The University of Victoria, one of Canada's leading universities, provides both students and faculty with a unique learning environment. UVic has earned a reputation for commitment to research, scholarship and co-op education. The university is widely recognized for its innovative and responsive programs, interdisciplinary and international initiatives, and a diverse and welcoming learning community.

UVic offers outstanding social, cultural, artistic, environmental and athletic opportunities, including a full schedule of concerts, plays, exhibitions, films, lectures and athletics events.

Course restrictions:
Exchange is open only to NUS students from the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (FASS), Faculty of Science (FoS), School of Computing and Faculty of Engineering (FoE)

Students from these faculties can register in courses in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Science and Humanities at UVic. Students can also register in History in Art courses in the Faculty of Fine Arts at UVic. There is a small selection of Business courses that are open to exchange students (see http://www.business.uvic.ca/undergraduate/minor/non-commerce/ for details).

Students are to note that there may be prerequisites for select courses.  Please check for course prerequisites before applying. Courses are subjected to demand and availability.

Course description: http://web.uvic.ca/calendar/

Academic calendar;

• Term 1: late August to December
• Term 2: January to April

Application deadlines:
Please obtain information on deadlines and application procedures from your faculty’s Student Exchange Program (SEP) Administrator/Coordinator.

On campus:
UVic Housing Services offers two types of accommodation for exchange students: Residence Housing and Cluster Housing. For information about both of these housing options, as well as dates, deadlines and online application forms, please visit the Housing Services website (http://www.housing.uvic.ca/).

Off-campus:
If you are interested in living with a Canadian family, check out the Home Placement Program webpage (http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/accommodation/hp/). Home placement for international students is available through the UVic English Language Centre. In order to qualify for the home placement program, your first language must not be English.

Many students attending UVic live off campus in rental accommodation. If you would like to live off campus, plan to arrive in Victoria at least two weeks before your studies begin to allow time for the search. Vacancy rates are generally low and standards of accommodation vary, so you should personally view an accommodation before agreeing to rent.

Housing Services at UVic maintains a list of available off campus rental accommodation, including room and board options, suites, apartments, houses, and shared accommodation. You can view this list on the Off Campus Housing Listings webpage (http://www.housing.uvic.ca/offcampus/). Off campus accommodation are also advertised in the classified section of local newspapers and on UVic notice boards. Some vacancies are posted only on signs outside apartment buildings or houses, so you may wish to choose a neighbourhood and then walk or cycle around looking for vacancy postings

Immigration & Visa Information:

Useful Links:

• University Homepage: http://www.uvic.ca/
• UVic International and Exchange Student Services: http://iess.uvic.ca/index.html

Health Insurance:
All UVic students are required to have adequate health insurance for the duration of their studies. Basic health insurance covers most physician and hospital services. Extended health insurance covers some portion of vision and dental care, generic prescription drugs, and paramedical services from a specialist such as a massage therapist, a naturopath, a podiatrist or a psychologist. Having both basic and extended health insurance provides you with comprehensive health care coverage and ensures that ill health will not cause you undue economic hardship or compromise your academic progress.

If you stay in BC for fewer than six months of the year, you are not required to enrol in the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP). However, you must still obtain basic health insurance for the duration of your stay. It is recommended that you set this up prior to your arrival in BC. You can make arrangements through a provider in your home country or a provider in Canada. AON is a company that UVic has selected to provide basic health insurance for international and exchange students. Application forms are available on the AON Medical Insurance Program website (http://extranet.aon.ca/uvic).

Estimated Cost of Living: