COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Arts Minor in Aquaculture at Vancouver Island University includes a structured combination of core courses across four years, offering both foundational and advanced knowledge in the field. In Years 1 and 2, students must complete one of three biology course options: BIOL 123, the combination of BIOL 123A and 123L, or FISH 123, which introduce core biological concepts. They also take AQUA 101 (Introduction to Aquaculture), along with 6 credits chosen from a diverse list of courses including BIOL 212, CHEM 212, various FISH courses, Indigenous Studies (INDG 203, 204), and select mathematics, statistics, or geography courses. Notably, only one of GEOG 221, MATH 161, 181, 203, 211, or QUME 232 may be used toward this credit requirement, keeping the total lower-level course credits at 13. In Years 3 and 4, students must complete a minimum of 12 credits from upper-level AQUA courses (300–499), with the option to include one course (3 credits) from approved related disciplines such as GEOG 356 (Policy and Sustainability), INDG 300 (Indigenous Knowledge), or MGMT 381 (Entre/Intrapreneurship). This curriculum equips students with multidisciplinary knowledge and practical skills relevant to sustainable aquaculture, preparing them for a wide range of careers or further academic pursuits.