UBC Psychology admission requirements: the Arts route, ENG4U, the personal profile, co-op and Fall 2027 dates

UBC Vancouver offers Psychology as a Bachelor of Arts in the Faculty of Arts. You apply to the Arts degree. In first year you take PSYC 101 and PSYC 102. In second year you declare the Psychology major on Student Workday so you can take PSYC 217 and PSYC 218, which only declared majors can take.

The department says Psychology is the most popular undergraduate major at UBC. UBC's program page says its Psychology department ranks first in Canada and 10th in the world in the Times Higher Education rankings, with more than 45 research labs.

For Arts, UBC names one Grade 12 course for Ontario students: ENG4U. General admission also needs high school graduation and at least 70% in Grade 11 or Grade 12 English. UBC recommends at least six academic or non-academic Grade 12 courses, but says this is not required.

UBC says it looks at your grades in all academic Grade 11 and Grade 12 classes, paying special attention to courses linked to your degree. For Arts, it points to language arts, math and computation, second languages, social studies and the visual and performing arts. Plan your timetable with our course planner.

English is the language of instruction, and every applicant must show English language competency before admission. UBC lists several ways to meet its English Language Admission Standard. International students who finish a full-time UBC bachelor's degree and meet the rules can get a post-graduation work permit for up to three years.

UBC's Ontario requirements for Arts leave the recommended grade range blank, so UBC does not publish an admission average for Arts or for Psychology. It does not publish a Psychology acceptance rate either. Because UBC looks at Grade 11 and Grade 12 marks, both years count.

Use our Top 6 average calculator to track your Ontario average, and see our UBC acceptance rate page for what UBC does share.

High school students applying to almost any UBC degree must write a personal profile. Each question needs a short answer of 500 to 2,100 characters, about 50 to 500 words. You also list two references who know you well, and UBC may contact them to check your activities.

Trained readers score the profile against four criteria. One is voice, and UBC asks whether your profile authentically reflects your own words. Write it yourself, be specific and explain what you learned from your experiences.

UBC's application for September 2027 opens in early October 2026. The deadline is January 15, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. If you want to be considered for the Presidential Scholars Awards, Centennial Scholars Entrance Awards or Beyond Tomorrow Scholars Award, apply by December 1, 2026.

UBC makes decisions for high school applicants on a rolling basis from November 2026 to June 2027. Compare this with Ontario dates on our Canadian university application deadlines page.

Arts Co-op is optional. You apply once you are at UBC, usually in second or third year, then attend required pre-employment training. You complete three four-month paid work terms and earn a co-op designation on your transcript.

At least one work term must be in fall or winter, and you cannot do more than two in a row. Co-op students usually finish in 4.5 to 5 years with 12 months of paid work experience.

Every Psychology major does a research project in PSYC 217 in second year. Many students then volunteer in labs or take Directed Studies. The Human Subject Pool lets students earn extra credit by taking part in studies.

The two-year Honours program is for strong students who plan on a research PhD. Honours students take seminars PSYC 348, 349, 448 and 449, plus PSYC 312 and PSYC 359, and do supervised research in third and fourth year.

UBC describes psychology as the scientific study of behaviour in humans and other species. Its program page lists sample courses such as Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Psychology, Analysis of Behavioural Data, Brain and Behaviour, and Cognitive Neuropsychology. In third year you begin to specialize, choosing courses in areas like behavioural neuroscience, cognitive science, clinical, forensic and health psychology, developmental psychology, and personality and social psychology.

The major's stated outcomes include running a basic experiment with peers, from design and ethics approval to data collection and analysis, and reading research papers critically. UBC says graduates qualify for entry level jobs in marketing, sales, government, journalism, advertising, healthcare, social work and counselling. The department says its programs prepare students for graduate study, research careers and jobs in the public and private sectors.

UBC's BSc Behavioural Neuroscience major and minor stopped admitting new students in 2022W. The department tells students who want neuroscience to apply to the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, which offers a BSc Major in Neuroscience with an emphasis in Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience.

That is a Science route with its own requirements. Compare it on our UBC Science requirements page.

UBC's 2026-27 Bachelor of Arts tuition is $206.69 a credit for domestic students, or $6,200.70 for 30 credits. International students pay $1,717.68 a credit, or $51,530.40 for 30 credits. Student fees, books and housing are extra.

The Presidential Scholars Awards include a one-time award of about $5,000 and renewable awards of up to $80,000 over four years on the Vancouver campus. To be considered, Canadian citizens and permanent residents must apply to UBC by December 1, 2026.

Your child applies to UBC Arts and declares Psychology in second year. From Ontario, the named course is ENG4U, with 70% or more in Grade 11 or 12 English. UBC does not publish an Arts average, so the personal profile and Grade 11 and 12 marks all matter.

Applying by December 1, 2026 keeps the top awards open. Read our UBC guide for residence and campus details.