BA Visual Art at Vancouver Island University

Programme overview

Forge your path as an artist; flourish in a creative environment with the support and guidance you need to uncover your inner master artistic maker or creator. Join VIU’s Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts Studies and regularly interact creatively and exchange ideas with fellow artists while immersing yourself in a unique experiential and interdisciplinary program led by instructors who are practicing artists themselves. Part of a Bachelor of Arts degree, this program gives you the opportunity to choose Visual Arts

Faculty: Art, Design and Performing Arts | Duration: 4 years | Study mode: full-time | Intake: The Bachelor of Arts, Major or Minor in Visual Arts program has 2 intakes: January and September | Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

What you will study

Courses include Drawing I, Contemporary Art: Concepts and Terminology, History of Western Art II, Two-Dimensional Design, Three-Dimensional Design, Survey of European and American Art From 1900 to the Present, Art of West Coast First Nations I, Advanced Drawing I.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Students entering first year courses must come to the Art Department Portfolio/Interview Session with a portfolio that meets the Application Portfolio Requirements. Students will be advised of the status of their application as soon as possible following their interview with the Selection Committee. For interview dates, please contact the Admissions office, 250.740.6400.; Admission to upper-level courses is based upon a portfolio review by the Art and Design review committee. All students seeking admission to 200-level and above studio courses must submit their portfolios by March 15.

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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