UBC Computer Science admission requirements: courses, average and how you get into the major

UBC lists Computer Science as a Bachelor of Science program in the Faculty of Science on the Vancouver campus. High school students are admitted to the BSc. At the end of first year, you apply to a specialization such as the Computer Science major.

UBC Okanagan also offers a Computer Science BSc. This guide covers Vancouver. Its CS major has honours, co-op and options such as Software Engineering, and UBC says CS majors can take a new Artificial Intelligence option from 2026.

Ontario students need ENG4U, MHF4U and one Grade 12 science from Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Calculus and Vectors isn't on UBC's list for this degree. You also need Grade 11 Chemistry and Physics, which UBC may waive if you earn 86% or more in senior math and chemistry.

You need at least 70% in Grade 11 or Grade 12 English. UBC recommends six Grade 12 courses but doesn't require them. It considers all your academic Grade 11 and 12 marks and pays special attention to courses related to the degree.

IB students should know that SL Math Applications and Interpretations doesn't meet the math requirement for UBC's science programs. Use our course planner to map your Grade 11 and 12 courses.

UBC's requirements tool lists no recommended grade range for Computer Science. UBC doesn't publish a high school average for this degree, so treat any high school average you see elsewhere with care.

What UBC does publish is a number for the next step. Its CS department says entry to the major has historically needed an average in the low 80s and suggests aiming for the high 80s. That's your first-year UBC average, not your high school one.

For more on UBC's overall selectivity, see our UBC acceptance rate page.

If you're a high school student applying to almost any UBC degree, you complete a personal profile. Each answer runs about 50 to 500 words, measured in characters in the form, so watch the limit.

The questions ask who you are, what matters to you, up to five activities and more about one or two of them. You list two referees who know you well. One must be a school official, such as a counsellor or teacher, and neither can be a friend, family member or paid agent. UBC contacts referees after offers go out.

Read our UBC personal profile guide for the current prompts and how to plan your answers.

To apply to the CS major from UBC Science, you need good academic standing and CPSC 107 or CPSC 110 in first year. UBC says this is the minimum and doesn't guarantee admission.

The Faculty of Science application opens in late May. You rank your specialization choices, and the CS department says it has historically needed a low 80s average for the major.

Plan for a second choice. UBC Science advises students to pick only specializations they're eligible for and to put the one they want most first.

UBC calls the personal profile a crucial part of the application. It uses the profile to judge whether you fit UBC and whether you'll get an entrance scholarship.

UBC gives three tips. Reflect on what you learned instead of listing what you did. Use specific details. Write in your own voice rather than guessing what UBC wants to hear.

Start early. Draft your answers outside the form, then paste them in, because answers that go over the character limit get cut off.

Every UBC applicant has to meet the English Language Admission Standard. Four or more consecutive years of full-time study in English in Canada, right before you start at UBC, meets it. There are nine ways in total.

If you need a test, UBC asks for IELTS Academic 6.5 with no part below 6.0, TOEFL iBT 4.5 on the new 1 to 6 scale (90 on the old scale) or a Duolingo score of 125. IELTS General, IELTS Indicator and One Skill Retake aren't accepted. Send your documents by February 15, 2027.

Compare every school's test minimums on our English tests guide.

Co-op is optional. UBC's CS department says more than 45% of its undergraduates join the co-op program.

Apply by January 15, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. Apply by December 1, 2026 if you want to be considered for the Presidential Scholars, Centennial Scholars or Beyond Tomorrow awards. Compare UBC with other schools on our computer science admission requirements page.

UBC is a two-step path to computer science: admission to Science, then a competitive move into the major. Ask your child what they'd study if the CS major doesn't work out.

Decisions for high school applicants come on a rolling basis from November to June. If an Ontario offer needs an answer first, compare both before you commit.