CEGEP

A CEGEP (IPA: [ˈseʒɛp] or [ˈsiʤɛp]; French: Cégep) is a public educational institution in Quebec, Canada on the post-secondary level. CEGEP is a French acronym for Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel, meaning "College of General and Vocational Education."

While CEGEP refers technically to only public colleges, in common usage the term is sometimes applied also to private colleges offering some of the same programs.

Students in Quebec who follow a general studies program complete six years of primary school and five years of secondary school (one less than in other Canadian provinces, in total) before attending college. Colleges, including CEGEPs, then prepare students for university or to enter a technical profession.

Programs

CEGEPs offer two types of programs: pre-university and technical. The pre-university program takes two years to complete, while the technical programs take three years. At the completion of studies, the provincial government issues the Diploma of Collegial Studies (DCS), also known as the "DÉC" (although the "DEC" usage is more prevalent), from the French Diplôme d'études collégiales.

A pre-university program covers the subject matters which roughly correspond to the additional year of high school given elsewhere in Canada and to a freshman program in the chosen field (Science, Humanities, or Arts). Students with a DEC who attend university are then allowed to skip the freshman year and enter university with sophomore status.

CEGEPs also offer three years technical programs which share a core curriculum of french, humanities, english and physical education classes with the pre-university programs. The technical programs also lead to a DEC. Examples of programs are: Instrumentation Automation Robotics, Architectural Technology, Nursing, Building Engineering Technology, and Computer Science. Though those programs can also lead to the university, they are geared towards immediate employment.

Adult continuing education programs are also offered at CEGEPs. Many of those programs lead to an Attestation of Collegial Studies, or "AÉC" (Attestation d'études collégiales), which is similar to a DEC but does not include the core curriculum.

In addition, the majority of the province's 31 "Technology Transfer Centres," have been established by CEGEPs. At these centres, applied research is carried out in a specific field in cooperation with industrial partners.

See also

• Education in Quebec
• List of Cégeps
• R score

• English-language CEGEPs
  • Champlain
  • Dawson College
  • Heritage College
  • John Abbott College
  • Marianopolis College
  • Vanier College

External link

• French Wikipedia CÉGEP article (French)

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