Master of Business Administration

at Vancouver Island University - Nanaimo Campus Canada

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.

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

Do you like solving complex problems and finding innovative solutions for real-world challenges? VIU’s Integrated Engineering Technologist Diploma may be for you. The two-and-a-half-year engineering diploma prepares you for a rewarding career as an engineering technologist. BC’s tech sector is one of the fastest growing areas of the provincial economy and skilled engineering technologists are in demand.

Through hands-on learning opportunities, you’ll gain practical knowledge in computer aided design software; civil, mechanical, electrical and structural principles of design; and project management. Our small class sizes mean you’ll get lots of support and individual attention from faculty to help you succeed. You’ll also gain real-world experience through the diploma’s co-operative education program and optional field school.  

The Integrated Engineering Technologist Program
The Integrated Engineering Technologist Diploma emphasizes the design process in civil, mechanical, and structural technologies. Students develop and apply a strong foundation in physics, mathematics, computer programming, computer aided drawing, as well as project management principles to engineering designs and prototype manufacture. Graduates of this program find employment with a wide range of employers including engineering consulting firms, fabrication facilities, heavy industry, and municipal engineering departments.

The Certificate in Business Management (CBM) is offered full–time or part–time, with some courses offered by video conference. This Certificate program is designed to provide a firm foundation of business principles. Should you be entrepreneurial or curious about a career in business this could be your opportunity. By the end of this program the student will have a sound introduction to the key functional areas of business practice. Courses in the CBM are fully transferable to VIU's Bachelor of Business Administration undergraduate degree.

Business plays a major role in the structure and functioning of contemporary society. Rapid changes in technology, resource allocation, structural shifts in the economy, changes in consumer preferences, global competition, and shifts in the employment market all necessitate a better understanding of the role and nature of business in today’s society.

Business Administration provides a well-rounded business education with a focus on global business operations, emerging markets, and technology-enabled organizations. Students develop an in-depth understanding of one of the business majors and learn a broad range of managerial capabilities, problem solving and communication skills. Electives allow flexibility, adaptability and creativity and prepare graduates for diverse careers in global management, administration, and entrepreneurship, as well as a range of postgraduate opportunities.

Criminology is an interdisciplinary science that focuses on law and its interpretation by the courts, patterns in crime, explanations for 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 examine the three main components of the criminal justice system—police, courts, and corrections. Students explore the trends and correlates of crime, including the influences of age, ethnicity, gender, and social class and how. Major explanations for crime account for these patterns by looking at historical, individual and social causes. The criminological focus is broadened with courses from other disciplines within the Social Sciences and Humanities.

The program provides 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 including professional ethics, conflict mediation, use of information technology for research, writing, presenting, and working in small groups. Although the core of the curriculum is centred on justice-related issues, students will find the program applies equally to areas in the private sector where research competence, project management, legal analysis, and communication skills are essential.

Students who successfully complete the first two years of the program with a minimum program cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 may apply to receive a Diploma.

Are you passionate about the outdoors, and see yourself in a future career protecting Canada’s rich natural environment and wildlife? The Bachelor of Natural Resource Protection at VIU is for environmental stewards who are ready to turn their passion for nature conservation, nature protection and natural resource management into a career.
The program is the only one of its kind in British Columbia, and offers small classes and expert instruction. Students benefit from experiential learning in a four-month practicum in the industry.
Graduates find jobs in a wide range of career paths such as wildlife biology and management, wildlife conservationist, range management, conservation officers, teaching, forestry, interpretation and guiding.

The Natural Resource Management Program
The degree program builds on the existing two-year Resource Management Officer Technology (RMOT) diploma program. The Bachelor of Natural Resource Protection will enable RMOT diploma graduates to receive an undergraduate degree after an additional two years of course work. This degree has been designed to provide an advanced credential for other career opportunities in the natural resource conservation and protection field.
VIU is the only academic institution in BC to offer this specialized degree, and only one of two to offer a comparable degree in Western Canada. In addition to advanced courses in natural resource management and law enforcement, there is a four month field practicum in the fall of fourth year. In this practicum, students are able to choose an off-campus field placement with either an enforcement or a resource management agency.

