YOUR CLASSROOM, ABROAD!
Field schools provide VIU students with opportunities to explore their subject areas through a new lens. Expect to gain valuable intercultural learning while taking part in a group adventure that is sure to be an interesting addition to your portfolio and academic experience.
Each program is uniquely designed by VIU faculty, in collaboration with Education Abroad, and are often delivered in Intersession (between April - August). The length of programs vary from 8 days to 6 weeks. Most offerings recruit students in the Fall semester and may include advance course and pre-departure work in the Spring semester.
Participants generally pay a program fee which covers much of the in-country costs of the program, as outlined in the program description online. The majority of programs are for-credit and the applicable tuition and student fees apply.
The list below will change throughout the year, as field school programs are developed and promoted.
2019 - 2020 Field Schools
UPDATE: All programs below have been cancelled due to concerns related to COVID-19. We will update this page with more information as it comes available.
Program | Overview |
VIU BAKING AND CULINARY FIELD SCHOOL TO BELGIUM AND FRANCEDates: January 4 - 19, 2020 | Join us as we set out on our fifth field school to explore the world of chocolate, pastry, and bread in Belgium and France. Both culinary and baking aficionados will enjoy the dizzying array of hands-on workshops, tours of chocolate and baking factories, Belgian chocolate shops, and the very best of Parisian pastry, bread, and chocolate. Cheer on Canada at the Baking Coupe du Monde (World Cup) Competition at Europain in Paris. This is one of the world's largest baking related trade shows and it is jam-packed with vendors selling everything from gigantic revolving ovens to the very latest pastry gadgets. You will also have two free days in Paris to explore the city of take a day trip to nearby historical sites such as Versailles, Fontainebleu, Chantilly and many more! |
VIU MANAGEMENT FIELD SCHOOL TO EUROPEDates: May 1 - 21, 2020
| This 9 credit field school will visit Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Germany. Participants can expect to take part in industry tours of breweries, the BMW plant near Munich, meeting a representative of a EU agency, visiting a Croatian Telecom company and other businesses, such as bakeries and a 3D Printing company. There will be castles to see, a cruise on the Adriatic, 3 and 4 star hotels, one of which will be beachfront , and the ability to enjoy Europe with your classmates - all while studying at the same time. |
WINE BUSINESS FIELD SCHOOL TO FRANCE 2020Dates: May 1 - 18, 2020 (tentative dates) | This 9 credit program takes you to France to increase your knowledge, skills and abilities in the subject of wine business and marketing by exploring the French wine industry. We will use a combination of academic study and experiential learning through visits to wineries, cooperatives, historic sites and villages to understand the cultural, media, legal and marketing mix influences on the Wine Supply Chain from grower to consumer. We will begin our exploration in Champagne, followed by stop overs in Dijon and the Burgundy region, before moving south to Beaujolais and then onto the Northern Rhone wine region, and lastly spending a few days in Paris before we depart. |
ENGLISH AND GEOGRAPHY FIELD SCHOOL TO ITALYDates: May 18 - June 3, 2020 | Trieste, with its historical links to Italian, Germanic, and Slavic cultures, and located between the Adriatic Sea and Karst mountains, provides an excellent case study of a cultural contact zone. We will explore the uncertain space of Trieste by studying the city’s literature, history, geography, art, and architecture. We will try to answer the following questions: What happens when borders shift, populations migrate, and cultures collide? Are cultural values maintained, recreated, or at risk? Are there opportunities for collaboration and cooperation? How does geography shape culture, and vice versa? |
HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT FIELD SCHOOL TO HAWAIIDates: April 27 - May 15 (tentative dates) | The purpose of this field school is to provide VIU Faculty of Management students with an opportunity for experiential learning focused on an examination the interaction between a destination’s culture, resort industry and its tourism industry. Study will focus upon exploration of related destination issues and the social-cultural focus of a destination’s culture. This field school allows for a deep exploration of these and related issues. There are three broad themes that provide the foundation to this field school: the history and cultural heritage of the islands; the tourism industry infrastructure in terms of a tourist destination, with a focus on sustainability; and some of the workings of the resort industry. |
LIBERAL STUDIES FIELD SCHOOL TO ITALYDates: May 5 - June 5, 2020 | The Italy Program provides a stimulating interdisciplinary exploration of one of the most dynamic and significant periods in the history of European culture. The setting - the city of Florence - is perfect because of its immense contribution to the Renaissance, the 14th-16th century reawakening of humanistic learning and artistic endeavour. The Program may be taken for credit or on an audit basis. It covers art, architecture, literature, science and philosophy, through the works of such figures as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, Donatello, Filippo Brunelleschi, Artemisia Gentileschi, Galileo, Clare of Assisi, Catherine of Siena, Dante, Boccaccio, and Machiavelli. Participants attend lectures, concerts and visits to museums, galleries and other artistic sites, in Florence and elsewhere, and meet in small seminars to discuss the writings of the period. |
