Science One: a first-year study option

Science One: a first-year study option

Once you’ve decided to apply for the Bachelor of Science degree, it’s time to start thinking about how you’d like to structure your first-year courses.

One option is to take Science One, where you’ll get a predesigned course schedule for your first year and take nearly all of your classes with the same people.

What is Science One?

Science One offers courses that integrate Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, and elements of Computer Science. It provides small class sizes, a dedicated study room attached to your professors’ offices, and excellent student-to-instructor ratios.

 

Why should you choose Science One?

Science One offers an immersive learning experience and a solid foundation for your undergraduate education. It also makes the transition from high school to university smoother with standard timetables, coordinated assignment schedules, a set space in the library to study, and support from a community of students and faculty. All Science One teachers attend each other’s classes to dynamically shape your curriculum, and you’ll share your own work and study space with your instructors.

Because Science One takes a select number of students, you’ll find yourself spending a lot of time with your cohort, which will help you make friends. You’ll also be taught by a select number of professors who will decide together what will be on the curriculum each week and how the disciplines will interact – meaning that you’ll make close personal connections with your profs. There will also be the opportunity to take part in peer-group workshops or field trips.

 

Is Science One right for you?

Science One is challenging. It has a competitive application process, and teaches UBC’s highest level of first-year science to a tight-knit group of students. You’ll be one of just 80 individuals, and will be supported by nine instructors, offering you an excellent student-to-professor ratio of 9:1. You’ll also take part in weekly workshops, learn from guest lecturers, and have extra instruction in science literacy and computer programming. The curriculum includes mentorship on two major research projects – the results of which can be published in undergraduate journals – and you’ll attend student conferences.

 

Science One is also a social experience. You’ll help elect student representatives to sit in on the Science One Team meetings and the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS), and take part in mentorship and social activities such as the Winter Formal and talent shows.

 

How to apply

If you want to take part in Science One, you’ll need to submit an application at the same time or shortly after you apply to UBC’s Bachelor of Science degree, as registration opened on December 1, 2023. You are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be assessed in the order they’re received. Applications received after April 30 may be considered, but not with the same priority as those before that date.

 

How UBC will keep in touch with you

How UBC will keep in touch with you

Do you wonder what happens after you submit your application?

After you submit your application, the Admissions Office reviews it and creates an electronic file for you. In a week or two, you’ll receive an email listing the additional information you need to submit in order to complete your application.

 

Check your email

Your email address is a crucial piece of information to submit with your online application. Please be sure to use an email address that you will be checking frequently. Also check your email provider’s spam filters so that UBC emails with important information are not being filtered out.

If your email provider mistakenly deleted something we sent you, you can also log in to the Applicant Service Centre and click on the Message Centre to see all the emails the Admissions Office has sent to you.

If you have any questions, contact us.

 

If you applied before December 1

We have started reading the personal profiles of everyone who submitted an application by December 1.

Successful Presidential Scholars Award candidates will be contacted in mid-April.

 

 

Contact us with your application questions

Contact us with your application questions

Updated: January 23, 2024

If you have a question about your application or the application process, don’t put it off until the last minute – the sooner you get in touch with us, the sooner we can help. Here are some ways to connect with us directly.

Get in touch using our online form

No matter where you are or which campus you’re applying to, you can ask UBC a question using this form.

Talk with us in person or on the phone

You can visit us at one of our Welcome Centres or give us a call during office hours and a UBC representative can answer your questions.

Connect with us on social media

You can also get answers to your admissions-related questions on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram. We have UBC advisors and current students answering questions in real time, Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (PST).

 

Don’t forget: the deadline for applying to UBC is January 15 at 11:59 pm (PST) January 31 at 11:59 pm (PST) (deadline extended).

 

 

UBC application deadline is near

UBC application deadline is near

Updated: January 23, 2024

 

Deadlines: post-secondary life is going to be full of them, so it’s important not to miss the first – and arguably the most important. If you’re planning on applying to UBC for the September 2024 academic year, this is a friendly reminder that you have less than two weeks left to complete your online application.

 

If you’re still working on your application

If you’re still finishing things up, please remember that you need to submit your application and pay your application fee by January 15 at 11:59 pm (PST) January 31 at 11:59 pm (PST) (deadline extended).

 

If you have already applied

If you’ve already submitted your UBC application, then you’re ahead of the game and you should keep an eye on the Applicant Service Centre under Admissions > Application Status for any updates, or to find out if UBC still needs any documents from you.

Please keep in mind that it may take two to three weeks for documents that you’ve submitted to be attached to your application, so don’t worry if you’ve sent or uploaded your transcript and you don’t see it in the Applicant Service Centre yet. If you are worried that your documents haven’t been received, please contact us.

