Frequently Asked Questions - The University
Royal Roads University is the first public university in Canada created solely to address the knowledge needs of working professionals through applied and professional programs. Find out more information on RRU programs and our blended learning model that allows you to learn while you continue to earn.
Royal Roads is leading the way in online education which relies on collaboration and builds on the benefits of electronic networks to focus on quality learning. Rather than trying to recreate a traditional form of learning on the Internet, RRU engages technology used in today’s workplace. We develop a curriculum that takes the best of what technology can accomplish and supplement that with intense face-to-face residencies. More about online learning.
Using our innovative distance learning technologies and building supportive learning communities, Royal Roads University provides education that is immediately applicable to overcoming challenges found in today’s global workplace. Serving the need to overcome those challenges is what we do best. It also allows our students to continue earning, while they are learning.
Royal Roads is the first public university in Canada created to solely address the knowledge needs of working professionals through applied and professional programs. Royal Roads University programs are available at the doctorate, graduate and undergraduate levels. Our programs encompass communication, environment, leadership, education studies,business and management, peace, conflict, disaster management and justice, and tourism and hotel management. The Centre for Applied Leadership and Management at Royal Roads offers cutting-edge executive education programs. Royal Roads University also offers a comprehensive selection of continuing studies certificate programs and courses.
Admission requirements vary from program to program. Please go to our all programs page and find the requirements as you explore your area of interest. Many of our programs consider your work experience in addition to your academic background. More about Flexible Assessment.
Through integrated and applied studies developed in partnership with practicing professionals in the field, Royal Roads graduates have told us that their Royal Roads experience has helped them gain immediate advancement in their career objectives. By providing market-driven programs that attract participants from around the globe, an Royal Roads University education will broaden your horizons and allow you to learn from others who come from different industries and varying management backgrounds. By offering a flexible format and innovative learning technologies students can apply their learning right away, as they continue working while enhancing their careers. Visit Career Enhancement Services.
Royal Roads University was founded in 1995 with the proclamation of the Royal Roads University Act. Accreditation is not a term that generally applies to universities in Canada. Royal Roads is authorized to grant degrees as a Canadian public university by the Province of British Columbia through the Royal Roads University Act. We are a member institution of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. Our operations are directed by a Board of Governors whose members are among the top leaders in business, government and public policy.
Not all students who attend programs at Royal Roads are subsidized by their employers. Students may be employees of an organization, independent consultants, entrepreneurs, community leaders, or those seeking a return to work after a hiatus. Royal Roads provides several bursaries and scholarships for people who can show financial need.
Since the focus of our educational model is applied knowledge, many of our programs have field residency requirements. Other programs require students to undertake action-research or consulting projects that allow for exploration and applied research in an organizational context. Students are encouraged to approach employers, or prospective employers about completing a research project that addresses a need with the organization. This kind of initiative can lead to immediate recognition of the value of your education to the recipient organization. Please visit your program of interest to find details about internships, final projects, outcomes, and more.
There are several ways to apply for an Royal Roads University program, course or degree. Visit our application page to find out more.
Transfer credit for individual courses isn’t normally encouraged due to the cohort, team-based model and integrated course structure of our programs. However, many of our graduate certificate and diploma programs can be used as credit in larger graduate degree programs. Please ask before enrolling in a course if you want to get credit for the course in a degree program. Not all certificate and diploma programs provide this kind of credit.
Royal Roads University has many block transfer agreements with universities, colleges, and university-colleges. Applicants who have completed approved programs at partner institutions, with the minimum required GPA, are deemed to have met the academic course requirements for admission to the specified program. Admission to Royal Roads programs is based on academics and life experience and are processed on a competitive basis.
Through flexible assessment, our Admissions Committees will look for the equivalent of undergraduate learning through a combination of post-secondary education plus work and life experience. Successful candidates are often those who have some post-secondary education (college diploma or certificate, or incomplete undergraduate studies), plus several years of work or volunteer experience. Please visit the admission section of your program of interest for more information. This student-centred approach opens doors to higher learning for qualified candidates who otherwise would not meet traditional admission requirements in terms of formal academic training and serves the needs of a diverse group of students. Ideal candidates for Flexible Assessment include, but are not limited to, self-directed and highly motivated people who demonstrate high levels of program-specific knowledge and skills, and who possess strong interpersonal, research, and communication skills.
Most graduate and undergraduate degree programs offer short term on-campus residency study periods. These vary from two to five weeks. For more information, please refer to specific program areas of interest.
Royal Roads University is committed to providing quality services that create a supportive learning community for all our students. These include a fully integrated library, computer labs, student counselling, career enhancement services and a full range of fitness and recreation facilities right on campus. Students are encouraged to join academic, recreational and social associations and clubs on campus. For more information stop by the main reception desk located in the Learning and Innovation Centre, visit My RRU for Students or call 250 391-2511.
Many students are self-funded or supported by their employers. Most full-time programs at Royal Roads are eligible for Canada Student Loans and Provincial Loans if the individual eligibility criteria are met. Royal Roads offers a number of entrance awards to qualified students. We also have contacts with a number of financial institutions to help arrange student lines of credit. More about Royal Roads resources.
Royal Roads was created on the former Royal Roads Military College. It is considered one of the most beautiful University campuses in Canada, overlooking the majestic Olympic Mountains across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Hatley Park was designated a National Historic Site by the federal government in 2000. Find out more by visiting the Hatley Park website.
The campus is located at 2005 Sooke Road in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Please refer to the campus information page to find directions on how to get here.
Royal Roads campus was home to a military college from 1940 to 1995. The military college was closed before becoming the home to Royal Roads University. The Department of National Defence owns the property and Royal Roads University leases the property from the crown for its University operations and assumes the stewardship responsibility for maintaining the site. There are still many aspects of the university that hearken back to its fine military legacy and Royal Roads University considers this an important and cherished part of the history of this site. The university continues to support our ties to the military and several members of our staff and alumni are a part of that history. However, today Royal Roads is open to everyone - serving the community through offering formal academic programs, professional studies, continuing studies and interpretive services to visitors to the site.
Maclean's does not rank schools that have a specialized mission. Because Royal Roads University is the first public university in Canada created to solely address the knowledge needs of working professionals through applied and professional programs, Maclean’s magazine doesn’t always publish our information in their ranking. Nevertheless Macleans’s continues to ask for our information every year and we submit it for their consideration.
To fill in a request for more information form click here or call 1-877-778-6227. You can also contact us by e-mail for more information.
