UBC Programs: Degrees, Majors & Pathways
Vancouver, British Columbia
Compare UBC degree choices by campus, direct-entry route, later specialization, prerequisites, and any program-specific application materials.
The short answer
- UBC takes two degree choices on one application. You can pick a first and second choice across Vancouver and Okanagan.
- Most specializations are chosen after first year. UBC says the degree you enter decides which programs you can pick in second or third year.
- Apply to Applied Science for engineering, not a discipline. UBC Engineering has a foundational first year, then a second-year placement process.
- Commerce (UBC Sauder) is a direct-entry BCom. Vancouver Commerce adds a video interview inside the personal profile.
- UBC Okanagan Nursing takes high-school and transfer applicants. UBC Vancouver Nursing needs at least 48 transferable non-nursing credits and does not take direct high-school applicants.
Reviewed August 13, 2026 · Official university sources · How we review guides
Choose the degree route before the specialization
UBC's application asks for a first and second degree choice, and those choices may span Vancouver and Okanagan. Many specializations are selected after first year, so “I want Computer Science” or “I want Civil Engineering” is not always the same as the high-school application choice.
Filter the program directory by campus and entry degree
Start in UBC's official program directory. Filter by Vancouver or Okanagan, then by degree. The directory also has topic and interest filters. But the campus and degree fields answer the admission question. They show whether the specialization is available through a degree you can choose on your application.
Keep more than one acceptable specialization under each degree on your shortlist. UBC says the degree you enter now decides which programs you can take in second or third year. A similar program name on both campuses does not prove the same entry degree, curriculum, or later selection process.
| Degree or program route | What an applicant needs to know |
|---|---|
| Arts | Apply to the BA degree at Vancouver or Okanagan. Use UBC's live checker for the general and degree-specific requirements attached to the selected campus, curriculum, and degree. |
| Science | Apply to the BSc degree, then compete for a specialization such as Computer Science after university study. Use UBC's live Ontario checker for the required senior mathematics and science pattern. |
| Applied Science (Engineering) | Apply to Applied Science rather than directly to a Vancouver engineering discipline. UBC Engineering describes a foundational first year followed by a second-year placement process for its engineering programs; use the live requirement checker for the selected curriculum. |
| Commerce (UBC Sauder) | Apply directly to the BCom. Senior mathematics is part of the degree-specific pattern, and Vancouver Commerce adds a video interview within the personal profile. |
| Computer Science | Most first-year applicants enter Arts or Science and later apply for a Computer Science specialization. The Bachelor of Computer Science is a separate 20-month, full-time second-degree route designed for graduates whose bachelor's degree is outside computer science; it has its own application process. |
| Nursing | UBC Okanagan Nursing accepts high-school and university-transfer applicants. UBC Vancouver Nursing does not accept direct high-school applicants and requires at least 48 transferable non-nursing credits; its published eligibility is limited to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and people with refugee status in Canada. |
| Design, Music, and Fine Arts | These routes may replace or supplement the general personal profile with a portfolio, audition, or program-specific materials. Follow the requirement attached to the exact campus and degree choice. |
Two degree choices per application
Current structure · Published for this period
The application takes a first-choice and second-choice degree that can span the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses; requirements and supplements attach to the exact campus and degree.
Applies to: All applicants
UBC Undergraduate Admissions: Complete the UBC application: fees and degree choices · Verified September 13, 2026
Degree choice controls later program options
Current structure · Published for this period
For most degrees, students choose a program in second or third year and can select only from programs offered within the degree they entered. UBC lists direct-entry exceptions that must be chosen on the application.
Applies to: All applicants
UBC Undergraduate Admissions: Choose a degree and campus · Verified September 13, 2026
Some degree choices require additional materials
Current application · Published for this period
UBC lists campus- and degree-specific supplemental requirements that can include an additional fee, portfolio, reference reports, tests, auditions, or an interview. Applicants must check the exact degree choice rather than assume one campus requirement applies to the other.
Applies to: All applicants
UBC Undergraduate Admissions: Complete the UBC application: fees and degree choices · Verified September 13, 2026
Check extra materials on the exact degree choice
UBC says most students pick a specialization after they enter UBC. But UBC lists direct-entry exceptions. Its application page also names degrees that may need a portfolio, audition, interview, reference report, test, extra fee, or another supplemental step. The list differs by campus and degree. So check both choices instead of carrying one requirement across the application.
Use the admissions guide for application dates. Use it for academic evaluation and general requirements. Use the published UBC Personal Profile guide for profile questions and criteria. Use the UBC Sauder pathway for the Vancouver BCom's separate commerce decision.
Official UBC program sources
- Complete the UBC application: fees and degree choices
- Canadian high-school requirements by campus and degree
- Undergraduate program directory by campus and degree
- Choose a degree and campus
- Engineering foundational year and second-year placement
- Bachelor of Computer Science second-degree structure
- UBC Vancouver BSN eligibility
- UBC Okanagan Nursing program entry
Official Sources and Next Steps
Stellar keeps this guide structured for comparison, but official university pages remain the source of truth for program requirements, tuition, residence, scholarships, deadlines, and policy changes.
Prepared by Stellar Advisers Editorial Team · Reviewed August 13, 2026 · Editorial, corrections, and source methodology