Diploma in Social Services

at Vancouver Island University - Nanaimo Campus Canada

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.

Major in Recreation Management
The BTM Major in Recreation Management is a well-rounded program that provides students with a solid grounding in recreation governance, leisure behaviour, leisure education, and leisure service management. Students wishing to pursue a career in recreation service delivery with public and non-profit organizations are encouraged to complete the Major in Recreation Management as part of their BTM.

Co-operative Education

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

Make a positive difference in the life of a child or youth who needs support. Prepare for a rewarding career working with children and families facing a variety of challenges, including abuse, neglect, addiction, or family breakdown. The Child and Youth Care (CYC) diploma is a hands-on full-time or part-time program that includes 350 hours of practicum experience.

After two years, students leave the program skilled in the dynamics of neglect and abuse, social service law, child development theory, and group practice. The option of completing the Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care is also available.

The Child and Youth Care Diploma Program:-
Students interested in the diploma must apply to the Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care. Prior to completion of their first year students must indicate their interest in exiting with their Child and Youth Care Diploma. Upon successful completion of the first two years (60 credits including practicum), students will be eligible to receive the Child and Youth Care Diploma.

The two-year Child and Youth Care diploma program prepares students to be skilled in working with individuals, their families and small groups across a variety of practice settings. General practice in these settings calls for individuals who are willing and able to work cooperatively with other community professionals, and in a variety of multi-disciplinary settings (schools, community, corrections facilities, residential settings). Aboriginal ways of knowing and cultural competency skills are highlighted throughout the curriculum.

The program is offered on a full-time as well as a part-time basis to accommodate practitioners working in the child and youth care field. Students who successfully complete the two-year program, including a practicum, will be eligible for VIU’s Diploma in Child and Youth Care. Admitted students have five years to complete the Diploma.

About your practicum experience in Child and Youth Care at Vancouver Island University:-
Field experience is an integral part of the CYC educational experience. Diploma students will complete a 350-hour practicum while in the program. There are a variety of unique practicum experiences available to our students. The VIU Child and Youth Care program has relationships with many agencies and organizations in the field of child and youth care. Different sites will have different requirements regarding schedules and the amount of time students will need to spend during practicum. If a student is currently employed, they should be prepared to adjust their schedule to meet the demands of practicum. Practicum is usually approximately 10-15 hours (or approximately two days per week) over a two-semester period. Given the importance of practicum to the educational experience in Child and Youth Care at Vancouver Island University, students who are working often save up vacation time; others have taken a leave to complete the required practicum hours.

Are you passionate about the outdoors, and see yourself in a future career protecting Canada’s rich natural environment and wildlife? The Bachelor of Natural Resource Protection at VIU is for environmental stewards who are ready to turn their passion for nature conservation, nature protection and natural resource management into a career.
The program is the only one of its kind in British Columbia, and offers small classes and expert instruction. Students benefit from experiential learning in a four-month practicum in the industry.
Graduates find jobs in a wide range of career paths such as wildlife biology and management, wildlife conservationist, range management, conservation officers, teaching, forestry, interpretation and guiding.

The Natural Resource Management Program
The degree program builds on the existing two-year Resource Management Officer Technology (RMOT) diploma program. The Bachelor of Natural Resource Protection will enable RMOT diploma graduates to receive an undergraduate degree after an additional two years of course work. This degree has been designed to provide an advanced credential for other career opportunities in the natural resource conservation and protection field.
VIU is the only academic institution in BC to offer this specialized degree, and only one of two to offer a comparable degree in Western Canada. In addition to advanced courses in natural resource management and law enforcement, there is a four month field practicum in the fall of fourth year. In this practicum, students are able to choose an off-campus field placement with either an enforcement or a resource management agency.

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.

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.

It starts with the Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care program and ends with your positive mark on the lives of children and teens. Make a positive difference in the lives of young people with Vancouver Island University’s Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care program.

From early intervention programs, child protection, and community-based programs, the diversity of child care courses within this program provides students with theoretical knowledge and applied skills to shape a rewarding career. The core of the program is field experience, and students will complete two 300-hour practicums. Select students can choose to specialize in child protection services. This flexible full-time or part-time program has educational grants available to students. 

The Child and Youth Care (BA) Program:-
A full range of courses is available to complete a program of studies leading to a B.A. degree in Child and Youth Care at Vancouver Island University. The Child and Youth Care degree program is a four-year course of study (120 credits), which prepares students to enter a variety of child and youth care employment settings. These range from early intervention programs to youth corrections programs, child protection and guardianship work, community-based programs such as day-care, schools, family support and group homes.

