Diploma in Information Technology and Applied Systems – Web and Mobile Development

at Vancouver Island University - Nanaimo Campus Canada

VIU’s Science degrees build on a strong record of undergraduate education, dating back to 1969. Graduates of VIU have gone on to graduate schools and professional schools at major universities, while others have used their degree to enter successful careers.

A degree in the sciences is both valuable in itself and as a foundation for a wide variety of careers. The science degrees at VIU provide a sound preparation for both employment and further education. Students who may be interested in graduate studies may need to write a Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and may need to complete courses that are considered options for their B.Sc. Students are advised to consult graduate school calendars for specific entrance requirements and to discuss their plans for graduate study with their degree advisor.

The two-year Baking Management Diploma program gives you specialty skills and management expertise, preparing you for a career in the baking and pastry arts industry.

Gain hands-on experience under the direction of our professional chefs in industry-standard baking and pastry labs. In the first year, focus on building a strong foundation of essential baking skills. In the second year, acquire a combination of advanced patisserie training and management skills for job advancement or business ownership.

Unleash your creativity while learning many advanced skills such as:

• Chocolate work
• Blown, pulled and cast sugar pieces
• Special occasion and wedding cakes
• Artisan breads
• Plated desserts

Gain knowledge and skills related to business planning, sales and cost forecasting, marketing and capital costs. Learn how to thrive in the daily operation of a professional bakery. Plan and compile a business plan that is then presented to a guest judging panel. 

Graduates from this program can take their career into many specialized areas of the industry. You may find employment as a:

• Baker
• Pastry chef
• Confectioner
• Chocolatier
• Research assistant in food manufacturing
• Bakery manager in commercial or artisan bakeries
• Restaurant and catering company employee
• Bakery/patisserie owner

Certified Educational Assistants make a difference in the lives of people with special needs so they can have every opportunity to participate fully in our society, and access education and services that allow them to live to their fullest potential. VIU’s Education Assistant and Community Support program will get you ready for a rewarding career working with people of all ages who have mental, physical and emotional challenges.

This eight-month educational assistants’ certificate program prepares graduates for work in public and private schools, and in community and residential programs for people with disabilities. Students can study full- or part-time, and benefit from hands-on training with experienced instructors who care about your success.

The Community Support and Education Assistant Program
Note:- The Education Assistant and Community Support Certificate program was formerly called the School and Community Support Worker Certificate program.

This program includes both theoretical studies and practical applications for working with people who have disabilities, across the life span. The core and specialty courses provide students with the skills and knowledge to work in schools and community. The program is offered with courses rotated.

Acceptance into the program does not mean that students will be placed into a practicum. Students will be individually assessed as to their readiness for the practicums in terms of skills, knowledge and personal suitability. Placement into a practicum will be at the discretion of the program Chair.

Students who successfully complete the program will receive a Vancouver Island University certificate. This certificate may ladder into other Human Services diplomas and degrees.

VIU’s Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies program is so much more than just music to your ears. The comprehensive jazz music program combines academic and performance studies with the latest recording technologies, music production and business strategies that arm you with elite skills to succeed in any and every facet of the music industry.

Vancouver Island University is proud to be one of the leading music production schools, having turned out some of the most successful music makers on the West Coast. Are you our next success story?

The Jazz Studies Program:-

The Jazz Studies program will foster the acquisition of professional skills in a variety of performance genres. It will offer hands-on experience of group music making through ensembles, and promote skills in the fields of: music performance and its study; musical theory and composition; music history in general and jazz music history in particular; theoretical and applied keyboarding; instrumental and choral conducting; theoretical and applied computer technology; multi-track recording and film scoring; theoretical and applied sound recording; library and on-line research; techniques and practices fundamental to the music and entertainment industries; and music as a business.

The program is modular in structure. Students select Music elective courses on the basis of their musical needs, progressing from course module to course module and from year to year. The structure offers students considerable choice and flexibility in fulfilling program requirements. It is supportive of the development of primary musical skills, but flexible and adaptable, and conducive to effective use of space and time.

Upon successful completion of the first two years of the program, students can apply for a Diploma in Music – Jazz.

