Douglas College is a joke. The staff do not care if their students struggle and can't finish their programs. They only care about taking money from their students rather than helping them succeed when they are struggling. read more

I literally cannot finish my Bachelor's degree in Psychiatric Nursing because they don't have the classes. You get waitlisted for your classes and could have a year without classes. Please go somewhere else if you can, I hear Alberta has good psychiatric nursing programs. read more

as a student who is attended both SFU and Douglas, I can proudly say that I love the education that I received at Douglas. My instructors have all been knowledgable in what they teach, and for the most part passionate in helping students succeed. Like any post Secondary School, there are a lot of things that require improvement but if you're considering going to Douglas, because you like the program that you want to be in then this is the place to be. It's a school that doesn't care as much about numbers in comparison to a place like SFU, and there are genuine elements of Support, like the student learning commons and the Douglas student union. read more

In a previous life I was a full time student at Douglas College (both campuses) and now I am a part time student. Well I was until Covid-19 postponed my courses but that is not the fault of DC. I truly enjoy the instructors & support staff at DC. I have never had a bad experience the couple of times I have been a student here. The area also has a lot to offer by way of food, shopping and healthy activities. read more

I came here to find some relevant information about this institution and the only thing I have found are just F***ng complaints about foreign students and their lack of language skills, Tim Hortons, the gym, coffee, etc. are these stupid things are more important than the quality of education you guys are receiving? read more

It's an interesing college, like any in any school, it has some good instructors, some bad. It does feel and operate more like a fly-by-night private international college rather than a Canadian, publicly funded institution. In my classes on average there were 80% international students, most of them are from India, so it was a nice opportunity to explore other cultures. My suggestion is to cut funding to this College and make it private - they would make tons more money (which seems to be the primary operating goal of this establishment). Administration and most faculty have a far left ideology with all the underlying consequences, so if you are an intelligent human being, you will constantly feel pressure not to say something that conflicts with extreme leftist views. Some of my instructors were quite frustrated with this, but you know how it goes, if you're against the radical, far left administration, you're out the door. So much for 'free and open academic environment'. There is a big screen display in the entrance hall. For me the creepiest thing was when they showed Orwellian style Hollywood indoctrination movies to students and staff. This was surreal, like authoritarian subtle propaganda that you can't escape. The cafeteria food is abominable, grotesque, and stomach churning. However, there is an asian stir fry place in the cafeteria open space which has reasonable prices, and is actually OK when you're hungry and in a hurry. Both New West and Coquitlam locations are quite convenient with transit located nearby, and fees are quite lower than universities. So if you are OK with some of the downsides, Douglas is a good place to get your Diploma. read more

I want every parent to know that Douglas College utterly failed me as a student. Three years ago I was in Douglas's music program with my husband, Josh. While we were attending he became very sick and died within a couple weeks. There was difficulty determining whether it was the mono or cancer or liver failure that killed him. He had life insurance through Douglas College. It was supposed to cover up to $7,000, which would have stabilized me at the time. But after dragging their feet for almost a year, the life insurance company finally refused to pay out. By this time I was in a horrible situation financially and I was having a mental health breakdown. I'd injured my back at work and lost my job, I'd borrowed money from friends and family that I could no longer pay back because the life insurance money was not coming, and I couldn't pay my rent anymore. I was so desperate that I even considered prostitution to survive. I sank into deep depression and anxiety, and it developed into severe C-PTSD. I contacted Douglas college and told them what had happened. I begged for their help. I begged them to help me get the insurance company to give me the money I was due- because otherwise I would end up on the street, homeless and selling myself to survive. Or, to help me with housing and food until I could get back on my feet. They refused to help. They wouldn't do anything. It wasn't their problem. They would not challenge the insurance company. I had nowhere else to turn. Fortunately the kindness of my friends saved me from ending up on the streets or having to sell myself to survive, but I've spent the past two years homeless and couch surfing and financially ruined because of the life insurance company refusing to pay me what I was due. It's been a couple years. I've worked hard to survive, despite all these odds stacked against me, despite losing many friends when I was unable to pay them back. I've recovered enough to start going after the institutions that allowed these monstrous events to happen to a young widow who just wanted to play the violin and make art. That's all I ever wanted. Why would nobody at the college help me?? Why was I dropped into financial ruin and homelessness, when I was grieving my husband's death??? I want Douglas College to be held accountable for this, because you can bet I'm not the only student whose life has been destroyed by the school's apathy (or impotence) when it comes to protecting their students from corruption when they are at their most vulnerable!! Parents and students- do NOT trust this college's insurance coverage. The company they use will screw you over if they think they can get away with it, and the school won't lift a finger to help you. read more

