When you are applying to UBC, in addition to meeting the general admission requirements and the degree-specific requirements, you must also meet UBC’s minimum English Language Admission Standard (ELAS).

Since English is the primary language of instruction at UBC, all prospective students are required to demonstrate a minimum level of English before they’re admitted.

 

Meeting the English Language Admission Standard

If you’ve completed four or more consecutive years of recognized, full-time education in English within Canada, or in a country other than Canada where English is the principal language, then you meet UBC’s English Language Admission Standard.

Another way to meet the ELAS is to achieve a minimum score on a recognized English proficiency test, such as the Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Test, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

For more ways to meet the ELAS, find the nine ways to meet UBC’s minimum English Language Admission Standard for an undergraduate degree on the Vancouver campus and the eleven ways to meet UBC’s minimum English Language Admission Standard for an undergraduate degree on the Okanagan campus.

 

Submitting documents

If you’ve applied and need to submit evidence of English language proficiency, you will receive an email from UBC. The deadline to submit documents showing you meet the ELAS is February 15.

If you do not meet the ELAS requirement, you may be interested in one of our academic English development programs.

 

Ready to be a UBC student? Find out how to apply.