University of British Columbia

Vancouver, Kelowna
Canada

Language of instruction

English

   Limited places available. Potentially available as a second of third preference.

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC’s West Coast spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo.

The Okanagan campus is located in British Columbia’s “four-season playground”, where students can explore Okanagan Lake’s clear waters and sandy beaches, Skaha Bluffs – a world-famous rock climbing destination, and the many wineries of the Okanagan Valley.

The Vancouver campus is surrounded by forest on 3 sides and ocean on the 4th and is just a 30 minute bus ride to Vancouver’s downtown core.

Semester dates

UQ SemesterHost SemesterDates
Semester 1Winter Term 2January–April
Semester 2Winter Term 1September–December

View UBC's academic calendar for the Vancouver campus and Okanagan campus.

Guides and additional information

UBC has online resources to help you get the most out of your exchange:

Campuses

You can choose to study at either of UBC's 2 campuses:

Exchange deadlines

Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 1:
Open: 24 April (for Semester 1 of the following year)
Close: 31 May (for Semester 1 of the following year)

Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 2:
Open: 24 September (for Semester 2 of the following year)
Close: 31 October (for Semester 2 of the following year)
Extended Deadline: 28 Nov 2024 (for exchange in Sem 2, 2025)

Student testimonials

Full-time study load

Undergraduate: 15 credits at UBC is equivalent to 8 UQ units.
Postgraduate: 9 credits at UBC is equivalent to 8 UQ units.

Host university requirements

GPA
You will need a minimum cumulative GPA of 5.2 to study at UBC.
Law students will need a cumulative GPA of 5.2 based on their law courses only.

Study Options
You must choose one admission stream from the list below and take the majority of courses within the chosen stream. Further details are outlined in the Additional Academic Information section below.

Semester Restrictions
Due to study permit caps introduced by the Government of Canada, admission for a full-year exchange at UBC cannot be guaranteed. Please take this into consideration when deciding on the duration of your exchange. 

Law: UBC only accepts exchange applications from Law students once per year. Therefore, Law students need to apply to UQ’s Semester-based Exchange by the following deadlines:

UQ Application DeadlineExchange Semester         
31 October 2022UQ’s Semester 2, 2023
UQ’s Semester 1, 2024
31 October 2023UQ’s Semester 2, 2024
UQ’s Semester 1, 2025
31 October 2024UQ’s Semester 2, 2025
UQ’s Semester 1, 2026
31 October 2025UQ’s Semester 2, 2026
UQ’s Semester 1, 2027

Other Requirements:
Nationality: UBC's Allard Law School is not available to Canadian citizens. 

Note: Host university eligibility criteria are at the discretion of the host and may change without notice.

Find courses

Search the UBC course catalogue .

Crosscheck the courses you found in the host course catalogue with the Credit Precedent Database to see if UQ credit has previously been granted. The database should be used as a general guide only. Few courses from each host will be in the database and many course precedents in the database may have expired. Note, the credit precedent database does not replace the host course catalogue. If a course is not listed in the CPD, you can still ask for it to be assessed on your study plan.

Study areas taught in English

Undergraduate
Anthropology
Archaeology
Art history
Biological sciences
Biomedical engineering
Biomedical science
Business administration
Chemical engineering
Chemistry and biochemistry
Chinese
Civil engineering
Classical languages
Computer engineering
Drama
Earth and Geographical Sciences
Economics
Electrical engineering
English
English literature
Environmental engineering
Environmental studies
Film, TV and media
French
Gender Studies
German
History and ancient history
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Law
Linguistics
Materials engineering
Mathematics and statistics
Mechanical engineering
Microbiology
Mining engineering
Music
Nutrition science
Philosophy
Physics
Political science
Psychology
Regional and town planning
Religion
Russian
Sociology
Spanish
Writing
Postgraduate
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
Art history
Biological sciences
Biomedical engineering
Biomedical science
Business administration
Chemical engineering
Chemistry and biochemistry
Civil engineering
Classical languages
Computer engineering
Computer science
Drama
Earth and Geographical Sciences
Electrical engineering
English
English literature
Environmental studies
Film, TV and media
Finance
Food science
Gender Studies
History and ancient history
Human resources
Innovation and entrepreneurship
Law
Leadership and Management
Linguistics
Marketing
Materials engineering
Mathematics and statistics
Mechanical engineering
Microbiology
Mining engineering
Music
Philosophy
Physics
Public policy
Regional and town planning
Social work
Sociology
Spanish
Writing

Exchange deadlines

Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 1:
Open: 24 April (for Semester 1 of the following year)
Close: 31 May (for Semester 1 of the following year)

Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 2:
Open: 24 September (for Semester 2 of the following year)
Close: 31 October (for Semester 2 of the following year)
Extended Deadline: 28 Nov 2024 (for exchange in Sem 2, 2025)

Accommodation

UBC has on-campus residential options available to exchange students at both campuses.

Vancouver Campus:

On-campus accommodation at UBC Vancouver is not guaranteed. On-campus accommodation is very competitive, especially during UBC's Winter Term 1 or for Full Year students.

Students admitted to CIE (Engineering), will not have access to on-campus accommodation in Winter Term 1. 

As of November 2022, due to an increase in requests for campus accommodation, UBC Vancouver residence accommodation is not guaranteed.

Students wanting on-campus accommodation are encouraged to look at UBC's Okanagan Campus (see below).

Okanagan Campus:

All incoming exchange students are given priority access to housing at UBC Okanagan if they apply by the deadline (May 1st for September term and October 1st for January term).

Cost of living

UBC has provided a breakdown of key costs students can expect to encounter while studying at the university.

Financial support

A range of funding for student exchange including scholarships, grants and loans are available to UQ students.  

Insurance

Students approved to participate in a Semester-based Exchange are automatically covered by UQ’s Travel Insurance for the country of their host university only.

For more information, read the Student Travel Insurance Policy Summary on UQ’s Travel Insurance web page (login required).

If you plan to travel outside of your host country, you should purchase additional insurance.

All UBC exchange students are required to purchase the mandatory health insurance, iMED.

Exchange deadlines

Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 1:
Open: 24 April (for Semester 1 of the following year)
Close: 31 May (for Semester 1 of the following year)

Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 2:
Open: 24 September (for Semester 2 of the following year)
Close: 31 October (for Semester 2 of the following year)
Extended Deadline: 28 Nov 2024 (for exchange in Sem 2, 2025)

Organise your visa

It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa for the country where you will be studying. As the Global Experiences team is not a visa-issuing authority we cannot provide visa advice.

Contact the High Commission of Canada for visa information.

UBC provide information about various visa options while on exchange.

Travel risk levels

The University of Queensland cannot and does not allow students to travel to any country with a risk level of 3 (Reconsider your need to travel) or above, as assessed by the Australian Government.

If a country's risk level changes to 3 or above, experiences to that country are suspended until the risk level improves.

Find out the risk level and travel advice, and sign up to receive updates for your host country on the Smartraveller website.

Exchange deadlines

Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 1:
Open: 24 April (for Semester 1 of the following year)
Close: 31 May (for Semester 1 of the following year)

Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 2:
Open: 24 September (for Semester 2 of the following year)
Close: 31 October (for Semester 2 of the following year)
Extended Deadline: 28 Nov 2024 (for exchange in Sem 2, 2025)