Been at this college for 6 years, what I can I say I am not happy anymore like I used to. They got rid of the fish bowl, It's costs more to print when it used be 300 pages free per semester. You cannot even print from your own computer also the wi fi sucks too. Tim Hortons cafe is corrupt full Of foreigners who can't even get a stupid order right. You say lightly they still make the bagel black. I am 32 and I feel very left out there's no one here my age mostly stupid teenagers and over grown adults who act like babies. Oh and too many international students who go here which is super annoying. Oh what else can I say, the SPSC program is the worst program I have ever been in. Profs are disorganized not clear on what to study on, the students are all teenagers and attracting a lot of overly young adults who slack off. Go somewhere else and save your mental health. This college is not doing it for me unfortunately. You can't make friends here, sorry but it's the truth. The DSU is also disorganized as well. The cafe also sucks. read more

I've gone here on and off for about five years completing an associate's degree. For me it has been a great stepping stone to help me figure out what I want to do. My creative writing teachers were all positive influences and helped me to develop my craft. What other reviewers have written about the cafeteria, gym and library needing upgrading has some truth to it. Nutrition is so important for learning but it's hard to get healthy food at the caf there when it's cheaper to get the white spot burger or something from Tim Hortons than it is to get a salad from the salad bar. However, many students don't know that they have a downstairs caf that makes fresh coffee and sandwiches. the hours for this cafeteria are spotty though. The computers in the library are always packed and most of the time i end up paying to use the internet cafe down the street. in addition, for some reason Google docs doesn't load on any of the library computers which makes it hard because thats where I save all my work. Im not sure why this is, but they should really look into it. All in all, I've had positive experiences there over the years. As with any school I suppose, I've had some teachers there that were better than others. I've recently learned about the ratemyprof site so I would suggest new students check out what other students are saying about the prof before committing to a class. read more

Okay so the learning here is VERY good and the standards are the same compared to SFU and KPU (I have been to both) this review is about the school dynamics itself. My complaint here at the new west campus is overrun with exchange students. I am in no way being racist but the very least this school could do is educate the exchange students on mannerism while on campus such as things like don't stare and women on campus and hang around in hallways and the cafe being LOUD talking on phones at the top of your lungs etc. It's actually a joke how many non English speaking students come to Douglas I feel like it's turning into a private school like Vancouver career college where they take anyone for money. All they care about is money clearly because I've been here for some time and it's declined drastically in this regard. Douglas , you will loose BIG TIME if you start over packing this school with only exchange students. The library at this campus is also under construction and has been for the entire Summer 2019 semester and now the fall 2019 it is still not done yet there was ZERO discount in our tuition despite being denied these services. There is no where SILENT to study. The fish bowl is loud, Cafe is loud the only relief is to find an empty class and hope there are no rude loud exchange students hanging out in there like they often do. The main reason why I am not finishing my degree here is because of the fact that I am now a minority here despite being a Canadian English speaking resident. This campus is a JOKE the under ground parking attendants are lazy and during evening classes you have to wait in a long (one time 18 minute line up I'm not joking) because they are too cheap to employ a second gate person. Not to mention they only take cash. I know the parking has nothing to do with the college but just adds a cherry on top of a CRAP campus. read more

