u/GreyJournal_

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to get some advice from people who have gone through a similar path or work in engineering education.

I graduated from BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology) with a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering Technology – Mechanical Systems Option. My overall GPA was 69%. My first year wasn't great, but my grades improved quite a bit later in the program, especially in courses like HVAC, thermodynamics, heat/cooling load analysis, project management, air conditioning systems, and statistics.

Since graduating, I've been working full-time as a Mechanical Designer, mainly on HVAC, plumbing, and building systems projects. I now have a few years of industry experience, and my goal is to earn a bachelor's degree without throwing away the work I've already completed.

One thing worth mentioning is that I applied to the Camosun Engineering Bridge Program, hoping to transfer into third-year Mechanical Engineering at UVic/UBC afterward. Unfortunately, I wasn't accepted because my GPA wasn't competitive enough. I've also looked into BCIT's Bachelor of Engineering program, but based on how competitive the admission process is and how the GPA cutoff changes every year, I don't think that's a realistic option for me either.

I've also researched Lakehead University, which seems to be one of the few Canadian universities with a well-known pathway for engineering technology graduates.

At this point, I'm open to relocating anywhere if it means I can maximize my transfer credits and finish the degree in a reasonable amount of time. I'm looking at Canada, US, UK and Australia if there's a good pathway.

My questions are:

Are there any universities in Canada (besides Lakehead) that accept Mechanical Engineering Technology diploma graduates and give substantial transfer credit toward a Bachelor's degree?

Has anyone transferred from BCIT (or another engineering technology diploma) into a Mechanical Engineering degree? If so, where did you go, how much transfer credit did you receive, and how long did it take to finish?

Are there universities in the US, UK, and Australia that have better transfer pathways than Canada?

Are there any reputable online or hybrid options? I understand fully online accredited Mechanical Engineering degrees are rare, but I'd still like to know what's available.

If you were in my position today, what would you do?

My priorities are:

Maximize the amount of transfer credit from my BCIT diploma.

Finish the degree in the shortest reasonable amount of time.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's been through a similar situation or knows of universities that aren't widely known for accepting engineering technology graduates.

Thanks in advance!