The digital world continues to evolve at an accelerated rate, the result of this is a strong demand for highly skilled web and mobile developers who help design, build and secure applications for a multitude of industries.

The ITAS Web and Mobile Development Diploma program prepares students for careers in the design, coding and implementation of web and mobile software applications. The program will teach students to systematically analyze business, organization or societal needs, and then design, implement and test software and relevant information technologies to address these needs. The course includes an entrepreneurial component, and students will be able to develop customized software solutions that are tailored to a specific domain problem.

The program combines rigorous theoretical and technical education with hands-on, project-based learning. Using the most up-to-date curriculum, the program will develop student's programming skills, as well as teamwork, communication, and project management skills to satisfy industry demands for well-rounded, highly employable technology graduates.

The program consists of two 4-month terms per year, plus a 4-week practicum work experience session or 12-14 week co-op placement at the end of the first academic year.

The first year of the program provides students with a solid foundation in general programming skills and introduces them to the basics of web and mobile application design (using Android). Students are introduced to Project Management and Agile development methodologies, various client and server operating systems and fundamentals of relational database design and implementation.

In the second year of the program, students hone their programming skills by developing full-stack database-driven web applications using such technologies as HTML/CSS, JavaScript/JSON, Node.js, PHP as well as NoSQL databases. Students learn about cross-platform mobile development, user interface design (UI/UX), platforms and technologies to deploy, hosts and secure applications (DevOps), relevant Cybersecurity topics and the use of cloud computing technologies.

Second year graduates will receive a diploma in Information Technology and Applied Systems - Web and Mobile Development.

Are you ready for a career that satisfies your love for the environment and gets you outside in the field, conserving and enhancing aquaculture in lakes, rivers and the ocean? Vancouver Island University’s close proximity and relationship with Fisheries and Oceans Canada have developed the Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology program into one of the best of its kind.

Students receive expert instruction from leading aquaculture specialists fishery officers and marine biologists and take part in a hands-on practicum experience, spending more than a quarter of their training out in the field. There are numerous special awards specifically for Fisheries and Aquaculture students, ranging in value from $300 to $2,500.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology Diploma Program
The program is designed to develop well-rounded technologists with a broad background in the practical and academic skills of fish and invertebrate culture, fisheries habitat and fish stock assessment, wild stock management, and environmental control and planning.

Both the “why” and “how” are presented through formal lectures and practical experience. The selection of program material is designed to give a broad theoretical background to provide flexibility, as well as foster a professional attitude toward a future career. Students will spend approximately 25 per cent of their time on “hands-on” fisheries and aquaculture projects on- and-off campus.

The first year provides a foundation in such basic conceptual areas as statistics, biology, English, habitats of fish and fish rearing methods. There is a weekly practicum, in which students are sent into the field for a day to work in various aquacultural or fisheries facilities (salmonid hatcheries, spawning channels, wild fish projects, oyster farms, invertebrate hatcheries and others), and students also work one half day each week on aquaculture or fisheries field projects on campus or in the field. Many courses also involve significant field experience. Over the two years this practical work experience exposes students to a wide variety of activities, and introduces them to the facilities, organizations and personnel important in their future careers.

Students will work in fisheries or aquaculture summer jobs between their first and second year. Assistance in finding jobs is provided by VIU Faculty and staff, and students will receive credit for the summer practicum courses on completion of required written reports and oral presentation.

In the second year, students are exposed to more advanced and specialized topics in fisheries and aquaculture. These include engineering courses for both fisheries (hydrology with a stream surveying component) and aquaculture (e.g., hydraulics and hatchery design), as well as special courses in aquaculture. There is a special field course on practical limnology in which students work and live, for a week, on the shores of a remote lake under flycamp conditions. Both the second-year weekly practicum and project courses may be designed by the student to emphasize areas of special interest.

Are you ready to take your career in education to a new level? Vancouver Island University’s Master of Education in Educational Leadership program is designed for practicing and aspiring professionals in the education field who are focused on bringing educational and instructional leadership into their schools.

VIU's graduate program is enriched with school administration, educational psychology and educational research teachings that provide students the foundational building blocks to become innovative leaders in the school system. This program prepares students with the practical, ethical, and social tools to solve problems, manage conflict and encourage growth. Graduates of the program find employment in leadership positions in the education sector, both domestically and abroad.

