Nursing

Vancouver Island University · Sep 7, 2027 domestic intake: Nanaimo.

4 years
Duration (years)
4 years
VIU current bachelor outline and year requirements
Practicum placements
Work experience
BSN study includes hospital/community practice, consolidated practice experiences and a supervised final nursing practicum. The source disagrees on whether Option A has two or three consolidated practice experiences; no fixed count is asserted here. Programme and placement requirements apply.
VIU current published programme outline

Deadlines

January 2027

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Next deadlineSunday, January 31, 2027

Application closes
2027 entry · Domestic (Canadian); entry Sep 7, 2027; Nanaimo; Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Option A)
Official deadline

Other deadline details

No central deadline, each B.C. institution sets its own application open and close datesEducationPlannerBC, deadlines are set per institutionRecurring annual · Every year

No central deadline, each B.C. institution sets its own application open and close dates
No central B.C. deadline
Each institution and sometimes each program sets its own dates

Full source wording

Verbatim: "Each institution sets their own application open and close dates. These dates also may vary based on the program you are applying to. You can use the search database to explore programs you are interested in applying to or visit the institution's website directly. Please refer to the institution's website or contact the Admissions/Registrar's Office directly for application deadlines and details." EducationPlannerBC is the single application service for B.C.'s 25 public post-secondary institutions but publishes no deadline dates of its own.

SourceChecked Aug 14, 2026

Dates and conditionsRequired documents2027 entry

Domestic (Canadian)
entry Sep 7, 2027
Nanaimo
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Option A)
The CASPer results and an official interim or final grade for all four admission requirements are required by March 31, 2027 in order for an application to be considered. The early admission document deadline for final grades and the CASPer results is January 29, 2027.

SourceChecked Oct 11, 2026

The document deadline is: TBDRequired documents2028 entry

Domestic (Canadian)
entry May 1, 2028
Nanaimo
Practical Nursing (PN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Bridge-in Program (Option C)
The document deadline is: TBD

SourceChecked Oct 11, 2026

Requirements

Admission requirements

High-school prerequisites

Check the university’s requirements for your province and applicant category.

Application steps

Step 1Check the admission requirements
- Check the published entry route for your applicant category.
VIU exact programme admission and intake informationVIU exact programme admission and intake information
Step 2Apply through EducationPlannerBC
- Create your application and select this program.
EducationPlannerBCEducationPlannerBC
Step 3Official high-school transcript
- VIU uses the transcript to verify graduation, English and program-specific course requirements.
VIU undergraduate admission requirementsVIU undergraduate admission requirements
Step 4$46.98 domestic application fee
- Non-refundable and paid for each application.
VIU application feesVIU application fees
Step 5CASPer situational judgement test
- Required for Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science in Nursing applicants.
VIU Education and Nursing admission requirementsVIU Education and Nursing admission requirements
Step 6Apply to the appropriate VIU Nursing option before registering for Casper.
- Complete this item using the university’s applicant instructions.
VIU exact programme admission and intake informationVIU exact programme admission and intake information
Step 7Complete Casper for your admission cycle and arrange for VIU to receive the results.
- Complete this item using the university’s applicant instructions.
VIU exact programme admission and intake informationVIU exact programme admission and intake information
Step 8Submit official interim or final records for every required subject by the document deadline for your option.
- Complete this item using the university’s applicant instructions.
VIU exact programme admission and intake informationVIU exact programme admission and intake information
Step 9Option C only: meet recognized PN-graduation and current BCCNM LPN-licensing requirements and submit the employer’s 1,700-hour confirmation letter.
- Complete this item using the university’s applicant instructions.
VIU exact programme admission and intake informationVIU exact programme admission and intake information
Step 10BSN transfer only: contact the BSN adviser first and submit a paper application.
- Complete this item using the university’s applicant instructions.
VIU exact programme admission and intake informationVIU exact programme admission and intake information
Step 11After admission, complete immunization and ministry criminal-record requirements and obtain current Basic Life Support certification before classes.
- Complete this item using the university’s applicant instructions.
VIU exact programme admission and intake informationVIU exact programme admission and intake information