ADVENTURES IN MIND TO FLORENCE, 2020Dates: May 5 - May 28, 2020
| This Adventure provides a stimulating interdisciplinary exploration of one of the most dynamic and significant periods in the history of European culture. The setting is perfect because of the immense contribution of Florence to the Renaissance, the 14th-16th century blossoming of humanistic learning and artistic endeavour. Our Adventure will cover art, architecture and literature through the works of such figures as Dante, Giotto, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Gentileschi. Activities include lecture/presentations, seminar discussions and visits to museums, galleries and other sites, in Florence and elsewhere. Optional preparatory sessions will be available in Nanaimo in late April. |
MARKETING FIELD SCHOOL TO GREATER CHINADates: May 1 - May 21, 2020 | This field school is headed to Taipei, Shanghai, and Nanjing and will focus on applied consumer behaviour studies in China. Analysis of attitudes toward Canadian products will be examined as well as observation research on emerging marketing strategies and tactics in China. Students will apply research theory to understanding various aspects of Chinese consumer behaviours. Psychological, sociological, economic and demographic influences within China are considered. Topics include various decision-making models, market research design, data collection and interpretation. |
TROPICAL BIOLOGY FIELD SCHOOLDates: May 12 - May 28, 2020 | This field school is headed to Central Belize and will familiarize students with the spectacular biodiversity of tropical ecosystems by examining terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats. Topics will include tropical biodiversity and conservation, ecosystem structure and function, organism adaptations and coevolutionary interactions. Participants visit Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society; Blue Hole National Park; Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary; Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary; and more. |
Process to Apply
1. Explore Your Options
Find out what is happening in your Faculty or Program area! Many programs start to promote their upcoming field schools a semester or more in advance, through posters, presentations and through the Education Abroad website. If you're unsure, ask us or connect with your Program Chair.
2. Express Your Interest
For most field schools, the field school leaders will gather Expression of Interest Forms from interested participants. These forms can be found in the individual field school websites or can be obtained from the field school leaders directly. An interview may follow, and references may be required. If you are accepted, the Education Abroad office will be in touch about the timing of the next steps.
3. Secure Your Seat with a Deposit
Once accepted, students will receive a welcome message from VIU Education Abroad with instructions to pay the deposit and complete the waiver form. All field school deposits & subsequent payments are made through the VIU Student Record System. Charges will appear under "My Fees - Field School Fees." Students can make their payments through their record, using online or telephone banking. Note: VIU does not accept credit cards for field school payments.
An initial non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to secure a seat in most programs. Please review the Cancellation & Refund Procedures.
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
Education Abroad Office
Faculty of International Education
Building 255
Email: EducationAbroad@viu.ca
Phone: 250-753-3245 x2494
VIU Adventures in Mind to England 2019July 12 - August 2, 2019 The Cathedrals of England Adventure provides a stimulating yet relaxed exploration of the styles of architecture which have formed the tradition of church-building in the British Isles, and of the styles of music which has been written specifically for church performance. This is not a religious studies program, as it is concerned only with the secular subjects of art history and music history. We will visit several cathedrals, listen to live and recorded music, and learn about the historical transitions through which music and architecture have passed in the last thousand years. Of central interest will be the myriad connections between these two art-forms. Under expert guidance, a group of 6-10 participants will encounter the architecture and music of cathedrals through tours, concerts, lectures and seminar discussions, with ample free time for independent activity. Participants are encouraged to share their background knowledge and developing understanding with others, so that all benefit in their learning. | |
VIU Adventures in Mind to Italy 2019May 7 - 30, 2019 This Adventure provides a stimulating interdisciplinary exploration of one of the most dynamic and significant periods in the history of European culture. The setting is perfect because of the immense contribution of Florence to the Renaissance, the 14th-16th century blossoming of humanistic learning and artistic endeavour. Our Adventure will cover art, architecture and literature through the works of such figures as Dante, Giotto, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Gentileschi. Activities include lecture/presentations, seminar discussions and visits to museums, galleries and other sites, in Florence and elsewhere. Optional preparatory sessions will be available in Nanaimo in late April. | |
