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As one of Canada’s best comprehensive universities, UVic offers a wide range of high-quality undergraduate programs that tackle important issues in today’s changing world.
Click on a faculty or division below to see a full list of undergraduate degree programs available at UVic or click here for information about UVic's Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Our faculties
Our divisions
Additional information
The mission of UVic Business is to develop Canadian business leaders with the management knowledge, skills and values necessary to work efficiently and responsibly in a changing global economy. In addition to the four specialization areas, the faculty offers a wide range of international exchange opportunities. Our internationally award-winning entrepreneurship concentration teaches students how to identify, develop and manage new ventures, be it your own small business or a new initiative within a large corporation. Students can launch their own business as part of their co-op work term. The International Business specialization teaches students about managing in an international environment. Our program is one of Canada’s most respected international programs, and combines interactive classroom learning in areas such as international finance, international marketing and cross-national management with overseas study and work opportunities.
The hospitality and services management specialization prepares students to be a manager within one of the fastest growing business sectors. This program is available to all commerce students, including students who have completed a two-year accredited Hospitality Diploma program through various colleges in British Columbia and Alberta.
Students who wish to design their own specialization from our numerous course electives can select Management. This specialization provides a comprehensive business degree for those interested in management in a medium to large-sized corporation.
The business program has a mandatory co-operative education component that enables students to integrate three semesters of productive, paid work experience into their academic schedule. Co-op work terms allow students to put classroom theory into practice in a real-life setting.
Through our International Exchange program, students have the opportunity to study and work abroad for up to eight months. With over 30 partner universities in 16 different countries, students gain first-hand experience of a country and a foreign culture—the type of experience today’s employers are looking for.
Specializations: Entrepreneurship, International Business, Management, Hospitality and Services Management (Note: The Hospitality and Services Management specialization is not available for direct entry and prerequisites must be completed elsewhere. Please see UVic's Undergraduate Calendar for detailed admission requirements.)
Minors: Commerce (for non-commerce students)
Co-op program: mandatory
The Faculty of Education teaches students to understand the nature of knowledge, its interpretations and how it is shared. Studies in education allow students to develop professional skills and to become leaders in both the classroom and in the wider community. Our programs equip students with an academic and professional background for teaching at the elementary or secondary level, by incorporating class work, group work and practice teaching in schools.
Note: The degree programs within the Faculty of Education are not normally available for direct entry from secondary school. Qualifying years of study, an undergraduate degree or related experience may be required for entry. Please see the Undergraduate Calendar for detailed admission requirements.
Faculty of Education degree programs:
Faculty of Education post-degree programs:
This program offers education for classroom teaching at the primary and intermediate levels. Students must complete two years of approved course work prior to application to year three.
This five-year program prepares students to teach art, music or physical education at the secondary school level. Students who wish to receive a degree in the teaching areas of art or music may combine their preparation with a second teaching area, while students who wish to receive a degree in the teaching area of physical education must combine this with a second teaching area. Special prerequisites must be taken prior to application for one of these areas and admission will be based on a recommendation from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction or the School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education.
This interdisciplinary program prepares students to enter the fields of recreation, wellness and health promotion leadership and administration primarily in the public and not-for-profit sectors. It provides preparation in the planning, implementation, evaluation and supervision of recreation, leisure, fitness, wellness and health promotion policies and programs that support social change.
Co-op program: mandatory
This program prepares students for careers in the field of kinesiology or to proceed towards graduate study or medical or paramedical studies (including chiropractic, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy).
Co-op program: optional
Post-degree programs:
This program offers training for classroom teaching at the elementary level to students with an undergraduate degree. Specific prerequisites must be taken prior to application to this 16-month consecutive program.
This program is for students who already hold an undergraduate degree and specific background in secondary school teaching areas—art, biology, chemistry, physics, English, French, German, mathematics, music, social studies, theatre. One year of study results in a teaching certificate; two years results in the BEd.
The Faculty of Engineering is focused on the engineering and information technology needs of society and industry. Our faculty offers one of Canada’s top high-technology programs and is recognized for excellent research and effective teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Our students combine academic study with relevant job experience through participation in the Co-operative Education Program.
