Fisheries and Aquaculture Post-Degree Diploma is a postgraduate diploma in Marine Science programme offered by Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, Canada. The programme runs for 1 year, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 6,200 per total for local students.
This postgraduate diploma suits students who already hold an undergraduate Science degree in biology or a closely related field and want to add specialised learning and practical experience in fisheries, aquaculture, aquatic conservation or related research areas. It includes a substantial work-experience component: placements can take place in a government or university research lab, a fisheries habitat management agency, an aquaculture hatchery or farm raising shellfish or finfish, a salmon enhancement hatchery, or an environmental consulting firm. Students shape their learning around their own interests in consultation with the program chair.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission requires a completed university degree with a minimum 'B' average overall in university coursework, department permission, and an interview. Accepted students then meet with the Department Chair or Co-Chair to select courses suited to their career goals. Indigenous applicants may apply for reserved seats through VIU's Access Initiative for Indigenous Students form. The programme page does not publish a standardized English or French language-test score; applicants should confirm any language requirement with the Admissions Officer named on the page. No further condition (portfolio, work experience, criminal-record check) is stated.
Application Details
Start Date:September
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.
