Offered by Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, Canada, Hairstylist Foundation Certificate is a foundation in Trades programme. The programme runs for 11 months, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 5,700 per total for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Foundation
Field:Trades
Duration: 11 months
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 5,700 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Hairstylist Foundation Certificate blends online coursework with in-person, hands-on training in a teaching salon over 11 months at VIU's Nanaimo campus, with a Cowichan campus offering (delivered in partnership with School District 79, primarily for dual-credit high school students) starting in September. The curriculum covers salon safety, tool use, client service, haircutting, colouring, chemical texture services, and small-business fundamentals, giving students direct experience working with live clients under instructor supervision. Nanaimo intakes run each September and February, while Cowichan runs a September intake only. On completion, graduates earn a SkilledTradesBC Level 1 Certificate of Completion representing 990 hours of technical training and 300 hours of work-based training, which serves as a pathway toward Level 2 apprenticeship training and eventual Red Seal endorsement. Suitable candidates have good hand-eye coordination, are physically able to stand for extended periods, and have normal colour vision and depth perception; the program attracts both recent high school graduates and career changers, with an average student age around 22.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Vancouver Island University admits this Foundation certificate on Grade 12 or equivalent, or mature-student status, with a minimum age of 17. The programme page defers further detail to VIU's Trades and Applied Technology general admission requirements, which admit applicants who graduate from a BC secondary school or equivalent, or who qualify under the trades mature-student category at 19; a trades application can also call for a resume, letter of intent, references, an interview, and a math, reading, or trades aptitude test. Hairstylist applicants must complete a Personal Profile, and Cowichan campus dual-credit high-school applicants need a satisfactory Criminal Record Check. No English-test score or minimum GPA is published for this programme.
Application Details
Start Date:Domestic (Canadian) applicants: 8 September 2026 (Fall intake) – September 2026 (full), February 2027 (full), September 2027 (full), February 2028 (full), September 2028 (Nanaimo); 8 September 2026 (Fall intake) – September 2026 (Full), September 2027 (Cowichan). VIU lists two intakes a year for this programme.
Application Deadline:Domestic (Canadian) applicants: applications accepted on an ongoing basis for the 8 September 2026 (Fall) start – September 2026 (full), February 2027 (full), September 2027 (full), February 2028 (full), September 2028 (Nanaimo); applications accepted on an ongoing basis for the 8 September 2026 (Fall) start – September 2026 (Full), September 2027 (Cowichan). Dates are VIU's published application window for this program (as listed September 2026) and can change; apply through EducationPlannerBC.
