Admission requirements

To qualify for the DBA program, candidates are required to provide a transcript showing a minimum of high school completion. Mature applicants who do not meet this requirement may also be considered on the basis of minimum five years' work experience and must provide a resume. In addition, two years of professional, full-time work experience (or post-secondary educational equivalent) is recommended. 

It is recommended that candidates for the DBA program review the program completion requirements. Students are welcome to consult with program staff (bmt@uvic.ca) prior to enrolling in courses to ensure that their planned selections will satisfy the diploma program requirements.

If your first language is not English, you will be asked to provide evidence of 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 ELC Intensive English 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. 

Advanced standing

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 diploma 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.