Thompson Rivers University: A Comprehensive Overview of Programs and Opportunities

Thompson Rivers University (TRU), a public research university in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, stands at the meeting point of the North and South Thompson Rivers. TRU is a dynamic institution offering a wide array of academic programs and opportunities. With five academic faculties and three schools, TRU caters to diverse educational needs, blending traditional academics with hands-on learning experiences.

Academic Structure and Faculties

TRU's academic structure comprises five faculties and three schools:

Faculty of Law: The smallest of the faculties.
Faculty of Science: The largest faculty.
Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics
School of Nursing
School of Trades and Technology: Evolved from the vocational training programs initiated to support regional industries like forestry and mining.

Historical Development

The institution's journey began as Cariboo College, offering two-year academic programs that facilitated student transfers to the University of British Columbia (UBC), Simon Fraser University (SFU), and the University of Victoria (UVic). Simultaneously, the college developed vocational training programs to address the needs of regional industries including forestry and mining. In September 1971, the college relocated to its newly constructed campus on McGill Road, establishing the vocational division, now known as the School of Trades and Technology. Premier W.A.C. Bennett officially inaugurated the vocational wing in May 1972.

In 1978, Cariboo College gained corporate status under the British Columbia Colleges and Provincial Institutes Act, establishing an independent board. Over the next two decades, the college experienced substantial growth, with faculty expanding from 30 members serving 567 students in 1970 to 383 employees serving 5,252 students. To accommodate this expansion, Cariboo College constructed more than a dozen new facilities, developed an on-campus student housing complex, and renovated existing buildings.

A satellite campus was established in Williams Lake, British Columbia, in 1971, offering educational programs to surrounding communities, including remote Indigenous populations. In 1989, Cariboo College was selected by the provincial government to transition to "university college" status, enabling the provision of degree programs in regional centers. The institution was renamed the University College of the Cariboo (UCC) when the first cohort graduated with these degrees in June 1991.

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The College and Institute Amendment Act of January 1995 granted UCC the authority to independently confer degrees, leading to the introduction of new programs, including five additional bachelor's degrees and the Adventure Guide Diploma. In 2004, the Government of British Columbia announced that UCC would become the province's newest university.

Thompson Rivers University was officially incorporated in March 2005 under the Thompson Rivers University Act. This legislation merged the University College of the Cariboo with the BC Open University and other components of the Open Learning Agency, transforming UCC's university council into a senate and establishing a planning council for Open Learning. Dr. Roger Barnsley, UCC's president, continued in his leadership role at the new institution. TRU held its inaugural convocation on March 31, 2005, along with the installation of its first chancellor, Nancy Greene Raine.

Leadership and Administration

The University Act defines the leadership structure of the university, including the powers, duties, and offices of the president. The president holds the positions of vice-chancellor, board member, and senate chair while serving as the chief executive officer responsible for supervising administrative and academic operations. Dr. Alan Shaver was installed as TRU's third president in 2011, coinciding with the installation of the Honourable Wally Oppal as chancellor. Brett Fairbairn began his tenure as TRU's fourth president on December 1, 2018.

Campus and Facilities

TRU's 250-acre main campus in Kamloops is situated on McGill Road in the city's southwest Sahali area, overlooking the junction of the North and South Thompson rivers. The campus has 40 acres of gardens and the largest arboretum in BC's Interior. Residences provide on-campus housing for 1,472 students.

After one year operating out of the school district's various facilities, such as the Kamloops Indian Residential School property, Cariboo College moved to the current campus on McGill Road in September 1971, sharing the newly constructed Main building with the Kamloops Vocational School. Construction was a constant on Cariboo College's campus to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding student body. The Library and Gymnasium opened in fall of 1976. The Science building was completed in 1980 and the Visual Arts building opened the following year. Construction began on student residences in 1988 and Hillside Stadium opened. As part of Cariboo's application to become a university college in 1989, the first campus plan was developed with the requirement that every building have an official name.

Construction in the 1990s continued as the influx of undergraduate students kept growing. UCC doubled the size of the Library and Science buildings and opened the Computer Access Centre downtown on Victoria Street in 1991. The Arts and Education (A&E) building was built in two phases from 1991 to 1993. Beside A&E, the 53,000-square-foot Campus Activity Centre, which includes the campus bookstore, a cafeteria, pub, retail spaces, meeting rooms and the student union office and coffee shop, opened in 1993 thanks to a cost-recovery-based joint proposal between UCC and the student society. Also in 1993, UCC opened a new campus daycare facility, the Hillside Stadium track house, the Williams Lake campus extension, a regional centre in Ashcroft and the Wells Gray Education and Research Centre. The facilities at UCC, next door to the city's new Canada Games Pool, were integral to Kamloops hosting the 1993 Canada Summer Games. More regional centres opened in Merritt and Lillooet in 1994, and the Trades and Technology Centre was completed in 1997.

