Explore your academic options

Take advantage of access to accomplished professors, state-of-the-art facilities, hundreds of specializations, and thousands of course options. Choose what, where, and how you want to learn.

Choose a campus:

Vancouver
Okanagan

Vancouver campus

On this page:

Your learning experience
Your program options
Academic Essentials
First-year study options
Your learning spaces
Getting involved

Your learning experience

Curious about what pursuing a degree at UBC Vancouver is really like? Explore some of the ways we prepare you to get the most out of your time here.

Your teachers

Learn from award-winning faculty, recognized experts in their respective fields, and from your peers – a global collective of inspiring, curious students from across Canada and around the world.

Your course experiences

At UBC, expect to get out of the classroom for some hands-on learning opportunities. Depending on your degree, our flexible approach to education could have you solving complex problems in a classroom or online, conducting experiments in a laboratory, or gathering research data out in the field.

Advisor tip

“Get involved! Sign up for that club, take part in that event, drag yourself out of bed for that early-morning volunteer position, or ask about an international exchange. With UBC’s diversity, there are endless opportunities to get involved both inside and outside your program.”

Claudia, UBC advisor

Your program options

For most degrees, you don’t have to choose a program or specialization until your second or third year of study, but it’s worth considering your options earlier. Filter by your degree to see what’s available.

Explore your options

Academic Essentials

Prepare for your UBC classes by taking part in our Academic Essentials courses before you begin your first term. These online courses let you learn the skills you’ll need for UBC at your own pace, and give you a solid foundation to build on in September.

Learn more

First-year study options

Transitioning from high school to university can seem daunting. To make the move as easy as possible, UBC offers a selection of first-year study options designed to help you build a community, take the stress out of registering for classes, and offer greater access to instructors.

Explore first-year study options

Your learning spaces

Whether you’re dropping by for a quick second between classes or settling in to conquer that group project, find what you’re looking for in the learning-focused spaces peppered throughout campus.

UBC Libraries

Access resources, study solo, or book a meeting room at one of the 13 library branches on the Vancouver campus. With over 7 million print and electronic volumes, 2.1 million ebooks, and more than 370,000 journal titles, UBC has one of the top research collections in Canada.

Designated study spots

Find plenty of spaces across UBC Vancouver perfect for quiet, focused studying or collaborating with your peers. You’ll discover spots in academic buildings, in your residence halls, and anywhere in between. You can also choose from over 300 bookable classrooms to study as a group.

Beaty Biodiversity Museum

Take a break from the books to experience hands-on learning at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum – Vancouver’s only natural history museum. Explore more than 500 exhibits and discover more about biodiversity and the natural world.

Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery

The Belkin is a nationally acclaimed contemporary art gallery with bold exhibits designed to challenge your eye and mind. The location is home to one of BC’s largest public art collections, and you’ll be able to view more than 4,500 pieces.

Museum of Anthropology

Discover more about the Pacific Northwest’s culture at the Museum of Anthropology. The building and its grounds exhibit one of the world’s finest displays of Northwest Coast First Nations arts, including stunning Haida houses, Musqueam house posts, beadwork, masks, and much more.

Chan Centre for the Performing Arts

Check out performers picked to inspire new perspectives on life and culture at the Chan Centre, one of North America’s premier performing arts locations. Past speakers and artists have included the Dalai Lama, Icelandic band Sigur Rós, and writer Margaret Atwood.

Pacific Museum of Earth

Learn about the wonders of planet Earth without leaving campus. With its focus on oceanography, geology, and environmental science, this museum lets you tour through 4.5 billion years of the planet’s evolution, touch a real dinosaur bone, learn about gemstones, and discover the minerals that power your smartphone.

UBC Farm

Get your hands dirty at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm. A teaching and research centre as well as a local food hub, the 24-hectare site offers the chance to get involved in small-scale sustainable farming.

Getting involved

Having a fulfilling, enriching experience at UBC is so much more than the classes you take. Learn new skills and contribute to your community with these additional opportunities.

Give back

Make meaningful contributions to important initiatives and research. We can connect you with volunteer opportunities, both on campus and in communities around the world.

Gain experience

Learn critical skills in your chosen field and expand your professional network through on-campus work opportunities, local and global practicums, internships, and co-op terms.

Study abroad

Expand your comfort zone. Immerse yourself in another culture and gain a fresh perspective. With study and research opportunities in 40+ countries worldwide, the possibilities are endless.

Take the next step

Plan your degree