The second year diploma is designed to teach culinary students the advanced skills they will need for a management position in the food industry. Please note: there are different secondary school prerequisites for the Diploma (see Admission Requirements). Students are required to have completed a post secondary culinary program and have experience in the culinary industry. The first semester includes advanced culinary techniques, advanced pastry arts, and artisan baking in our wood burning brick oven. Students will also be learning important management, accounting and beverage instruction, delivered by instructors from the VIU Hospitality department. At the end of the diploma program subject to successful completion of VIU coursework, and having completed the industry hour's requirement, students can write the Inter-Provincial Red Seal exam. Completion of VIU's Culinary Diploma program provides students with advanced credit when applying to the VIU Bachelor of Hospitality Management degree.

Culinary students who excel in the Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island's cooking program are in demand for a wide variety of employment opportunities: from five-star hotels to fine dining restaurants, institutions, private clubs, test kitchens, industrial camp kitchens, and many other food catering outlets in Canada. Renown chefs in the industry recognize the expertise of Vancouver Island University's Culinary graduates, and regularly contact VIU's chef instructors when employment opportunities arise. Along with successful chef owner-operated establishments, some of our graduates currently hold the following positions with large food service operations: Corporate Food and Beverage Director - Hilton International; Executive Chef - Fairmont, Four Seasons and Westin Hotels; Vineyard chefs - Mission Hill, NK M´ip, Burrowing Owl; Sous Chefs at numerous locations, and Senior Research Chef - VLR Food Corporation. Our students also continue on to other avenues of the industry such as sales associates in many food related supply companies.