Royal Roads University caters primarily to mature students by offering applied and professional programs and by delivering teaching models suited to working people. The school accepts transfer credits from colleges and universities across the country and around the world, and a flexible admission policy recognizes formal and informal learning. With a focus on small classes and group projects, students build a network of contacts and work closely with others to achieve common goals.

“Royal Roads’ approach to learning affords us the ability to do things differently, and our values of caring, creativity and courage guide us in the ways we think, act and respond,” says president Philip Steenkamp. This aim is echoed in the small-group residencies and on-campus portion of blended online courses.

Students can choose from 10 undergraduate degree-completion programs (i.e., third- and fourth-year programs; RRU offers first- and second-year undergrad courses only to international students), 22 master’s programs, more than 40 graduate certificates and diplomas, and two applied doctoral programs in social sciences and business administration. In 2022, the school launched a master of arts in executive and organizational coaching. The campus sits within the Hatley Park National Historic Site, surrounded by gardens and forest and only a 20-minute drive to Victoria.

Campus Buzz

The university’s 100-year-old Japanese gardens are undergoing rejuvenation, including a new tea house, a Zen garden, a moss garden and accessible bridges and pathways.