If you are offered admission to full-time study in the first year of a direct-entry degree, you may be able to defer your studies for one full academic year.
Eligibility for deferred admission
You are eligible to apply for a deferral if you have been admitted to year one of an undergraduate degree and want to defer admission for reasons such as:
- You are planning to take a gap year.
- You are required to complete mandatory military service.
- You will be participating in a Rotary program.
- Your study permit has been delayed.
You are not eligible to apply for a deferral for reasons such as:
- You have been admitted to the second or upper years of a degree.
- You have been admitted to a limited enrolment degree, including but not limited to the Bachelor of Computer Science, Bachelor of Dental Science (Dental Hygiene), Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of International Economics, Bachelor of Midwifery, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UBC Okanagan, Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UBC Vancouver, or Entry-to-Practice Doctor of Pharmacy.
- You want to defer your admission to attend another post-secondary institution.
Not all deferral applications will be approved. We will be in contact with you by late summer via email to let you know if your deferral request has been approved. If your deferral application is approved, any registered courses will be dropped.
How to apply
To apply for a deferral, you must meet the following conditions:
- You must accept your offer of admission.
- You must fulfill the conditions of your offer of admission.
- You must submit a deferred admission request form (see below) before July 1 if you are admitted to a UBC Vancouver program, or before August 15 if you are admitted to a UBC Okanagan program. Applications submitted after this date may be reviewed if your circumstances have changed beyond your control. International students experiencing study permit delays may still submit a deferral request, which will be considered on a one-by-one basis in conjunction with your faculty. Please send your completed form as a scanned attachment to admissions.inquiry@ubc.ca.
- Deferred admission request form
- 114 KB PDF
- Download this form to submit an admission deferral request.
Registering for courses
Because we are unable to approve all deferral applications, we recommend that you still register for your first-year courses, even if your deferral request is pending.
If your request is approved, you should withdraw from your courses. If it is denied, you may choose to remain enrolled, or withdraw from your courses and cancel your registration at UBC.
Notifying UBC Student Housing
If you are granted deferred admission and have applied for residence, you should notify UBC Student Housing directly.