The Asian Studies Program is unique in Canada. Beginning in 1983, it was the first two-year program in a Canadian community college to focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Having evolved substantially, the program is currently designed for university-transfer students who seek a better understanding of the cultures of the Asia-Pacific region. The courses and seminars that give students in-depth insight into the cultures of China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. South Asia and BC Asian societies are also surveyed in some courses. Students who take Asian Studies courses are very well prepared for transfer to Asian Studies and other social science departments in university.