Faculty of Engineering degree programs:
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers programs that introduce students to topics like microelectronics, telecommunications, computer architecture, mobile communications, microwave and millimeter wave engineering, digital signal processing, control systems software engineering, microprocessors, artificial intelligence and robotics. Students in electrical engineering can pursue an option in physics or computer music.
Specializations: Software Engineering, Systems Engineering
Options: Computer Music, Management, Mechatronics and Embedded Systems, Technology Policy, Fast Track Master’s
Minors: Electrical Systems, Computer Systems
Co-op program: mandatory
A computer is a general problem-solving tool; it follows a prescribed set of instructions to manipulate information at staggering speeds. Computer scientists define these instructions, but computer science is about much more. In order to manipulate information efficiently, such as playing a movie or audio CD or animating a cartoon character, computer scientists need to understand how the information is represented, stored, organized, transformed, and visualized. The Department of Computer Science teaches these fundamental concepts as well as the cutting-edge skills that are needed in today's fast-paced workplace.
Areas of emphasis: Algorithms, Programming Methodology, Scientific Computing, Software Engineering, Systems
Combined programs: Geography, Health Information Science, Mathematics, Music, Psychology, Science, Statistics, Visual Arts
Options: Bioinformatics, Business, Mechatronics and Embedded Systems, Software Engineering
Minors: Computer Science
Co-op program: optional
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers programs that introduce students to topics like microelectronics, telecommunications, computer architecture, mobile communications, microwave and millimeter wave engineering, digital signal processing, control systems software engineering, microprocessors, artificial intelligence and robotics. Students in electrical engineering can pursue an option in physics or computer music.
Specializations: Electronics, Communications, Digital Signal Processing, Electromagnetics and Photonics
Options: Computer Music, Management, Mechatronics and Embedded Systems, Physics, Technology Policy, Fast Track Master’s
Minors: Computer Systems, Electrical Systems
Co-op program: mandatory
The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers a program with specializations in energy systems, control and robotics, manufacturing business management and applied mechanics. The software engineering program prepares students in the specification, design, implementation and maintenance of large software systems with an emphasis on reliability and system evolution.
Specializations: Advanced Materials, Control and Robotics, Design and Computer-Aided Design, Energy and Thermodynamics, Advanced
Manufacture, Fluids and Aerodynamics
Options: Management, Mechatronics and Embedded Systems, Technology Policy
Minors: Mechanical Systems
Co-op program: mandatory
The Bachelor of Software Engineering (BSEng) program is jointly offered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Computer Science in the Faculty of Engineering
Options: Management, Mechatronics and Embedded Systems, Technology Policy
Co-op program: mandatory
The Faculty of Fine Arts consists of five departments with Visual Arts, Theatre, History in Art, Writing and the School of Music. Through the Dean's Office, we also offer interdisciplinary courses ranging from cultural issues to high technology. The Fine Arts Studios for Integrated Media is a three studio complex in the Fine Arts Building, which includes many production, educational, analytic and training opportunities in New Media fields as they apply to Fine Arts programs and the growing needs and interests in our modern, technological world. In addition, the scholarship achieved by our Fine Arts Faculty in so many diverse areas makes the Faculty of Fine Arts a unique blend and synthesis of research and creative endeavor.
Faculty of Fine Arts degree programs:
This is a specialized branch of historical and social study that interprets architecture, painting, sculpture, film, graphics, photography, furniture, textiles, ceramics, baskets, and other arts as evidence of how people past and present have lived and thought. It also involves the study of related arts such as literature, music and drama, and of many other fields from the social sciences to theology and aesthetics.
Co-op program: optional
This program offers a professional education to those who wish to make a career in music. Most students begin in the same first-year courses before being counseled to choose a major program (Comprehensive, or specializations in Performance, Composition: Theory, Music History, or Music Education, combined Major in Music and Computer Science leading to the degree of Bachelor of Fine Art or Bachelor of Science).
Note: Additional application for an audition should be made by March 31.
