Diploma in Fine Arts

at North Island College - Comox Valley Campus Canada

Social service students at NIC will be exposed to a variety of community agencies that help children, youth and adults access services such as financial assistance, parenting resources, employment support, life skill acquisition or youth justice, as well as services to prevent family violence and/or substance abuse. You will examine issues relating to inequality, social policy, human rights, multiculturalism, conflict management, program development and community development.

Explore anthropology, criminology, English, First Nations, history, modern languages (Chinese, French and Spanish), North American studies, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology and women’s studies, as well as electives in math and sciences.   

Associate degrees are offered at many colleges and universities throughout BC. They recognize successful completion of 60 credits of study, which is approximately 20 courses. With full-time study, you can complete an associate degree within two academic years. Part-time study options are also available.   

Associate degrees offer a great deal of flexibility. You can choose your preferred courses from a specific list of eligible courses, making it possible to focus your studies in one specific area or explore a variety of subjects.

The adventure guiding option is designed for students who wish to have it all - to gain the skills necessary to be an adventure guide working in the outdoors but who also want to gain the business skills necessary to operate or own an adventure business. In your first year, you will receive a balance of hands-on learning and theoretical classroom learning. You will develop essential knowledge for working across cultures, with consideration toward environmental sustainability and risk management. In your second year, you will develop a broader understanding of the tourism sector while further refining your field guiding skills. This diploma option pairs our popular Adventure Guiding Certificate  with elements of the Tourism & Hospitality Management diploma.

Graduates of this program are equipped to pursue employment in the fields of communication design, graphic design, front-end web development, illustration, concept art, interactive design, and user experience design. Graduates may also choose to continue their studies with North Island College by continuing with the Advanced Communication Design diploma, or to pursue the completion of a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design via third-year transfer to Vancouver Island University’s Graphic Design program.

NIC’s fine arts program offers a career-focused education that fosters strong problem solving, critical thinking, research and studio practice skills. You will develop critical and theoretical skills in a broad range of mediums encompassing traditional, interdisciplinary and digital arts practice.  NIC’s well-equipped studios and unique setting has extensive resources, both physical and human, to inspire your imagination, allowing you to experiment with different mediums and express yourself individually.  The Fine Arts diploma will prepare you to launch your career or transfer to degrees at UVic, VIU or at Emily Carr University of Art + Design.

Expand your skills and prepare for work in the digital design and development industry. This one year post-graduate certificate provides fundamental skills in web and app development. Graduate ready for entry-level employment in this high opportunity field or ladder seamlessly into either stream of our Post Graduate Diploma with a focus on Web Development or Mobile App Development.

The Human Services diploma has a wide focus which allows you to pursue courses in community support, education assistance, social services or behaviour interventionism. A variety of employment options exist in human service agencies depending on the courses chosen and final practicum focus.  The program provides opportunities to enhance the knowledge and skills you developed in your certificate program and can be pursued on a part-time or full-time basis. The program runs from early September until late June and includes human services (HSW) and social services (SSW) courses.

A diploma in business administration will qualify you for a wide range of career opportunities. Depending on your interests and area of specialization, job titles may include, but would not be limited to, market researcher, sales and retail manager, advertising coordinator and product manager.   You may choose from three diploma options: General Management, Accounting or Marketing all of which include an optional Co-op term. 

Qualified students can enter the degree program at any year level. You may opt for a traditional two-plus-two approach, first completing a two-year diploma in business administration, plus two years of additional study to obtain the Bachelor of Business Administration degree (BBA). You can also apply previous coursework from a wide range of university-level studies toward the degree program.

If you have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, this program provides you with an opportunity to complete a post-degree diploma in business administration in one academic year. You may select options in general management, international management, marketing, accounting and finance or human resource management.