A university of integrated learning
Research-inspired education
Teaching and research are closely intertwined at the University of Victoria. As one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities, our faculty members bring the latest research findings into their classrooms. In turn, research on student success informs our teaching programs.
Learning beyond the classroom
Classroom learning is just one piece of the puzzle—at UVic our students are challenged to learn in new and dynamic ways.
One in four UVic students takes part in our extremely popular co-operative education (co-op) program. By alternating academic terms with work terms, co-op students get real-world experience and graduate with a resume packed with relevant experience. Read about how two co-op students researched raccoons in the Gulf Islands in an unorthodox "office."
Real life learning
Students at every level take part in fieldwork, conduct research in remote areas around the globe and find solutions to make our world a better place.
You’ll find them complementing their studies with serious hands-on work experience through the co-op program or a practicum placement, testing their boundaries by traveling overseas on an international exchange, or embarking on a field school adventure with students from around the world.
Every year, 100 undergraduates from across campus gain direct research exposure as part of their learning experience through the Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA) program.
By pairing professors with students, the JCURA program provides research opportunities rarely encountered at the undergraduate level.
The program encourages the development of strong academic relationships. It funds collaborative research projects between faculty and undergraduates, giving promising students an appetite for original research in the process.
"The JCURA program is unique in Canada for the depth and breadth of disciplines involved across the full academic spectrum," says Teresa Dawson, director of the Learning and Teaching Centre, which administers the program.
Linking students in close working relationships with professors has led to some exciting first brushes with original research. Read about the 2012 JCURA research fair.
Undergraduate research papers published in The Arbutus Review
Many JCURA recipients have gone on to publish their research papers in The Arbutus Review, an annual peer-reviewed compilation of outstanding research papers/articles submitted by undergraduate students from all disciplines at the University of Victoria.
UVic's Learning without Borders (LWB) initiative supports integrating international elements into our undergraduate curriculum.
Teams have rewritten many courses to include international perspectives, with more to follow. Learn how Ajtony Csaba is teaching music students how to listen internationally.
Measuring changes in global awareness
A survey was constructed to measure students' self-reported changes in global awareness, attitudes and actions as a result of taking an LWB course. These were compared with results from a control course that had not been exposed to LWB design principles.
Preliminary results are extremely positive. Students participating in the LWB-enhanced courses reported substantial positive changes in global knowledge, taking others’ perspectives and actively seeking out information about other cultures. These results were compared to those students in the control course, who largely reported no changes.
Learn more about LWB grants and courses.
At UVic we recognize that the post-secondary teaching market is a competitive one.
That’s why we created the Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (LATHE) program for those preparing for an academic career in higher education.
This two-year graduate credit program is guided by recent research in the psychology of learning and instruction. It’s earned in conjunction with a graduate degree program.
LATHE students build their teaching portfolios and gain practical experience, skills and strategies. They graduate qualified to compete effectively for an academic position with those who share similar teaching experiences.