Diploma in Tourism Studies (Co-op)

at Vancouver Island University - Nanaimo Campus Canada

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.

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.

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.

This is a very popular program for students that already have a B.Sc. in a related biological/environmental science. Students take applied, lab-oriented courses in fisheries and aquaculture. These courses are taught in conjunction with weekly practicum (work) placements in a wide range of situations (government research labs, fisheries habitat and management agencies, shellfish and finfish aquaculture hatcheries & farms, salmon enhancement hatcheries, environmental consulting firms, etc.). Graduates find the knowledge, practical skills and work experience gained to be excellent direct gateways to careers and graduate school.

The post degree diploma is comprised of a subset of courses offered in the 2-year diploma  and B.Sc. programs.  The specific subset of courses taken is tailored to meet individual student's career interests, usually with either a fisheries management or aquaculture emphasis. Students must complete a total of 30 credits which must include 2 semesters of practicum and 2 semesters of AQUA 191T Husbandry Project I.

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. 

Do you want to make a difference and pursue a career that values diversity, empathy, collaboration and inclusiveness? Social Services professionals dedicate themselves to helping people live better lives and build stronger communities.

The Social Services diploma program at VIU gives you a strong foundation in developmental psychology, adolescent and child development, trauma resiliency and conflict resolution. With a social services diploma you become an advocate for human rights and social justice, helping to protect vulnerable people.

A diploma of social work can lead to a satisfying career as a human service assistant, probation officer, rehabilitation counsellor, school counselor, or marriage and family therapist to name just a few of the occupations in this growing field of work.

The Social Services Program
The program provides advanced-level training for working in the social services field and is available on a full-time or a part-time basis. The program includes the following components:

• Courses in addictions and addiction treatment, conflict resolution, leadership and supervision, community development, interpersonal skills, and special topics;
• Elective courses drawn from a wide-ranging selection of elective options in many different disciplines relevant to the human services field.

The program uses workplace-based projects and assignments to help students integrate and apply classroom learning in practice.

Students who successfully complete the program will receive a Vancouver Island University diploma. Completion of the program also earns credit towards VIU's Bachelor of Social Work and Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care degrees.

Students may also complete courses towards the diploma at the Cowichan campus.

The Bachelor of Interior Design combines theory with specialized knowledge and the development of proficiencies relative to the profession of interior design. It is intended for students who wish to pursue a professional career in this creative multi-faceted discipline. Interior designers work in all areas of the built environment including residential, office, retail, hospitality, and Institutional settings to create interior spaces that are "functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants, and are aesthetically attractive"*. The program provides a balanced range of theoretical, intellectual, communication, experiential, applied and other skills, needed to deal effectively with the responsibilities of interior design professional life. The interior design curriculum features lecture, studio, critique, and computer lab instruction; independent and collaborative projects; formal and informal presentations; field trips; an internship and a final major project spanning two semesters. The foundation courses and elective study provide an excellent foundation and structure for lifelong learning and ensures that students develop quantitative reasoning and critical thinking skills.

Vancouver Island University's Post-Degree Diploma in Business Studies (PDDB) is a 1 year post-degree program which provides an opportunity for students who already possess an undergraduate degree to hone their managerial skills to meet the challenges of the global business environment. Students may select concentrations in Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Financial Services, General Management, Human Resource Management, International Business, Management and Leadership, Marketing, and Not-for-Profit Management, or following a consultation with the PDDB academic advisor, take a personalized program of courses that suits their interests.

The program also offers an avenue for students who wish to pursue graduate studies but need to develop a stronger academic background. To ensure a higher degree of success in the MBA program, it is strongly suggested that students take courses from the five disciplines that form the MBA program. The disciplines involved are Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management and Marketing. For more details, please see the PDDB academic advisor.

Unlock your full potential as an executive office administrator. The VIU Applied Business Technology Certificate Program offers specialties as an Accounting Assistant, Administrative Assistant and Legal Administrative Assistant. In this 10-month certification program, you will master computer, accounting, legal, customer relations and keyboarding skills that will turn you into the secret weapon your dream employer has been looking for.

The Office Administration Program
This program provides thorough, in-depth training in the skills required by today’s office workers in order to be competitive in the job market. Current computer software applications are stressed, as well as the traditional skills and knowledge of business English, business calculations, office procedures, customer relations, and strong keyboarding skills.

The program offers three specialties Accounting Assistant, Administrative Assistant, and Legal Administrative Assistant. Students can expect to receive industry-specific training in skills related to their chosen field of study. A two-week work placement practicum is available at the end of the program in each certificate stream for eligible students.

Legal Administrative Assistant
This specialty is designed to provide students with the fundamental skills and knowledge required to join a firm’s legal support staff at the junior level.

Graduates of this program have gained employment in private law firms; Crown prosecutor’s offices; federal, provincial, and municipal government offices; real estate companies; offices of notaries public; insurance offices, and major corporations.

To continue into the second semester, a student must pass all fall semester courses and have a minimum "C" in Business English and a minimum "C-" in all other fall semester courses.

Help brighten people’s smiles every day with a career as a dental assistant. Vancouver Island University’s Dental Assistant Certificate program offers students hands-on training with knowledgeable instruction to prepare them for this fast-paced, growing industry.

After completion of the nine-month Dental Assistant program, students must write a national board exam to be eligible to become a Certified Dental Assistant.

The Dental Assistant Certificate Program
This program, recognized by the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia (CDSBC), and accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC), is designed to provide students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and values necessary to be a member of the dental team; providing care, support and services for individuals of all ages.

Upon successful completion of the Dental Assistant program, students will be granted a certificate. Students must then write a National Board exam which, upon successful completion and combined with the certificate, makes them eligible to apply for registration and licensure with the College of Dental Surgeons of B.C. as a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA – Level II).