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About About

Get to know VIU. As a teaching university and a research university, we offer a unique experience to students.

About VIU Why VIU

About VIU

Why VIU?

Explore where VIU is going

The Strategic Plan builds on our commitment to diverse learners and draws on our connection to the community.

Programs Programs

Explore a wide range of program offerings and learning services. Choose from degrees, vocational training, certificates and more.

Find your program Learning Services

Programs

Learning Services

Talk to a recruiter

Explore your options with one of our friendly recruiters. Online and in-person meetings available.

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recruiter

Admissions & Aid Admissions & Aid

Discover how to apply to VIU and get more information about tuition and financial aid.

Admissions Tuition and Aid

Admissions

Tuition and Aid

How to become a student

Make your VIU application successful by following these steps to becoming a student.

Steps to become a student

Student Life Student Life

Make the best of your time at VIU. Get involved in campus events and enjoy island adventures.

Student Life Student Services

Student Life

Student Services and Support

Get ready for the new student orientation

Attend in-person and online events, explore campus and connect with your professors and soon-to-be classmates!

Support VIU Support VIU

Connect with other VIU alumni and learn about the impact of donor generosity at VIU.

Give

VIU Alumni

VIU Donors

Your support means so much to VIU students

Our donors fund over 2000 scholarships, awards, and bursaries each year.

Research Research

Discover how VIU's interdisciplinary research is making a real-world impact.

Research

Research and Creative Activity

Explore the research highlights. Includes recent publications, ground-breaking studies and more.

Research Reports

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aerial view of Building 200 at VIU's Nanaimo campus

News

VIU in the News

Latest Stories

Saving salmon and keeping the romance alive

February 5, 2026 - 11:50am

campus_map_column

Exterior wayfinding program makes VIU a more welcoming place to everyone

April 2, 2022 - 02:15pm

Kendra Stiwich 2021 President’s Award for Service Excellence Award for Early Impact/Emerging Leader recipient

Recognizing our colleagues: It’s nomination season at VIU

April 2, 2022 - 02:00pm

Mandy Hobkirk uses her phone to take photos of pink flowers.

Citizen Scientists Asked to Look for Plants and Animals during Annual MABR BioBlitz

April 1, 2022 - 10:00am

rocks

Trauma-Informed Leadership at VIU

March 31, 2022 - 09:45pm

Three students examine a research poster at CREATE.

VIU’s CREATE Conference Showcases Student Research and Creative Activity

March 30, 2022 - 03:00pm

Five people pose around an electric vehicle

VIU Receives Funding for new EV Skills Training Program

March 21, 2022 - 03:30pm

VIU Blog

Find out what's going on at VIU!

Saurya Mishra standing outside in front of a Heli-Jet helicopter and looking at the camera.

Building a career in hospitality leadership

February 6, 2026

Saurya Mishra shares his story

Close up of a black laptop with computer coding language on the screen.

Creating accessible computer science courses

May 24, 2023 By Rachel Stern

Amber Thomas shares her experience

A woman takes notes and smiles while she looks at a laptop screen

Tips to write a focused statement of purpose

May 20, 2023 By Anisha Das

Getting into grad school

two people seated talk to one another, on the left is VIU Provost and Vice-President Academic Dr. Michael Quinn, on the right is VIU President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Deborah Saucier

Hyena stalkings, how hummingbird brains work and meeting Royals

May 19, 2023

VIU’s President and Provost share their research journeys

A man stands in the foreground with the waterfront and a marina full of boats behind him

VIU Student Pulse News: May 17, 2023

May 17, 2023

Tips to pay for university 💰

Jane Dean looking at the camera on a sunny day and smiling

Taking classroom learning to community

May 17, 2023

Jane Dean shares her story

Fernando sits near the totem inside the Centre for Health and Science, VIU's Nanaimo campus

Gaining skills through getting involved

May 16, 2023

From classroom to career: Fernando Jesus Medina Moreno

Statements & Announcements

Supporting our community in January 2022

December 22, 2021 - 10:45am

VIU is closed December 24, reopening January 4

December 21, 2021 - 12:15pm

Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021: VIU Nanaimo campus will reopen for afternoon classes and exams

December 18, 2021 - 10:15am

Severe Weather Closure

VIU's Nanaimo campus closed this morning (December 18) due to snow and ice concerns

December 18, 2021 - 06:15am

Man holding camera

VIU Media Highlights: November 15-29, 2021

November 29, 2021 - 08:45pm

Green, blue and red holiday lights twinkle and glow on Milner House and trees and shrubs.

Christmas Magic Returns this Holiday Season to VIU’s Milner Gardens & Woodland

November 24, 2021 - 12:00pm

VIU in the News

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Events and Info Sessions

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