

– Submitted by Northwest Community College.