Applicant pathways

Academic entry categories

Canadian citizens and permanent residents; meet one named entry category, plus programme prerequisites

Canadian citizens and those with permanent residence status in Canada are eligible for admission to Academic programs if they meet one of the following conditions:
graduation from a BC secondary school, or equivalent, with a minimum “C” grade in either English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12;
previous degree from a recognized university;
visiting student from a college or university (a “Letter of Permission” from the home institution is required);
a transfer student from a college or university (at least 24 transferable university-level credits completed);
academic mature student category: 21 years of age (or will turn 21 during their first semester) and has a minimum “C” grade in either English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12.

Competitive selection and optional access route

Nursing applicants; current Option A and Option C ranking and international scope stay in the existing route groups

Enrolment is limited; minimum requirements do not guarantee admission.
Indigenous applicants may request reserve-seat consideration using the Access Initiative for Indigenous Students form.
Use the VIU student number when registering for Casper. Casper scores are valid for one admission cycle.

Intake application conditions

Domestic (Canadian); entry Sep 7, 2027; Nanaimo; Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Option A)

Accepting Late Applications: No
Testing Required: Yes
Document Deadline: The CASPer results and an official interim or final grade for all four admission requirements are required by March 31, 2027 in order for an application to be considered. The early admission document deadline for final grades and the CASPer results is January 29, 2027.

Intake application conditions

Domestic (Canadian); entry May 1, 2028; Nanaimo; Practical Nursing (PN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Bridge-in Program (Option C)

Testing Required: Yes
Document Deadline: The document deadline is: TBD

Option A first-year application tasks

Domestic first-year BSN entrants; Fall 2027 intake; international applicants currently unavailable

Complete Chemistry 11, Biology 12, English 12 and one of Principles of Mathematics 11, Pre-calculus 11 or Foundations of Mathematics 12 with minimum C+ in each, or accepted equivalents.
Apply before taking Casper to obtain your VIU student number, then complete Casper for the current admission cycle.
Submit official interim or final grades for all four admission requirements and Casper results by March 31, 2027; early consideration requires final grades and Casper by January 29, 2027.
Fall 2027 ranking is 60% prerequisite GPA and 40% Casper. The prior accepted GPA range is historical, not a current guaranteed cutoff.

PN-to-BSN bridge-in application

Domestic Option C applicants entering Year 2; next listed start May 1, 2028

English 12 and Chemistry 11 minimum C+; graduate of a recognized Practical Nurse programme and currently licensed as an LPN with BCCNM.
Provide a current-employer letter confirming at least 1,700 practising-PN hours in the past three years, and complete Casper.
The 2028 intake ranks 10% English, 10% Chemistry, 40% LPN GPA and 40% Casper; document and Casper-test dates remain to be announced.
This route is currently unavailable to international applicants. Do not substitute the separate 450-hour advanced-credit rule for the 1,700-hour bridge-entry condition.

BSN transfer application method

Applicants transferring into BSN, not direct first-year applicants

Contact the BSN adviser before applying and use a paper application only, as directed in the current intake instructions.

Requirements before classes begin

Admitted Option A and Option C nursing students

Complete the Immunization Requirements Form and the VIU-requested ministry criminal record check before the first day of classes; an RCMP check is insufficient.
Hold a current, unexpired Basic Life Support certificate before starting and throughout the BSN programme.

Limited NURS 175 advanced credit

Approved LPN or HCA graduates requesting credit, not a replacement for Option C entry

Approved LPN graduates with at least 450 practising-LPN hours in BC within the preceding two years receive NURS 175 advanced credit.
Approved HCA graduates with at least 450 practising-HCA hours in BC within the preceding two years may request prior learning assessment for NURS 175/Consolidated Practice I.

