Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Aquaculture (Co-op)

at Vancouver Island University - Nanaimo Campus Canada

Are you ready to explore and develop solutions that ensure travelers and residents alike are able to enjoy recreational and leisure pursuits with sustainability as a focus?

The Masters of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management program is offered at VIU’s Nanaimo campus on beautiful Vancouver Island – in a region of Canada that is noted for leisure and tourism opportunities. This two-year program delivers a non-traditional approach to studies in ecotourism and innovative leisure practices, with courses that combine field experience and classroom instruction, all within a global context. Leisure studies and sustainability studies engage students with experiential learning opportunities, delivered by expert faculty who are leaders in their field.

Graduates of the Sustainable Tourism Master's degree program find employment opportunities as sustainability officers, analysts and directors, working in government, private sectors, and consultant firms.

The Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management Program
This program places graduates at the intersection of two growing, exciting, and globally significant areas of theory and practice: leisure and sustainability. The program prepares emerging leaders to examine and create solutions which ensure that residents and travelers alike can enjoy recreational experiences, natural and cultural amenities, heritage resources, and adventure as part of their life experiences on a sustainable basis. Students will engage in coursework delivered in a non–traditional, international educational setting where the instructional approach draws upon field experience, classroom instruction, and experiential styles of learning. Two integrated instructional streams are central to the program focus: 1) a set of principles and practices underlying leisure and sustainability; and, 2) an integrated set of research capabilities, innovation, and knowledge mobilization skills necessary to ensure that new knowledge can be effectively transformed into impact. There is also a required thesis component wherein students will demonstrate a mastery of knowledge mobilization approaches (including, but not limited to, research skills).

During completion of the program, students will:

• acquire a broad interdisciplinary knowledge of concepts, models and issues relating to the field of leisure services;
• analyze sustainability issues by integrating social, environmental and economic perspectives;
• develop and critique policies and practices that advance sustainability goals;
• apply strategies to influence change and innovation at the community, regional, national and international levels;
• conduct applied research on specific leisure, innovation, and sustainability topics;
• develop the capacity to actively engage in a variety of knowledge creation and mobilization approaches and strategies;
• engage with diverse stakeholders on complex leisure and sustainability issues; and,
• formulate a personal and professional commitment to strategic and innovative leadership practices in sustainable leisure services.

Help brighten people’s smiles every day with a career as a dental assistant. Vancouver Island University’s Dental Assistant Certificate program offers students hands-on training with knowledgeable instruction to prepare them for this fast-paced, growing industry.

After completion of the nine-month Dental Assistant program, students must write a national board exam to be eligible to become a Certified Dental Assistant.

The Dental Assistant Certificate Program
This program, recognized by the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia (CDSBC), and accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC), is designed to provide students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and values necessary to be a member of the dental team; providing care, support and services for individuals of all ages.

Upon successful completion of the Dental Assistant program, students will be granted a certificate. Students must then write a National Board exam which, upon successful completion and combined with the certificate, makes them eligible to apply for registration and licensure with the College of Dental Surgeons of B.C. as a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA – Level II).

Are you interested in a career where you can make a difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society? With a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree, you can devote your career to helping solve social justice issues and helping people overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges such as addiction, mental health and domestic violence.

A degree in social work gives you the professional skills to develop interventions to solve social and personal problems. Social workers create social change by working with people as the individual, family, group, community, organization and societal levels to enhance health and overall well-being. 

Social workers can find fulfilling careers in child welfare agencies, departments of health and human services, hospitals, community mental health agencies, substance abuse and medical clinics and elder care facilities.

The Bachelor of Social Work Program:-
The purpose of the Bachelor of Social Work degree program at Vancouver Island University is to provide education in generalist anti-oppressive social work practice. 

The learning outcomes of the program include the capacity to do the following: 

demonstrate effective social work communication skills within an empowerment approach at the individual, group, and community level.
demonstrate professional ethical standards and values at the individual, team, and organizational level.
critically reflect on own ideas, behaviours, and practices. 
identify and address mechanisms of oppression, privilege, resistance, and social change. 
In addition to a generalist social work practice degree, the Bachelor of Social Work program at Vancouver Island University offers a specialization in child welfare. 

Program Delivery

The Bachelor of Social Work program at Vancouver Island University will accept students into Year 3 of the program and will be delivered through distance education. Students admitted to the program will be expected to:

Participate in an online orientation(s) prior to program commencement in September.
Have access to high speed internet and audio-video capabilities. 
Participate in courses that have both asynchronous (online access to course materials) and synchronous (online access to course materials, audio and visual discussion, e.g. Zoom) course delivery methods.

