Continuing Studies at UVic

Business Administration – Certificate CBA FAQ

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Admission requirements for the CBA program are as follows:

  • Graduation from secondary school. Mature applicants who do not meet this requirement may also be considered on the basis of minimum five years' work experience.
  • 2+ years professional, full-time work experience (recommended)
  • Proof of English proficiency through one of the following:
    • Transcript showing graduation from a Canadian secondary school
    • Four years of full-time academic studies in which all language of instruction is English at a high school or post-secondary institution
    • Successful completion of a recognized degree program from an accredited university in which all language of instruction is English, in a recognized English-speaking country
    • IELTS (academic) 6.0 overall (no sub-score less than 5.5)
    • TOEFL IBT 79 (no sub-score less than 17)
    • TOEFL Paper-based Test 550 (discontinued)
    • UVic ELC Intensive English (ELPI) level 570
    • Successful completion of approved English partner pathway level

Please note we will not accept tests taken more than two years prior to the date of your program application. 

In rare circumstances we may request secondary verification of English proficiency prior to admission. 

Please see the CBA program page for the application deadline for each starting term. We will continue to accept applications until the posted deadline, space permitting. International students are encouraged to consider study permit processing times when selecting a starting term in their program application.

After submitting your completed application, application processing time will span approximately 5-7 business days. Please note that during high volume periods, application processing times may vary. To check the status of your application, please email BMT@uvic.ca. 

All supporting documentation must be received within 30 days of the original application submission or the application will be cancelled. A fully-completed application form, along with all supporting documentation is what our registration team defines as a “completed application;” only completed applications will be reviewed for admission by our staff.

The estimated fee totals listed on the program page for domestic students and international students are for the entire 8-course program. Tuition is paid term by term upon course registration. Applicable student fees are paid term by term upon registration.

Student Service fees are mandatory in each term of full-time face-to-face study, and include a bus pass, gym membership to the on-campus athletic facility CARSA, and UVic student society access. In addition, international students studying in Canada will be charged for Guard.me medical insurance until MSP coverage is in place.

More information for international students can be found through the UVic Continuing Studies International Student Fees and Health Insurance page and through our International Student FAQs.

Course tuition and any required student fees are due at time of registration for each term of study. Please refer to the Important Dates page for registation opening and closing dates. 

Students are welcome to pay for up to one year of study in advance. Please see our Payment Options page for information on how to submit advanced payments.

Required textbooks and other course materials are generally purchased from the UVic Bookstore. You can use your course code (ie: BMBA100) to locate your book in the bookstore in person or online approximately 3-5 weeks prior to the start of your course.

Yes, you can complete the CBA program through exclusively online study. Please note that our courses are offered on a rotating basis each term. Students completing the CBA program through exclusively online study may choose from a smaller pool of elective courses.

International students planning to apply for a Post Graduate Work Permit should refer to the IRCC Website for up to date information on online learning.

In distance courses (online), you will receive an email prior to the course start that will instruct you on how to access your course and obtain required course materials. You will then login to the course and communicate with your instructor and fellow classmates via the course management system Brightspace. All assignments and course activities are submitted electronically to the course instructor.

Most CBA and DBA online courses are Asynchronous and do not require you to be online at a particular time or on a particular day. Exams and assignments may require students to log in during a limited window of time. Please note the delivery style associated with each course, as a small number of distance courses will have Synchronous or Hybrid delivery, requiring live participation. All of our distance courses are paced and require adherence to the course schedule. Please see our Online Learning FAQ's for more details. 

For further information about Brightspace, visit the Continuing Studies Guide to Accessing Your Online Courses.

 

Full-time CBA and DBA students should register for a minimum of 3 courses per regular term of study in order to maintain full-time status. Students in a non-intensive program looking to register for more than four courses per term may be required to meet with a Program Coordinator. This is to ensure they have a manageable course load, and can be successful and fully engage with each course. Most students complete 3 or 4 courses per term.

Students who are in their final term of study with fewer than three course requirements remaining will be permitted to register for fewer than three courses while maintaining full-time status.

To see our upcoming offerings and review the overall CBA program course requirements, please view our anticipated course schedule. To assist in your program planning, you can also view all course descriptions. A different selection of courses are offered every term. Students in the CBA program register for courses according to program completion requirements and preferred electives. As such, not all students will complete all of the same courses.

Students may transfer up to three courses from UVic credit programs or from other colleges and universities, providing the course content and learning outcomes closely match our certificate courses.

To request advanced standing, students can submit the Request for Advanced Standing form and upload the following mandatory documents:

  • transcript (showing term, instructional hours, final grades)
  • full course outlines for each course, including course learning outcomes (course descriptions will not be accepted)
  • optional: any other supporting documents

Mandatory documents must be in English, or accompanied by an official translation. Requests received without the mandatory documents will not be reviewed. An advanced standing fee of $350 applies to each approved course (max of three).

International students should note that adding advanced standings to their program may shorten their overall program length, as there will be fewer courses to complete with UVic. Before submitting a request, we recommend you review the IRCC web page for post-graduation work permit (PGWP) validity and the "Transfers between educational institutions' section for more information about how transferring courses for advanced standing may affect PGWP validity: View IRCC website.

