MC Alviera extension program allows students to study and work in Canada

Providing a global education for a creative generation of learners is at the center of Miriam College Alviera’s (MCA) higher education offerings when it opens its doors to co-ed students in 2023. Located in Porac, Pampanga, Miriam College’s third campus is set to extend the same international programs also offered at its main campus in Quezon City.

Through a recently sealed partnership between Miriam College and Camosun College in British Columbia, Canada, MCA will host extension programs that will give its students the following opportunities: pursue postgraduate studies, earn undergraduate degrees, engage in academic and cultural exchanges, and work or get an internship in Canada.

There are three programs through which these are possible. First is the Miriam International Stream (MIS) program that will allow future graduates of MCA to pursue a postgraduate degree and complete their academic credentials at Camosun College. Under this agreement, students will receive benefits that include but are not limited to priority admission, 10% tuition discount in the first academic year, access to international scholarship, and cultural and academic support.

Second is the Miriam and Camosun International Stream (MCIS) or the 2 + 2 program which provides a streamlined pathway for students of both schools to study in Canada and the Philippines. Those who will complete two years of study at MCA will earn credits needed for them to continue the remaining two years at Camosun College, where they can get their bachelor’s degree and qualify for a Post Graduate Work Permit of up to 3 years.  This same applies to Camosun students who wish to pursue their degree at Miriam College.

Third is the reciprocal Student Exchange Program which will allow both MCA and Camosun College students to attend one or two semesters at the host school which will waive local tuition. Students under this program only need to pay the equivalent of MCA’s tuition and get the opportunity to be immersed in the academic, cultural, and language programs of Camosun College. The same applies for Camosun College students availing of the program.

The higher education offerings at MCA are industry-driven, leveraging Pampanga’s creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit. They are tailored to encourage students to build on their own strengths thus the school’s tagline, “Design your possibilities. Stand out!”  Among the programs the school will offer under the Camosun College and Miriam College partnership are Bachelor of Design in Creative Industries, Bachelor of Science Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Bachelor of Early Childhood Education. Most of these programs are aligned with Camosun College’s extensive offerings, giving MCA students a promising path on which to continue and pursue higher studies in Canada.

The Miriam and Camosun partnership is the first of its kind between a Philippine and a Canadian college.

Poised to be ‘a gateway to the world’, MCA is not only set to provide more international opportunities for its students but is keen on welcoming students from around the world, not just Canada. This is part of its vision to provide student mobility, faculty exchange, and experiential immersion for the community it serves and, at the same time, support the country’s transnational education goals.

This vision is also one of the priority areas of Miriam College as an institution as it anticipates the celebration of its 100th year in 2026.