UBC Engineering admission requirements: courses, the personal profile and second-year program placement

At UBC Vancouver, every engineering student starts in first-year General Engineering, common to all programs. You don't choose a discipline when you apply.

In spring of first year you rank programs, and UBC places you for the rest of your Bachelor of Applied Science. It's best to rank all 14 programs. This guide covers Vancouver; UBC Okanagan has its own engineering programs.

Programs include Civil, Electrical, Integrated and Mechanical Engineering. Mechanical, for example, offers options in Biomechanics and Medical Devices, Energy and Environment, and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, plus an honours route and co-op.

Ontario students need ENG4U (English), MHF4U (Advanced Functions), SCH4U (Chemistry) and SPH4U (Physics), plus Grade 11 Chemistry (SCH3U) and Physics (SPH3U). Calculus and Vectors isn't on UBC's Ontario list for engineering. 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 tied to the degree. Strong students missing Grade 12 chemistry or physics may be reviewed case by case. Map your courses with our course planner.

UBC's requirements tool shows no recommended grade range for engineering. UBC doesn't publish an engineering admission average, so treat numbers you see elsewhere with care.

For UBC's overall selectivity, see our UBC acceptance rate page. To see where your marks stand, use our Top 6 average calculator, keeping in mind that UBC looks at Grade 11 and 12 marks, not just a Top 6.

UBC calls the personal profile a crucial part of your application. Each answer is a short essay of about 50 to 500 words (500 to 2,100 characters). UBC wants your own voice, real detail and what you learned, not a list of activities.

You name two referees who know you well. If you're in high school, one must be a school official such as a counsellor, teacher or IB coordinator, and neither can be a friend, family member or paid agent. One referee should be able to speak to an activity in your answers. Read our UBC personal profile guide.

To be placed, you need 27 of the 37 first-year engineering credits by April 30 and a Winter Session average of at least 55%. The placement form opens March 15 and closes May 15. Miss either bar and you stay in first year.

UBC places students on their Winter Session average plus a personal statement. Engineering Physics also uses math and physics grades and an interview. UBC says there's no average that guarantees your top choice, because demand changes every year.

There are exceptions. Some Major Entrance Award winners may get a conditional program choice, and UBC can offer guaranteed placement to select top applicants. Students in the Pre-Biomedical Engineering timetable can get priority placement in Biomedical Engineering if they meet its conditions.

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

If you need a test, UBC lists IELTS Academic 6.5 with no part below 6.0, TOEFL iBT 90 or a Duolingo score of 125, among others. IELTS General isn't accepted. Send your documents by February 15, 2027.

UBC makes decisions on high school applications on a continuous basis from November 2026 to June 2027. Canadian high school students must finish all their courses by June 30, 2027 to meet the conditions of an offer. Most students accept by May 1 or June 1, 2027, as their letter says.

Co-op is optional for UBC engineering students. You alternate study terms with paid work terms of 4, 8, 12 or 16 months. Engineering students need four work terms for the co-op designation, and co-op usually adds a year to your degree. You start with APSC 107, an introduction course.

UBC charges an $855 co-op course fee for each work term you secure, the same for domestic and international students. One year of co-op experience may count toward the four years of work experience needed for a P.Eng. licence.

UBC's 2026/27 tuition for first-year Applied Science is $7,647.53 for domestic students, or $206.69 a credit over 37 credits. International students starting in 2026 pay $66,199.66, and UBC caps their yearly increase at 3% for four years. Fees for students starting in 2027 aren't posted yet.

UBC's major entrance awards need an application by December 1, 2026. The Presidential Scholars Awards include a one-time award of about $5,000 and renewable awards of up to $80,000 at Vancouver, for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. The Centennial Scholars Entrance Award adds financial need. Use our Top 6 average calculator to check your marks.

UBC Engineering is a two-step path: admission to the common first year, then a competitive placement. Most of the decision about the discipline happens at UBC, on first-year marks.

Remember that your child's first-year average decides their discipline. A steady first year matters as much as Grade 12.

Ontario families should note the earlier award deadline. Applying by December 1, 2026 keeps the biggest scholarships open. Compare UBC with other schools on our engineering admission requirements page.