UBC admissions blog

Are you interested in a versatile Science degree with flexible program options that encourage you to explore your interests?

Whether you want to study the behaviours of the animal kingdom, understand the structure of cells, learn how to protect species and ecosystems or learn how to make decisions supported by data, the Bachelor of Science program at UBC Okanagan will let you build your degree into what you want and discover your passion.

What you learn in Science at UBC Okanagan

As a student in the Bachelor of Science program, you can complete a General Science degree or choose from among 17 majors and numerous minors. These are nationally and internationally recognized programs and several have strong ties with Indigenous communities and Indigenous lands.

In your first year, you build a foundation of skills in core science subjects while exploring other areas of interest through a combination of classroom and hands-on lab work.

Some of the program options include:

Zoology

Explore the animal kingdom as a biological scientist by studying behaviours, physiology, anatomy, and the entire animal organism. You’ll gain practical experience and skills in laboratory and fieldwork, computers, and communication.

A UBC degree in Zoology prepares you for a range of careers in areas such as conservation, environmental assessment, aquaculture, forensic biology, and toxicology.

 

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Investigate the world at the molecular level in biochemistry and molecular biology, the study of chemical compounds and reactions that occur in living organisms. This program includes a wide variety of foundational and advanced courses that cover metabolic pathways, the chemistry of winemaking, pharmacology, and more. You can choose to specialize in biochemistry or the more medical aspects of cell and molecular biology.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology can lead to work in mass producing chemicals that are usually found in the body in tiny amounts, mapping the human genetic code, or creating genetically engineered crops that are more resistant to adverse weather conditions, spoilage, disease, and pests.

Graduates from the program go on to graduate or medical school, or careers in fields such as biotechnology, food science, and pharmacology.

 

Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology

Ecology, evolution and conservation biology is an interdisciplinary field that draws on natural history, behaviour, genetics, mathematical, and environmental sciences.

By studying ecology, you master the tools needed to understand natural systems and improve the impact human activity has on the natural world. Studying evolutionary biology provides a focus on the origin and maintenance of biodiversity, an understanding of the adaptive processes that explain reproductive tactics and animal behaviour and the tools required for investigating ongoing evolutionary processes in natural systems. Studying conservation biology gives you practical tools and approaches for protecting species and ecosystems.

This program offers a wide variety of foundational and advanced courses that explore topics ranging from the fundamental processes underlying adaptive evolution, speciation, and extinction to techniques used by wildlife ecologists.

 

Earth and Environmental Sciences

 Develop an understanding of the fundamental natural processes that shape Earth and its environment, and an appreciation of how humans are influencing its future. The Earth and Environmental Sciences program allows you the flexibility to pursue your interests, from the solid earth sciences to the environment. Choose from courses covering mineral resources, water resources, river hydrology, climate and paleo-climate, hydrogeology, land use management, environmental assessment, geochemistry, and other topics.

As an Earth and Environmental Sciences graduate, you could work for mineral exploration and resource extraction companies, environmental and geotechnical consulting firms, provincial and federal geological surveys, provincial and federal ministries that oversee environment, habitat, and land use, and government research laboratories.

 

Data Science

Data Science is an in-demand field that focuses on making decisions supported by data. It’s grounded in statistics to formulate relevant questions and determine the answer based on data, and in computer science to manipulate and visualize data efficiently.

A BSc in Data Science can help you find an exciting career across a broad range of industries and organizations, everything from marketing analyst to data engineer.

Student Scoop

Meet Jason. He came from Jakarta to study Data Science at UBC Okanagan and was the recipient of two awards, the International Major Entrance Scholarship and the Outstanding International Student award. “Being able to share ideas in both a classroom and community setting allows me to gain new perspectives.” – Jason Samuel Suwito

 

Why choose Science at UBC Okanagan?

Science at UBC Okanagan emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning. Research opportunities are abundant and unique and students study in a close-knit community with access to their professors. The program has strong ties with Indigenous communities and Indigenous lands.

Graduates of the program have a variety of post-graduate opportunities, including med school, dentistry, veterinary school, and law.

Are you looking for a degree that will give you a broad range of knowledge and teach you how to think critically, be creative, problem solve, and communicate effectively?

UBC Okanagan’s Bachelor of Arts degree is a flexible, innovative arts degree designed for the 21^st century, taught by award-winning instructors. The degree integrates foundational knowledge with interdisciplinary opportunities in social justice, sustainability and Indigenous content, and prepares you for global citizenship.

 

What you learn in Arts at UBC Okanagan

You can choose from more than 20 majors in the Bachelor of Arts at UBC’s Okanagan campus. Students start their degree taking foundational courses, and at the end of year one or two can choose a program to major in to complete their degree.

Some of the program options include:

Indigenous Studies

In the Indigenous Studies program, you will learn about Indigenous governance, the justice system, land claims, traditional ecological knowledge, the protection of heritage, Indigenous theory, and more.

Indigenous Studies will give you the opportunity to design research projects relevant and respectful to an Indigenous community or agency and implement the project working on-site in that community or agency.