The Brown Family House of Learning building opened in 2011, housing TRU's library and a learning commons. It was the first TRU building to be awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold status for sustainable construction. Old Main, the first building constructed on the Kamloops campus, was partly renovated and expanded in 2013 and it got a second phase of upgrades in 2021. The TRU Faculty of Law moved into the 44,000-square-foot addition in December 2013 and officially launched the space to coincide with convocation of its first graduating class in June 2014.

The Industrial Training and Technology Centre (ITTC) opened in September 2018 at a cost of $30 million. The 5,344-square-metre building positions the School of Trades and Technology and Faculty of Science to meet student and labour-market demand. There is space designed for new programs on campus, including industrial process technician, power engineering, HVAC/refrigeration technician, and machinist. The two-storey centre features classrooms, lab and shop areas, and it connects to the adjacent Trades and Technology building via a covered walkway. As some programs move from the Trades and Technology building to the ITTC, the Faculty of Science's Architectural and Engineering Technology (ARET) program takes its place in renovated spaces, leading to growth opportunities for ARET, including expansion to a fourth year. The Chappell Family Building for Nursing and Population Health opened in 2020, with a total cost of $37.2 million. The Province of BC contributed $8 million.

Campus Buildings

Built in 1970: One of the oldest buildings on campus.
Constructed in 1992: It is the fourth largest building on campus. Features solar hot water heating and underwent various energy retrofits.
Built in 2005: One of the newer buildings on campus.
Constructed in 1991: Energy retrofits include high-efficiency lighting, HVAC controls, and motion-sensored lighting.
Built in 1990
Built in 1970: Underwent significant retrofits including a major lighting upgrade.
Constructed in 2007: Features a waste energy capture system that uses heat from computer servers to heat the building.
Built in 1975
Constructed in 1997
Constructed in 1980: Features a green roof, water-efficient landscaping, showers for bikers, and 75% of lighting provided by natural light.

Campus Master Plan and Future Development

TRU completed a Campus Master Plan in 2013, which set out future development of the Kamloops campus using a "university village" model. The project is known as The Reach. The goal is to develop 90 acres on campus in six phases with a total build out of 46,600 square feet of retail space, 40,000 square feet of office space and 3,500 residential units. Some of the residential projects have been completed, including Legacy Square and Liberty Pointe by the Kelson Group and Creston House by the Cape Group. Under current provincial post-secondary risk management policies in British Columbia, TRU cannot directly control the project.

Internationalization Plan

In November 2024, TRU published its 'Strategic Internationalization Plan 2025â2035,' titled 'Nek'Ãºsem-kt: We are One Community.' The plan establishes a framework for integrating global dimensions into the university's curriculum, research, and campus culture over the next decade. Following approval by the Senate and Board of Governors in February 2025, the plan outlines four strategic goals: enhancing global competencies through institutional learning outcomes, providing support services for international learners, expanding Indigenous engagement within internationalization efforts, and promoting global research collaborations.

Student Life and Activities

Thompson Rivers University is located in the heart of the western Canadian mountains, and as such, provides a robust choice of outdoor activities - hiking, golfing, biking, skiing, snow boarding, and so on are at our doorstep. The campus is also highly internationalized. The international department (called TRU World) employs over 50 people full time, creating a host of international activities and opportunities for the campus. TRU has approximately 10,000 full-time students and more than 1600 international students in Kamloops. The campus is situated on a plateau overlooking the city and the North and South Thompson Rivers and is designed to be easily walked from one part of the campus to another.

Academic Environment and Programs

The Canadian education system is marked by progressive evaluation. That means that your final grade is not based solely on one major exam or paper at the end of the semester but on an accumulation of grades for periodic (usually smaller) assignments given throughout the semester in combination with one or two larger assignments given halfway through the semester or at the very end. This system also allows you to track your own academic progress throughout the semester. However, you must complete all the assignments (not just the final exam) to achieve a high grade in the end. Professors present core material during class in the format of lectures or discussions and attendance is mandatory. All students should be present and punctual for class, as their attendance record may actually affect their final grade. Furthermore, Canadian students are expected to take an active role in their own learning: this includes taking notes on the lecture material, joining in the discussion or asking questions during class, making appointments to meet with professors outside class if additional help is needed for any of the material, etc. Strong fields include business administration, geography, modern languages, natural resource science, social work and tourism management.

Programs Unavailable to ISEP Students

Due to the specific practicum requirements of the nursing program, it may not be possible for every applicant to be admitted on an exchange basis. Adventure tourism (different from tourism management) and applied technology programs (respiratory therapy, animal health technology) are closed to ISEP participants.

