Bachelor of Arts

at Vancouver Island University - Nanaimo Campus Canada

Take your passion for fitness to the next level with VIU’s Physical Education Diploma program. Through active instruction of sport science and physical health education courses students graduate with the skills to find employment in fitness centres, the spa industry, summer camps and recreation centres.

The Sport, Health, and Physical Education program provides students with the knowledge and experience to pursue numerous careers in physical education, such as education, fitness/wellness management, movement science, outdoor leadership, physical therapy, coaching, athlete development, and sports management. Students will explore the nature of human movement and learn essential skills to communicate, administrate, and lead groups in physical activity settings. In addition, students will gain an appreciation of the disciplinary knowledge and its application to various physical activity-related professions. The program provides students with diverse learning environments and applied experiences including lectures, labs, activity classes, online learning, and applied research. The objective is to prepare undergraduates in the field of physical education with the skills, knowledge, and experience to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles.

The Physical Education Diploma Program
Students must complete 60 semester-credit-hours of coursework with a minimum Grade Point Average of 2.0 (“C”) to be eligible for the diploma. Students who have been awarded advanced credit standing must complete a minimum of 30 semester-credit-hours at VIU, with a Grade Point Average of 2.0 (“C”). Students should be aware that admission to the diploma program does not guarantee registration in all the required courses. Please contact the Sport, Health, and Physical Education Department for more information.

Hone your critical thinking, legal analysis, project management, communication, conflict mediation, research and analysis skills with VIU’s Criminology program.

Criminology is an exciting, dynamic field of study that looks at the social and psychological factors that contribute to criminally deviant behaviour and its consequences. Students interested in current events, psychology and social justice will find their stride with our degree in Criminology.

Criminology studies grads are attracted to a range of careers in the criminal justice system, with Crown corporations and in the private sector, such as bailiff, correctional officer, court reporter, criminal investigator, legal assistant, parole officer, police officer, research, victim services specialist, and many more. Check out the careers page on the Criminology program website for more options.

In fourth year, Criminology Majors have the option of either conducting an applied research project or participating in a field placement.

The Criminology (BA) Program
Criminology is an interdisciplinary science that focuses on law and its interpretation by the courts, patterns in crime, the explanation of deviant and criminal behaviour, and society’s reaction to law-breaking. The program introduces students to criminal law, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and case-law decisions made by the courts. Students will examine in separate courses the three main components of the criminal justice system—police, courts, and corrections—that form an organized response to crime. The program addresses the trends and correlates of crime, including the influences of age, ethnicity, gender, and social class. The major explanations for crime try to account for these patterns by looking at historical, individual, and social causes. The criminological focus is broadened with courses from other disciplines in the Social Sciences and Humanities. 

The program aims to provide students with conceptual, critical, and applied skills to work in fields where a legal/justice focus is beneficial. The curriculum emphasizes the development of professional and applied skills through training in professional ethics, conflict mediation, use of information technology for researching relevant topics, writing, presenting data, and working in small groups on specific tasks. In the fourth year, Criminology Majors have the option of either conducting an applied research project or participating in a field placement.

Although the core of the curriculum is centred on justice-related issues, students will find the degree program applies equally to areas in the private sector where research competence, project management, legal analysis, and communication skills are essential.

Students interested in the diploma must apply to the Bachelor of Hospitality Management. Prior to completion of their first year, students must indicate their interest in exiting with their Hospitality Management Diploma. Upon successful completion of the first two years (60 credits including co-operative work placements), students will be eligible to receive the Hospitality Management Diploma.

The two-year Hospitality Management diploma develops the learner's knowledge and skills required to build a successful hospitality career. The students acquire their hospitality knowledge through a blend of classroom learning, and experiential activities in an on-campus dining room, in teaching kitchens and participation in special events. Finally, students are required to complete two paid co-operative work placements where they apply their learning at resorts throughout British Columbia and Alberta.

This two year diploma program is designed to prepare students for a wide range of supervisory and management positions in the tourism industry. Students examine management from behavioural, functional, situational and systems perspectives. The unique applications of management to service organizations are a focal point of the program. Students are encouraged to explore and develop their individual leadership styles in the management labs offered in the program. Since the marketing concept forms the basis for developing management practices used in the tourism industry, the marketing/management relationship is studied in detail.

The primary role of the diploma is to prepare students initially for entry level positions and eventually middle management positions in the tourism industry.

Co-operative Education:-
Under the co-operative education format, the paid co-operative education experiences are integrated into the total curriculum. Students will benefit from the co-operative education experience by:

• Relating academic study more effectively to the field of practice;
• Developing a clearer career focus;
• Gaining valuable practical experience;
• Being able to finance a larger portion of their education.

Co-operative placements are typically from May to September. Access to co-operative education placements is based on student’s GPA (minimum of 2.33 (“C+”) is required) and their willingness to work as a team member with faculty and co-operative education staff to find appropriate placements. Students must complete the co-op term after first year, before continuing with the second year of the program.

VIU’s Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies program is so much more than just music to your ears. The comprehensive jazz music program combines academic and performance studies with the latest recording technologies, music production and business strategies that arm you with elite skills to succeed in any and every facet of the music industry.

