Elementary & High School

Do you want to use your imagination and creativity to solve problems?

Engineers and geoscientists use their technical expertise, ingenuity, and vision to create solutions and improve the world we live in.  Although we don’t always think about it, engineering and geoscience are all around us!

• We count on the roads and highways we use every day to get us where we need to go
• We can communicate with each other no matter where we are thanks to the satellites in our sky
• The natural resources we depend on, like water, petroleum, and minerals, are readily available
• We enjoy the thrill of a rollercoaster while knowing we’re safe

The work of engineers and geoscientists affects us in some way every day.  They apply science to improve our quality of life and find innovative solutions to real world challenges.

Are You a Natural?

• Are you curious about how things work?
• Do you like coming up with new, better ways to do things?
• Do you want to explore the world and make a difference?
• Are you a problem solver?
• Do you enjoy science and math?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, a future as an engineer or geoscientist could be right for you.  Engineering and geoscience are exciting, rewarding, and challenging careers that let you use your natural talents to find, invent, or create things that help people, improve our communities, and better our environment.

Careers in Engineering and Geoscience

From creating videogame software to designing high-rise buildings to predicting avalanches, engineering and geoscience can take you almost anywhere! Learn more about careers in engineering and geoscience.

Careers in Engineering Careers in Geoscience	Watch how real engineers and geoscientists are using their ideas and ingenuity to solve problems and shape the world we live in. Please click on the logo to the right or click here.

Planning Your Education

To enter engineering or geoscience programs after high school, you typically need the following courses:

• English 12
• Math 12
• Physics 12
• Chemistry 12

As each institution has slightly different entrance requirements, contact the school directly to learn about what courses and grades are required.

There are two ways to begin your engineering or geoscience education, but both engineering and geoscience normally require four years of post-secondary education. 

Direct University Entrance
Engineering students enter into a general science program in their first year, and begin studying engineering in their second year.  Engineering programs at Canadian universities are accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board to ensure they meet all the professional engineering licensing requirements.

Geoscience students normally study in the departments of geology, geography, earth sciences, or ocean sciences.  Geoscience programs are not formally accredited, so students who wish to obtain their professional geoscience license should make sure they have the courses required to obtain registration with APEGBC.

Accredited BC Engineering Programs
Other Engineering Programs
BC Geoscience Programs

College Transfer
Many colleges in BC offer one and two year engineering programs.  Upon successful completion, you will be eligible for direct transfer into an accepting university engineering program.

There are no formal geoscience transfer programs, but students may be able to transfer if their GPA meets the academic requirements for the accepting university.

BC Engineering Transfer Programs

Scholarships

APEGBC offers several entry scholarships to British Columbia high school graduates, including:

• students entering engineering or geoscience programs at the University of British Columbia, University of Victoria or Simon Fraser University
• students entering engineering transfer programs at British Columbia’s colleges and university colleges

The entry scholarships are awarded on the basis of a combination of factors. Applications are evaluated on the basis of academic standing, extracurricular activities, financial need, and student statement.  Click here for more information.

Many post-secondary institutions also offer entrance scholarships for engineering and geoscience students.  Contact the institutions directly to learn more.

After University: What You Can Expect

Professional engineers and professional geoscientists are responsible for ensuring their work protects the health, safety, and welfare of the public and the environment.  Because of the responsibility attached to this work, you will need four years of qualified work experience after your university education before you can obtain your P.Eng. (Professional Engineer) or P.Geo. (Professional Geoscientist) designation.

These professional careers can be varied, and you will probably have a good amount of control over where you work and what you do.  You might be at a computer designing software for a telecommunications system, or at a desk approving the drawings for a new sewage treatment plant.  You could be doing field work, supervising the construction of a high-rise building, or in an office, designing valves for a water purification system.  You might work on a mountainside, measuring the possibility of an avalanche, or on the ocean, operating a petroleum drilling platform.

Regardless of where this career takes you, it will let you explore new places, test new theories, and learn something new every day.