Degree completion and nursing registration

Students completing Nursing Option A or Option C; not high-school admission thresholds

Option A includes eight academic semesters, three consolidated practice experiences and the institutional Degree English Requirement.
Option C enters Year 2 and comprises three years plus the institutional Degree English Requirement.
Graduates are eligible to write NCLEX-RN and apply to BCCNM for nursing registration; registration is a separate step.

Other prior-learning assessment

Applicants or students seeking individual Nursing course credit beyond the separately scoped NURS 175 rule

Prior-learning assessment may be available for programme courses. Contact the BSN advisor about an individual assessment.

Progression for both nursing options

Students already admitted to Option A or Option C

Earn at least C in each course used towards the degree.
Maintain at least 2.33 GPA (C+) in each academic year and pass every nursing practicum.
The annual GPA includes nursing courses, PHIL 331, BIOL 156, BIOL 157 and upper nursing electives taken that year.
Attend all practice courses. Missing more than 10% may prevent successful completion.

Option A progression grades

Current Option A students; these are programme progression standards, not first-year entering-average requirements

Maintain a 65% (C+) average across courses, with no grade below 60% (C).
Earn at least C in BIOL 156 before semester 2, and at least C in BIOL 157 before semester 3.

Semester completion and initial course failure

Nursing students who withdraw or do not successfully complete a semester

Each semester is prerequisite to the next. An unsuccessful semester discontinues progression, including after academic, personal, medical or fitness-to-practise concerns.
After a course failure, request re-entry when that semester/course is next offered; a returning seat is not reserved.
A failed practice course must be retaken. The chair may also require repetition of its supporting theory or lab courses.

Repeated core-course failure

Nursing students failing the same core course twice or any two core courses

Leave the programme after failing the same core course twice, or after failing any two practice, lab or theory core courses.
Reapplication requires at least two years before returning as a new Semester 1/Year 1 applicant, with no credit for previous programme courses.
This rule concerns core programme courses; electives are excluded.

Discontinuation notice and withdrawal

Nursing students leaving or being discontinued from the programme

Meet the programme chair to discuss re-entry conditions and support; receive a copy of the Student Discontinuation Form.
Students withdrawing for personal, financial, health or fitness-to-practise reasons may request re-entry when the semester is offered again.

Requesting re-entry

Former Nursing students requesting a return

Notify the programme chair in writing, by letter or email, as soon as possible and at least four months before the desired start.
Review takes the notification date into account, and re-entry depends on available seats.

Individual corrective-learning plan

Former Nursing students assessed for re-entry before a programme seat is offered

Meet the chair/advisor for an individual assessment and review of discontinuation recommendations.
Prepare a Corrective Learning Plan covering current knowledge, skills and practice, identified gaps, strategies and completion timeline.
At chair/advisor discretion, the plan may require a directed-studies course on integrated nursing knowledge, decision-making and critical thinking.

Possible corrective-learning activities

Re-entry students whose chair/advisor specifies these activities; individually assigned rather than universal

A drug-calculation exam, skills assessment, simulation or comprehensive lab scenario, and/or comprehensive care plan may be required.
The plan may require auditing theory/lab courses or repeating theory, lab or practice courses.
A practice course cannot be audited.

Incomplete corrective plan and repeated re-entry

Former Nursing students who do not meet the plan, or who request additional re-entry after course failure

An unsuccessful plan may result in returning at an earlier semester and repeating courses, or no re-entry/reapplication for at least two years.
Following course-failure discontinuation, re-entry at the point of exit is permitted once.
A second re-entry request requires a meeting with the dean and chair to determine eligibility.

Maximum nursing completion period

Students completing the Nursing programme after interruptions

Complete all programme requirements within six years, with no absence exceeding 24 months.
The dean and chair may approve an extension in exceptional circumstances.

