Frequently Asked Questions

Attend an information session in early spring of your Grade 11 year. Call or email your Career Centre Coordinator and learn how to plan ahead. You can also email your questions to Dual Credit Coordinator, Tanya Lanigan.

You can take a maximum of 2 courses per semester.

Absolutely, all courses will be listed on your transcript and will count for full credit towards any future program to which it can be applied. If you want to see how a specific course will transfer to a specific University you can consult the BC Transfer Guide.

If you plan to attend a school out of province or country, you will need to check into this with that specific school.

Your course is a dual credit course and will be reflected as post-secondary institute (PSI) on your high school transcript.  If you require a transcript from VIU, to transfer these courses to another institution, you will be required to request and pay for the fee yourself. 

You need to plan your courses with your High school Counsellor, so that you complete any required courses in the first semester of your grade 12 year.

We recommend that you take English 12 in Grade 11. You can be completing your English 12 in your grade 12 year and take first year university English in spring semester at VIU. Please check with your School District to confirm whether or not they will cover the tuition for an English 100 level course.

Some School Districts require it.

Most students find out that if they put in the required effort and time they can do as well in a university course as they do in their high school classes. However, some differences may include:

• homework ranges from 4-7 hours per week of instruction at VIU (14 weeks in total)
• classmates will include older university students and students are expected to be more independent.

There are many factors involved including: what year you plan to apply, admission requirements, and the university you choose just to name a few.  Most universities do not include the grades or completion of Dual Credit courses in their admission decisions. For this reason students need to be sure they are taking the necessary number of high school courses to be admitted at their chosen institution.

Missing classes could affect your grade. Instructors have the responsibility to ensure that appropriate learning takes place and they will usually announce any policies regarding attendance on the first day of classes. Students should also be aware that there are policies that cover illness, emergencies, etc. You are expected to be familiar with these policies.

VIU feels that the first day attendance in a class is so important that they have any existing policy that all students should be aware of:  “Vancouver Island University reserves the right to cancel any student’s registration in a course if the student does not attend the first scheduled session of a course and does not notify the instructor or area secretary.”

University courses for the fall semester will begin the first week of September and Spring Semester will begin the first week of January. See: Dates and Deadlines.

Yes, you can attend. You need to register for New Student Orientation with your VIU student number. You can find this on communication sent to you from VIU.

Head into the main floor of the Library (Building 305) and turn right. Be sure you have photo ID and your student number.

In most cases the School District pays your tuition and you are responsible for the following fees: Student Union, Activity Fees, Student Services Fees, any lab fees and the cost of books and any supplies needed for the the course. Some districts vary. Please check with your Careers Centre Coordinator.

Students wishing to withdraw must do so officially. This includes emailing both your Career Centre Coordinator in your District and the VIU Dual Credit Coordinator.

Please make note of all VIU Dates and Deadlines. Neglecting these important dates can result in you paying costly penalties. 

You can visit the VIU Campus Store online or in person. Be sure you have the name and section number of your course with you.

You can visit the VIU Course Timetable and input your course ID to receive the most up to date information on your course.

Exam information will be given out well in advance of the December and April dates. Some classes will not require exams and instructors will let students know.

If you have not taken your four course limit then yes. Please connect with your Career Centre Coordinator to review the process to request courses. Some School Districts do not fund their students for courses offered in our summer intersessions.

In addition to your acceptance as pre university student, we are pleased to offer you early admission to Vancouver Island University for the following September into your choice of any one of the following programs: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Science or Exploratory University Studies.  This offer is conditional upon graduation from high school and successful completion of BC English 12 with a minimum “C” grade, or equivalent. For the BBA program, you also need Pre Calculus 12 with a minimum "C" grade.

If you are interested in any program other than the ones listed above, you must submit an application and pay the application fee.