Offered by Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, Canada, Refrigeration Air-Conditioning Mechanic Certificate is a foundation in Mechanical Engineering programme. The programme runs for 34 weeks, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 4,600 per total for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Foundation
Field:Mechanical Engineering
Duration: 34 weeks
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 4,600 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Refrigeration Air-Conditioning Mechanic Certificate is a 25-week foundation program at VIU's Nanaimo campus that prepares students to install, service, and troubleshoot heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. Alongside technical training, students develop skills in writing service reports and communicating with customers, reflecting the practical, client-facing nature of the trade. The program includes paid and unpaid practicum placements with industry contractors, giving students direct field experience before graduation. On completion, students receive a VIU certificate, Ozone Depleting Substances Handling certification recognized by Environment Canada and the Province of British Columbia, and credit toward the first year of the Refrigeration Mechanic apprenticeship at Level 2. The program suits practical learners drawn to stable, in-demand HVAC careers spanning residential service, food processing, mining, and commercial fishing, and reports strong employment outcomes, with more than 80 percent of graduates securing jobs, many before completing the program.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission requires Grade 12 or equivalent, or mature-student status, with successful completion of VIU's assessment testing and a personal profile; the programme page defers further detail to VIU's Trades and Applied Technology general admission requirements (BC secondary graduation or equivalent, or the trades mature-student category at 19, VIU's overall floor of 17), and notes an interview may be required. Applicants should be physically fit with good hand-eye coordination. No minimum age beyond VIU's general trades floor, no minimum GPA, and no English-language test score (IELTS/TOEFL/PTE) is published for this certificate.
Application Details
Start Date:September and January
Application Deadline:Domestic (Canadian) applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC; Vancouver Island University sets no institution-wide equal-consideration date, and its admissions FAQ states deadlines vary by programme, with applications for most academic programmes opening 1 October in the year before a September start. VIU publishes no general closing date for that window; applicants are directed to each programme's own page for its own deadline. International applicants use the same portal; VIU publishes no international-specific institution-wide date either, and several health programmes (Practical Nursing, Nursing Unit Assistant) are stated as not currently open to international students. Each programme's own page carries its own Start Date, Deadlines, and Additional Application Details table for the 2026-27 cycle, and admission for programmes without a stated window is treated as ongoing/rolling until the intake fills. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