 

If you have questions

The answers to general questions – like personal profile inquiries or how UBC evaluates your application – can be found in our Applying to UBC section.

If there are specific things you want to discuss about your application, we’re happy to provide timely answers before the application deadline. Please contact us by phone, by email, visit us in person, or connect with us on Facebook or Instagram.

 

 

New Minors Spotlight: Minor in Writing and Communication and Minor in Journalism and Social Change

New Minors Spotlight: Minor in Writing and Communication and Minor in Journalism and Social Change

Do you want the tools to understand and respond to social change? Are you looking to use writing and communication to make a social impact? Do you want the skills to communicate information and ideas across platforms?

UBC’s Vancouver’s School of Journalism, Writing, and Media has just launched two new minors that students can enroll in starting this year: Writing and Communication and Journalism and Social Change.

Minor in Writing and Communication

 UBC Vancouver’s new Minor in Writing and Communication will strengthen your writing and communication skills and provide you with a way to explore the role of writing and communication in your own academic discipline, as well as across other academic disciplines, cultural communities, and public contexts.

In the program, you will have opportunities to practice and enhance the impact of your writing and communication in a variety of contexts and engage in conversations about the role of writing and communication in negotiating identity, community, culture, knowledge, and power.

Why Choose the Minor in Writing and Communication?

Open to undergrad students across faculties at UBC, the new Minor in Writing and Communication prepares you to communicate in today’s world.

  • Experience multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary learning: Join students from across UBC to explore the writing and communication used in different academic disciplines, communities, and professions and explore what it means to communicate within group and across divides.
  • Build confidence and practical skills: Gain hands-on experience developing writing and communication skills you need to thrive at UBC and beyond — learn how to tailor your communication style to each situation, to reach your audience and your goals.
  • Gain critical perspective and transformative agency: Tackle pressing questions about writing, communication, ethics, and power and come away with experiences and tools you can use to make writing diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

Start with WRDS 200 — an open-enrolment “big ideas” course that lets you sample themes explored in the Minor. Finish with WRDS 400 — a limited enrolment capstone course, where you create a portfolio of your work in the Minor and complete a project identifying challenges and opportunities for social impact beyond UBC.

Minor in Journalism and Social Change

Facts matter more than ever and we need accurate, verifiable information to understand the complex global and local worlds that we live in.

UBC Vancouver’s new Minor in Journalism and Social Change will give you essential journalism skills and knowledge to effectively communicate information and ideas across various communities and platforms through the lens of social change.

The Minor in Journalism and Social Change gives students across all majors the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge needed to inform, engage, inspire, and prepare them for the digital communication economy. Students will gain fundamental journalistic capabilities grounded in principals of verification social responsibility, and effective engagement with communities by learning essential techniques and concepts for gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting factual information to diverse publics.

What will you learn in the Minor in Journalism and Social Change?

  1. Journalism skills. You’ll learn responsible information-gathering and verification skills, while considering key questions such as the source purpose and content of a news story, information gathering techniques, credibility, and impact of news and other media messages on individuals and society.
  2. Critical thinking and analytical news literacy. You’ll explore the need for more meaningful, socially conscious, and community-focused storytelling, especially in the context of ongoing social-justice movements, the climate crisis, and other aspects of social change.
  3. Ethical relationship-building across communities. You’ll receive foundational training in communicating and engaging across a broad range of communities, while learning to understand the context behind key events and social transformations in those communities.
  4. The role of journalism in social change. You’ll sharpen your understanding of social change and learn how to engage with and assess journalism’s role and responsibilities in times of social change and political unrest.

Questions? Contact UBC’s Vancouver’s School of Journalism, Writing, and Media.

Why we love UBC’s Okanagan campus

Why we love UBC’s Okanagan campus

With UBC’s application deadline coming up next month – January 15, at 11:59 pm (PST) – you’re probably excited to select the university experience that will be the best fit for you. Know your options before you apply, and make sure you check out UBC’s Okanagan campus in Kelowna, BC.

UBC is consistently ranked among the top 40 research universities in the world, and UBC in the Okanagan is a great place to be challenged, to thrive, and to develop into a global citizen. For 10,610 undergraduate students from 110 countries, the campus provides an unparalleled mix of academics, community, and recreation.

