The Application Review

Once all documentation has been received, your application will be reviewed by our Admissions Office.  Applications to some programs are also reviewed by faculty and may involve an interview or assessment test. You will be notified of the results of our review.

You may be offered admission or conditional admission. If you meet all requirements but the program has already been filled by applicants deemed to have stronger qualifications, you may be offered a spot on the program waitlist. If the assessment of your application reveals you have not met the minimum requirements for admission, you will be notified that we are not able to offer you admission at this time.

VIU has an entry-level for everyone. If you do not meet the admission requirements for the program you have chosen, we can help you upgrade your qualifications so that you will be able to qualify for admission to that program in the future.

Conditional Admission

If you are offered “Conditional Admission”, it’s important to understand what the conditions are. Usually, it means you still have courses to complete in order to fully qualify for admission. As long as you meet all the outstanding conditions prior to your program starting, you can be assured that your admission will be made final. The most common conditions of admission are completion of all remaining high school graduation requirements and completion of English 12 with a minimum grade of “C”. 

Meeting the English 12 Requirement

If you haven’t yet completed English 12 with a minimum grade of “C”, there are options available to you.

  • VIU’s Academic and Career Preparation department offers courses that are accepted equivalents to English 12.  Similar courses are also available online from Thompson Rivers University.
  • If you feel you have already upgraded your skills but haven’t officially completed an appropriate course, you can write an assessment test to determine Grade 12 English equivalency.  VIU offers either the ACCUPLACER or the LPI exam.

For more information on these options:

Incoming Outstanding Student Initiative

The Incoming Outstanding Student Initiative (IOS) is a special opportunity for academically-gifted students admitted to Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science programs, or Exploratory University Studies and who are entering post-secondary studies for the first time.  If you qualify, you do not want to miss this opportunity to be awarded the highest priority for a registration appointment which will ensure access to most first-year courses. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2021.  Complete details can be found at Incoming outstanding student initiative.

Deferred Admission  

Deferred admission allows students to postpone their program start date.  Students admitted to Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science, or Exploratory University Studies are eligible to defer their admission for one year. For more information or to request a deferral, please contact us at Registration@viu.ca or by calling 250.740.6400.

Tuition Deposit

If you are offered admission you will be asked to pay a tuition deposit (usually $200). This deposit is typically due three weeks after the offer of admission and is applied towards your tuition.