University of Victoria

Overview

The University of Victoria, or UVic, located in the Greater Victoria area, is one of the oldest universities in British Columbia, Canada. Before UVic became one of Canada’s leading research universities, it was first called Victoria College, a two-year college affiliated with McGill University. Although Victoria College was established in 1903, it did not gain autonomy and the status to grant four-year degrees until 1963. It was also in 1963 when the college’s name was changed to University of Victoria.

UVic’s academic buildings, research facilities, libraries, recreation centers, student housing, and other amenities are situated in a 403-acre campus spread across Greater Victoria. Among its notable facilities are the libraries, which have more than two million books and more than two million other items, including microforms, serials, subscriptions and more. UVic libraries’ combined collection makes UVic one of the universities in the country with the largest library collection.

A comprehensive public research university, UVic also hosts state-of-the art research centers owned by external organizations such as Ocean Networks Canada's underwater observatories, Environment Canada laboratories, and others. The university is also home to award-winning scientists and researchers who have made significant contributions to medical science, telecommunication, ocean studies, and other areas. One of the most recent contributions is the potential vaccine for syphilis for which UVic microbiologist, Caroline Cameron, has been awarded a patent.

Aside from health and life science, UVic is heavily involved in other research areas, such as data science and cyber physical items; environment, climate, and energy; indigenous research; global studies and social justice; physical sciences and engineering; and more. To date, UVic has more than 1,000 invention disclosures, 500-plus patents filed and counting, and $3.7 million in economic impact, making UVic a force to reckon with not only in research impact but also in activity.

In terms of academic offerings, UVic has a total of nine faculties that administer undergraduate studies in the areas of business, education, engineering, human and social development, science, and more. Graduate studies, on the other hand, offer more than 100 programs, including environment and sustainability, indigenous focus, languages and global culture, technology, and more. UVic is also home to the prestigious Division of Medical Sciences, a division dedicated to making breakthroughs in the field of medicine. The Division of Medical Sciences also provides intensive training to researchers interested in forensics.

As a research-intensive institution, UVic is heavily involved in establishing partnerships with communities. Called community-university research partnerships, these are all about collaborating with organizations and members of the community to conduct research projects for the community’s sustainability and overall health.