Course Selection for International Students

Exchange students are only admitted into undergraduate courses. If they see a number 1 after the final course code (IE: BBUS 3811) - this represents an online course. All face-to-face classes end with a zero (IE: BBUS 3810). Review information on Pick Your Courses Page carefully. Please understand that the academic system is quite different. Classes are usually lecture-based, instead of discussion or group work. Classes are often much larger than those found at Lake Forest College. Grades are based heavily, at times almost entirely, on one end-of-term exam, though some courses will also offer a midterm. All courses/modules may have prerequisites. Some departments may have limitations on numbers of courses that can be taken within or outside it.

Orientations for International Students

ISEP students will take part in two orientations. The week before the official start of the semester is the international student orientation and the first week of the semester is the university-wide orientation program.

Homestay Program

TRU has a very robust homestay program involving several hundred homes near the campus. All homes have been inspected by TRU staff. Normally, homestays are located within a 15-minute bus ride to the campus. Meals are included in the homestay program. Normally students prepare breakfast and make a packed lunch for themselves.

Visa and Passport Requirements

All students must have a valid passport to participate in this program. Students planning on studying in Canada less than 6 months are not required to obtain a Study Permit, however, they may be required to apply for a temporary resident visa.

How to Search for Academic Courses at TRU

Go to University Home Page Click on âCurrent studentsâ then, click on âFind the latest course schedules.â Students can select either Course Schedules for Fall or Winter. Search by Term. Select Fall 2013 (Sep-Dec) or Winter 2014 (Jan-Apr) click âsubmitâ â NOTE: course offerings will be updated prior to arrival. Once your application has been received by the Study Abroad Office, students will be invited to communicate with a Program Advisor within the faculty they are studying. Students can then search the program specific courses available within the program area and scroll down to bottom and click class search. Course title, code, credit value, contact hours are in full view.

Restrictions for ISEP Students

âOL Divisionâ online courses are not available to ISEP students. Additionally, any course that ends with a â1â in the course code is also an online course, and not available. On-campus courses end with a â0â in the course code (ex. The following programs are not available to ISEP students: Education, nursing, computing sciences, applied technology programs (respiratory therapy, animal health technology), engineering and faculty of law courses. Students can only select courses within the Adventure Tourism Program for third and fourth year, and there are additional course fees for which the student is responsible (approx.

English Language Proficiency

Non-native English speakers are required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS English Exam to study at TRU. The minimum required score for 'Direct entry into academic programs' is 88 for the TOEFL ibt (minimum 20 subscores) or 6.5 for the IELTS (minimum 6.0 sections). If you submit scores below this, you may be required to enroll in part-time or full-time TRU's English for Academic Purposes program (ESL courses). The minimum required score to enroll in EAP Level 3 is 61 for the TOEFL ibt and 5.0 for the IELTS. EAP level 4 & 5 have slightly higher requirements. Students will also have the opportunity to take an English placement exam upon arrival at TRU. If you score higher on the TRU placement exam than your TOEFL/IELTS scores, you may be permitted to enroll in regular university courses. Please note that while ESL courses are included in ISEP benefits, ESL courses are considered pre-undergraduate level and do not count toward any academic credit at TRU.

Student Support and Resources

Between program advisors, counsellors, future students, awards and financial support, TRU has got students covered for any questions they have.

Location Advantages

Thompson Rivers University, located in beautiful Kamloops, British Columbia, is 3.5 hours from Vancouver. A major centre in its own right, students will enjoy the community feeling of Kamloops, while still savouring the amenities and attractions of a large, bustling city. Students are within minutes from spectacular natural landscapes with the chance for hiking, fishing, and biking among many outdoor activities. Kamloops is situated on the main rail and high way routes to the Canadian Rockies. Beyond the campus students will find beautiful beaches and parks lining the junction of two rivers next to a vibrant downtown. Study and play in one's own backyard with natural features like hiking trails, cycling paths, lakes and the nearby award-winning Sun Peaks ski resort.

Arts and Culture in Kamloops

Students can feed their artistic appetite in the front row of touring big-name bands or in smaller venues with local musicians. They can immerse themselves in work by prominent Canadian and international artists at the local art gallery. They can catch a thought-provoking independent film, or box office hit at one of the cinemas. Kamloops presents opportunities to join an inclusive and welcoming community with Kamloops Pride or relax, visit and chill out in one of the many locally-owned, eclectic cafÃ©s.

Diverse Program Options

The choices here are limitless. There is a law school, a business school and a nursing school. TRU has options in trades, technology and engineering. They can prepare students for medical school. They offer theatre, visual arts, journalism and liberal arts. They can teach students how to be a chef, or operate a ski hill, or become a social worker, or a teacher.

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