Diploma in Visual Arts

at Vancouver Island University - Nanaimo Campus Canada

This program is designed to prepare students for careers related to the protection and management of Canada’s fisheries, wildlife, and parks resources. The program is supported by an Advisory Committee made up of management and enforcement representatives from the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Provincial Ministry of Environment, BC Parks, Parks Canada, Environment Canada, and from resource user groups. Students are required to participate in a 2-week practicum at an off-campus location in the Fall semester of the second year. Students are also encouraged to seek employment with a resource management and protection agency, or in work related to natural resource enhancement or monitoring, in the summer between first and second year.

RMOT students are assisting various natural resource law enforcement agencies in monitoring illegal activities within the central Vancouver Island area. These patrols allow students first-hand experience in actual field and communication skills required to monitor and report illegal activities. All these activities are closely monitored with appropriate levels of training and coaching from both RMOT instructors and resource officers.

Are you interested in a career where you can make a difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society? With a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree, you can devote your career to helping solve social justice issues and helping people overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges such as addiction, mental health and domestic violence.

A degree in social work gives you the professional skills to develop interventions to solve social and personal problems. Social workers create social change by working with people as the individual, family, group, community, organization and societal levels to enhance health and overall well-being. 

Social workers can find fulfilling careers in child welfare agencies, departments of health and human services, hospitals, community mental health agencies, substance abuse and medical clinics and elder care facilities.

The Bachelor of Social Work Program:-
The purpose of the Bachelor of Social Work degree program at Vancouver Island University is to provide education in generalist anti-oppressive social work practice. 

The learning outcomes of the program include the capacity to do the following: 

demonstrate effective social work communication skills within an empowerment approach at the individual, group, and community level.
demonstrate professional ethical standards and values at the individual, team, and organizational level.
critically reflect on own ideas, behaviours, and practices. 
identify and address mechanisms of oppression, privilege, resistance, and social change. 
In addition to a generalist social work practice degree, the Bachelor of Social Work program at Vancouver Island University offers a specialization in child welfare. 

Program Delivery

The Bachelor of Social Work program at Vancouver Island University will accept students into Year 3 of the program and will be delivered through distance education. Students admitted to the program will be expected to:

Participate in an online orientation(s) prior to program commencement in September.
Have access to high speed internet and audio-video capabilities. 
Participate in courses that have both asynchronous (online access to course materials) and synchronous (online access to course materials, audio and visual discussion, e.g. Zoom) course delivery methods.

Computer Science is a rapidly-growing field, generating a great number of employment opportunities. Government agencies are predicting shortages of qualified computing people that will number in the tens of thousands in Canada alone. The Bachelor of Science, Major in Computer Science, is designed to meet the training and educational requirements outlined by CIPS (Canadian Information Processing Society), ACM (Association for Computing Machinery), and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). These requirements reflect the needs of the computing industry, both nationally and internationally.

The program is composed of courses drawn from the systems, theoretical and business application domains. It is designed to train students in applied computer science and educate them in the social, ethical and legal implications of computer science.

The program has an optional co-operative education component. To be eligible, students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 (“B”) or better in their Computer Science courses.

The Computer Science Major will be of interest to students wishing to enter the Information Technology industry and/or graduate studies. The Minor will primarily be of interest to students wishing to combine an additional field of study with a strong computing background.

This program is designed to prepare students for a career as a computer programmer/programmer analyst. The program emphasizes programming skills, program design techniques as well as database and systems analysis skills. The program includes electives, and recommends students take business courses that will be of use in the computing industry. The program is designed in accordance with the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) accreditation standards.
Students who complete the diploma program will be able to complete VIU’s Bachelor of Science, Major in Computer Science with an additional two years of full-time study.

Hone your critical thinking, legal analysis, project management, communication, conflict mediation, research and analysis skills with VIU’s Criminology program.

Criminology is an exciting, dynamic field of study that looks at the social and psychological factors that contribute to criminally deviant behaviour and its consequences. Students interested in current events, psychology and social justice will find their stride with our degree in Criminology.