 

10 reasons why we love UBC Okanagan

  1. UBC’s Okanagan campus has the unique distinction of being founded in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation. You can study the Nsyilxcn Language Fluency program created to sustain and revitalize language traditions, restore language competence, and protect the knowledge of Indigenous communities.
  2. There are treadmills in the Serwa reading room in the library so you can exercise while you study.
  3. The Okanagan is one of North America’s top grape-growing regions. You can study wine chemistry in a campus that is in the heart of 180+ wineries.
  4. Christine Schreyer, who teaches linguistic anthropology at UBC Okanagan, developed the Kryptonian language for the Superman: Man of Steel
  5. You can take part in the BARK program, which brings cute, friendly dogs to campus to help you de-stress.
  6. There’s a beach volleyball court on campus.
  7. As well as more traditional courses, you could choose to take classes on the popular culture surrounding Harry Potter, vampires, and superheroes.
  8. The Nechako residence offers an all-you-can-eat buffet every day, so you’ll never go hungry.
  9. There’s plenty of modern student housing with no shared bedrooms. After class, you can take in the views by relaxing on the rooftop patio of the Purcell residence.
  10. You can study several majors exclusive to UBC Okanagan, including sustainabilitydata sciencefreshwater sciencezoology, and health promotion.

 

Explore UBC Okanagan 

Start by checking out the list of programs offered at UBC Okanagan, and read up on what it’s like to live in the Okanagan Valley. Would you rather live in residence or live off campus? Take a look at this video about one student’s move-in day to get a sense of how it might be for you.

The best way to get a feel for the Okanagan campus is to join us for an in person campus tour or a live virtual tour.

Ready to apply? Coming to UBC’s Okanagan campus could be the best decision you’ve ever made. To learn more about Kelowna and the Okanagan campus, email recruitment.ok@ubc.ca, or call 1.888.807.8521.

 

What are the requirements for post-secondary transfer admission to UBC?

What are the requirements for post-secondary transfer admission to UBC?

If you are currently attending a post-secondary institution and you have successfully completed high school, you may apply to UBC as a transfer student.

 

The deadline to apply as a transfer student depends on the program you wish to transfer into. While the majority of transfer programs have an application deadline of January 15 there are some exceptions:

 

Each transfer student is unique, so you will have your own way of meeting the requirements. But you can start the application process by asking yourself these questions.

 

Five questions to ask yourself before applying as a transfer student to UBC

 

1. Do you meet UBC’s English Language Requirements?

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 and there are nine ways to meet UBC’s English language admission requirement. The deadline to submit documents showing that you meet the English language requirements is February 15.

 

2. Are you in good academic standing at your current university or college?

The minimum academic standing to be considered for admission to UBC is an admission average of C (60%, where 50% is a passing grade), or a 2.0 on a 4.0 point scale calculated on the most recent 30 credits attempted.

Please note that the number of applicants to UBC exceeds the number of spaces available and meeting this minimum entrance requirement does not guarantee admission, as entry into many degree programs is competitive and some require specific prerequisites. UBC assesses post-secondary applicants on a combination of factors, including grade point average (GPA), required prerequisite courses, and a review of your overall academic history. We may also require you to submit a personal profile, supplemental application, portfolio, or audition. For more information, review What we look for.

 

3. Have you completed a minimum of 30 transferable university or college credits?

Generally, UBC needs to calculate the total number of transferrable credits completed at the post-secondary level as a part of your admissibility and year placement. Review how UBC calculates your year level based on post-secondary credits completed.

You don’t need to have completed all of these credits when you apply. Your application will be considered on the basis of your interim transcripts, which include final grades for courses completed to December, and any courses in-progress from January to April. You have until the spring to submit your final credits and grades.

 

4. Do you meet the degree program entry requirements?

Students who meet the minimum credit requirements still need to meet the degree-specfic requirements to transfer into the program they are applying to.

 

5. What documents do I need to submit? 

To apply as a transfer student, you will need to submit an application form, your transcripts from all your current and previous post-secondary institutions, and your high school transcripts. Some programs may require supplemental materials, such as a personal profile, supplemental application, portfolio, or audition. Check the Applicant Service Centre for details on what documents you need to submit.

 

Looking for more information? Review the admissions requirements for post-secondary transfer students and refer to the BC Transfer Guide to see how courses transfer to UBC.

 

Still have questions? Contact us and we’ll point you in the right direction.

 

Take a virtual tour

Take a virtual tour

Our offices are closed over the holidays, and our last in-person campus tour for 2023 is on December 22.

If you have some down time over the holidays and want to learn more about UBC, you can take advantage of one of our self-guided virtual tours!

From anywhere and at any time, you can access our virtual tours for either the UBC Okanagan or the UBC Vancouver campuses.

On these self-guided tours, you can explore the campuses and get a feel for what it’s like to be a student at UBC. You’ll see UBC’s residences, study spots, recreational facilities, academic buildings, and more.

 

Take a self-guided virtual tour:

 

If you prefer to join a live virtual campus tour or an in-person campus tour, they are resuming in the new year, starting on January 2.

To view all upcoming Okanagan and Vancouver tours, and to register, visit our Tours and Events page.