VIU Anthropology and Geography Field School to ChinaMay 7 - 24, 2019 Living on Vancouver Island, many are not so aware of the impact of Asia (the East) upon North America (the West), except perhaps in the context of the large international student contingent from East Asia. There has been contact between the continents over centuries through people, trade, and ideas. By visiting locales closer to home (Vancouver, Richmond), students will be introduced to some of these connections evident in the landscape, the people, and food culture. When in China, whether China proper or its special administrative regions (SAR), i.e., Macau and Hong Kong, those associations found in Canada will become even more apparent and vice versa. If not for the East, where would our tea drinking habit be or even the colonisation of North America by ‘explorers’ seeking a trade route to Asia? Through travel, students have a unique opportunity to study by direct experience; in addition to learning through the usual complementary written resources. | |
VIU Management Field School to Europe (Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Germany) 2019May 1 - 21, 2019 This 9 credit field school will visit Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Germany. Participants can expect to take part in industry tours of breweries, the BMW plant near Munich, meeting a representative of a Russian bank, visiting Croatian national parks, a salt mine, a Unesco site, conference attendance that will allow the student to meet researchers from all over the world. | |
VIU Baking and Culinary Field School to ItalyFebruary 23 - March 10, 2019 Baking students and alumni are invited to join the biannual field trip. This year the program will be based in Florence, Italy. | |
VIU Management Field School to FranceMay 1 - 18, 2019 This 9 credit program takes you to France to increase your knowledge, skills and abilities in the subject of wine business and marketing by exploring the French wine industry. We will use a combination of academic study and experiential learning to understand the cultural, media, legal and marketing mix influences on the Wine Supply Chain, from grower to consumer. | |
| VIU English and Geography Field School to Trieste, ItalyMay 16 - June 1, 2019 Trieste, with its historical links to Italian, Germanic, and Slavic cultures, and located between the Adriatic Sea and Karst mountains, provides an excellent case study of a cultural contact zone. As author Jan Morris notes, “in this city, the lines between fact and fiction, past and present, the explicit and the enigmatic, let alone between one ethnicity and another, always seem to be uncertain.” We will explore the uncertain space of Trieste by studying the city’s literature, history, geography, art, and architecture. We will try to answer the following questions: What happens when borders shift, populations migrate, and cultures collide? Are cultural values maintained, recreated, or at risk? Are there opportunities for collaboration and cooperation? How does geography shape culture, and vice versa? |
| VIU Tourism and Recreation Field School to GhanaMay 1 - June 3, 2019 This 12 credit directed studies field school to Ghana will visit Accra, Atsiekpoe, Kumasi, Wechiau, Mole National Park, and Cape Cost. The field school travels through rural and remote Ghana. They will work with Joliako Eco-Tours, the Wechia Community Hippo Sanctuary, and KNUST in Kumasi. Minimum enrollment is 7 students and the maximum is 9. |
| VIU Marketing Field School to Taiwan and ChinaMay 1 - 21, 2019 This international field school is headed to Taiwan and China. They will visit Taipei, Shanghai and Hangzhou. Research & Consumer Insights, Chinese Consumer Behavior, and Marketing to China are the different 3 credit courses offered through this sessional field school. Some activities may include visiting the Shilin Night Market and other cultural activities along with meeting different Marketing and Global Directors. |
VIU Engineering Field School to VietnamMay 13 - June 3, 2019 Students will head to Vietnam and visit Tra Vinh University located in the Tra Vinh Province. They will be completing a 3 credit course during their directed studies. Some activities will include electrical maintenance projects, an introduction to playground equipment, visits to Ba Om Pond, Hang Pagoda, museums and a Tra Vinh City tour. |
| VIU Baking & Pastry Field School to Belgium & France |
| VIU Sport, Health & Physical Education Field School to Belize |
 | VIU Recreation & Tourism Field School to Costa Rica (Heart of Gold Project) |
| VIU Management Wine Field School to France |
 | VIU Business Field School to Mainland China and Taiwan |
 | VIU Liberal Studies Field School to Italy, Florence (re-directs to Faculty page) |
VIU Earth Science Field School to Yellowstone National Park, USA | |
VIU Recreation & Tourism Field School to Sao Paulo, Brazil |
2017 OUTGOING PROGRAMS
Field schools offered by VIU range from 10 days and 6 weeks abroad, and are led by VIU faculty members.
(*) indicates which programs are open to students from other institutions and/or members of the general public.
Country | Program | Dates |
ITALY, Florence* | Contact: Libby.McGratten@viu.ca | May 3 - June 4 |
BELIZE* | Contact: Ken.Harper@viu.ca | May 2 -14 |
EU - Finland, Estonia, Sweden | Contact: Alexander.Pevec@viu.ca | April 28 - May 21
|
HAWAII | Contact: Jonelle.Knowles@viu.ca | May 1 - 22 |
ICELAND | Geology Contact: Tim.Stokes@viu.ca | May 25 - June 5 |
INDONESIA | Early Childhood Education & Care (ECEC) – Practicum Contact: Sheila.Grieve@viu.ca | April 17 – May 15 |
ITALY* | Contact: John.Black@viu.ca | Tentative Dates May 13 - June 4, 2017 |
MACEDONIA, Skopje | Contact: Ilka.Thiessen@viu.ca | May 1 – June 16 |
USA, Alaska | Contact: Laurie.MeijerDrees@viu.ca | May 21 - 27 |
USA, Arizona | Sociology & Criminology | February 15 – 26 |
USA, New York | Art & Design Contacts: Jason.Gress@viu.ca & Ellen.McClusky@viu.ca | February 18 - 26 |