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• A linearly operator splitting algorithm is proposed for the nonlocal VCH equation. • The energy stabilities for both subproblems are proved. • The stability and convergence of the operator splitting algorithm are studied. • A semi-implicit SDC method is further used to improve time accuracy. Recently, the viscous Cahn-Hilliard (VCH) equation has been proposed as a phenomenological continuum model for phase separation in glass and polymer systems where intermolecular friction forces become important. Compared with the classical local VCH model, the nonlocal VCH model equipped with nonlocal diffusion operator can describe more practical phenomena for modeling phase transitions of microstructures in materials. This paper presents a high order fast explicit method based on operator splitting and spectral deferred correction (SDC) for solving the nonlocal VCH equation. We start with a second-order operator splitting spectral scheme, which is based on the Fourier spectral method and the strong stability preserving Runge-Kutta (SSP-RK) method. The scheme takes advantage of applying the fast Fourier transform (FFT) and avoiding nonlinear iteration. The stability and convergence analysis of the obtained numerical scheme are analyzed. To improve the temporal accuracy, the semi-implicit SDC method is then introduced. Various numerical simulations are performed to validate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]