General Information

Admissions and Registration

Becoming a student at VIU is a two-step process.

Admission: completing an Application for Admission form, providing official transcripts of marks, and meeting other program admission requirements.
- How to order transcripts
Registration: selecting courses and paying tuition fees.

Admission

VIU’s programs range from fundamental literacy skills to four-year university degrees, and selected Master’s degrees and post-degree diplomas, so there is an entry level for most applicants.

Admission requirements are designed to allow access and to verify that applicants have the necessary educational background for a reasonable chance of success. Specific admission requirements for each program are listed in the Program Outlines. Advisors are available to help interpret the requirements and to assist in the admission process.

General Admission Requirements for University and Career/ Technical Programs

Canadian citizens and those with permanent residence status in Canada are eligible for admission to University and Career/Technical programs if they meet one of the following conditions:

graduation from a B.C. secondary school, or equivalent, with a minimum “C” grade in English 12;
previous degree from a recognized university;
visiting student from a college or university (a “Letter of Permission” from the home institution is required);
transfer student from a college or university (at least 24 transferable university-level credits completed);
mature student—at least 21 years of age (or will turn 21 in the first semester of admission) and has a minimum “C” grade in English 12.

General Admission Requirements – Unclassified Students

Students who do not meet any of the admission categories above may be admitted as an “Unclassified Student” to register into University-level classes for which they meet the prerequisite. Unclassified students will register after University Program students, so course availability will be limited. Unclassified students are not considered to have been admitted to University Program studies and, for this reason, they will not be eligible for “Continuing Student” status and must re-apply for each academic year into which they would like to register.

Canadian citizens and those with permanent residence status in Canada are eligible for admission as an Unclassified Student, if they meet one of the following conditions:

Graduation from BC secondary school, or equivalent from another school system;
Mature student category (19 years of age or older, or who will become 19 during their first semester).

General Admission Requirements for Trades & Applied Technology Programs

Graduation from BC secondary school, or equivalent from another school system,
OR
Mature Student Category: at least 19 years of age (or turning 19 during the first two months of the program);
AND the following:
- Minimum 17 years of age, unless stated otherwise.
- Resume and/or letter of intent and/or references may be required.
- Interview may be required.
- Math and/or reading and/or trades aptitude test may be required.
- Physically fit and able to adapt to working conditions.
- Good hand/eye coordination.
- Good health, free of vision, hearing or respiratory ailments.
- Valid driver’s license will be required for vehicle and equipment operation.

Mature Student Course Prerequisites

Students admitted to Vancouver Island University as ‘Mature Students’ must still meet individual course prerequisites. Check the Course Descriptions section of this Calendar, or consult an Advisor to find out if you first need to complete prerequisites. These prerequisite courses can be obtained through VIU’s Adult Basic Education program.

Specific Admission Requirements – Third Year of Degree Programs

Some degree programs have specific admission requirements to enter third year, e.g., Education, Criminology, Child & Youth Care, Tourism Management. For details, please see Program Outlines.

Admission on the Basis of a Previous Degree

Applicants admitted under this category will be eligible for up to 60 transfer credits towards a VIU degree. Such applicants are cautioned to pay careful attention to course prerequisites and be aware that, in most cases, submission of a secondary school transcript is also necessary to confirm that such prerequisites have been satisfied.

Special Admission

University Credit Courses: Applicants still attending secondary school will be considered eligible to register in up to two University credit courses per semester, to a maximum of 4 courses in total. Interested applicants must submit the following documents:

a letter from the secondary school principal, giving the applicant permission to take VIU courses;
a copy of the applicant’s most recent grades accompanying the application;
a written statement from each instructor, allowing the applicant to register for a course on a credit or audit basis.

In order for a Special Admission to be considered, all documentation must be received by the Registration Centre not later than two working days prior to the first day of classes. If a student wants to be considered for Special Admission for two consecutive years prior to completing high school, all documentation must be re–submitted for the second year requested. Compliance with the above requirements does not guarantee acceptance into a course, as post–secondary students are given priority when a course is fully–subscribed.

English Language Proficiency

Applicants should be aware that, unless otherwise noted, English is the language of instruction at Vancouver Island University. Domestic students with English-as-a-Second-Language are urged to contact the Advising Centre for information on how to upgrade their English language skills, if required.

English 12

Many programs require completion of a first-year English course. All first-year English courses have a prerequisite of English 12 with a minimum grade of “C”.

Acceptable alternatives to English 12 include First Peoples' English 12, VIU's ENGL 067, or ESLA 050. Students who do not have these requirements may write the Language Proficiency Index (LPI). A Level IV or better on the essay part, plus a minimum average of 50 percent on the additional sections of the LPI is considered by VIU to be equivalent to English 12 with a grade of "C+".

International applicants should review the English Language Requirements for Academic Programs.

Changes to the High School Mathematics Curriculum in BC

Starting September 2010 the BC Ministry of Education began implementation of the new BC Secondary School Mathematics curriculum for high school grades 10 to 12. Our calendar course and program information sections contain the most up-to-date information on the acceptability of these new courses.