Criminology studies grads are attracted to a range of careers in the criminal justice system, with Crown corporations and in the private sector, such as bailiff, correctional officer, court reporter, criminal investigator, legal assistant, parole officer, police officer, research, victim services specialist, and many more. Check out the careers page on the Criminology program website for more options.

In fourth year, Criminology Majors have the option of either conducting an applied research project or participating in a field placement.

The Criminology (BA) Program:-
Criminology is an interdisciplinary science that focuses on law and its interpretation by the courts, patterns in crime, the explanation of deviant and criminal behaviour, and society’s reaction to law-breaking. The program introduces students to criminal law, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and case-law decisions made by the courts. Students will examine in separate courses the three main components of the criminal justice system—police, courts, and corrections—that form an organized response to crime. The program addresses the trends and correlates of crime, including the influences of age, ethnicity, gender, and social class. The major explanations for crime try to account for these patterns by looking at historical, individual, and social causes. The criminological focus is broadened with courses from other disciplines in the Social Sciences and Humanities. 

The program aims to provide students with conceptual, critical, and applied skills to work in fields where a legal/justice focus is beneficial. The curriculum emphasizes the development of professional and applied skills through training in professional ethics, conflict mediation, use of information technology for researching relevant topics, writing, presenting data, and working in small groups on specific tasks. In the fourth year, Criminology Majors have the option of either conducting an applied research project or participating in a field placement.

Although the core of the curriculum is centred on justice-related issues, students will find the degree program applies equally to areas in the private sector where research competence, project management, legal analysis, and communication skills are essential.

The Visual Arts Diploma Program:-
Students may apply for VIU’s Visual Art Diploma upon successful completion of 60 credits and a minimum Grade Point Average of 1.84. Of the 60 credits, 45 must be within the Art Department and include 6 credits of Art History with a minimum grade of “C”. Advanced students may apply for transfer credits from other institutions.

Note: All students enrolled in art or design studio courses offered within VIU’s Art and Design department must complete mandatory safety training session(s) before they will be allowed to use the department’s facilities. Each student must purchase and use equipment as specified by the department and sold through the VIU Campus Store.

Do you love baking pastries and bread and making divine desserts? Shape your passion with VIU’s Professional Baking and Pastry Arts program for a rewarding, hands-on career that can take you around the world. Learn advanced baking and dessert making, as well as sugar and chocolate artistry techniques.

This internationally recognized program provides students with hands-on, real-world experiences providing baked goods and pastries to the university community, including making cakes to order. Students of VIU’s baking school also learn on the department’s wood-fired brick oven.

Graduates of our pastry art school have found work in bakeries – including opening their own – and a range of high-end restaurants, world-class hotels and resorts. Educational grants are available to students wanting to train in these in-demand industries.

The Professional Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate Program:-
The Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island (CIVI) at VIU provides students with a Certificate in Professional Baking and Pastry Arts, giving them a leading edge for advancement and progression in the baking and pastry profession. This full-time program provides students with knowledge and experience in the science and production of bakery items baked in both commercial ovens and our wood burning brick oven. Emphasis is placed on traditional and artisan baking methods as applied to modern Canadian and international trends. The pastry arts component of the program also provides the fundamental skills needed in pastry training from cake decorating, including wedding and special occasion cakes, to desserts, chocolate and sugar work. Baking and pastry arts students are ready for employment in patisserie shops, hotels, retail and wholesale bakeries, supermarkets, restaurants, caterers, camps and other food–related businesses.

Upon successful completion of the program and the co-op work term, students receive the Vancouver Island University Certificate in Professional Baking and Pastry Arts as well as credit for their first year Baker Apprentice technical training and 1200 work experience hours to apply towards obtaining their Red Seal.

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

Are you a visual communicator and think you would enjoy a creative career? The four-year Graphic Design degree program at VIU is taught by professors who are graphic designers, artists and photographers themselves, and is a hands-on program taught in studios using industry-leading technologies.

