Science & Technology Programs
Computing Science
- 2-year Diploma Program
- Program Fees: Domestic Students, International Students
- Apply for Admission: Forms and Information
Note: VIU also offers a Bachelor of Arts, Minor in Computing Science and a Bachelor of Science, Major and Minor in Computing Science.
The Program
This program is designed to prepare students for a career as a computer programmer/programmer analyst. The program emphasizes programming skills, program design techniques as well as database and systems analysis skills. The program also includes business courses that will be of use in a career in the computing industry. While this program is new and has not yet been reviewed by the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS), the program has been designed to meet CIPS accreditation standards.
Students who complete the diploma program will be able to complete VIU’s Bachelor of Science, Major in Computer Science with an additional two years of full-time study.
A free information session is usually held in January. For more information, contact the Advising Centre 250-740-6410, or visit viu.ca/infosessions.
Career Opportunities
Many career opportunities are currently available in Computing Science. The provincial and federal governments predict a continuing shortage of trained computing professionals. For more details about expected trends in computing work, please visit the workfutures website.
Admission Requirements
- General admission requirements apply.
- English 12 with min. “C” grade, or equivalent.
- Principles of Math 12 with min. “C+” grade, or equivalent.
Notes on Admission
- Applicants lacking admission requirements may take upgrading courses. Please check with an Advisor for details.
- Students may complete some of the courses before enrolling in the diploma program.
- Enrolment in this program is limited. Students who meet or exceed the minimum admission requirements may not necessarily be admitted to the program.
Apply for Admission Online or 
Print Application Form
Note: If applying online select the Bachelor of Science program and then select the BSc: Bachelor of Science (All Other Majors).
Start Date and Application Deadline
The program starts in September, and applications are accepted after November 15. The last day for applications is March 31. Acceptance into the program does not guarantee admission into any of the courses included in the diploma program. Students will need to register for the required courses as University Program students.
Grading Policy
Grades for individual courses are awarded as described in the section on Grades and Transcripts. All students taking a full course load will normally progress from one semester to the next, providing a satisfactory standing in all courses is attained.
- “D” or “F” grade: students will not be allowed to register in a sequential course if they have been awarded a “D” or an “F” grade. All “D” and “F” grades must be upgraded before students are allowed to graduate from the program.
- Students may accumulate no more than three “C-” grades. Students receiving more than three “C-” grades will be required to upgrade the relevant courses before a diploma is issued. Students with four “C-” grades may be permitted to upgrade one of these with permission of the Computing Science department Chair.
- Students must have a “C+” average in all Computing courses, and an overall “C” average to receive the diploma.
Program Outline
The program consists of 66 course credits. Students will normally complete the courses in the table identified as “First Year” before enrolling in any of the courses listed in the table identified as “Second Year.”
Students are required to complete all of the courses listed in all three tables, but the courses in the third table can be completed at any time. Normally, students complete two of these courses in First Year, and the other three in the following year.
YEAR 1 |
Credits |
|---|---|
CSCI 112 - (Applications Programming) |
3 |
CSCI 115 - (Web Page Techniques) |
3 |
CSCI 160 - (Computing Science I) |
4 |
CSCI 161 - (Computing Science II) |
4 |
CSCI 162 - (Topics in Computing Science) |
4 |
CSCI 261 - (Computer Architecture & Assembly Language) |
3 |
MATH 121 - (Calculus I) |
3 |
MATH 123 - (Logic and Foundations) |
3 |
Additional required courses (see below) |
6-9 |
Total Credits |
33-36 |
YEAR 2 |
Credits |
|---|---|
CSCI 251 - (Systems and Networks) |
3 |
CSCI 260 - (Data Structures) |
3 |
CSCI 265 - (Software Engineering) |
3 |
CSCI 310 - (Intro to Graphical User Interfaces) |
3 |
CSCI 331 - (Object Oriented Programming) |
3 |
CSCI 370 - (Database Systems) |
3 |
CSCI 375 - (Intro to Systems Analysis) |
3 |
CSCI 400 - (Computers and Society) |
3 |
Additional required courses (see below) |
6-9 |
Total Credits |
30-33 |
Additional Required Courses |
Credits |
|---|---|
In addition to the above courses, students must complete the following courses. The courses can be completed at any time, but must be completed before the diploma is awarded. |
|
ACCT 100 - (Financial Accounting I) |
3 |
ENGL 115 - (University Writing and Research) |
3 |
ENGL 225 - (Business and Technical Writing) |
3 |
MGMT 192 - (Principles of Management) |
3 |
MGMT 292 - (Organizational Behaviour) |
3 |
Updated October 30, 2009
October 30, 2009