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Vancouver Film School Pathway

Vancouver Film School Pathway

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Combine Critical and Practical Learning

The Vancouver Film School (VFS) pathway gives you the opportunity to enrich your critical study of literature with practical training in writing at Canada’s leading school for filmmaking.

In only four years, students in the VFS pathway complete an honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Laurier and a diploma from VFS. English students (or combined English and Film Studies students) attend VFS's Writing for Film, Television and Games program.

You'll attend Laurier in Years 1 and 2, then VFS in Year 3 (starting in early May, late June, or late August), and then Laurier in Year 4.

VFS’s 12-month program counts as 5.0 transfer credits toward the 20.0 credits required for the honours BA in English.

The Difference

Laurier's VFS pathway does not award a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, but rather both a BA degree (from Laurier) and a diploma (from VFS). Equipped with a BA, you are positioned to pursue further education after graduation, including law school, graduate school or teacher’s college. For admission to Laurier, no portfolio is required, no prerequisites are required, and the intake of students is not restricted.

Applying to VFS

You will declare your intent to apply for the VFS pathway at the end of Year 1. You must be in good standing in your program, and you must have completed a minimum of 10.0 credits, with 4.0 credits being from your Enlish major, before you start a VFS program.

To enrol in courses at VFS, you must obtain a Letter of Permission by submitting the online request form.

Effective March 2021, VFS has waived the portfolio requirements for students in the VFS-Laurier Pathway program. For more information, visit vfs.edu/admissions.

Tuition and Scholarships

VFS Tuition and Scholarship Rates for the Writing Program

Student Status

Tuition (2019)1

Top Excellence in Media Scholarship2

Second Excellence in Media Scholarship

Tuition Discount

Domestic

$20,750

$5,000

$3,500

$2,000

International

$28,250

$7,000

$5,000

$4,000

1 Tuition rates are subject to change. The above figures do not include a mandatory application fee of $75. The scholarship and tuition discount may not be combined.

2 A total of six Excellence in Media Scholarships are allocated to pathway students.

Scholarships and Tuition Discounts

Tuition discounts ranging from $2,000 to $7,000 are available to all pathway students. Program majors with the highest GPAs (in their major and overall) at the beginning of fall term of Year 2 will be invited to participate in a pitch competition to determine the allocation of six Excellence in Media scholarships.

As part of the competition, students present their idea for a major film project (or other project approved by the selection committee) to the selection committee. Scholarship allocation is as follows:

  • One top and one second level for a Film Studies student for the Film Production program, whether
    domestic or international at each level.
  • One top and on second level for a Film Studies student for the Writing or Acting program, whether
    domestic or international at each level.
  • One top and one second level for an English student for the Writing program, whether domestic or
    international at each level.

Combined English and Film Studies students compete in either the English or Film Studies category based on their GPA in both majors.

Cost Comparison (for Domestic Students)

Prior to the creation of the pathway, Laurier students seeking a career in film production required five years of study: four years at Laurier and one year at Sheridan or another college to complete a diploma in production or a related field.

The figures below reflect domestic school tuition and living costs for students living “like a student” (i.e. on a restricted but reasonable budget). In addition to the cost savings of the pathway, students also gain income from an additional year of employment. Note that VFS offers a fee-based service for helping students find housing in Vancouver. For information, visit vfs.edu/student-experience.

Cost Comparison to Non-Pathway Programs

Institution

Average Annual Tuition, Fees, Books

Average Annual Living Cost Estimate

Total Annual Estimate

Honours Bachelor of Arts + Production Diploma

Total Estimate

Laurier

$8,6551

$12,4462

$21,101

N/A

N/A

Sheridan

$17,1693

$15,6004

$32,769

Laurier + Sheridan (5 Years)

$117,173

VFS Writing5

$18,825

$20,000

$38,825

 Laurier + VFS Writing (4 Years)

$102,128

1 Tuition and Finances, Laurier.

2 Assumes first year of on-campus residence and subsequent years of off-campus residence. See "The cost for students who move away form home," Maclean's.

3 Tuition for 2019/20 in Sheridan’s Advanced Television and Film program is $14,669, and students are expected to spend $2,500-$5,000 on supplies.

4 Housing, Sheridan College.

5 Tuition figure includes the application fee of $75 and the tuition discount granted to pathway students.

6 Estimate is based on www.numbeo.com and Cost of Living, University of British Columbia.

 

Articulation: Writing for Film, Television and Games Diploma From Vancouver Film School 

Graduates from a one-year diploma program in Writing for Film, Television and Games from the Vancouver Film School, can apply to English (BA) within the Faculty of Arts on Laurier’s Waterloo campus. To be considered for admission to the Faculty of Arts, graduates must have an overall average of 75% in their program.

Transfer students admitted into our English program based on these requirements will be granted 5.0 credits towards their Laurier degree. Students taking a typical full-time course load (5.0 credits per academic year) will take approximately three years to complete their four-year honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.

To graduate with your BA in English, you will need to complete the following courses at Laurier:

"I remember going to a VFS Q&A in first-year where a Film Studies student who had just completed 12 months at VFS was speaking and answering questions. He finished the session with words I remember to this day: “VFS will give you the knowledge and resources you need to step into the film industry right after graduation.” Those words maintained my excitement for VFS during my first two years at Laurier and ensured me that I had made the right decision. If you want to be on film sets making movies, then applying to attend Vancouver Film School is the right decision for you too. Not only will you be working with industry-standard equipment, from Arri Alexa cameras to an endless amount of C-stands, but you will also find the people, friends and collaborators, that you will want to enter and navigate the industry with. You will not be alone, and you will be in the right place. It will go by fast so enjoy every second. And make them count."

- Palmer Wells, VFS Film Production (2022), Laurier Honors BA in Film Studies (2023)

Awarding of Transfer Credits

Below comprises of a list of transfer credits you will receive in your offer letter if you are admitted into this specific pathway: 

Articulation: Writing for Film, Television and Games Diploma from Vancouver Film School (English and Film)

Graduates from a one-year diploma program in Writing for Film, Television and Games from the Vancouver Film School, can apply to Combined Honours BA English and Film Studies within the Faculty of Arts on Laurier’s Waterloo campus. To be considered for admission to the Faculty of Arts, graduates must have an overall average of 75% in their program.

Transfer students admitted into our English and Film Studies combination program based on these requirements will be granted 5.0 credits towards their Laurier degree. Students taking a typical full-time course load (5.0 credits per academic year) will take approximately three years to complete their four-year honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.

To graduate with your combined BA in English and Film Studies, you will need to complete the following courses at Laurier:

Awarding of Transfer Credits

Below comprises of a list of transfer credits you will receive in your offer letter if you are admitted into this specific pathway:

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