Options: Composition and Theory, Comprehensive, History and Literature, Music Education Secondary (Choral), Music Education Secondary (Instrumental), Performance
Co-op program: optional
Combined major: Music and Computer Science
Co-op program: optional
The Theatre Department offers an extensive program intended for students who wish to prepare for a career in professional, educational, or community theatres or who wish to continue their studies in graduate or professional schools. Our philosophy is that theatre should be studied in all its aspects through a curriculum that leads to performance. Programs include: Applied Theatre, Theatre/Writing, Directing, Design, Acting, Theatre History or Production and Management or a Generalist option.
Note: Additional application package and questionnaire required. An interview may be required.
Options: Acting, Applied Theatre, Design, Directing, Production and Management, Theatre History, Theatre/Writing, Generalist
Co-op program: optional
The Visual Arts Department offers two undergraduate programs leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Honours or Major, and a new combined degree program in Visual Arts and Computer Science. The department provides intensive studio experience in a critical setting, with academic emphasis on contemporary art practices. Although students often study across disciplines, the department offers six areas of specialization: painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, digital media, and video art. Courses in critical thinking in contemporary arts and in curatorial studies are an integral part of the program, and the department has a regular series of lectures by visiting artists, curators and critics.
Note: A slide portfolio will be required.
Combined major: Visual Arts and Computer Science
Co-op program: optional
Writing students write and analyze novels, stories, plays, poetry, screenplays, and non-fiction articles. There is also the opportunity to develop skills in journalism, publishing, copy-editing, reviewing, design and layout, and compilation of anthologies. Students study with well-known visiting writers and permanent faculty. Transfer students from other universities or colleges will be required to submit a portfolio of writing samples.
Minors: Professional Writing (Journalism and Publishing)
Fine Arts minors: Arts of Canada, European Studies, Film Studies, Music, Professional Writing
Co-op program: optional
The Faculty of Human and Social Development (HSD) focuses on the health and social well-being of children, families and communities.
Faculty of HSD degree programs:
Our students acquire the knowledge, skills and practical experience to make a difference in the lives of children and youth. Our graduates take leadership positions in many areas including infant development, early childhood care and education, community-based child and youth development programs, parent education and training, family support, government child welfare and child protection, school-based youth and family counseling, mental health, residential day centres and residential treatment, recreation Outward Bound programs, child life programs in hospitals, community development, and child and youth advocacy. This unique discipline examines and develops specific child and youth care research and is complemented by research in allied disciplines including psychology, sociology and education. Counselling, group facilitation, intervention and assessment are among the many skills our graduates possess.
PRE-CHILD AND YOUTH CARE
Note: distance only
BA—CHILD AND YOUTH CARE
Streams: Child Protection, Early Years, Child Life
The School of Social Work offers a program leading to a Bachelor of Social Work that is fully accredited by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work. The BSW is offered on campus and by distance education. In addition to the standard BSW, the school offers specializations in Child Welfare, First Nations and First Nations Child Welfare. Our educational mission is to prepare generalist social work practitioners skilled in critical self-reflection and in working with individuals, families, groups and communities. In particular, we endeavor to prepare First Nations social workers and child welfare practitioners and we emphasize structural, feminist, First Nations and anti-oppressive analysis. Students may find job opportunities in settings that range from family and children's services, corrections, counselling, public welfare, substance abuse centres, elder-care facilities, youth and women's shelters, sheltered workshops, to group homes for the mentally ill.
PRE-SOCIAL WORK
Note: on and off campus
BSW—SOCIAL WORK
Specializations: Child Welfare, Indigenous, Indigenous Child Welfare
Note: The BSW in Social Work is not normally available for direct entry from secondary school. Qualifying years of study, an undergraduate degree or related experience may be required for entry. Please see UVic's Undergraduate Calendar for detailed admission requirements.
BSc—HEALTH INFORMATION SCIENCE
Health Information Science attracts individuals who want to work with people, who are analytical and self-motivated, and who enjoy problem solving. Students combine academic courses with co-operative education work terms to learn to identify the information required by doctors, nurses, hospital executives, government planners and other health care professionals in order to make effective health care decisions. The effectiveness of health care services and the efficiency of health care delivery can be improved by implementing appropriate data and information management systems. The increasing role of advanced information and communication technologies in the health services will ensure that health informatics professionals will have exciting and rewarding career opportunities in all fields related to the delivery and management of health care. Virtually 100% of our graduates are employed in positions directly related to their Health Information Science degree.
