The Integrated Computer Science (ICS) program is designed particularly for students who wish to complement their previous studies and experience with advanced study in computer science. The two-year program offers opportunities for study leading to a second bachelor's degree, the B.C.S. degree.
Prerequisites
Candidates for admission must have completed a recognized bachelor's degree in a field that does not overlap with computer science. The following high school and university-level courses are required (BC high school and UBC courses are listed; the equivalents from any recognized high school or post-secondary institution will be accepted):
- BC Principles of Mathematics 12, or Pre-calculus 12
- Communication requirement, 3 credits (any eligible course from the Faculty of Science’s B.Sc. Communication Requirement) or a degree from a university in which English is the primary language of instruction.
- A computer literacy course or equivalent experience
Applicants with a strong academic record who do not yet meet all three requirements are encouraged to apply but will be required to complete the missing prerequisites prior to admission to the degree program.
All students in the B.C.S. degree are required to complete 6 credits from the communication requirement through a combination of first and second-degree credits and exemption from earning a Pass on the English Exemption examination provided by the department of English at UBC-V.
Admission
Admission is based on a selection process that strives to enrol the most highly qualified applicants. Not every qualified applicant will be offered admission. Applicants are evaluated on the following criteria:
- Academic criteria at the time of application, including:
- overall academic record. Consideration is given to trends in grades from year to year; and
- most recent 30-credit average (a minimum of a B- (68%) average is required).
- Non-academic criteria, including motivation, maturity, integrity, realistic self-appraisal, creativity, scientific and intellectual curiosity, attitude toward lifelong learning, problem-solving and decision-making aptitude, ability to communicate verbally and in writing, and capacity to understand and cooperate with others. Evaluation of these non-academic criteria is based on:
- two confidential letters of reference;
- a self-assessment of the applicant's work history; and
- a statement of interest.
Applicants may be offered admission based on documents provided under 1 and 2 above. The program Admission Committee reserves the right to interview some applicants before making a decision. Those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted by the B.C.S. selection committee, prior to the end of April.
Application Procedure
Applications should be made through the central Enrolment Services, Undergraduate Admissions Office of UBC. Documents for the evaluation of non-academic criteria (e.g., letters of reference, statement of interest, self-assessment of work history) must be submitted to the ICS Director, Department of Computer Science. Forms, instructions, and deadlines are available from the Department.
Degree Requirements
The B.C.S. degree normally requires 70 credits including 22 upper-level CPSC credits and 18 other upper-level credits as specified below.
Courses used to fulfill requirements for a prior degree or earned subsequently (e.g., through unclassified study) may exempt the student from equivalent lower-level courses required for the degree if they were completed within five calendar years prior to starting the B.C.S. program. The Director of the B.C.S. program may extend the five year limit in cases where additional study or work experience have reinforced knowledge from a previously completed course.
A course that is exempted must be replaced with another course chosen in consultation with a B.C.S. advisor. If the UBC course being exempted carries four credits and the equivalent course completed earlier carries three, then a three-credit UBC course may be taken. The total credits required for the degree will then be reduced by one. The maximum reduction possible is six credits. See footnote 1 of the Degree Requirements table below.
Credits earned in the previous five years may only be applied toward the second-degree program if those credits have not been used to fulfill requirements of any other credential and use of the credit has been approved by the Director of the B.C.S. program. With approval, a maximum of 12 such credits that are relevant to the second-degree program may be applied and of those, at most six may be upper-level (i.e., 300- level and higher). Otherwise, all upper-level requirements must be completed with courses taken while registered in the program.
