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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

Start in January

September is not the only time to start a VIU program. Many have January intakes.

See January intake

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

Search VIU

aerial view of Building 200 at VIU's Nanaimo campus

News

VIU in the News

Latest Stories

Isabelle Desrosiers in a green forest and smiling at the camera.

VIU psychology grad studies relatively unknown eating disorder

August 20, 2025 - 12:19pm

Photo by Gerd Altmann

Congratulations!

October 19, 2020 - 10:00am

VIU Forestry Professor Bill Beese stands in front of trees.

Fires are "Just the Tip of the Iceberg" of Climate Change's Impact on Forests

October 5, 2020 - 10:30am

Zoom fatigue

Back by Popular Demand: Work Well-being Practices

October 1, 2020 - 03:00pm

VIU Launches Two New Information Technology Diploma Programs

VIU Launches Two New Information Technology Diploma Programs

September 29, 2020 - 02:15pm

Terri Doughty, a VIU English Professor, will use Swedish artist Elsa Beskow’s work to illustrate how children’s picture books can contribute to a shift in perspectives in the plant-human relationship, during her Colloquium Series lecture.

VIU's Colloquium Series Lectures Live Streaming this Fall

September 17, 2020 - 02:30pm

An Unusual Start to an Unusual Semester

September 15, 2020 - 02:00pm

VIU Blog

Find out what's going on at VIU!

Students hanging out in a room at one of the VIU residence buildings

Welcome to campus – the Student Housing edition

August 20, 2025 By By Jenna Gill, VIU Recruitment Officer

What to know about orientation, Community Leaders and upcoming events

Helping youth get excited about science

June 6, 2022 By Rachel Stern

What it’s like to be a Let’s Talk Science ambassador

people sitting on a bed with boxes around them

Where should I live in Nanaimo?

June 4, 2022 By Michael Witcomb

5 tips to find the right housing fit

Emmerson Pollard

From undergraduate research to an honours thesis: Emmerson Pollard

June 2, 2022

Meet your 2022 valedictorians

woman sitting on a set of stairs

Student Pulse News: Wednesday, June 1, 2022

June 1, 2022

Bike to school, Pride Fest Meet-up & free movies 🎥

People sitting on rainbow stairs at VIU's Nanaimo campus

How to show your allyship during Pride month

June 1, 2022 By Chris Yeast

Four tips to help you now and year-round

Timeline

Ready to put her education into practice: Timilehin Maryam Olayiwola

May 31, 2022

Meet your 2022 valedictorians

Statements & Announcements

Standing together against racism

June 2, 2020 - 04:30pm

UPDATE: COVID-19, MAY 13

May 13, 2020 - 05:45pm

Student update on our fall semester

May 11, 2020 - 10:15am

UPDATE: COVID-19, MAY 6

May 6, 2020 - 06:15pm

UPDATE: COVID-19, April 29

April 29, 2020 - 04:00pm

Federal Government support for students and new grads affected by COVID-19

April 22, 2020 - 11:45am

VIU in the News

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Events and Info Sessions

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Ready to join us at VIU?

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