Combined major: Health Information Science and Computer Science
Co-op program: mandatory
Critical thinking, problem solving, and preparation for life-long learning are emphasized in the BSN program through a practice-focused curriculum. Guided by a health promotion perspective, students work as partners with individuals, families, groups and communities to understand people’s experiences of health and healing. The School of Nursing offers studies at the third and fourth year level leading to a BSN degree for licensed Registered Nurses in Canada and the USA and for unlicensed students continuing in the Collaboration for Academic Education in Nursing (CAEN). Registered nurses complete their degree through distance education from their place of residence. Continuing students study at the Victoria, Castlegar, and Yellowknife campuses.
Note: The BSN in Nursing degrees are not normally available for direct entry from secondary school. Qualifying years of study, an undergraduate degree or related experience may be required for entry. Please see UVic's Undergraduate Calendar for detailed admission requirements or consult the School of Nursing for further information.
BSN—NURSING: Collaborative
BSN—NURSING: Post RN
 Bachelor of Arts: 4 years of study
Bachelor of Science: 4 years of study
The departments and programs in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Victoria share a common purpose: a commitment to the critical understanding of human thought, culture and society as they develop in time. Research in the humanities strives to build knowledge and skills so that we may ultimately improve the quality of our social, economic and cultural life. By examining the evolving nature of the society we live in and addressing emerging challenges and opportunities, researchers in the humanities promote the notion of an "educated imagination", an understanding of ourselves, of our heritage and of our place in the world in the larger context of human history and cultural diversity. The outcome of this is better informed public debate and decision-making on important social, cultural and political issues. The value of such research resides not only in these tangible outcomes but also in the spirit of critical inquiry which such investigations represent in maintaining that every aspect of human existence is worthy of respect, serious attention and critical evaluation.
Faculty of Humanities degree programs:
The BA in Applied Linguistics is meant to prepare students to teach English, and other languages, as second languages in Canada and abroad. It provides students with theoretical background in language structures, acquisition, and teaching, as well as practical experience in language teaching itself.
Co-op program: optional
English studies help develop skills in writing, reading and analysis, all of which are crucial in a wide range of professions. The English Department provides a large selection of courses for students with both specialist and non-specialist interests. First- and second-year work includes introduction to literary analysis, broad survey modules and courses focused on the development of advanced writing skills. Some upper-level courses specialize in single figures or genres; others survey particular periods or offer further study in language. The department’s Minor in Professional Writing teaches web skills, as well as traditional hardcopy techniques.
Combined major: English and French (Canadian Literature)
Minor: Professional Writing
Co-op program: optional
The department's mandate is to assist students to develop the intellectual and practical skills that will allow them to function effectively in Canada's second official language. Language studies are available at all levels, from introductory studies to advanced work in oral practice, composition, translation, stylistics, and phonetics. The department also offers courses in the culture, literature and cinema of France, Quebec, French Canada, and Francophone Africa and the Caribbean, as well as courses in literary theory.
Combined major: English and French (Canadian Literature)
Co-op program: optional
This department offers various courses in German language for beginning and advanced students, as well as literary and cultural studies. Students may choose programs in any of these three areas to obtain a Bachelor's Degree. There are many study and/or work programs that allow students to earn part of their university credits in Germany. Subjects offered in Russian Studies include Russian language, Russian culture, Russian literature and cinema, and peoples of the region.
Co-op program: optional
Achilles, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Oedipus Rex, the poetry of Virgil and Ovid, the acropolis in Athens, the Roman forum, and the Venus de Milo are only a small sampling of topics in Greek and Roman civilization that can be studied in our department. The study of Greek and Roman antiquity provides students with the unique opportunity to combine literature, history, and art and archaeology. We seek to imbue students with knowledge of these cultures by demonstrating their continued relevance to contemporary society.
Co-op program: optional
Co-op program: optional
Co-op program: optional
History is about the past and its relationship to the present and the future. Historians help create our shared memories and wisdom, essential for seeing our way into the future. History is about people in the past—individuals, families, classes, ethnic groups, and nations; it is about the cultural, social, intellectual, economic, and natural environments that conditioned people’s lives and how they in turn shaped the world. Our department offers courses on world history, the history of Canada, the US, Britain, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia with such diverse themes as crime, family, gender, labour, military, mmigration, and First Nations.
