University of British Columbia – Vancouver

The application deadline for most programs is January 31. For information on UBC’s document deadlines see here.

A student who has completed courses in a university transfer program may be considered for admission to UBC with advance credit for up to 60 semester hours (60 UBC credits) under the following conditions:

General Admission Requirement

The minimum standing required for admission to the University is a “C” average (60% where 50% is a passing grade), or grade point average of 2.0 (calculated on a 4-point scale: A+=4.33, A=4.0, A-=3.67, B+=3.33, B=3, B-=2.67, C+=2.33, C=2, C-=1.67, D+=1.33, D=1, D-=0.67, F=0). Applicants presenting less than 24 credits are evaluated on the basis of both final secondary school grades and the partial post-secondary studies completed. Unless otherwise prescribed by the program to which admission is sought, academic standing is based on the average of the most recent 30 transferable credits attempted, including failures and repeated courses.  Depending on the amount of transferable course credit taken, the admission GPA is calculated as follows:

Because of enrolment limitations, most programs require a higher average for admission than the University minimum, and may require a minimum standing in specified courses. Applicants should consult the relevant part in the UBC Calendar for a statement of admission requirements for the program to which they seek admission. To be eligible for second year, applicants must normally have successfully completed 30 credits, and satisfied all promotion requirements for advancement to that year. Applicants to third year must have successfully completed 54 to 60 credits, and satisfied all promotion requirements for advancement to that year.

Successfully completed courses are granted transfer credit in accordance with agreed-upon equivalencies published in the BC Transfer Guide.  Courses successfully completed at recognized institutions outside of the BCCAT sending framework will be assessed for transfer credit on a course-by-course basis.  Where appropriate, such credit will be used to satisfy degree requirements of the program in which the applicant enrols.  Students applying for transfer credit may be required to supply a copy of the calendar of the college or university at which they have previously studied in order that an assessment can be made.

Upper-level courses may be eligible for credit at UBC if the content is sufficiently similar to a UBC course.  These courses will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis at the time of transfer to UBC.

Maximum Allowable Transfer Credit

In general, transfer credit is limited to the first two years of an undergraduate degree program, but credit at a more senior level is possible with the approval of the faculty concerned. No more than 60 credits of transfer credit, or 50 per cent of required program credits, are allowed in any program, and in some programs the maximum may be less.

Unassigned Credit

Unassigned credit may be granted where a course-to-course equivalence cannot be established. This credit may be used as elective credit. Elective credit may be either in a particular discipline, e.g. “Economics (3) credits”, or in a faculty, e.g. “Arts (6) credits”. Students should be cautioned that there may be specific faculty requirements, as well as specific program requirements, that unassigned credit may not satisfy.

Preclusion of Credit

Where a student is granted unassigned credit on transfer, the student will not also receive degree credit if a similar UBC course is taken subsequently. This applies in cases where the student has taken one half of a six-credit UBC course and where the college course is similar to a third- or fourth-year UBC course. In the tables this is normally clarified with the statement: precludes credit for . . . The name of the course refers to the UBC course unless otherwise stated.

Letter of Permission for UBC Students

After the start of the first UBC academic session to which a student has been admitted, transfer credit from another institution will only be granted if prior permission has been obtained from the faculty in which the student is registered.

An Equation of College and UBC Courses

The BC Transfer Guide compares courses at the various colleges and universities with courses offered at UBC.

The courses listed are taken from the academic offerings of the colleges. These courses are intended to serve as a basis for further studies at a post-college level. Courses offered by the colleges in vocationally oriented programs are not intended to prepare students for transfer to universities and are, therefore, not listed in the BC Transfer Guide.

Where two college courses are equated to a six credit course at UBC, unless otherwise stated, each component will be granted three credits under the same subject title.

In some disciplines, such as art, music, theatre, it is impossible to provide an exact matching of college and university courses. In these situations the college courses are accepted on transfer in the category of elective credit in the particular discipline. A student, continuing study in the discipline concerned, should plan their University program with a faculty advisor to make the best use of previous studies.

College students who anticipate transferring to an honours program at the University must submit a letter of recommendation from the college along with the honours application to the head of the department concerned. Permission of the head of the department is required before a student can enroll in an honours program.

Specific UBC Program Requirements

See here for specific requirements for each faculty are outlined in the appropriate sections of the UBC Calendar.

Where individual college courses transfer into the same UBC course, certain faculties may require a specific combination. Students should check with the faculty adviser of the faculty concerned.

Language Proficiency Index (LPI) Requirement for Frist- Year English

All programs require at least three credits of first-year English; most require six credits. Before enrolling in any first-year English course, Arts One, or Science One, students must complete the Language Proficiency Index (LPI) and achieve a minimum score of level 5 (30/40) on the essay section of the examination.

Some students are exempt from the LPI requirement; all other students must complete the LPI. For detailed information, visit here or contact the LPI office. For further information about eligibility for first-year English courses, contact the English Department; telephone (604) 822-4247 or (604) 822-5651.

Contact
Undergraduate Admissions, Enrollment Services
The University of British Columbia
Brock Hall, 1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1

Tel: 604.822.3014
Fax: 604.822.3599

Website
ubc.ca
UBC Vancouver Transfer Credits
UBC Vancouver Academic Calendar