Combined Major in Science at UBC's Vancouver campus| Undergraduate Programs and Admissions

This structured program requires significant discipline breadth, but also gives you increased flexibility to take a greater number of courses. You'll acquire conceptual skills, research skills, communication skills, and collaborative skills as you develop strong foundational knowledge in the sciences.

Why this program?

Integrate three science disciplines for a customized, broad-based science education.
Emphasis on lab and field work to promote experiential learning.
Ideal for students interested in scientific journalism, education, law, or medicine.

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Program information

Campus: Vancouver
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Degree: Bachelor of Science

Length 4 yrs
Co-op Yes
You can combine your studies with full-time, paid work at top local and international organizations.
Honours No
You can study intense specialization in a single field.

The Combined Major in Science (CMS) program provides you with a broad-based science education, with a focus on data handling, communications skills, and experiential learning. It will equip you with the background to understand and evaluate scientific issues and statements from a number of disciplines. It is not designed for students interested in research careers, but is suited to students preparing for professional schools such as education, law, or medicine, or those interested in scientific journalism.

The CMS offers foundations in three areas of concentration selected from five discipline areas: Chemistry; Life Sciences; Earth and Environmental Sciences; Mathematical and Computational Sciences; and Physics and Astronomy.

Experiential learning and research

The Combined Major in Science emphasizes the development of conceptual, research, communication, and collaborative skills through laboratories, a computing and modelling course, and field work.

Campus features

Students have access to the Pacific Museum of the Earth and Beaty Biodiversity Museum, as well as CMS facilities in the Biological Sciences Building.

MATH 100 - Differential Calculus with Applications to Physical Sciences and Engineering
Derivatives of elementary functions. Applications and modeling: graphing, optimization. Consult the Faculty of Science Credit Exclusion List: www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12,215,410,414.
BIOL 121 - Genetics, Evolution and Ecology
Principles of storage and transmission of genetic variation; origin and evolution of species and their ecological interactions.
ENGL 112 - Strategies for University Writing
Study and practice of the principles of university-level discourse, with multidisciplinary readings and emphasis on processes of research-based writing. Essays are required. This course is not available for students in the Faculty of Arts.
CPSC 110 - Computation, Programs, and Programming
Fundamental program and computation structures. Introductory programming skills. Computation as a tool for information processing, simulation and modeling, and interacting with the world.
PHYS 101 - Energy and Waves
Fluids, harmonic oscillator, travelling waves, standing waves, sound, and interference of light waves, including diffraction.

STAT 200 - Elementary Statistics for Applications
Classical, nonparametric, and robust inferences about means, variances, and analysis of variance, using computers. Emphasis on problem formulation, assumptions, and interpretation. See the Faculty of Science Credit Exclusion Lists: www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12,215,410,414.
CHEM 203 - Introduction to Organic Chemistry
Structure, bonding and physical properties of aliphatic and aromatic compounds; mechanistic analysis of chemical reactivity of common functional groups with a focus on carbon-heteroatom bond formation; functional group interconversion and oxidation/reduction reactions. Only open to students in Chemistry or Biochemistry specializations.
ATSC 201 - Meteorology of Storms
Characteristics and physical processes of thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, hail, hurricanes, blizzards, cyclones and other storms.
BIOL 200 - Fundamentals of Cell Biology
Structure and function of plant and animal cells; membrane models, cytoplasmic organelles, biological information from gene to protein, the endomembrane system, secretion, intracellular digestion, endocytosis, transport processes, cytoskeleton and cell motility.
MATH 210 - Introduction to Mathematical Computing
Introduction to numerical computation, computer algebra, mathematical graphics. Primarily for second year students taking a degree in mathematics. One hour laboratory each week.

SCIE 300 - Communicating Science
Effective communication and presentation skills in science.
BIOL 342 - Integrative Biology Laboratory
Field-based and laboratory-based investigation of organisms.
GEOB 307 - Biogeography and Global Change
Biogeographic concepts in understanding responses in ecosystems to environmental change at global, regional, and local scales. Conservation issues such as the loss of biodiversity and endangered species.
ASTR 333 - Exoplanets and Astrobiology
Observations and basic characteristics of extrasolar planets, including their formation, evolution, and potential for supporting life.
STAT 302 - Introduction to Probability
Basic notions of probability, random variables, expectation and conditional expectation, limit theorems. (Consult the Credit Exclusion list within the Faculty of Science section in the Calendar.)

EOSC 442 - Climate Measurement and Analysis
Local climate time series collection and analysis. Retrieval and analysis of on-line climate data and model output.
ASTR 407 - Planetary Science
Structure of planetary systems, planetary interiors, planet formation, planetary atmospheres, meteoritics, impact cratering.
PHYS 420 - c Physics Demonstrations
The students will prepare, under the supervision of a faculty member, a demonstration or series of demonstrations intended to illustrate physical principles to diverse audiences. Intended for third- or fourth-year Physics Majors and Math/Science Education students.
CHEM 315 - Chemistry Integrated Laboratory I
Principles and techniques of modern chemistry applied by integrating experiments chosen from organic, inorganic, physical, and analytical chemistry.
PSYC 460 - Behavioural Neuroendocrinology
Detailed examination of the interaction between hormones and neural control of reproductive and non-reproductive behaviours; emphasis on gonadal and adrenal hormone effects on learning and memory in the brain.

Life at UBC's Vancouver campus

The Combined Major in Science in housed in the Biological Sciences Building, but the integrated nature of the specialization ensures that you will attend classes and participate in labs in the facilities of other science departments, such as the Mathematics Building and Earth Sciences Building.

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Your future

The CMS provides a strong foundational education in at least three science disciplines, making it an ideal undergraduate degree for students interested in applying to professional schools, including medical, education, or law.

The program emphasizes data handling, lab experience, critical thinking, communication skills, and the ability to work effectively in teams.

Program graduates

Doctor of Pharmacy candidate, University of British Columbia
Software engineer, MDA
Research assistant, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute

Program requirements

Canadian high schools
International high schools
International baccalaureate

English-language requirements

English is the language of instruction at UBC. All prospective students must demonstrate English-language competency prior to admission. There are numerous ways to meet the English Language Admission Standard.

General admission requirements

IB Diploma Programme

Completed IB Diploma, including at least three Higher Level courses.

IB Certificate Courses

IB Certificate courses (Standard and Higher Level) may be used in an admissions average if you are graduating from a recognized high school curriculum that can be used as your basis of admission.
IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, do not satisfy the math requirement for admission to UBC’s science-based programs, the Faculty of Management, the UBC Sauder School of Business, or the Vancouver School of Economics.

Degree-specific requirements: Science

IB Math Analysis and Approaches SL or HL, or IB Math Applications and Interpretations HL (IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, are not acceptable)
One of IB Biology, IB Chemistry, or IB Physics
Grade 11 or equivalent Chemistry, and
Grade 11 or equivalent Physics (may be waived with grades of 5 in IB Chemistry and in your IB Mathematics course)

Note: Grade 11 Chemistry and Physics requirements listed are only relevant to students who are not completing the equivalent IB Diploma Chemistry and/or Physics courses.

For students studying outside of Canada, some examples of courses that may be accepted as Grade 11 equivalents are junior-level courses for American students, and IGCSE and O Level for those following British-patterned curricula.

Related courses

The following subject categories are particularly relevant for this degree. Consider taking courses in these areas in your junior year and senior year.

Language Arts
Mathematics and Computation
Sciences