Pathway Program in Canada

A language course is frequently used as part of a pathway programme.

A student can meet the language requirements of the main study programme by attending a language course rather than taking a certified language test in such a gateway programme.

While most pathway programmes include two parts, the first step — such as a language course — is commonly referred to as the ‘pathway programme,’ and the second level — such as a college diploma course or a bachelor’s degree — is referred to as the ‘main study programme.’

Pathway Program Types

When a prospective international student gets a Letter of Acceptance from a Canadian Designated Learning Institution (DLI), the offer may be conditional on the student demonstrating English or French language proficiency.

In this situation, the international student could start with a language course as a route programme and then transfer to the main study programme once the language course is completed.

For language courses, there are two types of pathway programmes:

Standard: A student enrols in a language course with the goal of passing a recognised language exam at the end, such as the IELTS or TOEFL.

Preparation sessions for these assessments may be included in the language course.

A route programme is the name for this type of programme.

Seamless: Some receiving institutions have arrangements with language schools that allow students who have completed the language course to be accepted without the need for test results to be recognised.

A seamless route programme is the name for this type of programme.