Vancouver Island University is proud to be one of the leading music production schools, having turned out some of the most successful music makers on the West Coast. Are you our next success story?

The Jazz Studies Program:-

The Jazz Studies program will foster the acquisition of professional skills in a variety of performance genres. It will offer hands-on experience of group music making through ensembles, and promote skills in the fields of: music performance and its study; musical theory and composition; music history in general and jazz music history in particular; theoretical and applied keyboarding; instrumental and choral conducting; theoretical and applied computer technology; multi-track recording and film scoring; theoretical and applied sound recording; library and on-line research; techniques and practices fundamental to the music and entertainment industries; and music as a business.

The program is modular in structure. Students select Music elective courses on the basis of their musical needs, progressing from course module to course module and from year to year. The structure offers students considerable choice and flexibility in fulfilling program requirements. It is supportive of the development of primary musical skills, but flexible and adaptable, and conducive to effective use of space and time.

Upon successful completion of the first two years of the program, students can apply for a Diploma in Music – Jazz.

Join VIU’s Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts Studies and regularly interact creatively and exchange ideas with fellow artists while immersing yourself in a unique experiential and interdisciplinary program led by instructors who are practicing artists themselves. Part of a Bachelor of Arts degree, this program gives you the opportunity to choose Visual Arts as a Major or Minor, supplementing your visual arts courses with various electives or majors of interest.

The Visual Arts Program: Vancouver Island University offers an opportunity for undergraduates to study Visual Art as a Major or Minor in a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree. Both options provide an opportunity for students to complement their degree in Visual Art with courses in other disciplines, including Business, Marketing, Theatre, Biology, History, Psychology, Anthropology, Education, Sciences, Media Studies and Creative Writing.

The BA Major offers a professional focus on all aspects of studio art, as well as academic classroom experience. Students may take this degree with a wide variety of electives or they may combine this Major with a Minor in another discipline. The latter may be appropriate to an individual student's academic and/or career goals, enhancing their preparation for a competitive job market. Both options strengthen employment or postgraduate study opportunities and equip students with technical, critical thinking, visual literacy and career adaptability skills.

Vancouver Island University's Post-Degree Diploma in Business Studies (PDDB) is a 1 year post-degree program which provides an opportunity for students who already possess an undergraduate degree to hone their managerial skills to meet the challenges of the global business environment. Students may select concentrations in Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Financial Services, General Management, Human Resource Management, International Business, Management and Leadership, Marketing, and Not-for-Profit Management, or following a consultation with the PDDB academic advisor, take a personalized program of courses that suits their interests.

The program also offers an avenue for students who wish to pursue graduate studies but need to develop a stronger academic background. To ensure a higher degree of success in the MBA program, it is strongly suggested that students take courses from the five disciplines that form the MBA program. The disciplines involved are Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management and Marketing. For more details, please see the PDDB academic advisor.

Are you a visual communicator and think you would enjoy a creative career? The four-year Graphic Design degree program at VIU is taught by professors who are graphic designers, artists and photographers themselves, and is a hands-on program taught in studios using industry-leading technologies.

Why a graphic design degree? Every company, organization and product needs a designer. Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design students graduate industry-ready with a killer portfolio to add to their resume. Are you ready to start creating?

The Graphic Design Program
The Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design is intended for students who wish to pursue a professional career in the creative discipline of digital and print Graphic Design. "Graphic Design is an interdisciplinary problem-solving activity that combines visual sensitivity with skill and knowledge in areas of communication, technology and business. A Graphic Designer specializes in the structuring and organizing of visual information and to aid communication and orientation. They provide clients with the following: research, costing, planning, coordination, project management, quality control, design and aesthetic judgment, advertising and art direction." (Ashworth, Hilary ed. The Business of Graphic Design, A Professional's Handbook. Toronto: Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario, 2001).

Graphic designers work in new media and web design, packaging, illustration, animation, production and prepress, advertising, marketing communications design, art and creative direction, corporate identity, broadcast design, corporate communications, information design, editorial design, education, environmental and exhibit design, signage, and related occupations. Graphic designers develop skills that are in demand in today's economy and that can be applied to nearly any career, including creative problem solving and design thinking.

This degree program is hands-on and rich in applied elements and experiential learning to prepare students for the evolving requirements of the graphic design and visual communication industry in today's knowledge and information-based culture. The degree also promotes the skills associated with Bachelor of Arts programs, including analytical and critical thinking skills, solid oral and written communication skills, and general flexibility and adaptability. Students will develop awareness of social responsibility, ethics, cultural contexts and global communications considerations. The program features lectures, studio classes, computer lab instruction, critiques, project work, portfolio development and a graduation show. A rigorous work ethic and time-management skills are required for all courses. As in the profession, students juggle multiple projects and deadlines, undertake projects as teams, research, report, cooperate, communicate and present their work.

The program will build on a solid foundation of general skills at the first-year level. Second-year courses will require that students apply and expand upon foundational skills in more detailed and specific sub-fields. Upper-level courses in the degree will explore problem-solving, research, creative exploration, innovation and cultural and contextual issues at a deeper and more complex level. Students must take 21 credits of electives and may select both employment-oriented and academic electives (in consultation with the program).