Co-op program: optional
Co-op program: optional
BA—LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES
Co-op program: optional
BA—LATIN AMERICAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
Co-op program: optional
Linguistics is the scientific study of language; linguists concern themselves with many different facets of language including how languages are structured, how languages are used, how languages are learned, and how languages change. Linguists study languages of every type, trying to find out how particular languages work, as well as what features characterize human language in general.
Co-op program: optional
In popular culture the word ‘medieval’ conjures up images of dirt, disease and death, or of castles, cathedrals, crusaders and romance. Both pictures have a basis in historical reality, but there is more to the Middle Ages than its idealizations, good, bad, or comic (e.g. by Monty Python). Its one thousand years of eventful history saw the Christianization of Europe, the astonishing rise of Islam, the rise and fall of Byzantium, the invention of the university, the Inquisition, and parliament, technological, scientific, and intellectual advances, and masterpieces of world art, architecture, and literature (Dante's Divine Comedy, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales). This degree program offers an interdisciplinary framework for the study of this exciting, creative ‘middle time’ between classical Antiquity and the European Renaissance.
Co-op program: optional
The Mediterranean Studies Program offers insight into Mediterranean culture from the perspective of two key cultures: those of Spain and Italy. Students may opt for one of the two streams: Mediterranean Studies: Spain concentration or Mediterranean Studies: Italy concentration.
Co-op program: optional
The interdisciplinary Pacific Studies program is designed for both general education and professional purposes. The importance of China, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands to Canadians has increased significantly in the past few decades. These nations’ great and expanding economic and political influence, no less than their ancient and highly developed cultures, will continue to play an important role in our lives. In addition to social science and history courses, the department also offers courses in the languages and cultures of China, Japan and Southeast Asia.
Concentrations: China, Japan, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Chinese Language and Literature, Japanese
Language and Literature, Southeast Asian Language and Literature
Minors: Chinese, Japanese, Pacific Studies, Southeast Asian Studies
Co-op program: optional
Wilfred Sellars said that, “The aim of philosophy is to understand how things hang together in the broadest possible sense of the term.” Our department offers courses on all the main areas of the discipline: logic (the study of the forms of valid reasoning); metaphysics (the investigation of the ultimate components of reality); ethics (an inquiry into how we ought to act), epistemology (the study of knowledge); and aesthetics (the investigation of beauty).
Co-op program: optional
The University of Victoria offers BC’s only Major program in Russian language, literature and culture. It consistently attracts capable and enthusiastic students, who enjoy small class sizes, unique computer-aided language instruction, the collegial atmosphere of the Department of Germanic and Russian Studies and, last but not least, the pleasures of living in the city of Victoria.
Co-op program: optional
Power circulates through people’s lives, shaping their experiences, their knowledge and their possibilities. In the Department of Women’s Studies we examine the complex and fascinating ways power works in the lives of individuals and in groups. Our ideas about what a “real” man and/or woman might look like or what a “real” male or female body type might be are the products of power. Both our teaching practice and our research explore the meanings of such categories as gender, race, class, sexual orientation, age, ability, citizenship, and national identity. We analyze the ways these categories dynamically intersect to create a world with complicated systems of inequities both within Canada and across the globe. Using diverse kinds of feminist theory, we explore social structures, histories of ideas, and varieties of cultural production. We invite our students to join us in producing feminist interdisciplinary knowledge that will both transform the circuits of power around us and empower us as socially aware individuals.
Co-op program: optional
 LLB (BACHELOR OF LAWS)
Bachelor of Arts: 4 years of study
Bachelor of Science: 4 years of study
The Bachelor of Laws (LLB) is a post-degree professional program. Applicants must complete an undergraduate degree or three years leading towards that degree prior to commencing law school. It does not matter what undergraduate degree program or major applicants complete. However, it is important that applicants have an excellent grade point average (GPA) in their undergraduate studies. Admission to law school is very competitive and GPA is one of the primary criteria used to evaluate applicants.