Graduates leave with the skills to pursue a career in government, Indigenous Peoples organizations, Indigenous leadership roles, and resource management.

Find out what you can do with a degree in Indigenous Studies after you graduate

 

Faculty Spotlight

Meet Jeannette Armstrong, an Associate Professor in the Indigenous Studies program, who is also an award-winning writer, activist, novelist and poet. Her research into Indigenous philosophies and Okanagan Syilx thought and environmental ethics has been recognized locally and globally.

 

Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

The Philosophy, Politics and Economics program brings together three of the most important fields in forming our understanding of society. This degree uniquely blends these three fields to allow you to form a critical understanding and interpretation of the world.

You’ll explore logic, ethics and how to question critically; the interests and institutions that form public policies and the rules by which we are governed; and how we make decisions as individuals and groups in our increasingly global world market.

With a Philosophy, Politics and Economics degree you can pursue a career in business or government, or undertake studies in law, business, commerce, journalism, social work, education, or public administration.

Find out what you can do with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics after you graduate

 

Student Spotlight

Meet Kevin Ilomin, an alum of the Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) program who believes that the broad, interdisciplinary approach to learning is what makes the PPE program at UBC’s Okanagan campus one of the best in Canada.

Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies

Learn about the world and our place in it through a deeper understanding of sexuality, femininity, embodiment and social justice. This dynamic and interdisciplinary program draws from across the humanities and social sciences and focuses on the historical and contemporary role of gender in global cultures. This program encourages you to engage in critical thought, challenge stereotypes, and contribute to social change. Courses draw on theoretical analysis, research, history, and literary sources to examine gender issues and the experiences of women.

Find out what you can do with a degree in Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies

 

Computer Science

Discover how to use your artistic creativity with technology in UBC Okanagan’s Computer Science BA program. Different from a BSc Computer Science degree, this program gives you the opportunity to complement your Arts degree with computer science courses.

The program appeals to students who are interested in both computer science and visual arts (game or website design), psychology (programming for cognitive science, psychology, and human and computer interactions), English (technical writing), languages (automation of text translation), philosophy (computer ethics), or law (information security and privacy, and forensics).

You will develop the skills and knowledge to pursue a variety of in-demand careers, including as an application developer, game designer, desktop publisher, animator, or quality control specialist.

Find out what you can do with a BA in Computer Science

 

Student Spotlight

Meet Eric Huang, an undergraduate student in the Computer Science program who says that it has given him opportunities that would be hard to come by anywhere else.

 

Economics

Economics will change the way you look at the world, increase your understanding of fundamental human behaviour, and improve your reasoning, problem solving, and decision-making abilities. Economics is the study of how people, institutions, and nations manage resources such as time, money, and materials. In this program, you will increase your skills in deductive reasoning, abstract and critical thinking, and your understanding of the historical, cultural, and social context of economic institutions, policies, and events. Economists study how behaviour reflects and responds to incentives.

Find out what you can do with a degree in Economics

 

Creative writing

The Creative Writing program on UBC’s Okanagan campus provides you with an opportunity to study literature and literary criticism, and to bring what you learn from these studies into your own work. Course options include poetry, creative non-fiction, short fiction, novels, playwriting, screenplay, writing with media, editing and publishing, and community learning. The program fosters a supportive community of faculty and peers in which you’ll find encouragement to explore new genres and writing forms.

You’ll be actively involved in writing projects, chapbook production, magazine editing, new media work, student anthology production, and community learning projects. You’ll also have the chance to build a varied body of work for your own portfolio – all while studying under a faculty of award-winning writers dedicated to helping you experiment and grow as a writer.

Find out what you can do with a degree in Creative Writing

 

Why choose Arts at UBC Okanagan?

As a student in the Bachelor of Arts at UBC Okanagan, you’ll have options to tailor your degree, including a sustainability component, a digital literacy component, and a diversity and cultures component.

Because UBC Okanagan is a smaller campus, you can build close relationships with fellow students in small-group programs, and connect with professors early in your academic career.

You’ll graduate with transferable skills that you can apply to many different jobs.

 

See a full list of Arts programs at UBC Okanagan

Sustainability is one of the biggest challenges facing our planet. A Bachelor in Sustainability at UBC’s Okanagan campus will give you the skills to critically assess and propose solutions to contemporary sustainability challenges, such as climate change, pollution, and social and economic inequality.

UBC Okanagan’s Bachelor of Sustainability, the only dedicated degree in sustainability in Canada, will develop your skills and knowledge to enable you to take action to solve sustainability problems at both a local and global scale.

 

Hands-on learning and research

As a Bachelor of Sustainability student, your degree is fully immersive, with research and community-based learning opportunities imbedded in the curriculum.

Because UBC Okanagan is located in a unique environment, you’ll have access to urban, agricultural, and wilderness environments that will become your real-world labs.

You will have the opportunity to work together with faculty to conduct or assist with research projects. You can participate in research either as a volunteer research assistant, or through Directed Studies opportunities.