Calling all foodies who dream of running a kitchen or opening a restaurant. VIU’s Culinary Management Diploma will train you in advanced culinary and pastry techniques, as well as important management, accounting and beverage skills. Learn what it takes to launch a culinary career, with work opportunities close to home and around the world.

This Culinary Management Diploma program includes a paid co-operative education component that allows students to network and build industry contacts. At the end of the Culinary Management program, students can write the inter-provincial Red Seal exam.

Graduates also receive advanced credit when applying to the VIU Bachelor of Hospitality Management degree.

The Culinary Management Program:-
The Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island (CIVI), at VIU provides students with the options of a Certificate (one year), and a Diploma (two years), in culinary training and management skills, giving them the leading edge for advancement in the culinary profession. Upon entering the program, culinary students are registered as apprentices, gaining technical training while accruing apprentice hours. As a part of both the Certificate and Diploma programs, students participate in a paid co-op work placement, gaining industry work experience and additional apprentice hours. The Culinary Diploma program provides students with advanced culinary and pastry training as well as the management skills needed to obtain higher positions within the industry. The 2nd year of the diploma program is only offered at the Nanaimo campus.

At the Nanaimo campus students are accepted into the first year Culinary Arts Certificate program in January, February, or August. The Culinary Arts Certificate consists of the 28-week Professional Cook 1 (PC1) and the 14-week Professional Cook 2 (PC2). At our Cowichan and Powell River campuses students are accepted to the 28-week Professional Cook 1 (PC1) program which starts in February (Cowichan) and September (Powell River). Cowichan and Powell River students can then apply to the Nanaimo campus to complete the Professional Cook 2 (PC2) training and receive a Culinary Arts Certificate.

The second year of the diploma is designed to teach culinary students the advanced skills they will need for a management position in the food industry. Please note: there are different secondary school Admission Requirements for the Diploma. Students are required to have completed a post-secondary culinary certificate program and have experience in the culinary industry. The first semester includes advanced culinary techniques, advanced pastry arts, and artisan baking in our wood burning brick oven. Students will also be learning important management, accounting, and beverage instruction delivered by instructors from the VIU Hospitality department. At the end of the diploma program subject to successful completion of VIU coursework, and having completed the industry hour's requirement, students can write the inter-provincial Red Seal exam. Completion of VIU's Culinary Diploma program provides students with advanced credit when applying to the VIU Bachelor of Hospitality Management degree.

The Culinary Management Diploma gives students a number of credentials including:

• Vancouver Island University Culinary Arts Certificate if exiting after successful completion of the first year
• Cook 1, 2, and 3 apprenticeship technical training
• Apprenticeship hours
• Vancouver Island University Culinary Management Diploma
• VIU's Culinary diploma program provides students with advanced credit when applying to the Bachelor of Hospitality Management degree. See information for bridging semester.

Co-operative Education:-
Under the co-operative education format, the paid co-operative education experiences are integrated into the total curriculum. Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island students are employed and supervised in a Red Seal-trained kitchen. Hours worked in their co-op are counted towards their apprenticeship. Culinary 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 and apprentice hours;
• Being able to finance a larger portion of their education.

Co-operative placements are typically from May to October. Access to co-operative education placements is based on student's GPA and their willingness to work as a team member with faculty and co-operative education staff to find an appropriate placement. Students in co-operative placement are assessed tuition and Students' Union fees - see program fees for correct fee information.

The Bachelor of Tourism Management program is a continuation of the knowledge developed through the hospitality, tourism, and outdoor recreation diploma programs. With community-based projects and two paid co-op semesters, students gain opportunities to forge valuable industry connections and experience.

Upon graduation students find exciting career opportunities in commercial recreation and tourism, adventure tourism, tour operations, not-for-profit agencies, and inclusive leisure. VIU’s Tourism degree gives students the leading edge in this high-demand and growing industry.

The Bachelor of Tourism Management Program
The Bachelor of Tourism Management (BTM) program builds on existing diploma programs in Recreation and Sport Management, Tourism Studies and Hospitality Management that stress career-entry skills. Students may apply to the third year of the degree program after completing a diploma in various fields including Recreation, Travel and Tourism, or Hospitality, Physical Education, and Outdoor Recreation.

The degree program will provide applied skills and concepts related to the design of tourism products and management of tourism services. The degree will focus on the development of management and entrepreneurial skills needed for people wishing to assume greater responsibilities within an organization, or for those wishing to start new enterprises.

Co-operative Education

• Co-op Fees for co-operative education and internships are due during the second month of each work term.

