University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is one of the world’s top research universities with two major campuses, in Vancouver and the Okanagan, with more than 60,000 students from Canada and 140+ countries around the world.

Located 30 minutes from the heart of downtown Vancouver, the Vancouver campus is a spectacular location that is a ‘must-see’ for any visitor to the city. The campus is home to more than 39,000 undergraduate and nearly 10,000 graduate students.

Vancouver, a bustling west coast seaport in British Columbia, is among Canada’s densest, most ethnically diverse cities. A popular filming location, it’s surrounded by mountains and invites outdoor pursuits of all kinds, but also has thriving art, theatre and music scenes.

Network partner

UBC and the University of Glasgow are both members of the U21 network.

Programme partner

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree summer school partner: Children's Literature, Media & Culture

Mobility partner 

>> Information for incoming students

  • Estimated number of places:
    • University-wide = 7-10 (or more) full-year places or 14-20 (or more) semester places
  • Note that Law and Engineering places are available in addition to University wide places
    • Engineering = 7-10 (or more) full-year places or 14-20 (or more) semester places
    • Law = 1-3 full year places or 2-6 semester places

Available Subject Areas

Please ensure that you research the courses available to you as an exchange student, and check with your subject coordinator(s) that these courses are suitable for your Glasgow degree programme. Please note that partner course offerings may change on a yearly basis.

Please research course level; content and assessment structures; partner academic pre-requisites for exchange students; whether enough courses / credits are available in your degree subject(s) to meet your Glasgow degree credit requirements; language of teaching and for Joint Honours students, whether the partner has any restrictions on taking courses from different Schools/Faculties.

  • Accounting & Finance
  • Aerospace Engineering/Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Business & Management
  • Central & East European Studies
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Classics
  • Comparative Literature
  • Computing Science
  • Digital Media & Information Studies
  • Earth Science and Geology
  • Economic & Social History
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Electronics/Electrical Engineering
  • English Language
  • English Literature
  • Film & TV
  • Geography
  • History
  • History of Art
  • Law
  • Life Sciences
  • Maths
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Product Design Engineering
  • Psychology
  • School of Interdisciplinary subjects Dumfries
  • Scottish Literature
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • Theatre Studies
  • Theology & Religious Studies
  • Urban Studies/Public & Social Policy

Key Facts

  • Term structure: Autumn semester: early September to late December. Winter semester: early January to late April
  • Credit system: The average UBC registers in 15 credits per term (100% of a full time course load), but some science and engineering students register in 18 to 20 credits per term. Ask your subject coordinator what constitutes full-time in your subject
  • Grade system: A-F, +/-

Travel and costs

  • University of Glasgow Financial Support
  • Cost of living
  • Vancouver has a comprehensive public transport systems consisting of buses, sky trains and sea buses. All UBC students can obtain a U-Pass for $40 per month which provides unlimited public transit access within the city

Useful weblinks