BA Liberal Studies at Vancouver Island University

Programme overview

VIU’s Liberal Studies program is for those who want to explore it all – history, humanities, liberal arts and sciences, literature, music, philosophy and more. In liberal studies, students strive to gain a deeper understanding of who we are and how our values and perspectives have been shaped by certain cultural legacies. This unique liberal arts program program is taught in small seminars where students engage in and become experts in critical thinking, communication and how to creatively adapt to new challenges,

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

Courses include Transformative Texts: Late Medieval to Early Modern Ideas, Transformative Texts: Enlightenment to Revolutionary Ideas, Special Topics in Liberal Studies (Abroad, Special Topics in Western Culture: The Italian Renaissance I, Special Topics in Western Culture: The Italian Renaissance II, Advanced Special Topics in Liberal Studies (Abroad, Directed Study in Liberal Studies I, Directed Study in Liberal Studies II.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

General admission requirements for VIU academic programs apply (Bachelor of Arts).

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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