Vancouver Island University

Nanaimo, Canada • Founded 1969 • World Rank #4743

Updated Sep 2026

Table of Contents

About the university
Location & Contact info
Admissions, students & campus
Programs you can study
How to apply, step by step
Common questions answered
Top universities in Canada
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Where else to study this subject
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Overview

Acronyms: VIU

Founded: 1969

Institution Type: University

Control Type: Public

Entity Type: Non-profit

World Rank: #4743

Rank in Canada: #66

Motto: Love where you learn

Colours: Blue and green

Vancouver Island University academic facilities

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Established in 1969, the Vancouver Island University is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the small city of Nanaimo (population range of 50,000-249,999 inhabitants), British Columbia.

This institution also has branch campuses in Duncan, Parksville and Powellriver. Officially recognized by the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills of British Columbia, Vancouver Island University (VIU) is a large-sized coeducational Canadian higher education institution.

Vancouver Island University (VIU) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as pre-bachelor's degrees (i.e. certificates, diplomas, associate or foundation), bachelor's degrees and master's degrees in several areas of study. This 55-year-old Canadian higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on students' past academic records and grades.

The acceptance rate range is 60-69% making this Canadian higher education organization a moderately selective institution.

International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment. VIU also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, housing, sports facilities, financial aids and/or scholarships, study abroad and exchange programs, online courses and distance learning opportunities, as well as administrative services.

Location & Contact

Geographic and contact information for Vancouver Island University — useful before scheduling visits or sending enquiries. Each channel below routes to a different team, so pick the one matching your question.

Address: 900 Fifth Street

Postal Code: V9R 5S5

Phone: +1 (250) 740 6315

Fax: +1 (250) 740 6472

Website: https://www.viu.ca/

Social Media:

Academic Details

Vancouver Island University's student-to-faculty composition and recognition standing are listed below. Student support staff (advisers, counsellors) are typically separate from academic staff and often uncounted here.

Academic Year: Two 13-week semesters plus a summer session. Fall Semester runs from early September to mid-December (in 2026-27: classes 9 September to 11 December 2026, final exams 14–22 December, with study days 9–13 November). Spring Semester runs from early January to April (classes begin 5 January 2027). Summer Session follows, built from a seven-week May term, a further seven-week term, and some 14-week courses. Applications for programmes beginning in September open on 1 October of the preceding year.

Recognition: Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills of British Columbia