The Master of Education in Educational Leadership Program
This cohort-based model is designed for students wishing to study full-time on the VIU campus. All formal coursework is completed over two semesters. The Field Inquiry and Major Project components are completed during the second year over two semesters. Students may complete these components with online support and can complete up to one semester early.

The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership provides a program of preparation for aspiring and practicing school leaders. Grounded in the rich educational leadership literature supplemented by extensive faculty expertise and experience, the program provides a balance of research, policy and practice. Graduates of our program will have demonstrated the knowledge, skills and attitudes of successful leaders as outlined in the Leadership Standards for BC Principals and Vice-Principals. These competencies are central to formal and informal leadership in schools.

The M.Ed. program will develop leaders who can:

• Guide the development and implementation of shared values, vision, mission and goals to support learning for all students;
• Foster quality learning opportunities to support student learning;
• Lead teams in becoming assessment literate;
• Create systems and structures for the effective supervision of learning;
• Provide strong leadership in the area of Aboriginal Education;
• Provide knowledgeable guidance regarding current curricula, instructional and assessment practices and their impact on student learning;
• Sustain a collaborative learning culture and climate linked to student learning and based on distributed leadership;
• Build positive and effective interdependencies amongst partner groups;
• Incorporate systemic thinking and strategic planning for school improvement;
• Demonstrate self-knowledge and the personal qualities that support positive relationships and build cultures of integrity;
• Build and support relational trust within the school and community;
• Address issues of diversity and social justice;
• Lead teams in reflective inquiry and action research.

Do you have a passion for travelling and connecting with others? Explore a career in the world’s fastest growing industry. Vancouver Island University’s Bachelor of Hospitality Management program prepares students for every facet of the bustling world of tourism and hospitality with a flexible two-year diploma or four-year degree.

In this experiential program, students have the opportunity to develop strong industry connections and gain technical and practical skills in areas of hospitality marketing, accounting, human resources, management and more. The Management of Hospitality program prepares graduates to work in diverse fields such as hotel management, tourism programs, and sales and marketing.

The Bachelor of Hospitality Management Program:-
VIU offers a four-year Bachelor of Hospitality Management degree. Students have the option to exit with the Hospitality Management diploma after two years, or go on to complete the additional two years to graduate with the Bachelor of Hospitality Management degree. Hospitality diploma graduates from VIU or other Canadian institutions have the option of entering directly into the third year of the Bachelor of Hospitality Management program. Culinary Arts diploma graduates from VIU or other Canadian institutions can enter the third year of the degree program after completing a bridging semester. Admission to the third year of the program is limited.

The program will involve the learner in an internationalized curriculum as well as culturally-diverse professional and social environments. They will be engaged in activities that develop their skills to synthesize and solve problems in a global context. The program balances academic and applied skills by designing learning opportunities where learners apply theories in hospitality business simulated environments as well as in co-operative/internship placements

Fisheries and Aquaculture has long been an area of specialization at Vancouver Island University. VIU has an international reputation in fisheries and aquaculture applied research, technology transfer, training, and education. VIU boasts an extensive array of facilities and equipment: three cool-water hatchery complexes; a warm-water hatchery; salt-water system; fish disease laboratory; lake study field station; oyster farm; sturgeon, trout, and wild and cultured salmon research programs. The proximity of VIU to fresh-water lakes and streams, as well as to the ocean and estuaries, allows fieldwork in these habitats to be a central part of students’ education.

The new Centre for Shellfish Research (CSR), located beside the Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture, was created to facilitate the emergence of the B.C. shellfish aquaculture industry as a sustainable economic engine for healthy, vibrant coastal communities. CSR faculty teach upper-level courses in fisheries and aquaculture, and there are many opportunities for students to participate in CSR research projects.

Furthermore, the federal government’s Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo provides access to numerous acclaimed fisheries scientists and one of Canada’s best libraries in this field. Fisheries (sports and commercial), and aquaculture are immensely important throughout the world and are key to the economy (and employment) in British Columbia.

