Certificate in Office Administration - (Accounting Assistant)

at Vancouver Island University - Nanaimo Campus Canada

This program is designed for university graduates who have earned an appropriate discipline-based undergraduate degree and who wish to become professionally certified teachers. This is a 1½-year post-degree, 62 credit professional program leading to a Bachelor of Education that can only be earned as a second degree. The Secondary option is also available to applicants without an undergraduate degree who hold Red Seal certification in acceptable teaching areas. Course work and field experience is completed over three full-time semesters with intake only occurring in the Fall of each academic year. All academic courses are delivered on campus in Nanaimo and does not run during the summer months.

Applicants can apply for the elementary and/or secondary teaching option(s). Coursework will have either an elementary or secondary focus with supporting practicums. Either option will prepare applicants for teaching at the middle school level.

The program is designed to prepare graduates to be well-qualified beginning teachers. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will be recommended to the Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) at the BC Ministry of Education for ‘professional certification’. This certification is required for employment in any BC public, independent or BC Offshore school.

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.

The Engineering Foundations certificate acts as a bridge for students to obtain their degree at UBC, SFU, and UVIC Engineering programs. Graduates of VIU’s engineering transfer program gain guaranteed acceptance into second year at UBC, SFU, and UVIC Engineering programs if they meet the required GPA.

The Certificate in Engineering Program
The Engineering Certificate program prepares students to transfer into the University of British Columbia - Vancouver Campus (UBC-V), the University of Victoria (UVic), or Simon Fraser University - Burnaby Campus (SFU-B) engineering in their second year. This program contains the first-year core courses required from each of these institutions including physics, chemistry, engineering design, computer programming, mathematics, and communication skills. Upon successful completion, graduates who complete the entire Fundamentals of Engineering Certificate program curriculum are:

• Guaranteed admittance into 2nd year Engineering at UBC-V if program completed within 8-months and with a minimum required GPA.
• Guaranteed admittance into 2nd year Engineering at UVic with a minimum required GPA and grade in each curriculum course.
• Guaranteed admittance into 2nd year Engineering at SFU-B if program completed within 16-months and with a minimum required GPA.
• Placed in a common pool with all students (regardless of first-year institution), for competitive entry into their 2nd year engineering program choice at UBC-V, UVic, or SFU-B. Average GPA for entry into a specific engineering program at UBC-V, UVic, or SFU-B changes each year depending on the number of students applying and the number of seats available.

The Engineering Transfer Diploma prepares students to transfer into the University of Victoria in their second year. This program contains the first-year core courses and select second-year courses required for this institution including physics, chemistry, engineering design, computer programming mathematics, and communication skills. Upon successful completion, graduates who complete the entire Engineering Transfer Diploma program curriculum are: 

• Guaranteed admittance into 2nd year Engineering at UVic provided students achieve a minimum required overall GPA and minimum grade in each curriculum course. 
• Placed in a common pool with all students for competitive entry into their 2nd year engineering program of their choice at UVic. Average GPS for entry into a specific engineering program at UVic changes each year depending on the number of students applying and the number of seats available. 
• Students are also applicable for entry into other engineering schools in BC on an individual, non-guaranteed basis. 
• Students interested in Engineering pathways to UBC, SFU, and TRU, are encouraged to consider Vancouver Island University’s Engineering Transfer Certificate program.  

Do you dream of a creative career in the theatre arts? Join VIU’s Theatre transfer program to prepare for a future that could take you on stage, onscreen, behind-the-scenes, and into the spotlight.

Led by expert, passionate and deeply experienced faculty, Vancouver Island University’s Theatre diploma program prepares you for a wide range of career opportunities in the performing arts. Academic study covers the theory and history behind theatre, while you also develop strong artistic, critical thinking, communication and teamwork skills in a highly innovative, collaborative and welcoming environment.

Join your classmates on stage at VIU’s Malaspina Theatre for public performances designed to develop and showcase your talents and skills. Theatre programs are for those who love the idea of working in highly creative careers, where imagination, individuality and diversity are celebrated.

The Theatre Diploma Program
The Theatre department offers a two-year Theatre Diploma and a two-year Technical Theatre Diploma. To obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre, students will have to attend a university offering a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. The University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, and almost all Canadian universities will accept VIU’s two-year programs as university transfer. Theatre Diploma students share a common first year. After completing the first year, students continue in either the Theatre Diploma or the Technical Theatre Diploma.

The Theatre diploma program will expose students to a range of practical elements associated with theatre production, as well as the academic study of theory and theatre history. Students will learn how to translate plays from the written script to the stage; the basics of acting techniques including voice, movement, and characterization; and the elements of set design, stagecraft, sound design, lighting design, and costume design. Students will study dramatic works from early modern European origins to more recent Canadian productions. Students will also learn safe practices around the stage. This program is open to full-time students only. Upon successful completion of program requirements, students will be awarded a Theatre Diploma.

