Master of Community Planning

at Vancouver Island University - Nanaimo Campus Canada

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.

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.

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

The Engineering Transfer Diploma prepares students to transfer into the University of Victoria in their second year. This program contains the first-year core courses and select second-year courses required for this institution including physics, chemistry, engineering design, computer programming mathematics, and communication skills. Upon successful completion, graduates who complete the entire Engineering Transfer Diploma program curriculum are: 

• Guaranteed admittance into 2nd year Engineering at UVic provided students achieve a minimum required overall GPA and minimum grade in each curriculum course. 
• Placed in a common pool with all students for competitive entry into their 2nd year engineering program of their choice at UVic. Average GPS for entry into a specific engineering program at UVic changes each year depending on the number of students applying and the number of seats available. 
• Students are also applicable for entry into other engineering schools in BC on an individual, non-guaranteed basis. 
• Students interested in Engineering pathways to UBC, SFU, and TRU, are encouraged to consider Vancouver Island University’s Engineering Transfer Certificate program.  

Students interested in the diploma must apply to the Bachelor of Hospitality Management. Prior to completion of their first year, students must indicate their interest in exiting with their Hospitality Management Diploma. Upon successful completion of the first two years (60 credits including co-operative work placements), students will be eligible to receive the Hospitality Management Diploma.

The two-year Hospitality Management diploma develops the learner's knowledge and skills required to build a successful hospitality career. The students acquire their hospitality knowledge through a blend of classroom learning, and experiential activities in an on-campus dining room, in teaching kitchens and participation in special events. Finally, students are required to complete two paid co-operative work placements where they apply their learning at resorts throughout British Columbia and Alberta.

This two year diploma program is designed to prepare students for a wide range of supervisory and management positions in the tourism industry. Students examine management from behavioural, functional, situational and systems perspectives. The unique applications of management to service organizations are a focal point of the program. Students are encouraged to explore and develop their individual leadership styles in the management labs offered in the program. Since the marketing concept forms the basis for developing management practices used in the tourism industry, the marketing/management relationship is studied in detail.

The primary role of the diploma is to prepare students initially for entry level positions and eventually middle management positions in the tourism industry.

Co-operative Education:-
Under the co-operative education format, the paid co-operative education experiences are integrated into the total curriculum. Students will benefit from the co-operative education experience by:

• Relating academic study more effectively to the field of practice;
• Developing a clearer career focus;
• Gaining valuable practical experience;
• Being able to finance a larger portion of their education.

Co-operative placements are typically from May to September. Access to co-operative education placements is based on student’s GPA (minimum of 2.33 (“C+”) is required) and their willingness to work as a team member with faculty and co-operative education staff to find appropriate placements. Students must complete the co-op term after first year, before continuing with the second year of the program.

Calling all domestic and international foodies! Shape your passion and creativity into a rewarding, fast-paced, hands-on career close to home or around the world with Vancouver Island University’s Culinary Arts program.

Our internationally recognized chef training programs at the Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island provides students with hands-on, real-world experiences running service programs in state-of-the-art kitchens and labs.This Culinary Arts program also has a paid co-operative education component that allows students to network and build industry contacts.

Students learn the culinary skills needed to enter careers in world-class hotels, resorts, restaurants, bakeries and more. Educational grants are available to students wanting to train in this high-demand industry.

The Culinary Arts Certificate Program
The Culinary Arts Certificate consists of the 28-week Professional Cook 1 (PC1), and the 14-week Professional Cook 2 (PC2).The Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island (CIVI) at VIU provides students with the options of the Professional Cook 1 (PC1) Certificate (offered through the Nanaimo, Cowichan & Powell River campuses), the one-year Culinary Arts Certificate (PC1 & PC2 offered at the Nanaimo campus), and the two-year Culinary Management Diploma (offered at the Nanaimo campus). The Certificate and Diploma programs provide students with culinary training and management skills, giving them the leading edge to advancement in the culinary profession. Upon entering the Certificate program, culinary students are registered as Professional Cook 1 apprentices, gaining technical training while accruing apprentice hours. As a part of both the Culinary Arts Certificate and the Culinary Diploma programs, students participate in a paid co-op work placement, gaining industry work experience and additional apprentice hours.

Upon entering the program, culinary students:

• Are registered as Professional Cook apprentices. The Culinary Arts Certificate consists of 28-week Professional Cook 1 (PC1), and the 14-week Professional Cook 2 (PC2), and a paid Co-op work practicum.
• Gaining industry work experience and PC1 apprentice hours. This often becomes full time employment toward their career paths.
• At the beginning of the first year of the Nanaimo campus Certificate program, students spend three weeks in our state of the art food lab, focusing on learning basic cooking skills and good culinary habits without production pressure. Students then move to the main kitchen, rotating through five separate sections. Students will prepare breakfast, vegetables, starches, and proteins, as well as study cold kitchen, pastry, and meat cutting. Food produced by the students is served in the VIU cafeterias and Discovery Room dining room.

Co-operative Education
Under the co-operative education format, the paid co-operative education experiences are integrated into the total curriculum. Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island students are employed and supervised in a Red Seal-trained kitchen. Hours worked in their co-op are counted towards their apprenticeship. Culinary students will benefit from the co-operative education experience by:

• Relating academic study more effectively to the field of practice;
• Developing a clearer career focus;
• Gaining valuable practical experience and apprentice hours;
• Being able to finance a larger portion of their education

Co-operative placements are typically from May to October. Access to co-operative education placements is based on student's GPA and their willingness to work as a team member with faculty and co-operative education staff to find an appropriate placement. Students in co-operative placement are assessed tuition and Students' Union fees - see program fees for correct fee information.

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.

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.

The Bachelor of Tourism Management program is a continuation of the knowledge developed through the hospitality, tourism, and outdoor recreation diploma programs. With community-based projects and two paid co-op semesters, students gain opportunities to forge valuable industry connections and experience.

Upon graduation students find exciting career opportunities in commercial recreation and tourism, adventure tourism, tour operations, not-for-profit agencies, and inclusive leisure. VIU’s Tourism degree gives students the leading edge in this high-demand and growing industry.

The Bachelor of Tourism Management Program
The Bachelor of Tourism Management (BTM) program builds on existing diploma programs in Recreation and Sport Management, Tourism Studies and Hospitality Management that stress career-entry skills. Students may apply to the third year of the degree program after completing a diploma in various fields including Recreation, Travel and Tourism, or Hospitality, Physical Education, and Outdoor Recreation.

The degree program will provide applied skills and concepts related to the design of tourism products and management of tourism services. The degree will focus on the development of management and entrepreneurial skills needed for people wishing to assume greater responsibilities within an organization, or for those wishing to start new enterprises.

Co-operative Education

• Co-op Fees for co-operative education and internships are due during the second month of each work term.

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.