Online classes are cancelled due to severe weather condition, 20 cm of snow. LOL, this is ridiculous. How does snow effect one sitting at home at the computer. read more

Every time I would tell a buddy of mine that I once took a class here, they would inevitably ask, "I heard the chicks there are hot. That's true right?" Douglas has developed this reputation around metro Vancouver. Guys out there reading this - yes this rep holds true. Certain segments of the female pop here is hot. The campus is near the quay, and right next to the skytrain so there's lots to eat and it's easy to get to. The convenience of the school makes it super accessible to people around New West, Coquitlam, Burnaby, up to Commercial Drive. The classes are pretty laid back and they offer a lot of student support - free tutoring for your class if you want it. Something that isn't available at larger schools. Their library and facilities are alright but could definitely be improved. Some newer chairs or tables in their computer lab would be nice. If you need to take a specific class to fulfill a professional requirement, such as the CPA or CGA some students take those classes here. The classes are easier and your grades will probably be higher. The classes are also quite a bit cheaper than UBC, SFU or BCIT. So the other schools don't tell you that these classes are transferable, but do some research on your own because many of their classes are transferrable to such professional programs. So, say if you have a law degree and you want to take some classes about taxes, or need a couple prereqs before applying to a grad program, this place makes doing that easy breezy. Just make sure to not get the annoying ass hipster dude that works student services. There are usually 2-3 people working, if his stall opens up whatever you do avoid, avoid, avoid (stick to making really bad indie rock music and being pretentious at free trade coffee shops bud. Leave the real jobs that require being efficient to everyone else). But, none of the above matters anyways. Because this place is by the water, and the girls are cute! And there's a Timmies inside this place, and across the street :D What more could you want? So enroll in a random evening psych class like my friend above did, and become very happy with your dating life. read more

The cafeteria service is racist, has been for at least 3 years and is not being addressed. I shudder to think when the last time was somebody cleaned the walls behind the appliances, the food is boring. The gym is filthy, unsanitary, and reeks with attitude from the coach and the attendants. No, the air flow will not be adjusted to better suit the occupancy in the facility. Most instructors I met are mediocre and unengaging, students are uninspired, programs and courses are substandard. Management has high hopes, lots of political correctness, and very little accomplishment. Attend if you want a shallow life with marginal advancement and feel like spending with not much in return. read more

