Admission Requirements

Canadian citizens and those with permanent residence status in Canada are eligible for admission to Academic programs if they meet one of the following conditions:

• graduation from a BC secondary school, or equivalent, with a minimum “C” grade in either English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12;
• previous degree from a recognized university;
• visiting student from a college or university (a “Letter of Permission” from the home institution is required);
• a transfer student from a college or university (at least 24 transferable university-level credits completed);
• academic mature student category: 21 years of age (or will turn 21 during their first semester) and has a minimum “C” grade in either English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12.

Canadian citizens and those with permanent residence status in Canada are eligible for admission to Trades and Applied Technology programs if they meet one of the following conditions:

• graduation from a BC secondary school, or equivalent

Or

• trades and applied technology mature student category: 19 years of age (or will turn 19 during the first two months of the program)

And the following:

• minimum 17 years of age, unless stated otherwise
• resume and/or letter of intent and/or references may be required
• an interview may be necessary
• math and/or Reading and/or trades aptitude test may be required
• physically fit and able to adapt to working conditions
• good hand/eye coordination
• good health, free of vision, hearing or respiratory ailments
• valid driver's license for vehicle and equipment operation is required

Students who do not meet any of the admission categories in General Admission Requirements for Academic Programs may be admitted as an “Unclassified Undergraduate Student” to pursue academic classes for which they meet the prerequisites if they satisfy one of the following conditions:

• graduation from a BC secondary school, or equivalent
• unclassified mature student category: 19 years of age (or will turn 19 during their first semester)

Unclassified students are not considered to have been admitted to a specific university program.

Unclassified students will register after all other academic program students, so course availability will be limited.

Students are eligible for admission as an Unclassified Graduate student, to pursue graduate courses on an individual basis, if they show successful completion of a previous degree from a recognized university.

Unclassified students are not considered to have been admitted to a specific university program.

Unclassified Graduate students require prior permission of the relevant Department Chair for each graduate-level course in which they would like to register.

Unclassified students will register after all other academic program students, so course availability will be limited.

Earn a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree from Vancouver Island University, while studying at both North Island College (NIC) and VIU.

Partnership Details

This partnership will allow you to move freely and easily between both institutions to complete the requirements of a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree from VIU. You will be able to plan your degree completion with confidence and study close to home. You will be able to move back and forth between these two institutions with next to no administrative inconveniences.

In any given semester, you will have the opportunity to study at North Island, at VIU, or at both! At the end of each semester, your grades will be automatically passed along to the other partner school. Your courses will be assessed and transfer credit will be awarded. There will be no need for you to order transcripts or make any additional requests. 

Advisors at both NIC and VIU will be available to assist you.

Areas of study

VIU currently has a wide variety of majors and minors available within its Bachelor of Arts degree and Bachelor of Science degree. Some programs within the BA (e.g., Criminology) have additional admission requirements and a competitive entry process and therefore are not eligible for the co-admission option.

Application process

Initial processing of applications for admission will be done at either VIU or NIC. Apply online through Apply to VIU or in-person at any campus of VIU or NIC. If applying in-person, indicate “VIU-NIC Co-Admission” on your application for admission, and specify Arts or Science as your program choice. If applying through EducationPlannerBC, follow these steps:

1. Choose Vancouver Island University or North Island College as your institution selection.
2. When asked to identify your intended program of study, select "North Island College Partnership – Bachelor of Arts” or "North Island College Partnership - Bachelor of Science".

Admission

You must meet the General Admission Requirements for VIU. Successful applicants will receive an offer of admission from the institution that they applied to, which will be followed shortly by an offer of admission from the other institution.

More information

If you are interested in this program and would like additional information before applying, please feel free to contact one of the offices listed below:

Vancouver Island University

Prospective students who have questions about applying, contact:

Office of Future Students
Connect@viu.ca
1.250.740.6672
Toll Free 1.888.920.2221 Ext. 6672

North Island College

Kim Kobus
Kim.Kobus@nic.bc.ca
1.250.334.5048
Toll Free 1.800.715.0914 

Current VIU or NIC students with questions about course planning should contact:

Advising Centre
Advising@viu.ca
1.250.740.6410
Toll-free 1.888.920.2221 Ext. 6410

See International Student Admission for full details.

Students admitted to Vancouver Island University (including mature or unclassified students) must still meet individual course prerequisites. Check the Course Descriptions section of this Calendar, or consult an Educational Advisor to find out if you first need to complete prerequisites. Prerequisite courses are obtained through VIU's Adult Basic Education program.