With respect to BC Secondary School (BCSS) Mathematics courses, VIU states course and program requirements in the form of the recommended course. This is our opinion of the best course to take to prepare for a specific course or program.

Unless otherwise specified, we allow for substitutions according to the following chart:

Required Course	Alternate Acceptable Courses
Apprenticeship and Workplace Math 10	Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-calculus 10
Apprenticeship and Workplace Math 11	Foundations of Mathematics 11 or Pre-calculus 11
Apprenticeship and Workplace Math 12	Foundations of Mathematics 11 or Pre-calculus 11
Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-calculus 10	No BCSS substitution available
Foundations of Mathematics 11	Pre-calculus 11
Foundations of Mathematics 12	Pre-calculus 12
Pre-calculus 11	No BCSS substitution available
Pre-calculus 12	No BCSS substitution available

BC Provincial Exams

BC Provincial Exams are not required for admission to Vancouver Island University. With the exception of mandatory exams required by the BC Ministry of Education, Vancouver Island University does not require prospective students to write provincial exams.

International Student Admission

See International Student Admission for full details.

International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement Program

VIU recognizes the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement Program (APP). Under certain conditions, students presenting higher level credentials will receive university level credit, as follows:

Applicants who submit IB courses at the higher level with grades of 5 or better, and/or APP courses with grades of 4 or better, will be eligible for introductory-level University course credit. Courses with grades lower than noted will not be eligible for credit or advanced standing. See APP courses.
A maximum of 30 credits will be awarded for IB/APP courses.
Where appropriate, specific course equivalency will be granted; unassigned credit will be given where specific equivalency is not appropriate.
IB/APP credits will be noted as such on the student’s permanent record (transcript); however, no grades will be recorded and there will be no GPA implications.
Students are not precluded from enrolling in courses for which credit has been granted; however, credit may be applied only once towards a degree, diploma, or certificate.

How to Apply for Admission

Students who are planning a career or long-term academic program are urged to see an Advisor to discuss their goals. Call the Advising Centre, 250-740-6410, for an appointment.

Once students have made their choice of program(s), they should follow the steps below:

Apply online or in person.
Applications are accepted online via the Provincial Application Service of British Columbia (ApplyBC.ca) at: ApplyBC.ca. Application forms are also available from local secondary schools, Vancouver Island University offices in Duncan, Parksville and Powell River, the Registration Centre in Nanaimo, or on VIU’s Becoming a Student page.
Submit all the required documentation as specified in the admission requirements in the Program Outlines. Students will be considered for admission only when all information on the form has been supplied and all required documentation submitted. For credit programs, applicants should arrange for an official transcript to be forwarded directly to the Admissions Office from all other post-secondary institutions where previous studies have been undertaken.

Note:

Applications and documents become the property of Vancouver Island University and are NOT returned, whether a student is accepted or not. The only exception to this provision is a document considered by VIU to be irreplaceable. Such documents may be returned upon request, once a photocopy has been taken.

Students applying for more than one program should submit an application for each program.

If re-application is made to VIU, a new application must be completed, and it may be necessary to re-submit all supporting documents.

If not applying online, forward the application form(s), plus a non-refundable Application Fee, to the Registration Centre, Vancouver Island University, 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5S5, for programs offered in Nanaimo. Forward the application and Application Fee to the Cowichan and Powell River campuses, or the Parksville•Qualicum Centre for programs offered at these regional campuses. Applications should be submitted well in advance of the program start date for programs starting in September; as soon as possible for programs with varying start dates. Deadlines exist for most programs; please refer to the specific Program Outlines.
Regardless of the number of application forms that need to be submitted, only one set of transcripts needs to be submitted with the application forms.

Application Deadlines

For entry in September, the Registration Centre begins accepting applications on November 15 of the previous year. The application deadline is March 31 for most programs, unless otherwise indicated in the Program Outline, or the Program Availability List. Applications received after March 31 will be considered for Unclassified students.

Applicant Status Categories

Applicant

Anyone submitting a complete Application for Admission and the non-refundable Application Fee is considered an applicant.

Accepted

Applicants who meet all the requirements of the program for which they have applied, and who are notified of an available space, are considered to be accepted. Note: Acceptance is not transferable from year to year. Applications are considered for the current school year only. An accepted applicant who is unable to enrol may re-apply for admission; however, the new application will be reviewed again for the next academic year, and a subsequent offer of admission is not guaranteed.

Conditionally Accepted

Acceptance is offered conditionally, based upon the initial information submitted by the applicant; official acceptance is dependent on final data submitted. Normally this status is available to students in programs with limited entry who are still completing prerequisite courses at the time of application.

Not Accepted

The applicant does not meet the requirements of the University or program. The applicant may wish to apply for another program. Please consult an Advisor.

Wait List

Due to enrolment limitations, students may not be able to register for courses or programs at the time or entry point of their choice. Such students will be placed on a wait list. As and when space becomes available, students will be given further instructions on how to proceed, depending on the type of course or program involved.

Updated July 6, 2011