Admission Requirements: DOMESTIC APPLICANTS (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) Academic programs — you qualify by meeting any one of these: graduating from a BC secondary school or an accepted equivalent with at least a "C" in English Studies 12 or in English First Peoples 12; holding a previous degree from a recognised university; entering as a visiting student with a Letter of Permission from your home institution; transferring with at least 24 transferable university-level credits; or entering under the academic mature-student category, which asks that you be 21 (or turn 21 during your first semester) and hold the same minimum "C" in English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12. Trades and Applied Technology programs — you qualify by graduating from a BC secondary school or an accepted equivalent, or under the trades mature-student category at 19 (or turning 19 within the programme's first two months). VIU also sets a floor of 17 years of age unless a programme says otherwise, and notes that a trades application may additionally call for a resume, letter of intent, references, an interview, a math, reading or trades aptitude test, physical fitness and adaptability to the working conditions, sound vision, hearing and respiratory health, good hand-eye coordination, and a valid driver's licence where you will operate vehicles or equipment. If you fit none of the admission categories, VIU can admit you as an Unclassified Undergraduate student (secondary graduation or equivalent, or age 19) to take courses whose prerequisites you meet. This is not admission to a named programme, and unclassified students register only after programme students, so course choice is limited. VIU does not publish a central English-test table for domestic applicants; the English bar for Canadian applicants is the English Studies 12 / English First Peoples 12 grade above, and domestic English language learners are directed to the Advising Centre. INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS Undergraduate, diploma, certificate and trades programmes — high school graduation, or the qualification VIU lists as equivalent for your country in its high-school completion equivalency list, plus proof of English. Graduate programmes — a bachelor's degree with a minimum "B" average across its final two years. No GMAT or GRE score is required. English proficiency, undergraduate and vocational programmes (a test result must be under two years old): IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band under 6.0; TOEFL iBT 88 with no section under 20 (the Home Edition uses the same minimum; the Paper Edition is 550 with no section under 56); PTE Academic 60 with no section under 60, and PTE Online the same; Duolingo English Test 115 with no band under 105; CAEL 60, and CAEL online 60; Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency at 176 overall; English Studies 12 (BC) at minimum "C"; IB English A1/A2 at Higher or Standard Level grade 3 or above; AP English Language and Composition or English Literature and Composition grade 2 or above; GCSE English at O-level grade C or 4; ILAC Pathway 3.3; or VIU's own English Language Centre University Preparation Level 5 (UP5), also accepted as EAP Level IV on the BC EAL articulation. Two further routes count instead of a test: a recognised diploma of at least two years or a degree completed at an accredited institution teaching primarily in English in a qualifying country, or six credits of post-secondary English composition and literature passed at minimum "C" at such an institution. English proficiency, graduate programmes: the same minimums — IELTS Academic 6.5 (no band under 6.0), TOEFL iBT 88 (no section under 20; Home Edition 88 with no band under 20), PTE Academic or PTE Online 60 (no section under 60), Duolingo 115 (no band under 105), CAEL or CAEL online 60, Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 176 overall, ILAC Pathway 3.3, or VIU English Language Centre UP5. Exemption: applicants holding a high school diploma or a degree from an accredited institution in one of the roughly 50 countries and territories on VIU's English-speaking list are not asked for a test; Puerto Rico, Rwanda and South Africa are reviewed case by case. Applicants who clear the academic bar but not the English bar may be given conditional acceptance, with admission contingent on finishing UP5 at VIU's English Language Centre. VIU accepts the at-home and online versions of these tests, but warns that IRCC may still demand an in-person test when you apply for a study permit. Up to 30 advanced credits can be granted for Advanced Placement and Higher Level International Baccalaureate work. International applicants also send official transcripts, a certified English translation (or notarised copy) of any document not in English, a passport photo page, and copies of a high school diploma and university degree where held. PROGRAMME-LEVEL REQUIREMENTS These are minimums for eligibility, not admission. Limited-enrolment programmes — nursing, dental, health, education, human services, engineering transfer, design and most trades — add required Grade 11 and 12 courses at higher grades, and may require the CASPer situational-judgement test, a personal profile or portfolio, references, an interview, a criminal record check under the Criminal Records Review Act, immunisation records, first aid or CPR certification, and documented work or volunteer hours. Check the individual programme page before applying. HOW TO APPLY Both domestic and international applicants apply online through EducationPlannerBC (apply.educationplannerbc.ca). Application fees are $46.98 for domestic undergraduate programmes, $121.86 for domestic graduate programmes, and $156.06 for international applicants at every level; Adult Basic Education carries no application fee, and all fees are subject to change. Applications for programmes starting the following September open on 1 October, and closing dates differ from programme to programme.

Student Enrollment: 15

Academic Staff Range: 2,000-2,499

Campus Setting: Urban

Memberships & Networks

Universities Canada (UC) Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) Canadian University Press (CUP)

Programs Offered

Vancouver Island University's teaching programmes are listed below — search or scan by level. International student eligibility varies by programme — some require additional language or visa-pathway checks.

140 programmes on record. Each level below shows a sample. Compare these on the programs page All programs in Canada

Bachelor's Degree 38 programmes

Anthropology: Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA)

Social & Cultural Studies · 4 years · On-campus · English

Local tuition: CAD 5,100/total Start: Domestic (Canadian) applicants: 5 January 2027 (Spring intake) (Nanaimo, Cowichan - Partially Available). International applicants: 5 January 2027 (Spring intake) (Nanaimo). VIU lists four intakes a year for this programme, in January, May, June, September.

The Anthropology BA page does not list its own prerequisite courses or a minimum admission average, deferring instead to VIU's general admission requirements for the Bachelor of Arts. That general route admits an applica...

Vancouver Island University

Overview

Location & Contact

Academic Details

Programs Offered

Bachelor's Degree 38 programmes

Master's Degree 3 programmes

Certificate 38 programmes

Diploma 25 programmes

Foundation 18 programmes

Micro-credential 3 programmes

Postgraduate Diploma 4 programmes

Trades - Apprenticeship 11 programmes

How to apply to Vancouver Island University

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