| Third Year | |
|---|---|
| CPSC 110, 121, 210, 221, 2131 | 20 |
| Communication Requirement2 | 3 |
| Upper-level technical communication requirement3 | 3 |
| MATH 180 (or 100 or 102 or 104 or 184 or 120)1 | 4 |
| STAT 2031 | 3 |
| Upper-level electives4 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 36 |
| Fourth Year | |
| CPSC 310, 313, 320 | 10 |
| CPSC courses numbered 300 or above | 6 |
| CPSC courses numbered 400 or above4,5 | 6 |
| Upper-level electives6 | 12 |
| Total Credits | 34 |
| Total Credits for Degree | 70 |
| 1 Requirements completed prior to commencement of the degree may not be repeated and must be replaced after consultation with an advisor. With permission from a B.C.S. advisor, a 4-credit course completed prior to commencement of the degree may be replaced with a 3-credit course. In these cases the degree credits would decrease by one credit for each substituted course. | |
| 2 Any eligible course from the Faculty of Science’s B.Sc. Communication Requirement. | |
| 3 ENGL 301 is recommended for the upper-level technical communication requirement. However, with permission from a B.C.S. advisor, another upper-level course emphasizing scientific or technical communications skills may be used for this requirement. This requirement may be deferred to a later term. | |
| 4Every student must complete at least 3 credits from 400-level CPSC courses defined as lecture-based. | |
| 5 Credits gained from undergraduate Student-Directed Seminars (CPSC 490) cannot be used to fulfill this requirement. | |
| 6 Upper-level elective credits must be approved by an advisor. These credits should be either additional credits in the previous degree area or in another area the student wishes to combine with computer science. | |
Co-operative Education Option
A co-operative education option is also available for this degree. Since this is a special second degree program, the co-op option requires a minimum of two work terms. To graduate in the co-op option, students are required to complete CPSC 298 and 299 work terms in addition to the normal academic requirements. Normally, the two work placements are scheduled after the completion of the first academic year. A complete schedule and additional information on the program can be obtained from Computer Science.
Promotion Requirements
Students are admitted into third year. Promotion to fourth year requires the completion at least 24 credits, and the completion of, or exemption from, the following:
- CPSC 110, 121
- 3 credits of first-year ENGL
- MATH 180 or equivalent
- STAT 203 or equivalent
- 3 credits of upper-level electives
Students who do not gain fourth-year standing before attempting 42 credits while registered in the B.C.S. program will be required to withdraw from the program without earning the degree.
Students who do not complete degree requirements within 90 attempted credits while registered in the program will be required to withdraw without earning the degree.
Students required to withdraw may appeal in writing to the Faculty of Science Admissions, Adjudication, and Appeals Committee according to the instructions that will be emailed. A student who is required to withdraw may not register for or attend courses while awaiting the results of the appeal.
Academic Regulations
All University Policies and Regulations apply.
Academic regulations of the Bachelor of Science degree apply unless superseded by regulations in this section.
The following sections of the regulations for the Bachelor of Science degree are particularly noteworthy: General Academic Regulations; Registration; Examinations; Recognition of Academic Achievement; Academic Performance Review and Continuation; Academic Leave; Illness, Academic Concession, and Deferred Standing; and Credit Exclusion Lists.
Dual degree options do not exist for the B.C.S. program. Students are not permitted to pursue another program at UBC or a different institution concurrently with the B.C.S.
Students newly admitted to the B.C.S. are not permitted to continue taking courses at their previous institution at the same time as they take UBC courses. Once accepted to the program, students are expected to complete all further credits required with courses offered by the Vancouver campus.
A Letter of Permission may, in special circumstances, be issued authorizing a student to study at another post-secondary institution with the intention of later transferring credits earned to the UBC transcript. The Faculty has no obligation to grant transfer credit unless a prior Letter of Permission has been obtained. To be issued a Letter of Permission, the student must:
- be in Good Standing
- have eligibility to continue in the program
- have personal circumstances that necessitate study elsewhere
- not be registered at UBC in the same term
Permission will be considered only for 100-level or 200-level courses.
For the duration of the degree program, study on a Letter of Permission is limited to six credits. A student with unusual personal circumstances that necessitate an absence from campus and who wishes to take more credits elsewhere should present the case to the Director.
Courses eligible for credit in the B.C.S. must be numbered 100-499; students wishing to use graduate-level courses need prior approval from the course instructor, the Director of the B.C.S. Program, the Director of the Science Information Centre and the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. To be eligible, a student must have successfully completed at least 15 required upper-level science credits in the B.C.S. as well as 24 additional upper-level credits (in either the second or the first degree) deemed by the Director to be relevant to the student’s program. An overall average of at least 76% is required in those 39 credits. At most 6 credits of graduate-level courses may be attempted while enrolled in the B.C.S. program. See the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
A student who has passed a course will not be permitted to repeat that course for higher standing. Courses in the Science Credit Exclusion Lists are considered to be the same course for the purposes of this rule.
A student may repeat a failed course only once. Appeals for further attempts must be made to the Director. A student permitted a third attempt at a course will be required to limit the credits attempted in that term.
Auditing a required course may be permitted in the case where the student took an equivalent course three to five years before but wishes to update and refresh their knowledge. Permission to audit any course required for the program must be obtained in advance from the Director. If a student gains permission to audit a course, it appears on the transcript without credit and the course may not be retaken for credit. Only lower-level courses will be considered and at most six credits of program requirements may be audited.