Some degree programs have specific admission requirements to enter the third year, e.g., Education, Criminology, Child and Youth Care, Tourism Management. For details, please see the Program Area.

Applicants admitted under this category will be eligible for up to 60 transfer credits towards a VIU degree. Such applicants are cautioned to pay careful attention to course prerequisites and be aware that, in most cases, submission of a secondary school transcript is also necessary to confirm that such requirements have been satisfied.

Vancouver Island University offers a variety of opportunities for Senior students.

Seniors may apply to University programs as regular applicants and will be required to meet program admission requirements.  Domestic students 65 years or older are entitled to free tuition for Academic undergraduate courses, space permitting.  For more information please see Age Exemption

VIU’s Love of Learning program provides adult students the opportunity to audit classes with unfilled seats.  Benefits of the Love of Learning program include a minimal application process and reduced fees.  Students who are 65 years or older will qualify for a further reduction in fees.  For more information see Love of Learning

Academic Credit Courses: Applicants still attending secondary school will be considered eligible to register in up to two academic credit courses per semester, to a maximum of 4 courses in total. Interested applicants must submit the following documents:

• a copy of the applicant’s most recent interim transcript
• completed VIU paper application form - online N/A
• completed course selection form that includes permission from your school representative to take VIU courses

For a Special Admission to be considered, all documentation must be received by the Registration Centre not later than two weeks before the first day of classes. If a student wants to be considered for Special Admission for two consecutive years before completing high school, all documentation must be re-submitted for the second year requested. Compliance with the above requirements does not guarantee acceptance into a course, as other VIU students may be given registration priority.

Applicants should be aware that, unless otherwise noted, English is the language of instruction at Vancouver Island University. Domestic students with English-as-a-Second-Language are urged to contact the Advising Centre for information on how to upgrade their English language skills if required.

High school mathematics courses are key courses that are often used to determine if a student meets program admission requirements or course registration pre-requisites.

Our course and program information sections contain the most up-to-date information on the acceptability of these new courses.

Concerning BC Secondary School (BCSS) mathematics courses, VIU states course and program requirements in the form of the recommended course. This is our opinion of the best course to take to prepare for a particular course or program.

Starting September 2010, the BC Ministry of Education implemented a new BC Secondary School mathematics curriculum for high school grades 10 to 12. In some cases, Vancouver Island University also offers mathematics courses within our Faculty of Academic and Career Preparation (Adult Basic Education - ABE) and our Faculty of Science which are considered equivalent to BC Secondary School (BCSS) mathematics courses. For more information on equivalencies between BCSS, VIU ABE and VIU Faculty of Science mathematics courses, please refer to the British Columbia Secondary School and VIU Math Course Equivalencies chart.

Unless otherwise specified, we allow for substitutions according to the following chart:

VIU does not require a specific minimum result from the BC Secondary School Literacy Assessment or Numeracy Assessment for any purposes related to program admission or individual course prerequisites; however, students admitted to an academic program who have received a result of “Emerging,” or, “Developing,” on the Literacy Assessment are encouraged to enrol in Foundations for Success (FNFS) 100 Writing for Success or FNFS 101 Reading, Speaking, and Presentation Skills, or to discuss their circumstances with an Educational Advisor.

VIU recognizes the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement Program (AP). Under certain conditions, students presenting higher level credentials will receive university level credit as follows:

• Applicants who submit transcripts with IB courses that display at least the minimum required grade for IB credit at VIU and/or AP courses with grades of 4 or better will be eligible for introductory-level University course credit. Courses with grades lower than required will not qualify for credit or advanced standing. See Advanced Placement Program courses.
• A maximum of 30 credits will be awarded for IB/AP courses.
• Where appropriate, specific course equivalency will be granted; unassigned credit will be given where specific equivalency is not suitable.
• IB/AP credits will be noted as such on the student’s permanent record (transcript); however, no grades will be recorded, and there will be no GPA implications.
• Students are not precluded from enrolling in courses for which credit has been granted; however, credit may be applied only once towards a degree, diploma, or certificate.

Co-operative Education is a model of education designed to develop skills and knowledge and to improve self-understanding by integrating classroom study with planned and supervised professional, paid work experience.

Co-operative Education is based on the principle that well-educated individuals develop most effectively through an educational pattern, which incorporates work experience.
Vancouver Island University currently offers nine programs, which incorporate the Co-operative Education model.

Admission and graduation requirements for Co-operative Education programs are determined by individual academic departments. Please consult with the Co-op office or program areas for further information.

For further information, please contact the Centre for Experiential Learning.