UVic Dormitories: on-campus dormitories are generally limited to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in programs through main campus, which does not include our Continuing Studies students.

Homestay: limited housing with local families may be available through the Continuing Studies Homestay program.

Rentals: most students seek rental housing, which can often be found on local Victoria classified websites. Additionally, the UVic Housing website has an off-campus housing resource page containing several resources for finding housing and connecting with potential roommates.

International Students: the UVic International Student Services website has additional information about off-campus housing. 

Since the Victoria rental market is in high demand, it is a good idea to secure housing well in advance of your intended arrival. 

Our courses are non-credit, which means they will not, in general, ladder into undergraduate or graduate programs.

There are two pathways that may provide the opportunity for higher education, as described below:

  • Graduates of the Diploma in Business Administration (DBA) at the University of Victoria may be eligible to apply to Royal Roads University's Bachelor of Business Administration program. DBA Graduates interested in pursuing this pathway will be required to complete additional courses (total of 20) and maintain grade minimums. CBA students who are interested in pursuing the DBA program can review the DBA program requirements and contact our office for further information.

  • Additionally, graduates of our CBA Fast Track program, who also hold a non-business undergraduate degree, may be eligible to apply to the Master of Global Business program at UVic. 

For more information about these pathways, please contact bmt@uvic.ca.

You can review our refund policies here. You can read our summary just below:

Application fees and program deposits

Application fees for all CBA programs are non-refundable. Program deposits are refundable only in cases of study permit refusal.

Course tuition fees

A full course refund will be provided only if you withdraw or transfer from the course prior to the date indicated on the Important Dates webpage. A refund (course tuition less a $60 administrative fee) will be issued if you request to withdraw or transfer courses by the date indicated on the Important Dates webpage. 

Deadlines are firm and no refund will be available after deadlines even if you are requesting to transfer to another course. Requests to transfer from once course section to another, or to withdraw from one course to another, are considered withdrawals and will adhere to the withdrawal deadlines noted on the Important Dates webpage. 

All requests to withdraw or transfer from a course should be directed toward the registration team at uvcsreg@uvic.ca or (250) 472-4747.

Special note to international students:

If you are an international student and your visa application is denied by the Canadian Embassy prior to starting your program, we can refund tuition paid in advance. To receive a refund of tuition, international students must inform the Business and Management Program office prior to the term start date and provide Canadian Embassy documentation by email to the Business and Management Programs office at bmt@uvic.ca. We are unable to provide refunds after the term start date. 

Please note that refunds may be less any applicable currency exchange or banking fees.

Upcoming new international students who are unable to begin the program on their accepted program term start date can request a one-time deferral to a future term within 1 year.

Students requesting a deferral should submit a deferral request form by the deadlines noted below. We are unable to accommodate late deferral requests. Deferral deadlines: 

  • September term: August 15
  • January term: December 15 
  • May term: April 15 

Deferral requests are subject to approval and available seats. A deferral fee ($100) will be charged for approved deferrals, and there is a limit of one deferral per student, no exception. Students who have previously deferred their studies will be required to re-apply to the program and pay a new application fee and program deposit.

If you are an international student and your visa is denied, the above will apply. If your visa is denied a second time, you will need to submit a new application with another deposit and application fee.

International students already in Canada cannot transfer fees between programs unless an emergency requires them to return home. In these cases, students must provide the Business and Management Programs with a doctor’s note and proof of a return air ticket to their home country. This process is subject to an additional $100 transfer fee and must be approved by the Program Director.

Graduates of the Diploma in Business Administration (DBA) at the University of Victoria may be eligible to apply to Royal Roads University's Bachelor of Business Administration program. DBA Graduates interested in pursuing this pathway will be required to complete additional courses (total of 20) and maintain grade minimums. CBA students who are interested in pursuing the DBA program can review the DBA program requirements and contact our office for further information. 

Additionally, graduates of our CBA Fast Track program, who also hold a non-business undergraduate degree, may be eligible to apply to the Master of Global Business program at UVic. 

For more information, please contact bmt@uvic.ca.

Convocation ceremonies take place at the University of Victoria twice per year, in June and in November. Students attending the ceremony in person will receive their parchment (certificate or diploma) during the ceremony. Parchments can also be shipped to a student’s preferred address.

In order to formally graduate you are required to complete an Application to Graduate. The graduation application fee is $40 per program, and you will be required to choose between Spring (June) and Fall (November) convocation.

The deadline to submit your application will be August 15 for November convocation and February 28 for June convocation. You are welcome to apply to graduate while your final courses are still in progress.

  • For example, if you are completing your final courses during the Fall term, you will be eligible for June convocation and should apply to graduate by February 28. 

Following your successful application, the UVIC Ceremonies & Special Events Office will contact you 1-2 months prior to your anticipated convocation date in order to confirm your attendance and any other important details. You can contact our office with questions regarding your status, however the Certificate and Diploma parchments are produced and held at the Office of the University Registrar.

Please be sure to visit our International Student FAQs for more information.

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