The B.Sc. in Fisheries & Aquaculture has been designed to offer students a great deal of flexibility, and there are several routes through this program. Students may begin in year one and complete the program at the end of year four, or they may enter at year two or three from Vancouver Island University or from other institutions. They may also complete the two-year Fisheries & Aquaculture Technology diploma program and then proceed to the B.Sc. with up to two years (60 credits) of advance credit. Some students elect this pathway after completing the Technology program and then working in industry for a few years.

Applied Technology
The Bachelor of Science in Fisheries & Aquaculture is an applied technology degree program. In association with the two-year Fisheries & Aquaculture diploma program and the Bachelor of Science, Major in Biology degree program, the B.Sc. in Fisheries & Aquaculture degree provides a mix of a broad science background and applied, hands-on, technical skills. Graduates will be well schooled in scientific principles, have an understanding of the philosophical and ethical underpinnings of science, and will be trained in the practical skills required to enter employment in industry or government.

Program Format and Courses
The Bachelor of Science in Fisheries & Aquaculture degree program is a four-year degree program requiring 130 credits of study. Of these 130 credits, a minimum of 42 must be upper-level. Students will take the Core program (109 credits), a minimum of six credits of Fisheries or Aquaculture electives, plus a minimum of six non-Science elective credits.

A variety of elective courses allow students to create a program suitable to their particular interests.

This degree is closely tied to the Bachelor of Science, Major in Biology. Students take core courses in Biology and are encouraged to take upper-level electives in Biology. Students may switch between the two degrees if their areas of interest change.

Undergraduate Research Project
In fourth year, students may choose to complete an Undergraduate Research Project in FISH 491. For this course, students will have a Faculty Project Advisor (in some cases faculty may be from another institution) and will carry out their research under the direction of this Advisor. Students not wishing to pursue a research career may take a Directed Study FISH 490 and one upper-level Science elective or two upper-level Science electives.

If you are passionate about learning and want to inspire and prepare the next generation of leaders, join our community of teachers.

The Bachelor of Education program at VIU provides students with the fundamentals needed to become teachers at the elementary or secondary school level. Throughout the five-year program students will learn diverse teaching strategies and professional development skills to give them the tools and knowledge required to earn their BC teachers certificate and begin their teaching journey.

Students in VIU's Bachelor of Education program receive personalized attention from dedicated faculty who have experience in the K-12 classroom, and who care about their students' success.

The Bachelor of Education Program:-
This program prepares students for teaching at various school levels and has a thoroughly articulated grounding in the Principles of Teaching and Learning, embedded and extended practica, as well as First Peoples Principles of Learning. In line with BC's redesigned curriculum, the program, and its delivery, is informed by personalized learning allowing for greater flexible learning environments well versed in ecological and environmental learning and Aboriginal perspectives and knowledge. Curriculum instruction focuses on core competencies, big ideas, as well as current research and the development of reflective practices. Upon successful completion, graduates will be well-qualified beginning teachers and recommended to the Teacher Certification Branch (TCB) at the BC Ministry of Education for ‘professional certification’. This certification is required for employment in any BC public, independent, or BC Offshore school.

The program is comprised of undergraduate Education coursework and from various disciplines including the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences, and Human Services. Undergraduate elective coursework is predominately completed within the first two years of the program, with Education and Field Experience coursework taking place in the final three years of the program. Coursework is delivered at either the Nanaimo or Cowichan campuses. Students enrolled at the Cowichan campus have the opportunity to engage in a fully integrated program infused in local First Nations perspectives and knowledge. Education coursework and Field Experience do not run during the summer months.

Students completing this degree may earn Minors from other degree programs to complement their Bachelor of Education. To do so, they must meet all the requirements for the other degree’s Minor, as well as the requirements for the Bachelor of Education degree. Students wishing to pursue a Minor should consult with a Faculty of Education Advisor to discuss degree completion requirements and teaching career implications of their choice of Minor.

The program can be entered at Year 1 or Year 3. Years one through three are pre-professional years consisting of a combination of teacher and non-teacher education coursework. Year 4 through 5 are professional years consisting exclusively of teacher education coursework and practica with a focus in either Elementary or Secondary. Students with previous post-secondary work may also consider the Post Baccalaureate Bachelor of Education option.