The University of Victoria (also known as UVic) is located, as one might expect, in the beautiful Canadian city of Victoria (which topped the list of Canada’s Best Small Cities in 2022). It’s a brilliant base for students from across the world who want to live, work, and start building a life in Canada.
Prospective students who are interested in UVic for the location won’t be disappointed when they find out more. The teaching quality is second to none across all courses and programmes, and students are taught by hugely experienced tutors and lecturers. These include some award-winners/faculty members who have received national and international recognition for their achievements and research efforts.
UVic attracts and welcomes students and faculty members from across the world. There are over 4,000 international students from 118 different countries studying over a range of 280 courses at the university, so it’s a place where people from lots of different backgrounds come together to learn. The culture on campus is welcoming, friendly and diverse.
For students needing extra support during their studies, there is a long list of scholarships and bursaries on offer. There are also a lot of great student services and modern facilities at UVic, including new student accommodation opening in autumn 2022 with top-quality rooms and meal plan options to make life easier.
Studying at UVic, for domestic and international students, is a great choice. Standards are high, the setting is amazing, and the learning experience is one that will never be forgotten. Graduate outcomes are impressive, but so are student satisfaction levels.
Explore more about studying at UVic:
UVic prides itself on its teaching quality, giving all of its students the best educational environment possible. Highly experienced lecturers are looking to change minds and lives at UVic, and driven students are ready to learn, it’s a perfect balance. The high-quality teaching at UVic has been recognised externally, with faculty members receiving national and international recognition for their teaching and research achievements.
All honours received by faculty members completely reflect the university's high-quality teaching, and they are examples of why it proudly holds the reputation of being one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities.
Current awards which prove this include The 3M National Teaching Fellowship won by faculty member Scott McIndoe (chemistry specialism) in 2022. Also, the Community-Based Research Canada Award that went to Budd Hall (UNESCO chair, public administration) in 2021.
Quality teaching and research go hand in hand, letting students experience a great education from the best of the best in the classroom and the laboratory. There are some plans in place for the future of research at UVic, strategies designed to push research efforts and developments to the next level. Strategies like:
The entry requirements for people who want to start studying at Victoria change from course to course. UVic suggests that all prospective students look at the university’s website or prospectus, paying attention to the programmes they’d like to apply for. There will be specific information to be found about the course entry requirements, rather than general university entry requirements.
Still, there are some general university requirements that every applicant will need to meet to be considered for undergraduate admission. These include an understanding of English (the language of assessment at UVic) and education up to the right pre-university level. For international students, there will be equivalents listed to look into.
For postgraduate admission, students will need to share previous university qualifications with UVic. At minimum, a BA is required, as well as the equivalent of a B grade average over the last two years of the student’s previous degree. They will also need to look at any requirements specific to the programme they plan to join before they apply to make sure they’re eligible.
For international students, it’s really important to think about which immigration documents are necessary beyond other supporting documents like transcripts and personal statements. There’s more information about immigration documents on the university website, including a detailed FAQs (frequently asked questions) section. Plus, all UVic international applicants need to allow enough time for a study permit to be approved before their courses start and should include this in their planning.
UVic has a strong academic record of success, and some of the best minds come to the university to study. Standards are high, especially for written and spoken communication, so everyone who applies must be able to reach a certain English score. The right level of English understanding is very important to a student’s success and happiness at UVic.
International students who have studied full-time for at least four years in an academic programme at a high school or post-secondary level with all instruction in English are not required to prove their understanding of English. For all other international students, English proficiency can be shown in a number of different ways:
English language proficiency can also be proved through a list of certified tests accepted by the University of Victoria, including options like the CAEL, the LPI, the TOEFL and the IELTS. The IELTS is one of the most popularly used options. The following scores are needed to prove English understanding and go ahead with a UVic application:
All test scores should be sent directly to UVic from the testing organisation, and tests will not be accepted if they were taken more than two years before the application. Other tests not listed as accepted by UVic may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Once an applicant has decided they want to study at UVic and checked that they meet all the right entry requirements, the student admission journey begins. The student selects the programme they’d like to study from over a hundred options, and then they start an application for university admission.
This application must be started through the EducationPlannerBC service. Students must meet every deadline they’re given and provide all the supporting documents they’re asked for to have their applications considered by UVic.
Once the application is submitted, international students will be charged a fee of CAD 142 (CAD 81 for students coming from Canadian institutions). They can then access all the information about their admission online through the UVic application portal, watching their progress and finding out important information about things like student housing and scholarships.
The admission team will review a student’s application. They might then make an offer. When a student receives an offer, they’ll need to accept or reject it. After accepting an offer, there will be a CAD 200 non-refundable charge taken from the student (but this will later be credited towards their tuition fees).
