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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

Danielle with Dave and Jamie

Alumni Spotlight on Danielle Hyde

August 22, 2025 - 09:30am

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

Picture of Amber Lease

National Championship Basketball Tournament a Fond Farewell for VIU Student

March 18, 2022 - 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

Emily McComb

Finding her dream job in sports management

June 17, 2023

From classroom to career: Emily McComb

Atticus Mercredi stands in front of the painting of his mother.

Artist raising awareness about colonization’s impact on Indigenous women

June 14, 2023 By Rachel Stern

Atticus Mercredi pays tribute to his mother with exhibit

Kai Stilwell

Program helps students transform business ideas into reality

June 13, 2023 By Eric Zimmer

Students with disabilities or who have faced employment challenges launch business start-ups through VIU entrepreneur training program.

Tapiwa Shoko in the Centre for Health and Science

Student leader reflects on the power of community and connections

June 13, 2023

From Classroom to Career: Tapiwa Shoko

Face and shoulders portrait of Prabhdeep

Making the most of faculty and community connections

June 11, 2023

Meet valedictorian Prabhdeep Singh Sambi

Seafood Business Accelerator a stepping stone for Indigenous business owner

June 6, 2023 By Rachel Stern

Natasha Marshall Gallic shares her story

Statements & Announcements

A beach in the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere.

Open House Showcases Research Initiatives in the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere

March 7, 2022 - 10:15am

A nursing student practices on another nursing student

VIU Receives Funding to Expand Nursing Seats

February 22, 2022 - 01:30pm

Six VIU students practice a scene onstage at Malaspina Theatre.

VIU’s Theatre Department Presents an Adaptation of Durrenmatt’s Play – The Visitor

February 22, 2022 - 10:30am

Griffin Prize-Winning Poet A.F. Moritz to Give VIU Gustafson Lecture and Reading

February 17, 2022 - 09:30am

Jim Holyoak's artistic rendering of trees in black and white.

VIU’s View Gallery presents Jim Holyoak: Arborescence

February 10, 2022 - 09:00am

VIU BC Top Employer 2022

VIU Receives BC Top Employer Award for third year in a row

February 8, 2022 - 01:45pm

VIU in the News

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Events and Info Sessions

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