Is it time to harvest your future career in the wine business? The BC wine industry is bustling with an increasing need for wine business professionals who understand the marketing, sales, exporting, and tourism aspects of wine.
The one-year Wine Business program at VIU provides hands-on experience covering the basics of viticulture and business practices, including visits to local vineyards and wineries to get a real taste for the wine life.
The Wine Business Certificate can be taken as stand-alone certification or as credit towards either the Hospitality and Tourism Management or Bachelor of Business program.

The Wine Business Program
The purpose of the program is to provide recognition for students who complete a series of courses related to the wine industry, the process of wine making, wine appreciation (product knowledge), wine marketing, wine tourism and other knowledge related to the business of wine. The certificate will help graduates find employment in some aspect of the wine business, which could be a vineyard, a winery, a wholesaler, a retailer, a food service establishment or a special event planner. Although this is a stand-alone certificate, the courses may also be taken as credit courses toward a degree or diploma.

Kinesiology is the art and science of human movement, and at VIU, the Kinesiology program is your foundation for careers in education, research, rehabilitation sciences (occupational therapy, physical therapy, and massage therapy), coaching, personal training, sports management, and administration and many others. 

The Kinesiology program provides students with the knowledge and experience to pursue careers in education, fitness/wellness management, movement science, outdoor leadership, rehabilitation sciences, coaching, athlete development, and sports administration. Students will explore the nature of human movement and learn essential skills to improve quality of life through activity and exercise. The program provides a broad foundation in many aspects of kinesiology and exposes students to diverse learning environments and applied experiences including lectures, labs, activity classes, online learning, and applied research and scholarship. 

Are you ready to explore and develop solutions that ensure travelers and residents alike are able to enjoy recreational and leisure pursuits with sustainability as a focus?

The Masters of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management program is offered at VIU’s Nanaimo campus on beautiful Vancouver Island – in a region of Canada that is noted for leisure and tourism opportunities. This two-year program delivers a non-traditional approach to studies in ecotourism and innovative leisure practices, with courses that combine field experience and classroom instruction, all within a global context. Leisure studies and sustainability studies engage students with experiential learning opportunities, delivered by expert faculty who are leaders in their field.

Graduates of the Sustainable Tourism Master's degree program find employment opportunities as sustainability officers, analysts and directors, working in government, private sectors, and consultant firms.

The Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management Program
This program places graduates at the intersection of two growing, exciting, and globally significant areas of theory and practice: leisure and sustainability. The program prepares emerging leaders to examine and create solutions which ensure that residents and travelers alike can enjoy recreational experiences, natural and cultural amenities, heritage resources, and adventure as part of their life experiences on a sustainable basis. Students will engage in coursework delivered in a non–traditional, international educational setting where the instructional approach draws upon field experience, classroom instruction, and experiential styles of learning. Two integrated instructional streams are central to the program focus: 1) a set of principles and practices underlying leisure and sustainability; and, 2) an integrated set of research capabilities, innovation, and knowledge mobilization skills necessary to ensure that new knowledge can be effectively transformed into impact. There is also a required thesis component wherein students will demonstrate a mastery of knowledge mobilization approaches (including, but not limited to, research skills).

During completion of the program, students will:

• acquire a broad interdisciplinary knowledge of concepts, models and issues relating to the field of leisure services;
• analyze sustainability issues by integrating social, environmental and economic perspectives;
• develop and critique policies and practices that advance sustainability goals;
• apply strategies to influence change and innovation at the community, regional, national and international levels;
• conduct applied research on specific leisure, innovation, and sustainability topics;
• develop the capacity to actively engage in a variety of knowledge creation and mobilization approaches and strategies;
• engage with diverse stakeholders on complex leisure and sustainability issues; and,
• formulate a personal and professional commitment to strategic and innovative leadership practices in sustainable leisure services.