Why a graphic design degree? Every company, organization and product needs a designer. Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design students graduate industry-ready with a killer portfolio to add to their resume. Are you ready to start creating?

The Graphic Design Program
The Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design is intended for students who wish to pursue a professional career in the creative discipline of digital and print Graphic Design. "Graphic Design is an interdisciplinary problem-solving activity that combines visual sensitivity with skill and knowledge in areas of communication, technology and business. A Graphic Designer specializes in the structuring and organizing of visual information and to aid communication and orientation. They provide clients with the following: research, costing, planning, coordination, project management, quality control, design and aesthetic judgment, advertising and art direction." (Ashworth, Hilary ed. The Business of Graphic Design, A Professional's Handbook. Toronto: Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario, 2001).

Graphic designers work in new media and web design, packaging, illustration, animation, production and prepress, advertising, marketing communications design, art and creative direction, corporate identity, broadcast design, corporate communications, information design, editorial design, education, environmental and exhibit design, signage, and related occupations. Graphic designers develop skills that are in demand in today's economy and that can be applied to nearly any career, including creative problem solving and design thinking.

This degree program is hands-on and rich in applied elements and experiential learning to prepare students for the evolving requirements of the graphic design and visual communication industry in today's knowledge and information-based culture. The degree also promotes the skills associated with Bachelor of Arts programs, including analytical and critical thinking skills, solid oral and written communication skills, and general flexibility and adaptability. Students will develop awareness of social responsibility, ethics, cultural contexts and global communications considerations. The program features lectures, studio classes, computer lab instruction, critiques, project work, portfolio development and a graduation show. A rigorous work ethic and time-management skills are required for all courses. As in the profession, students juggle multiple projects and deadlines, undertake projects as teams, research, report, cooperate, communicate and present their work.

The program will build on a solid foundation of general skills at the first-year level. Second-year courses will require that students apply and expand upon foundational skills in more detailed and specific sub-fields. Upper-level courses in the degree will explore problem-solving, research, creative exploration, innovation and cultural and contextual issues at a deeper and more complex level. Students must take 21 credits of electives and may select both employment-oriented and academic electives (in consultation with the program).

Students are required to purchase industry standard laptop computers and software (as specified by the program), as well as supplies and textbooks for classes.

VIU’s Bachelor of Arts degree, with selected Honours, Majors, and Minors, builds on VIU’s strong record of arts 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.

At the lower-level, Vancouver Island University offers courses in some 50 disciplines and interdisciplinary studies. At the upper-level, the B.A. program offers selected Honours, Majors, and Minors, and new ones are being planned.

A liberal arts education is both valuable in itself and as a foundation for a wide variety of careers. Given its range and flexibility, the B.A. degree provides a sound preparation for both employment and further education. Students who may be interested in graduate studies should arrange to write a Graduate Record Exam (GRE) after their third year for some graduate school programs. Students are advised to consult graduate school calendars for specific entrance requirements.

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Honours, Majors, and Minors:-

• Anthropology Major, Minor
• BA Biology Minor
• BA Chemistry Minor
• BA Computing Science Minor
• BA English Honours, Major, Minor
• BA Geography Major, Minor
• BA Mathematics Major, Minor
• BA Psychology Honours, Major, Minor
• Business Minor
• Creative Writing and Journalism Major, Minor
• Criminology Major, Minor
• Digital Media Minor
• Digital Media Studies Major
• Earth Science Minor
• Economics Major, Minor
• First Nations Studies Major, Minor
• Global Studies Major, Minor
• History Honours, Major, Minor
• Languages and Culture (Romance Languages) Minor
• Liberal Studies Major, Minor
• Media Studies Minor
• Philosophy Honours, Major, Minor
• Physical Education Major, Minor
• Political Studies Major, Minor
• Sociology Honours, Major, Minor
• Studies in Women and Gender Major, Minor