You are reading the 2024/25 Academic Calendar. The 2023/24 version remains in effect until August 31, 2024 and is available here.

Introduction

This chapter provides an archive of courses offered by UBC. For current course sections and schedules, please visit the online Course Schedule.

Course Numbering

This section contains descriptions of all regular courses offered by the University. Some common notations found in course descriptions are illustrated below.

In most faculties the courses numbered 100 to 199 are primarily for first-year students. Similarly, courses numbered 200 to 299 are primarily for second-year students, courses numbered 300 to 399 are for third-year students, and courses numbered 400 to 499 are for fourth-year students. Courses numbered 500 to 699 are considered graduate-level and are only available to undergraduates by permission of the department and the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Courses numbered 700 and above are clinical courses and cannot be counted towards graduate degree programs. Where a faculty uses a different style of course classification, the level of study will be indicated in the study program description.

Credit

The credit value of a course, where given, is shown in parentheses following the course number. In general, one credit represents one hour of instruction or two to three hours of laboratory work per week throughout one term of a Winter Session (September to December or January to May). A credit is approximately one semester hour.

Courses with Variable Credits

Some courses are listed with a choice of credit value. The form (2-6) implies that the course may be taken for any number of credits from 2 to 6 inclusive. The form (2/6) implies that the course will be offered for either 2 credits or 6 credits.

Where the parentheses are followed immediately by "C," the credit value of the course will be determined by the student in consultation with the department. Where the parentheses are followed immediately by "D" the credit value of the course in any particular session will be determined by the department.

In all cases, the maximum credit value is that which may be obtained by a student during the complete program of study (i.e., it is not the maximum for a given year).

Credit/D/Fail Grading

Students in some direct-entry undergraduate programs may elect to attempt percentage-graded elective courses with Credit/D/Fail standing instead of a percentage grade. See Credit/D/Fail Grading for Elective Undergraduate Courses for more information.

Prerequisites & Corequisites

If specific studies are required as background to a certain course they are notated as such in the course description. A prerequisite is a course that the student must have completed prior to registering for the selected course. A corequisite is a course that the student must take prior to or concurrently with the selected course. In some instances, prerequisites and corequisites may be waived at the discretion of the instructor. General prerequisites that apply to all courses in a list are frequently given just before the list. In a dispute over the adequacy of prerequisites, the course instructor will make the decision. In all cases where prerequisites are indicated, the implication is "or the equivalent" and "or the consent of the instructor."

Equivalents

An equivalent course indicates that it is a duplicate of the course selected.

Hours

The number of hours assigned each week to lectures (first digit) and to laboratories (second digit) are shown in square brackets at the end of a course description. Where a third digit appears it refers to periods where discussions, tutorials or assigned problems are done. An asterisk (*) indicates alternate weeks. The first set of digits refers to the first term (September to December) and the second set to the second term (January to May); when only one set is given it means either term. Graduate courses and courses in some faculties are not so designated.

Courses Offered

Not all courses listed are offered each year. Most courses offered in a Winter Session, as well as places and times of class meeting and names of instructors, appear in the online Course Schedule. For those courses not so listed, contact the department concerned.

Credit Exclusion Lists

Some faculties maintain lists of courses that are sufficiently similar that credit may only be obtained in that faculty for one of the selections. Refer to faculty or program listings for exclusion lists, or see your program advisor.


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