University guides
On this page
UBC Workday, Canvas and First-Year Course Registration
UBC uses a different tool at each step. As an applicant, you check your status and accept your offer in the Applicant Service Centre. After you accept, you create a Campus-wide Login (CWL) and use Workday to plan a saved schedule, register for courses and pay tuition. Your course sites live in Canvas. For 2026-27, first-year Vancouver registration ran June 23 to 25, 2026. For Fall 2027, UBC lists late June 2027.
Sources checked September 29, 2026. View sources
Which UBC tool does what
Mixing these up is a common first-year mistake. Workday is for current students, not applicants. Canvas shows your courses, but you add and drop courses in Workday.
| Task | Where | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Check your application and accept your offer | Applicant Service Centre | Accept under Admissions, then pay the acceptance deposit by credit card |
| Create your student login | CWL Account Upgrader | Newly admitted students with a student number create a student CWL here, not a basic CWL |
| Plan a timetable | Workday: saved schedules | Build a separate saved schedule for each Winter Session term; it doesn't register you |
| Register, waitlist, add and drop | Workday: Academics app | Opens at your registration appointment; UBC emails you in June |
| See fees and pay tuition | Workday: Finances app | View your account statement and pay through TouchNet |
| Exam schedule | Workday | Posted mid-October for Term 1 and mid-February for Term 2 |
| Course sites and assignments | Canvas | Courses appear on your dashboard from the first day of term |
| Residence and meal plan | SHCS Online Service Centre | Separate from course registration |
Accept your offer, then set up your CWL
Log in to the Applicant Service Centre, choose Admissions, then Accept or Decline Offer. Pay the acceptance deposit by credit card: $500 for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, or $3,000 for students on a study permit. The deposit is non-refundable and counts toward your tuition. International students who are refused a study permit can get it back less a $150 processing fee.
For Fall 2027, most students must accept by May 1, 2027 or June 1, 2027. Your letter of admission or the Applicant Service Centre shows your date.
Once you've accepted, create your student CWL with the CWL Account Upgrader. You'll use it to sign in to Workday, Canvas, UBC Recreation and U-Pass BC. UBC Vancouver also pairs you with an Enrolment Services Advisor; you'll find their name under the Support tab in Workday's Academics app.
First-year registration dates and deadlines
UBC emails you in June when your registration appointment is in Workday. Its pages describe that email as arriving early June or around mid-June. If you accept your offer late and get no email, you can still register by following UBC's steps. Times are in Pacific Time, so convert them if you're registering from another time zone.
Register for both Term 1 and Term 2 courses at your appointment. Courses fill up, so UBC suggests having several saved schedules ready and clearing any account holds first. Sauder, Education, Pharmacy and some other programs set their own registration times.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| June 23, 24 and 25, 2026 | First-year Winter Session registration period for 2026-27 |
| September 8, 2026 | Term 1 starts; Canvas courses appear on your dashboard by default |
| September 21, 2026 | Last day to add or drop a Term 1 course without a W |
| September 28, 2026 | Last day to add or drop a full-year course without a W |
| October 30, 2026 | Last day to withdraw from a Term 1 course, with a W |
| January 5, 2027 | Term 2 starts |
| January 18, 2027 | Last day to add or drop a Term 2 course without a W |
| Late June 2027 | Registration opens for first-year students entering in Fall 2027 |
| September 7, 2027 | Term 1 of the 2027-28 Winter Session starts |
Canvas: where your courses live
Canvas is UBC's learning platform for course material, assignments and announcements. You sign in with your CWL. For fall 2026, courses appeared on your dashboard from September 8, the first day of term, unless an instructor opened one early. Access usually ends eight weeks after the last day of class.
Registration changes in Workday can take up to 24 hours to reach Canvas. If a course is missing, open Courses, then All Courses. If it's listed but not published, your instructor hasn't opened it yet. If it's still missing after 24 hours, contact the LT Hub.
If you have AP, IB or other first-year credit
Register for your courses as normal, even if you expect transfer credit. UBC updates credits in Workday in late July or August. Then drop any courses you no longer need before the add/drop deadline.
International students and students with awards or loans must stay registered in enough credits to keep their immigration or funding status. Check those rules before you drop anything.
Keep exploring
Sources and updates
This independent guide summarizes the official information linked below. Availability, access rules and application cycles can change; check the relevant university page before making a decision.
- UBC Workday tutorials: navigating Workday
- UBC Undergraduate Admissions: accept your offer
- UBC Vancouver Academic Calendar: policies on fees and acceptance deposits
- UBC admissions dates and deadlines for 2027
- UBC IT: how to create a CWL account
- UBC Student Services: how to register for courses
- UBC Student Services: introduction to UBC classes
- UBC Student Housing: how to apply
- UBC Student Services: registration dates
- UBC Student Services: course change dates 2026-27
- UBC Vancouver Senate: term dates
- UBC LTIC: beginning-of-term Canvas course access, September 2026
- UBC LT Hub: Canvas student guide
- UBC Undergraduate Admissions: register for your courses