The Technical Theatre diploma program emphasizes the technical aspects of theatre to help fill the growing need across Canada for trained theatre technicians. Hands-on experience is fundamental to the program, and students will be learning the skills of technical theatre by working behind the scenes on a wide variety of shows. Students will be able to take theoretical and practical courses that explore topics such as props, costumes, sound, stage management, carpentry, running crew, front-of-house management, production management, technical direction, publicity, theatrical make-up, scene painting, special effects, and lighting. This program is open to full-time students only. Upon successful completion of program requirements, students will be awarded a Technical Theatre Diploma.

During each academic year, the Theatre department presents a season of plays and concerts and hosts professional touring theatre and dance companies, allowing students to work alongside theatre professionals.

The Graduate Diploma in Hospitality Management will produce graduates who are innovative hospitality management decision-makers equipped with demonstrable analytical skills, functional area knowledge, strong communication skills and abilities, combined with an applied human capital knowledge and skill set, who influence an organization’s performance through their future orientated leadership.

This is a full-time, cohort-based program that incorporates face-to-face delivery with experiential learning, both in internship work experience and laboratory modules.  Curriculum delivery will be enhanced through the use of hospitality industry specific simulations, case studies, and a robust semester-long visiting scholar or professors of practice (hospitality industry experts) interactive lecture series on meaningful issues and trends facing the hospitality executive today and in the future. Further, GDHM students will contribute and mobilize knowledge to the industry through the completion of an integrated business project completed in conjunction with their graduate internship.

This is a very popular program for students that already have a B.Sc. in a related biological/environmental science. Students take applied, lab-oriented courses in fisheries and aquaculture. These courses are taught in conjunction with weekly practicum (work) placements in a wide range of situations (government research labs, fisheries habitat and management agencies, shellfish and finfish aquaculture hatcheries & farms, salmon enhancement hatcheries, environmental consulting firms, etc.). Graduates find the knowledge, practical skills and work experience gained to be excellent direct gateways to careers and graduate school.

The post degree diploma is comprised of a subset of courses offered in the 2-year diploma  and B.Sc. programs.  The specific subset of courses taken is tailored to meet individual student's career interests, usually with either a fisheries management or aquaculture emphasis. Students must complete a total of 30 credits which must include 2 semesters of practicum and 2 semesters of AQUA 191T Husbandry Project I.

Do you love baking pastries and bread and making divine desserts? Shape your passion with VIU’s Professional Baking and Pastry Arts program for a rewarding, hands-on career that can take you around the world. Learn advanced baking and dessert making, as well as sugar and chocolate artistry techniques.

This internationally recognized program provides students with hands-on, real-world experiences providing baked goods and pastries to the university community, including making cakes to order. Students of VIU’s baking school also learn on the department’s wood-fired brick oven.

Graduates of our pastry art school have found work in bakeries – including opening their own – and a range of high-end restaurants, world-class hotels and resorts. Educational grants are available to students wanting to train in these in-demand industries.

The Professional Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate Program:-
The Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island (CIVI) at VIU provides students with a Certificate in Professional Baking and Pastry Arts, giving them a leading edge for advancement and progression in the baking and pastry profession. This full-time program provides students with knowledge and experience in the science and production of bakery items baked in both commercial ovens and our wood burning brick oven. Emphasis is placed on traditional and artisan baking methods as applied to modern Canadian and international trends. The pastry arts component of the program also provides the fundamental skills needed in pastry training from cake decorating, including wedding and special occasion cakes, to desserts, chocolate and sugar work. Baking and pastry arts students are ready for employment in patisserie shops, hotels, retail and wholesale bakeries, supermarkets, restaurants, caterers, camps and other food–related businesses.

Upon successful completion of the program and the co-op work term, students receive the Vancouver Island University Certificate in Professional Baking and Pastry Arts as well as credit for their first year Baker Apprentice technical training and 1200 work experience hours to apply towards obtaining their Red Seal.

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.

Teachers with a passion for supporting students in the special education classroom can pursue a Masters of Education at VIU to dive deeper into teaching and learning strategies that address unique learning challenges.

This Master of Education in Special Education (MSED) is offered as a part-time online Master program or full-time in-person cohort, making it flexible and accessible for practicing teachers to undertake their Master's of Education while working. The VIU Special Education Master’s program is designed as a highly experiential learning environment. Graduate students are able to personalize their learning and build meaningful connections with the school communities they live and work in.