The Faculty’s LLB program, which qualifies graduates for articles and the practice of law in all provinces and territories except Quebec, has earned an unparalleled reputation as an innovator among Canadian law schools. A dedicated, first class faculty and a highly qualified and motivated student body have contributed to the school’s national reputation for excellence. The diverse program offerings are designed to prepare the faculty’s graduates for places in the judiciary, law firms, politics, and senior levels of government, business and non-governmental organizations. In addition to the traditional core courses, the Faculty offers innovative courses in legal skills, legal theory, interdisciplinary studies, and emerging areas such as intellectual property, environmental law and policy and Aboriginal law.
Term programs: Business Law Clinic, Criminal Law Term, Environmental Law Clinic, Law Centre
Focus on: Aboriginal Law, Asia-Pacific Law, Dispute Resolution, Environmental Law, Intellectual Property
Concurrent LLBs with: Master of Arts in Indigenous Governance (MAIG), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Public Administration (MPA), LLB/BCL (civil law degree graduates only)
Co-op program: optional
 Our faculty comprises five departments and one school, each offering undergraduate and graduate programs. Together with linked research centres, they offer exciting opportunities for research. We are also part of UVic's Cooperative Education Program, one of the largest and best in the country. Are you thinking about undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate studies in Science? Check us out. Science at UVic offers quality undergraduate education and exciting research training in one of the most beautiful natural settings in the world.
Faculty of Science degree programs:
Combined program: Physics and Astronomy
Co-op program: optional
Biochemistry is the study of the chemical and molecular basis of life. It is concerned with the structure, function, and interaction of the molecules that make up living cells.
Combined programs: Biochemistry and Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics
Co-op program: optional
Biology is the science of life, and deals with the structure, function, behaviour and diversity of all living things. This program offers studies in all aspects of biology, physiology, cell and molecular biology, ecology and evolution.
Combined programs: Biology and Psychology, Biology and Earth Sciences (Environmental and Paleontology Emphases)
Co-op program: optional
Chemistry is the science of the material world. Chemists create new substances and study their structures, properties, and transformations. This department provides a wide range of courses in the areas of analytical, organic, and physical chemistry, many of which are relevant to materials science and biological applications of chemistry. Courses relating chemistry to industry, the environment and modern society are also offered.
Combined programs: Biochemistry and Chemistry, Chemistry and Earth and Ocean Sciences, Chemistry and Mathematics, Chemistry and Microbiology
Co-op program: optional
The School of Earth and Ocean Sciences (SEOS) combines the disciplines of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences with particular emphasis on the Earth and its environment. SEOS faculty and students investigate the principal cycles and interactions between ancient and modern Earth systems of the mantle, lithosphere, ocean, atmosphere and biosphere. The school offers Bachelor programs in Earth Sciences, and combined undergraduate programs with the Departments of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Geography, which results in flexible, interdisciplinary degree options. Many courses incorporate outdoor, field-based studies to add real-world experiences to students’ classroom learning.
Combined programs: Earth Sciences and Biology, Earth and Ocean Sciences and Chemistry, Earth Sciences and Geography (Geoscience), Earth Sciences and Geography (Geotechnic), Earth Sciences and Physics (Geophysics), Ocean Sciences and Physics (Physical Oceanography)
Co-op program: optional
Mathematics can be thought of as the study of patterns and relationships. Rather than a static, fixed body of knowledge, it is a dynamic, flexible area of study that is constantly evolving. Statistics combines observed data and mathematics to describe and make probabilistic inferences about a variety of phenomena that affect our lives directly; the potential applications are unlimited. Our department offers programs in mathematics, statistics, or mathematics and statistics. Graduates find careers in education, research, industry, government, and business.
Combined programs: Mathematics and Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics, Mathematics and Physics, Financial Math and Economics
Co-op program: optional
Microbiology is the study of the physiology, genetics and processes of micro-organisms (viruses, bacteria, protozoa, etc.). For disease-causing organisms, this includes their means of infection, pathogenesis and immune response avoidance.