 

Meet your professor

Meet Lael Parrott, a professor in Sustainability at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

“The UBC Okanagan campus is exceptional because it has easy accessibility to different environments for teaching and research. Urban, agriculture, and aquatic systems are all local. This is an incredible asset…The students can go out and see the ecosystems they’re studying. It’s not just textbook knowledge.”

 

What you learn in the Bachelor of Sustainability

The Bachelor of Sustainability combines a broad interdisciplinary approach – course content spans the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences – with focused concentrations to develop your skills and knowledge.

All students take core Sustainability courses along with courses specific to their concentration. You can choose from the following four concentrations:

 

Environmental Analytics

The Environmental Analytics concentration supplements core knowledge of sustainability with powerful modeling and simulation techniques that exploit geographical data. You will to understand, model, simulate, explain, and extrapolate the behaviour of complex environmental systems.

Environmental analytics graduates will be well-equipped to tackle sustainability challenges through evidence-based data analysis. Job opportunities range from climate action analyst and impact assessment analyst to sustainability consultant and data analyst.

Learn more about Environmental Analytics

 

Environmental Conservation and Management

The Environmental Conservation and Management concentration provides you with an understanding of the challenges of sustainably managing and preserving terrestrial and freshwater environments and resources.

You will gain a comprehensive understanding in environmental and natural resources management, land use and ecosystem services assessment, resource economics, and environmental impact assessment.

Job opportunities range from environmental assessment specialist and sustainability consultant to environmental coordinator and Indigenous resource management.

Learn more about Environmental Conservation and Management

 

Environmental Humanities

Environmental sciences can tell us what is happening to our planet, but not why. The Environmental Humanities seek to explain and transform the cultural and historical foundations of environmental crisis.

You will enter into constructive dialogue with other subject areas to analyze and address a wide range of issues in sustainability.

Job opportunities range from impact assessment analyst and environmental assessment specialist to sustainability specialist and advisor in sustainability reporting.

Learn more about Environmental Humanities

 

Green Chemistry

The Green Chemistry concentration analyzes how modern society relies implicitly on an affordable supply of materials, textiles, fertilizers, and medicines, all of which must be synthesized from other substances by chemical reactions.

A sustainable society is impossible without the creation of improved production methods for these commodities. Such efforts will require the development of new synthetic procedures with an increased reliance on innocuous solvents, renewable and benign reagents, and efficient catalysts.

Job opportunities range from junior environmental analyst and environmental technician to environmental assessment specialist and advisor in sustainability reporting.

Learn more about Green Chemistry

Are you fascinated by how technology can be used to make art? Do you hope to enter a career where you’ll work with still images, sound design, videos, or create games? UBC Okanagan’s Bachelor of Media Studies might be the perfect program for you.

 

What will you learn?

Media Studies at UBC Okanagan is much more hands-on than you might expect. The degree is a computational arts program, which means that you’ll have the chance to use many different technologies to build your creative projects.

In your first two years, you’ll study courses that include creative writing, cultural studies, digital humanities, media studies, and visual arts, and learn how to write computer code. Depending on your preferences and career aspirations, in your final years you can choose to focus on visual arts, or specialize in the degree’s custom-created computer science pathways.

 

Student Scoop

“[UBC Okanagan’s Bachelor of Media Studies program is] a very interesting degree because it takes a lot of practices from visual arts and computer science and blends them together… it exposes you to so many different things and later it allows you to narrow things down and specialize in a certain digital field.” – Kai H. Read about Kai’s experience in the Bachelor of Media Studies program. 

 

Why choose Media Studies at UBC Okanagan?

1. Gain skills beyond a traditional Media Studies degree. The world is going digital. As a student of Media Studies at UBC Okanagan, you’ll not only learn the history and theory behind media and art, but discover how they can be transformed by technology. You’ll develop artistic, technical, and analytical skills, and sharpen your understanding of critical thinking, problem solving, and self-expression.

2. Enjoy a self-directed, graduate feel. Art is a process of discovery, and so is this program. You’ll have the chance to focus on topic areas that you enjoy most, such as filmmaking, sound design, animation, game design, interactive art, or computer coding. The Bachelor of Media studies is a tight-knit learning cohort, and you’ll have plenty of opportunity to interact one-on-one with your professors. Study alongside others who are interested in discovering creative technologies, multimedia platforms, and art history. 

3. Learn from scratch. You won’t need any prior experience in coding to enter the program, and you don’t need to be an expert in a particular medium. The Media Studies courses are designed specifically for this program, and you’ll develop a  streamlined set of computer science and critical thinking skills aimed at code-based art and design skills in creative arts and digital humanities.

4. Collaborate with industry partners. Take part in the Capstone course and work together with community members and organizations on a full-year project. The course lets you foster meaningful connections with industry partners and use your multimedia skills to solve real-world challenges.

5. Take part in co-op experience. Build your career confidence through co-op and explore work experience that challenges and inspires you. Co-op provides the opportunity for you to gain paid, full-time experience in a variety of work settings, and test out possible career options. You’ll benefit from a variety of support workshops, one-on-one coaching, and work experience relevant to your future career goals.