The program is designed in response to increasing demand from employers for skilled child and youth care practitioners who are able to work in an integrated, multidisciplinary way. Some of the topics that students will be required to study are child welfare, abuse and neglect concerns, human and family development, theories of practice; and activity-based interventions. Aboriginal ways of knowing and cultural competency skills are integrated throughout the curriculum. The program is offered on a full-time, as well as a part-time basis to accommodate practitioners working in the field. Learn more

University Credit:-
Students may apply for admission to the four-year B.A. in Child and Youth Care degree at VIU at all years of the degree, however we normally admit at first and third year. Students who have completed a diploma in a Human Services area may be eligible for third year admission. Students who complete the B.A. in Child and Youth Care may then pursue graduate studies at a number of educational settings.

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.

Do you want to design and shape the world around you? Consider the Master of Community Planning degree at Vancouver Island University. Community planners play a huge role in the development of neighbourhoods, towns, cities and regions. An urban planner can also help shape a community’s response to a range of emerging issues such as climate change; and economic issues such as tourism by creating a sustainable city also known as ecocity.

The MCP program at VIU combines research, applied learning through a variety of in-community, real-world projects, and interactions with the professional planning community to give you a wide range of skills and knowledge. This community planning program is fully accredited through the Canadian Institute of Planners, alongside Canada’s historic planning schools.

The Master of Community Planning (MCP) Program:-
The Master of Community Planning (MCP) is an applied program that is fully accredited by the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP). Graduates are eligible to apply for student membership with CIP while at VIU and can apply for full membership post-graduation.

The program focuses on:-

• Small city and town planning;
• Community and urban design, including a strong GIS component;
• Rural/urban interface planning;
• First Nations planning (with attention to the issues relevant to the First Nations of Vancouver Island and coastal British Columbia);
• Sustainable economic issues, including tourism; and
• Emerging issues such as climate change and planning for post-fossil fuel communities.

This is an intensive program with many opportunities to apply the skills and techniques learned in the program to "real life" planning questions and problems. Students will be engaged in self-directed learning and group studies, seminars and discussions, and will have many opportunities to meet and learn from professional planners. There is also a strong focus on urban design and visual representations of community planning, including GIS.
By program completion, our graduates will have a broad interdisciplinary knowledge of how planners can influence the futures of neighbourhoods, small communities, and rural areas both locally and world-wide. Our graduates will have new skills that will enable them to serve citizens and communities as they respond the social, economic, environmental, and sustainability issues that shape our world.]

Business plays a major role in the structure and functioning of contemporary society. Rapid changes in technology, resource allocation, structural shifts in the economy, changes in consumer preferences, global competition, and shifts in the employment market all necessitate a better understanding of the role and nature of business in today’s society.

Business Administration provides a well-rounded business education with a focus on global business operations, emerging markets, and technology-enabled organizations. Students develop an in-depth understanding of one of the business majors and learn a broad range of managerial capabilities, problem solving and communication skills. Electives allow flexibility, adaptability and creativity and prepare graduates for diverse careers in global management, administration, and entrepreneurship, as well as a range of postgraduate opportunities.

The Information Technology and Applied Systems - Systems Administration and Networking Diploma Program

The ITAS - Systems Administration and Networking program prepares students for careers in the design, installation, operation, and administration of network and Internet-based information systems. The program combines rigorous theoretical and technical education with hands-on, project-based learning. Using the most up-to-date curriculum, the ITAS program develops a student's technical skills, as well as teamwork, communications, and project management skills that align with VIU's graduation attributes, to satisfy industry demands for well-rounded, highly employable technology graduates. 

The program will cover modern IT systems administration skill sets and set up students for careers in the implementation and management of Information Technology hardware, networks, operating systems, cybersecurity and virtualized cloud computing. 

ITAS - Systems Administration and Networking is offered as a two-year diploma program. The program consists of two 4-month terms per year, plus a one month practicum work experience session at the end of the first academic year. 

The first year of the program provides students with a solid foundation in Information Technology hardware, Windows and Linux client and server operating systems, wired and wireless networking and project management. 

In the second year of the program, students will install, configure, and administer a wide variety of Information Technology services such as Active Directory, E-mail, web site servers, cloud and virtualized systems, network routing and switching, and cybersecurity best practices, in a mix of Linux, VMware and Windows Server environments. Second year graduates receive a diploma in Information Technology and Applied Systems - Systems Administration and Networking.