Students are required to purchase industry standard laptop computers and software (as specified by the program), as well as supplies and textbooks for classes.

The Bachelor of Interior Design combines theory with specialized knowledge and the development of proficiencies relative to the profession of interior design. It is intended for students who wish to pursue a professional career in this creative multi-faceted discipline. Interior designers work in all areas of the built environment including residential, office, retail, hospitality, and Institutional settings to create interior spaces that are "functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants, and are aesthetically attractive"*. The program provides a balanced range of theoretical, intellectual, communication, experiential, applied and other skills, needed to deal effectively with the responsibilities of interior design professional life. The interior design curriculum features lecture, studio, critique, and computer lab instruction; independent and collaborative projects; formal and informal presentations; field trips; an internship and a final major project spanning two semesters. The foundation courses and elective study provide an excellent foundation and structure for lifelong learning and ensures that students develop quantitative reasoning and critical thinking skills.

If you are passionate about learning and want to inspire and prepare the next generation of leaders, join our community of teachers.

The Bachelor of Education program at VIU provides students with the fundamentals needed to become teachers at the elementary or secondary school level. Throughout the five-year program students will learn diverse teaching strategies and professional development skills to give them the tools and knowledge required to earn their BC teachers certificate and begin their teaching journey.

Students in VIU's Bachelor of Education program receive personalized attention from dedicated faculty who have experience in the K-12 classroom, and who care about their students' success.

The Bachelor of Education Program:-
This program prepares students for teaching at various school levels and has a thoroughly articulated grounding in the Principles of Teaching and Learning, embedded and extended practica, as well as First Peoples Principles of Learning. In line with BC's redesigned curriculum, the program, and its delivery, is informed by personalized learning allowing for greater flexible learning environments well versed in ecological and environmental learning and Aboriginal perspectives and knowledge. Curriculum instruction focuses on core competencies, big ideas, as well as current research and the development of reflective practices. Upon successful completion, graduates will be well-qualified beginning teachers and recommended to the Teacher Certification Branch (TCB) at the BC Ministry of Education for ‘professional certification’. This certification is required for employment in any BC public, independent, or BC Offshore school.

The program is comprised of undergraduate Education coursework and from various disciplines including the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences, and Human Services. Undergraduate elective coursework is predominately completed within the first two years of the program, with Education and Field Experience coursework taking place in the final three years of the program. Coursework is delivered at either the Nanaimo or Cowichan campuses. Students enrolled at the Cowichan campus have the opportunity to engage in a fully integrated program infused in local First Nations perspectives and knowledge. Education coursework and Field Experience do not run during the summer months.

Students completing this degree may earn Minors from other degree programs to complement their Bachelor of Education. To do so, they must meet all the requirements for the other degree’s Minor, as well as the requirements for the Bachelor of Education degree. Students wishing to pursue a Minor should consult with a Faculty of Education Advisor to discuss degree completion requirements and teaching career implications of their choice of Minor.

The program can be entered at Year 1 or Year 3. Years one through three are pre-professional years consisting of a combination of teacher and non-teacher education coursework. Year 4 through 5 are professional years consisting exclusively of teacher education coursework and practica with a focus in either Elementary or Secondary. Students with previous post-secondary work may also consider the Post Baccalaureate Bachelor of Education option. 

Unlock your full potential as an executive office administrator. The VIU Applied Business Technology Certificate Program offers specialties as an Accounting Assistant, Administrative Assistant and Legal Administrative Assistant. In this 10-month certification program, you will master computer, accounting, legal, customer relations and keyboarding skills that will turn you into the secret weapon your dream employer has been looking for.

Unlock your full potential as an executive office administrator. The VIU Applied Business Technology Certificate Program offers specialties as an Accounting Assistant, Administrative Assistant and Legal Administrative Assistant. In this 10-month certification program, you will master computer, accounting, legal, customer relations and keyboarding skills that will turn you into the secret weapon your dream employer has been looking for.

The Office Administration Program
This program provides thorough, in-depth training in the skills required by today’s office workers in order to be competitive in the job market. Current computer software applications are stressed, as well as the traditional skills and knowledge of business English, business calculations, office procedures, customer relations, and strong keyboarding skills.

The program offers three specialties Accounting Assistant, Administrative Assistant, and Legal Administrative Assistant. Students can expect to receive industry-specific training in skills related to their chosen field of study. A two-week work placement practicum is available at the end of the program in each certificate stream for eligible students.

Accounting Assistant
This specialty is invaluable for a person who aims to work in a business where both bookkeeping and a variety of related skills are required. Students gain valuable skills in bookkeeping theory and popular business software applications.
Graduates have found employment in government offices, municipal offices, accounting firms, accounting departments of both large and small businesses, insurance and real estate firms, and office support positions in a wide variety of businesses.
To continue into the second semester, a student must pass all fall semester courses and have a minimum "C" in: Business Math and Calculators, Business English, and Office Computer Applications I. To continue on in second semester into Accounting II and Computerized Accounting, a student must pass Accounting.