Many UBC faculties, schools and programs are open to visiting and exchange students. You can find all the courses being offered at UBC on the UBC Course Schedule in Workday Student (CWL Required) or UBC Guest Course Schedule (Access Code Required). Please keep in mind some courses are restricted to certain program. Please check the Faculty-specific restrictions (below) as well as other restrictions found on either link.
UBC faculties / schools not open to exchange and visiting students
- School of Audiology and Speech Sciences
- School of Journalism
- Faculty of Medicine
- School of Nursing
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Faculty of Dentistry
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences
- UBC Vantage College
- Peter A. Allard School of Law: only open to exchange students coming to UBC through law-specific exchange agreements
Faculty-specific restrictions
- Arts restrictions (including Economics)
- Education restrictions (including Counseling Psychology)
- Sauder restrictions (including Business, Commerce and Commerce Human Resources)
- Science restrictions (including Computer Science)
- Applied Science/Engineering restrictions (including Architecture and Landscape Architecture)
- Graduate Studies restrictions
- Other restrictions (including Kinesiology, Land and Food Systems, Forestry, Law, Music, School of Population and Public Health, Public Policy and Global Affairs)
Course registration process and guidelines
Course registration is an ongoing process that takes place between your admission and the course add/drop deadline. Please review this course registration flowchart (PDF) to learn about the registration process.
Keep this information in mind while preparing for your course request:
UBC's Course Schedule in Workday Student (CWL required) allows you to browse courses offered in the current academic year at both campuses. Make sure that you have selected the campus you are coming to before browsing course offerings. Go Global cannot guarantee access to specific courses, even if required by your home university, so it is necessary for you to be flexible with course preferences.
UBC course numbering
- 100: First-year level
- 200: Second-year level
- 300: Third-year level
- 400: Fourth-year level (final year of UBC undergraduate degree)
- 500+: Graduate-level courses
Course load requirements
Usually, each UBC course is worth three credits. Students must maintain a registration of a minimum of 9 credits per term (usually three courses) to be considered a full-time student at UBC.
If you are living in a UBC residence or considering working with a valid Study Permit, you must maintain your full-time student status. The maximum number of credits is 15 credits per term (five courses).
Undergraduate exchange students typically take between 9 and 15 credits a semester at UBC, depending on degree requirements at their home university. Go Global is not able to advise you on the minimum course load required by your home university. Confirm with your home university before submitting your course request.
There is a credit limit for both full-year (30 credits/year) and single-term students (15 credits/term).
Course prerequisites
Many upper-year courses have prerequisites. These are generally listed under the course description on the course schedule. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they have taken the equivalent prerequisites at their home university. Some faculties and departments may request home university transcripts and detailed course outlines as evidence students have the necessary academic background before permitting students to register in certain courses.
Getting permission to take restricted or full courses
If a course offered by the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Science (except Math and Economics courses) is full or restricted, students can submit a request to Go Global after arriving by completing the Change of Registration Form (PDF).
For undergraduate courses offered by other faculties that are full or restricted, visit the Faculty Advising Office after arriving for approval to join the course. We will share more information about this process at the Go Global orientation session.
Graduate-level courses
If you want to take graduate-level courses, you must get permission from instructors and are required to complete the Enrolment of Undergraduate Exchange Students in Graduate Courses form after arrival. For details, please see the Graduate Studies restrictions page.