Combined program: Microbiology and Chemistry
Co-op program: optional
Combined programs: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Biochemistry, Physics and Computer Science, Physics and Earth Sciences (Geophysics), Physics and Mathematics, Physics and Ocean Sciences (Physical Oceanography), Physics and Mathematics
Co-op program: optional
Statistics combines observed data and mathematics to describe and make probabilistic inferences about a variety of phenomena that affect our lives directly; the potential applications are unlimited.
Combined programs: Statistics and Computer Science, Statistics and Mathematics
Co-op program: optional
 Bachelor of Arts: 4 years of study
Bachelor of Science: 4 years of study
Interdisciplinary minors in: European Studies, Indigenous Studies
Social scientists at UVic study all aspects of society including human behaviour, social relationships and the connections between humans and the environment. Many search for solutions to social, environmental, personal, business and governmental problems.
Our faculty has achieved an excellent track record of funding support, allowing our leading scholars to conduct research in the remotest corners of the planet.
We provide our students with both traditional and experiential learning experiences and many are already applying the knowledge and skills they've gained to social or environmental community service work.
Faculty of Social Sciences degree programs:
Anthropologists study the many aspects of what it means to be human, including the origin and evolution of humans, human biological diversity, our past life ways, and understanding the social and cultural diversity of humans today.
Co-op program: optional
Economics is the study of how limited resources are allocated to different activities. It examines the choices made by individuals, families, firms and governments, and how those choices interact to determine human well being, both now and in the future. The study of market outcomes is a crucial part of economics but economics is about much more than money and markets. Economics is a framework for thinking about the fundamentals of resource allocation decisions. It provides analytical tools and concepts that can be usefully applied in a wide variety of settings—from business to public policy to international relations to everyday life—wherever resources are limited and choices must be made.
Combined program: Financial Mathematics and Economics
Options: Business, Finance
Co-op program: optional
(must be combined with another field of study)
The School of Environmental Studies offers an interdisciplinary program, with courses that examine the root causes of environmental issues and explore solutions that cut across the boundaries of traditional disciplines. The program integrates knowledge, methods and principles from multiple disciplines including the sciences, humanities and fine arts. Students in the School of Environmental Studies select from three broad areas of study including ethnoecology (environmental knowledge of indigenous and other local peoples), ecological restoration (the study and practice of sustaining the diversity of life and re-establishing an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and society) and political ecology (the study of the various social, political and philosophical issues associated with a sustainable society). In addition, students in this program are required to combine their studies with a traditional discipline.
Co-op program: optional
Geography is the study of earth systems and human environments. Geographers who focus on earth systems look at the interactions between biological systems, such as forests and meadows, and physical earth processes like volcanoes, earthquakes and erosion. They explore the consequences of these interactions for both natural and human-made environments. Human geographers study how human patterns and processes (e.g. the development of cities) shape the way people interact with the environment. This includes the political, cultural, social and economic aspects of people and places. Geography addresses topics such as the social and physical impacts of global warming and climate change, environment and health, resource management, sustainable development, distribution of biodiversity, tourism, and landform evolution.
Combined programs: Geography and Computer Science (Geomatics), Geography and Earth Sciences (Geoscience), Geography and Earth Sciences (Geotechnic)
Co-op program: optional
Political science is the study of how power, authority and the institutions of government are organized in different societies. Political scientists analyze the sources of conflict and the ways they are resolved; examine the way power is exercised in various political systems and cultures; compare political organization in cities, states and international or global settings; and analyze electoral systems and other forms of democracy. They study constitutions, social movements, political parties, parliaments and various ideologies including liberalism, socialism and nationalism. They also seek to understand international and global relations involving such issues as peace, war, trade, business, environment, culture and human rights.
Concentration: European Studies
Co-op program: optional
Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. A psychology major gains basic knowledge about how people think, feel, behave, interact with others, and how they develop and change. The broad training offered in the psychology program is suitable for diverse careers in psychology, and graduates may also gain specialized knowledge of neuropsychology (the measurement of psychological characteristics and abilities), humanthought, behaviour modification, statistics, environmental psychology, child and adult development, personality and health.
