Offered by Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, Canada, Nursing: Bachelor of Science Degree (BSN) is a bachelor's degree in Health Sciences programme. The programme runs for 4 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 8,100 per total for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Bachelor's Degree
Field:Health Sciences
Duration: 4 years
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 8,100 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing is based on the concepts of caring and health promotion and includes core concepts such as leadership, advocacy, political action, nursing knowledge development, and nursing scholarship. Practice experience is emphasized, as well as the need for thoughtful, reflective action as defined by the concept of praxis. Settings include classroom, lab/simulation lab, practice (hospital and community settings) which offer diverse contexts to ensure you develop professional nursing skills to provide direct care and leadership as part of a team in urban, rural, and global settings.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Option A — the full four-year BSN. On top of VIU's general academic admission requirements you need a minimum "C+" in each of Chemistry 11, Biology 12 and English 12, plus a minimum "C+" in one of Principles of Mathematics 11, Pre-Calculus 11 or Foundations of Mathematics 12 (or accepted equivalents), and you must sit the CASPer situational-judgement test. VIU advises applying to the programme before booking CASPer and registering for it with your VIU student number; a CASPer score counts for one admission cycle only.
Option C — the bridge-in for practical nurses. A minimum "C+" in English 12 and Chemistry 11; graduation from a recognised Practical Nurse programme; current licensure as a Practical Nurse with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives; a letter from your current employer confirming at least 1,700 hours of practice as a PN in the past three years; and the CASPer test.
Selection is competitive and meeting the minimums does not secure a seat. VIU states that admission to the 2027 Option A intake is scored 60% on GPA and 40% on CASPer, and reports that admitted students in the previous cycle had GPAs between 3.58 and 4.33, which varies year to year. Option C admission for the 2028 intake is scored 10% English 12, 10% Chemistry 11, 40% Practical Nursing GPA and 40% CASPer. Option C applicants are ranked on their PN transcript GPA together with the CASPer result. Indigenous applicants may apply for reserved seats through the Access Initiative for Indigenous Students form. Transfer applicants to the BSN are asked to speak to the BSN advisor first and to apply on a paper application.
Required by the first day of classes: a completed Immunization Requirements Form; a satisfactory criminal record check, requested through VIU and processed by the Ministry under the Criminal Records Review Act (an RCMP check does not satisfy the Act); and a current Basic Life Support certificate, which you must keep valid throughout the programme.
VIU states this programme is not currently available to international students.
Application Details
Start Date:Option A (four-year BSN): 7 September 2027, Nanaimo — one intake each Fall. Option C (Practical Nurse to BSN bridge-in): 1 May 2028, Nanaimo — offered every second year in the summer session.
Application Deadline:Option A (four-year BSN), domestic applicants: VIU lists one Fall intake a year, next 7 September 2027, and requires CASPer results plus an interim or final grade for all four admission subjects by 31 March 2027 for an application to be considered; the application window for that Fall 2027 intake was not yet posted in VIU's program intake table when this page was read on 6 September 2026 (the equivalent window for the September 2026 intake ran 1 October 2025 to 31 January 2026, and VIU opens applications for September starts on 1 October of the preceding year). Option C (Practical Nurse to BSN bridge-in), domestic applicants: apply 1 October 2027 – 31 January 2028 for the 1 May 2028 summer start at Nanaimo; VIU offers this bridge every second year. Late applications are not accepted for Option A. VIU states this program is not currently available to international students.
