What are the Definitions for PSIS’ Program Types?

In the Program Table, users can select completions by program type. Following are Statcan’s definitions for each program type. Statcan’s definitions can be found in Statcan documentation (scroll down to Table 2, Element Number 2015, ProgType).

• Basic education and skills program: Non-postsecondary programs that are offered in postsecondary institutions.
• Qualifying program for career, technical or pre-university: Postsecondary programs that prepare students for entry into career, technical or pre-university programs.
• Career, technical or professional training program: Postsecondary skills programs that usually lead to a specific career path and into the labour market that is neither apprenticeship, pre-university, undergraduate nor graduate program. Educational requirements for this program are usually not greater than the secondary school diploma.
• Post career, technical or professional training program: Postsecondary skills programs that usually lead to a specific career path and into the labour market and requires a certificate or a diploma from a career, technical or professional training program.
• Pre-university program: Postsecondary programs that prepare students for undergraduate studies but is not an undergraduate program.
• Undergraduate qualifying program: Programs that prepare students for entry into a bachelor’s degree program. It is an access or bridging option for a student who does not fully meet the requirements for entry into a bachelor’s degree program. While this program does not generally lead to a qualification, some credits may be granted towards a bachelor’s degree.
• Undergraduate program: These are programs that are more academically-based programs which normally require a secondary school diploma or a college diploma in Quebec. Educational activities in these programs can be counted towards a bachelor’s degree (applied, general or honours) or a professional degree. Undergraduate degrees normally allow entry into a second cycle graduate program.
• Post-baccalaureate non-graduate program: Postsecondary programs that are not graduate programs and require a bachelor’s degree for admission either explicitly or implicitly, such as is the case for concurrent bachelor’s degree programs (where the outcome of these programs is equivalent to a program requiring a bachelor’s degree, but the degree is not a requirement because of the concurrent nature of the program).
  In Saskatchewan and British Columbia, this category also captures postsecondary programs at the undergraduate level for which degree completion requires a scope beyond a bachelor’s degree due to its breadth and depth of learning.
• Graduate qualifying program (second cycle): Postsecondary programs that prepare students for entry into a master’s degree program. A bachelor’s degree is normally required for entry into this program.
• Graduate qualifying program (third cycle): Postsecondary programs that prepare students for entry into a doctoral degree program, without the student being admitted to the doctoral program.
• Health-related residency program: This category covers health-related residency programs. At a minimum, these programs require undergraduate degrees for entry.
• Graduate program (second cycle): Graduate programs that normally require a bachelor’s degree. Educational activities in these programs can be counted towards a master’s degree. Degrees from second cycle graduate programs normally allow entry into third cycle graduate programs.
• Graduate program (third cycle): Graduate programs that normally require a master’s degree. Educational activities in these programs can be counted towards a doctoral degree.
• Graduate program (above third cycle): Graduate programs that normally require a doctoral degree. Post-doctorate activities that do not meet the definition of a “program,” such as those in the labour market, are excluded from this category.
• Other Programs: Any postsecondary program that does not fit in any of the program categories listed above.
• Non-program (non-credit): These are courses or other educational activities that are not within a program and have no evaluative component.
• Non-program (credit, undergraduate): These are undergraduate courses or other educational activities not within a program and have an evaluative component.
• Non-program (credit, graduate): These are graduate courses or other educational activities that are not within a program and have an evaluative component.
• Non-program (credit, other postsecondary): These are postsecondary courses or other educational activities that are neither undergraduate nor graduate, are not within a program and have an evaluative component.