Combined programs: Psychology and Biology, Psychology and Computer Science
Co-op program: optional
Sociology is the scientific study of the social world, from individuals and their interactions, to entire societies, their organization, and interrelationships. Sociologists conduct research on continuity and change in families, groups and social networks, work and occupations, law, crime and deviance, religion, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, health and illness, social movements, corporations, business and labour, immigration, and population dynamics and policies. Students in sociology develop critical thinking skills and expertise in social research, while gaining personal insights and a greater understanding and tolerance of others. Concentrations: Social Justice, Social Research
Co-op program: optional
Continuing Studies provides access to the academic resources of the University of Victoria for adults who wish to continue their education. A wide variety of programs are offered throughout the year, including diploma and certificate programs as well as non-credit programs. Based in the Continuing Studies Building on the university campus, the division’s programs are offered in collaboration with various faculties and also in partnership with many other organizations in the broader community. Schedules are flexible in order to appeal to people balancing other commitments in pursuit of lifelong learning. Many students already enrolled at the university choose to take additional courses through Continuing Studies to enhance their main academic studies as well as adding to their skills portfolio once they embark on full-time careers. The division’s students also include people who enjoy lifelong learning and may already be well advanced in their careers. All graduates of diploma and certificate programs through Continuing Studies are eligible to become alumni of the university.
These programs are designed to meet professional education needs via courses and workshops offered on campus, throughout the province, and online. Programs leading tocertificates, professional specialization certificates or diplomas are offered in:
- Aboriginal Language Revitalization
- Adult and Continuing Education
- Business Administration
- Business Studies for International Students
- Canadian Studies
- Collections Management
- Computer Based Information Systems
- Cultural Resource Management
- Cultural Sector Leadership
- Environmental and Occupational Health
- Fine Arts
- Foundations in Indigenous Fine Arts
- French Language
- Heritage Conservation Planning
- Humanities
- Intercultural Education and Training
- International Intellectual Property Law
- Justice and Public Safety Leadership
- Public Management
- Public Relations
- Restoration of Natural Systems
- Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Community Education
A wide range of interests are covered in the non-credit courses, lecture series, workshops, residential seminars, and travel study programs that are offered to the general community each spring and fall. The curriculum is developed in cooperation with departments from all aculties of the university. Areas include history, visual arts, music, theatre, writing and literature, business and management, computers and information technology, teaching and education, environment, science, nature, health and wellness, ideas, contemporary issues, religion and society, and more. Schedules are designed with the adult part-time learner in mind and many offerings include distance/online components.
The University of Victoria has been a leader in distance learning in Canada for more than 25 years and has specialized in the development and delivery of pre-professional and professional programs. Instruction is provided through faculty-developed course guides and/or websites, assigned texts, readings, audio and video. Most courses make use of the Internet for learning activities, student projects, and assignments. More information is available on the Distance Education Services website or in the Distance Learning and Immersion Course Guide available from the university’s Admissions department.
The Division of Continuing Studies houses the English Language Centre, one of Canada’s largest and longest running language immersion programs. Students from over 35 countries participate every year in the following programs:
- 12-week Intensive (Beginner to Advanced)
- University Admission Preparation Course
- University Admission Preparation and Canadian Studies
- Business Internships
- TOEFL Preparation Courses
- Short-term (four-, five-, and six-week programs)
- Summer English for Teenagers
- English for Teachers
- Business English
- Online ESL Courses
- Customized programs such as Executive English
The Island Medical Program (IMP) is part of a collaboration of the University of British Columbia (UBC), the University of Victoria and the University of Northern British Columbia, along with the province’s health authorities and the provincial government, to nearly double the number of undergraduate medical school spaces in the province by 2010. Currently, the IMP is home to 24 first-year students and 24 second-year students. By 2007/08, the IMP will reach its full undergraduate enrolment of 96 students.
IMP students are registered at UBC and have affiliate status at UVic. They will graduate with a UBC medical degree. After attending the first fall semester at UBC, IMP students move to the Medical Sciences Building at UVic where they will be based for the remainder of their first and second years. During the third and fourth years of the program, IMP students will do clinical rotations in the major medical and surgical disciplines such as obstetrics, pediatrics and emergency care. In collaboration with the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA), Victoria and other Vancouver Island communities will provide IMP students with medical education experiences that reflect the health-related challenges facing mid-sized urban communities, smaller centres and remote and isolated communities. It is expected that IMP students will also benefit from UVic’s expertise in health-related research.
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