Education Assistant and Community Support Certificate at Vancouver Island University

Programme overview

With VIU's Education Assistant and Community Support (EACS) Certificate Program, you get so much more than education assistant course or community support worker course. You graduate ready for a career in as little as eight months. You can work in classrooms, community settings and human service organizations supporting children and adults with disabilities.

Faculty: Education | Duration: 8 months | Study mode: online | Intake: The Education Assistant and Community Support certificate program has one intake each September. | Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

What you will study

Courses include Foundations for Practice, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Understanding & Supporting Behaviour Across the Lifespan, Health and Wellness, Augmentative Communication and Assistive Technology, Challenging Conditions, Practicum: School-Based, Practicum: Community-Based.

Career pathways

With this certificate, you can work in schools or in the community helping children and adults with support needs. There is a huge demand for this work in BC. Roles include education assistant; special education assistant; autism support worker; behaviour support worker; community support worker.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

General admission requirements apply; English 12 with a minimum “C” grade, or equivalent; Two letters of reference; Résumé with covering letter.; Recommendations for Admission; Volunteer or paid experience working with people with various support needs.; Flexible Admission; In exceptional circumstances, an applicant may be admitted with lower formal qualifications when there is significant experience relevant to the field. The objective of flexible admission is to recognize prior learning accomplishments and to ensure a high probability of successful program completion. Applicants must show evidence of having sufficient knowledge, skills and attitudes to complete the course of study. Applicants seeking Flexible Admission will be required to:; Provide a letter of intent explaining why they wish to pursue the program; Provide a portfolio containing evidence of applicable prior learning;...

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.

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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