Domestic Academic admission categories

Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents seeking Academic programmes

The public Academic policy recognizes BC secondary graduation or equivalent with at least C in English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12; a prior degree from a recognized university; or transfer status with at least 24 completed transferable university-level credits. A visiting student instead requires a home-institution Letter of Permission and is not thereby admitted to a degree.
These are general Academic categories. Programme-specific entry still applies, including separate third-year entry requirements in Education, Criminology, Child and Youth Care and Tourism Management. International students follow the separately linked international policy, which is not certified here. No held grade or programme minimum is changed.

Domestic Academic mature admission

Canadian citizens and permanent residents aged 21, or turning 21 during the first semester

The Academic mature category also requires at least C in English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12. Individual course prerequisites and programme requirements still apply. The different age 19 rule for Trades/Applied Technology is not applied to these Academic degrees.

Unclassified undergraduate study before programme admission

Students who do not meet a general Academic admission category

An applicant may take academic classes as an Unclassified Undergraduate after BC secondary graduation/equivalent, or at age 19 or turning 19 in the first semester. Students must meet each course prerequisite.
Unclassified status does not admit the student to a specific university programme. Registration follows other Academic programme students and course availability is limited. It does not promise subsequent programme admission.

Previous-degree applicant documentation

Applicants seeking Academic admission on a previous recognized university degree

Applicants admitted on a previous degree must still satisfy course prerequisites. In most cases a secondary-school transcript is also required to confirm those prerequisites. This route does not itself certify entry to a programme with separate admission criteria.

Degree requirements

Credits and degree requirements

Program Outline - Option A - Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Year 1 Credits: NURS 110 - (Health and Healing II: Health Indicators) 3
Program Outline - Option A - Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Year 1 Credits: BIOL 156 - (Nursing: Anatomy and Physiology I) or, BIOL 156A - (Nursing: Anatomy and Physiology I Theory) and, BIOL 156L - (Nursing: Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory) 4
Program Outline - Option A - Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Year 1 Credits: BIOL 157 - (Nursing: Anatomy and Physiology II) or, BIOL 157A - (Nursing: Anatomy and Physiology II Theory) and, BIOL 157L - (Nursing: Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory) 4
Program Outline - Option A - Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Year 1 Credits: Degree English Requirements 6
Program Outline - Option C - Practical Nurse (PN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Bridge-in Program; Year 2 Credits: Degree English Requirements 6
Option A involves completion of the program in its entirety in order to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. On successful completion of 8 academic semesters and 2 consolidated practice experiences, and institutional Degree English Requirements , students will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from VIU and be eligible to write the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) and apply for nursing registration through BCCNM.

References

Required courses and electives

Program Outline - Option A - Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Year 3 Credits: Elective other than Nursing * 3
Program Outline - Option A - Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Year 4 Credits: Approved Nursing elective 3
Program Outline - Option A - Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Year 4 Credits: Elective other than Nursing * 3
Program Outline - Option C - Practical Nurse (PN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Bridge-in Program; Year 3 Credits: Elective other than Nursing * 3
Program Outline - Option C - Practical Nurse (PN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Bridge-in Program; Year 4 Credits: Approved Nursing elective 3
Program Outline - Option C - Practical Nurse (PN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Bridge-in Program; Year 4 Credits: Elective other than Nursing * 3
* General electives: Any VIU course numbered 100 and above with content dissimilar to the BSN. Courses with a "T" suffix are not eligible as electives. Students interested in taking a non-VIU elective must consult with the BSN advisor.
* General electives: Any VIU course numbered 100 and above

References

Program facts

Entering averageNot published

The university does not publish a comparable percentage minimum or entering-average range for this program.

Work experiencePracticum placements

BSN study includes hospital/community practice, consolidated practice experiences and a supervised final nursing practicum. The source disagrees on whether Option A has two or three consolidated practice experiences; no fixed count is asserted here. Programme and placement requirements apply.

Check work experience options

Courses

Current bachelor outline with required and optional course choices. Listed alternatives are not all required. Individual credits use the linked course descriptions or a single-course outline row.

Program Outline - Option A - Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Year 115 listed