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.

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.

Legal Administrative Assistant
This specialty is designed to provide students with the fundamental skills and knowledge required to join a firm’s legal support staff at the junior level.

Graduates of this program have gained employment in private law firms; Crown prosecutor’s offices; federal, provincial, and municipal government offices; real estate companies; offices of notaries public; insurance offices, and major corporations.

To continue into the second semester, a student must pass all fall semester courses and have a minimum "C" in Business English and a minimum "C-" in all other fall semester courses.

Do you like solving complex problems and finding innovative solutions for real-world challenges? VIU’s Integrated Engineering Technologist Diploma may be for you. The two-and-a-half-year engineering diploma prepares you for a rewarding career as an engineering technologist. BC’s tech sector is one of the fastest growing areas of the provincial economy and skilled engineering technologists are in demand.

Through hands-on learning opportunities, you’ll gain practical knowledge in computer aided design software; civil, mechanical, electrical and structural principles of design; and project management. Our small class sizes mean you’ll get lots of support and individual attention from faculty to help you succeed. You’ll also gain real-world experience through the diploma’s co-operative education program and optional field school.  

The Integrated Engineering Technologist Program
The Integrated Engineering Technologist Diploma emphasizes the design process in civil, mechanical, and structural technologies. Students develop and apply a strong foundation in physics, mathematics, computer programming, computer aided drawing, as well as project management principles to engineering designs and prototype manufacture. Graduates of this program find employment with a wide range of employers including engineering consulting firms, fabrication facilities, heavy industry, and municipal engineering departments.

Fisheries and Aquaculture has long been an area of specialization at Vancouver Island University. VIU has an international reputation in fisheries and aquaculture applied research, technology transfer, training, and education. VIU boasts an extensive array of facilities and equipment: three cool-water hatchery complexes; a warm-water hatchery; salt-water system; fish disease laboratory; lake study field station; oyster farm; sturgeon, trout, and wild and cultured salmon research programs. The proximity of VIU to fresh-water lakes and streams, as well as to the ocean and estuaries, allows fieldwork in these habitats to be a central part of students’ education.

The new Centre for Shellfish Research (CSR), located beside the Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture, was created to facilitate the emergence of the B.C. shellfish aquaculture industry as a sustainable economic engine for healthy, vibrant coastal communities. CSR faculty teach upper-level courses in fisheries and aquaculture, and there are many opportunities for students to participate in CSR research projects.

Furthermore, the federal government’s Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo provides access to numerous acclaimed fisheries scientists and one of Canada’s best libraries in this field. Fisheries (sports and commercial), and aquaculture are immensely important throughout the world and are key to the economy (and employment) in British Columbia.

The B.Sc. in Fisheries & Aquaculture has been designed to offer students a great deal of flexibility, and there are several routes through this program. Students may begin in year one and complete the program at the end of year four, or they may enter at year two or three from Vancouver Island University or from other institutions. They may also complete the two-year Fisheries & Aquaculture Technology diploma program and then proceed to the B.Sc. with up to two years (60 credits) of advance credit. Some students elect this pathway after completing the Technology program and then working in industry for a few years.

Applied Technology
The Bachelor of Science in Fisheries & Aquaculture is an applied technology degree program. In association with the two-year Fisheries & Aquaculture diploma program and the Bachelor of Science, Major in Biology degree program, the B.Sc. in Fisheries & Aquaculture degree provides a mix of a broad science background and applied, hands-on, technical skills. Graduates will be well schooled in scientific principles, have an understanding of the philosophical and ethical underpinnings of science, and will be trained in the practical skills required to enter employment in industry or government.

Program Format and Courses
The Bachelor of Science in Fisheries & Aquaculture degree program is a four-year degree program requiring 130 credits of study. Of these 130 credits, a minimum of 42 must be upper-level. Students will take the Core program (109 credits), a minimum of six credits of Fisheries or Aquaculture electives, plus a minimum of six non-Science elective credits.

A variety of elective courses allow students to create a program suitable to their particular interests.

This degree is closely tied to the Bachelor of Science, Major in Biology. Students take core courses in Biology and are encouraged to take upper-level electives in Biology. Students may switch between the two degrees if their areas of interest change.

Undergraduate Research Project
In fourth year, students may choose to complete an Undergraduate Research Project in FISH 491. For this course, students will have a Faculty Project Advisor (in some cases faculty may be from another institution) and will carry out their research under the direction of this Advisor. Students not wishing to pursue a research career may take a Directed Study FISH 490 and one upper-level Science elective or two upper-level Science electives.

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.