BA Honours Geography at Vancouver Island University

Programme overview

The main advantage of the Honours degree in Geography is that it will help you see yourself as a professional in the discipline, and so will better prepare you for graduate or professional programs. The research project provides an opportunity for you to put the required communication, research, and analysis courses into holistic practice; and is becoming a standard expectation for entrance into most graduate programs.

Faculty: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences | Duration: 4 years | Study mode: full-time | Intake: The Bachelor of Arts Program has two intakes per year; September and January. | Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

What you will study

Honours requirements include Research Methods in Geography, Geographic Information Systems, Field Studies in Geography I, Research Project, Space, Place, and Culture, Environment and Society.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

The requirement for admission is a GPA of at least a 3.67 (A-) on the most recent 45 credits of study. There is limited space in the Honours program and not all students who meet the requirement will be admitted to the Honours program in Geography. | Students can obtain a Geography Department Honours Application form from the Department Chair. In addition to completing this form, students will also need to complete a Research Project Request Form for submission to the Chair. The Chair will contact the Degree Advisor with confirmation of acceptance, or to obtain confirmation of the appropriate GPA and course planning requirements.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Most programmes start in September; January intake is offered for some bachelor's degrees and other programmes; many programmes offer alternative start dates throughout the year.

The deadline to apply for most undergraduate programs that begin in September is March 31; deadlines for other start dates vary by program.

Extended deadline of August 16, 2026 for Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science; Business Management Certificate, Event Management Certificate, Education Assistant and Community Support Certificate, Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care, Health Care Assistant Certificate and Practical Nursing Diploma list ongoing deadlines.

Applications for most academic programs open October 1 in the year before the program start date (applications for programs beginning September 2027 open October 1, 2026); deadlines vary by program.

Application fee: domestic undergraduate $46.98, domestic graduate $121.86, international all programs $156.06 (non-refundable); no application fee for Adult Basic Education.

Apply through the official page: https://www.viu.ca/apply

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