BA Honours Philosophy at Vancouver Island University

Programme overview

Vancouver Island University has cancelled the Bachelor of Arts Philosophy Honours option effective June, 2026. Students will no longer be able to declare this option.

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 Critical Thinking, Intro to Philosophy: Knowledge and Reality, Intro to Philosophy: Ethics, Early Modern Theories of Knowledge and Reality, Plato and Aristotle, Formal Logic.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

To apply to the honours program, students must fill out the Honours Application Form and submit it to the chair at a scheduled appointment. To enter the honours program, students need to have: | declared philosophy as their major | completed at least 45 credits of academic study (3 full-time semesters) | completed at least 15 credits (5 courses) in philosophy | completed at least 6 credits (2 courses) in philosophy at the 200-level or above. | Note: the same courses can count towards different, overlapping requirements. Meeting all above criteria does not guarantee admission, which is also subject to the availability of supervisors for PHIL 490.

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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