After a student’s admission application to UVic has been approved, it’s time for them to think about whether they need any funding assistance. If this is the case, they’ll be happy to know that UVic awards more than CAD 5 million in entrance scholarships, which don’t have to be repaid. International students looking for university scholarships will need to make sure they meet the following criteria:
If these boxes are all ticked, students should apply for scholarships by creating a NetLink ID, signing into UVic online tools, navigating to the student services section, and clicking apply for awards. Current scholarships being offered to UVic students include:
Prospective students should check UVic’s website for up-to-date information on scholarships. Further support is available for students who need help with their fees, including bursaries. For an international student to receive a bursary, they must maintain registration in a minimum of four and a half units for credit in each term. Bursaries available to international students include:
For prospective students looking to study at UVic, there are more than 280 undergraduate and graduate programmes to study on the large, loved campus in the city of Victoria (a campus that perfectly mixes city life with lots of beautiful nature). These courses are spread over nine core faculties:
Each faculty contains several smaller programmes, schools and departments. To give an example of how a faculty might break down, there are seven smaller study areas in the Faculty of Human and Social Development:
There are also lots of great research facilities and centres at UVic, letting students learn and develop in different environments and improving the world at the same time. There are 15 centres and institutes in total:
For potential future students who are able to visit the university before they enrol, there are daily campus tours. Before even applying, students can see faculty buildings, athletics facilities, dining locations and more. These tours are led by UVic students and are available Monday through Saturday. They can be booked up to three months in advance.
For international students who want to explore the university but won’t be able to visit in advance, there’s a full video tour of the campus on the UVic website, as well as other virtual tour options. Thanks to technology, it’s still possible to see the natural beauty of UVic from the other side of the world.
The UVic facilities, student life centres and student activity centres won’t disappoint. The campus provides high-quality amenities for student, staff and alumni use, from the modern lecture theatres to the UVic bookstore, a place to buy textbooks, books, ebooks, gifts, stationery and more. There’s also a brilliant library. And, if students joining UVic have a family, there are even childcare services available on campus (these services care for kids from infancy up to 12 years old).
For students who want to spend their time between classes keeping fit and staying active, the UVic aquatics centre will be of interest. Vikes Active Living is an on-campus pool and student recreation centre in the McKinnon Building, and activities at the centre include swimming, synchronised swimming, water polo and more.
Student clubs and activities are a huge part of the university experience. At the University of Victoria, there are over 40 course unions run by students. These unions plan academic events and social activities related to the field of study. There are also over 200 student-led clubs at UVic, from social clubs to volunteering and professional development organisations.
Finding student accommodation can be stressful, especially for international students who travel a long way to attend UVic. The university works to remove as much stress as possible through the Student Housing and Dining Project. This project should be completed by autumn 2022, adding 621 new beds to the existing on-campus university accommodation options.
The new housing will be south of the Students’ Union building, a collection of traditional dorm rooms with shared kitchens and living areas. Throughout the planning and building process, sustainability has been a huge focus. Design and construction successfully meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) V4 Gold and Passive House standards.
For international students unable to visit accommodation before they come to UVic and start classes, there’s plenty of information available online, including pictures and videos of the new project’s progress through construction.
Different prices apply annually to different student house/student room types at UVic:
Student support is a priority at UVic, as the university is determined to make sure that all students get the help they need and have the educational experience they deserve. On-campus student support services include the Student Wellness Centre, where people in need can speak with doctors, nurses, chaplains, student guides, counsellors and other practitioners.
There are some specific student services for international students, including a dedicated International Centre for Students. There are also specific services for students with disabilities, whether they need help with accessibility requirements or academic assistance. The Centre for Accessible Learning (also known as the CAL) is an organisation that aims to reduce learning barriers and create friendly, welcoming learning environments where everyone can feel safe.
The full student support programme at UVic never ends, from the Wellness Centre to the Academic Advising Centre and the Office of Student Life. No student is ever left behind, and no concern ever goes ignored.
After graduation, UVic students have great job prospects and lots of career options to choose between. The university offers students a wide range of employment services and career services from day one of their studies so that by the time they graduate and enter the working world, they are fully prepared.
Students can speak to a dedicated career guide one-to-one, attend group skills workshops, and access online portals which share digital resources/relevant job postings/similarly useful things. Plus, students are prepared for work by the high standards of the UVic classroom.
When a student leaves this university, they leave with an understanding of how to set effective goals, how to make plans, how to network, how to make a strong positive impression and much, much more. There’s a reason so many employers are excited to hire recent UVic graduates.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
CAD$12,418
CAD$9,522
UNDERGRADUATE
CAD$26,600
POSTGRADUATE
CAD$21,960
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