The education here can be very good or really bad, depending on a nubmer of factors. 1) Subject choices. Most programs require you to take 'filler classes'. These are often 'introductory' classes that don't really teach anything you don't already know, and mainly serve to earn credits. For example, I took financial maths and 'intro to business management' as part of mandatory filler courses for the computer science program. In Financial maths, you learn things like calculating compound interest (grade 11 maths...) and business intro?... just reflecting on what 'makes a good manager'. Mostly common sense for which you DON'T need to force students to buy a $150 200 page book, but are still asked to do so. Some subjects have more of these 'fillers' than others, so you may want to examine the curriculum carefully. Most subjects are great and very relevant, so I can almost guarantee you will come out satisfied at the end of the course. I highly recommend getting the fillers done and 'out of the way' early so you can truly focus on your core interests. 2) Teachers. Some are really good. Others, are just plain bad. Many teachers don't speak proper English and are hard to understand. Some teachers have no choice but to 'rush' through material depending on how much they are required to teach, which makes learning difficult. Some teachers are fantastic. They take the time to explain and guarantee you succeed... so it's really hit or miss. Luckily, most subjects follow the textbooks very closely, so as long as you read through the material and complete the exercises inside of them, you will get the 'gist of it' and pass with high grades regardless of how well the teacher presented the course. Douglas also offers a free 'Lyna.com' subscription through LinkedIn, all included in the fees. For those who don't know, Lynda is a top-notch paid education website for online learning. They uploaded all their courses on LinkedIn learning, so you can now browse and take any course you like on it. This serves as a great add-on to courses you already take. If you feel you are missing something important like a business skill or computer language you may be lacking, you can look it up on Lynda and learn it through there. 3) Fellow students. Some classes are dead silent, and you don't get to interact very much. Others encourage active participation and group work. Depending on which students you get in class, some classes can be fun, whereas others can be difficult, especially if there is an existential language barrier or lack of collective work ethic. I often got asked 'to let others answer questions' when nobody else felt like answering. A teacher asks a question. I'm the only one raise the hand, and then get 'ignored' while the teacher says "I want to see fresh hands". I don't mind letting others answer questions, but if people don't feel like participating, it just slows down the class and discourages those that do participate from continuing to do so. 4) Number of classes. Some courses get taken in 2 periods of 2 hours each a week. Others can be taken in a 'condensed' 3 hour version. Be very careful when choosing the condensed ones; teachers tend to rush through these and have less time to answer questions. You are likely to be slammed with lots of tight deadlines to complete work projects as they need to get the same amount of material done in less time. Overall, Douglas is a good place to go study if you are looking for flexible learning hours that fit your schedule. You will finish with a certificate or diploma at the end, and that WILL lead you to a good job, assuming you take full advantage of the co-op opportunities and the amount of effort you do to improve yourself and self-promote. Douglas is NOT the place to be if all you want to do is graduate and get instantly granted an interview. It's not UBC, or SFU in terms of reputation, which is why entry requirements are lower and fees are way cheaper. What Douglas lacks in terms of amounts of knowledge will be made up with the very good co-op opportunities that will get you work experience and place you ahead of even the best university graduates. Douglas is great if you take the time to study at your own pace, and combine that with practical work experience and networking offered by the college. That places the level of education on par or even better than the top universities. Other cool things about Douglas: The Student Union is great. They have their own hall and organize their own events (like free pizza days or free movie ticket days). There are lots of clubs. Sports clubs, social clubs... you name it. If you are looking to make friends, joining a club of your interest or starting a new one is a must. They have a comprehensive medical and dental plan, covering 80-100% of the fees, all included in tuition (though I am not sure if that's for all students or full-time only). They have tons of international exchange opportunities and free mentors read more

I phoned Admissions to ask about the cost of taking a certain certificate program. The representative got really frustrated, saying it was online and I could look it up. When I told her I already had and that I had further questions, she hung up on me. I called Admissions again only to reach the same person who did the same thing...will never register here as this is the kind of help I receive even before enrolling. read more

This is awful place to get a diploma or degree. First of all, they accept everyone, even people who can't speak English. Just making money. I've had many term project teams, when some of my teammates could not say a word in English. As a result, almost all term project I made by myself, otherwise I'd fail our team project. The finniest thing, when I told instructors about it, they've just said: "Oh, c'mon you're Canadian, it's easier for you", so what? Finally, all of us got equal mark... so stupid. Cafeteria is awful, it's better go to Subway opposite the street, because cheaper. $4 for a slice of pizza, really? You can go to Timho on campus, but be ready stay in line like 10-15 minutes. They don't have enough computers in the library, it is almost impossible to print papers out! Finally, I've seen how one of the instructors, just checked student's bag without any permission. After graduating, I spent like 4 months to find a job... Bad college, instructors, and their diploma has no value! read more

Underground parking is available for students and the public, accessible through Victoria St. Students get a discounted price ($3.50 until 6:30pm, and then it goes up to a max of $5 depending on how late you stay) whereas the public has to pay much more (~$8+?). They only take cash, so be sure to have change. read more

Ive been going here for 5 years finishing my degree (part time because I cant afford full time). I really like this school, they have small class sizes and good professors. Most departments are getting bigger. When I started, the psychology department was not that big, now they offer bachelors in psychology; one through Thompson Rivers University and the other is an applied psychology degree (with honours). Its no UBC but it is a good school, especially for those who want to transfer to other universities. read more