Academic Regulations
Dean's Honour List
Students in any Winter Session with a sessional average of at least 80% while taking 30 or more credits will receive the notation 'Dean's Honour List' on their record.
Degree with Distinction
A student will be granted a degree with distinction upon graduation if he or she achieves an overall average of at least 80% on all 200-level and higher courses while registered in the B.A.Sc. program.
Student Classification
The required courses and electives for the Winter Session are shown in the following sections. Historically, the average credit load taken by students is 33 per session, and normal completion time is four to five years. Students may take higher loads than those shown below with the approval of the Dean's Office.
Regular students are considered to be "full-time" or "part-time" as follows:
In order to be considered as full-time, a student must carry a credit load in the Winter Session which is equal to at least 80% of the standard credit load for the year and program in which the student is registered. Note that the Faculty's definition of full-time status may not be the same as that used by Enrolment Services in determining eligibility for financial assistance. Students wishing to ensure that they are eligible for consideration for scholarships or other forms of award should check with an Enrolment Services Advisor.
A student who has approval for a credit load in a Winter Session which is less than that required for full-time status shall be considered as a part-time student. A part-time student will not normally be eligible for scholarships or for a Degree with Distinction.
Students are advised that the BASc degree should normally be completed in a maximum of 7 years from admission to the Faculty, inclusive of interruptions in study. Failure to complete the degree in this time may result in a requirement that additional courses be completed in order for a student to be eligible for graduation.
Examinations
Examinations are held in December and in April. In any course which includes both lecture and laboratory work, a student must complete the laboratory assignments with satisfactory standing before being admitted to the written examination of the course and must pass in the material of both components before standing will be granted in the subject. The minimum passing mark in each course is 50%.
Applications for special consideration for examinations missed on account of illness or domestic affliction must be submitted to the Dean before or immediately after the missed examination(s). For information regarding medical certificates see Academic Concession.
Academic Standing and Promotion Requirements
Academic Standing will be determined by the student’s Sessional Academic Average at the end of each Winter Session and Summer Session.1
One of three Academic Standings is assigned as a result of a Sessional Academic Evaluation: Good Standing, Academic Probation, or Failed Year. All students are in Good Standing when first admitted to the Faculty.
Academic Standings and progression requirements are listed in the table below.
| Year Level | Sessional Average | Academic Standing at the Time of Evaluation | Resulting Academic Standing | Promotion Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60% or more | Any standing | Good Standing | Eligible to continue; eligible for Year 21 |
| 1 | 50% - 54.9% | Not Probation | Academic Probation | Eligible to continue; not eligible for Year 2 |
| 1 | 55% - 59.9% | Not Probation | Academic Probation | Eligible to continue; eligible for Year 21; eligible for Undeclared status |
| 1 | 50% - 59.9% | Probation | Failed Year | Required to discontinue |
| 1 | Less than 50% | Any Standing | Failed Year | Required to discontinue |
| 2-5 | 55% or more | Any Standing | Good Standing | Eligible to continue2,3 |
| 2-5 | 50% - 54.9% | Not Probation | Academic Probation | Eligible to continue2,3 |
| 2-5 | 50% - 54.9% | Probation | Failed Year | Required to discontinue |
| 2-5 | Less than 50% | Any Standing | Failed Year | Required to discontinue |
| 1 Students must successfully complete a minimum of 27 credits of the first year program before being permitted to continue to Year 2. | ||||
| 2 Students must successfully complete a minimum of 80% of the credits required for year levels 2 and higher before being permitted to continue to the next year level. | ||||
| 3 Note that additional registration restrictions may apply. See Communication Requirement. | ||||
A student with a second assigned Failed Standing will be required to withdraw from the University. See Advancement Regulations.
1Students in their 2nd year of the Engineering Physics program will be evaluated at the end of the Summer Session, in place of regular Winter Session evaluations.
Undeclared Status
Students who are eligible for Year 2 having an average between 55% and 59.9% may opt to continue for one year with Undeclared Status. This status will allow students to register for select second year courses from multiple departments in consultation with, and approved by, an academic advisor. The standard rules for academic probation will apply, including credit limits and the need for an approved study plan. A student may remain on Undeclared Status for only one year, must clear any outstanding first year program requirements during that year, and must submit a new program preference form at the end of the winter academic session. Students should be aware that Undeclared Status may result in additional time required to complete a program, and that not all courses completed during the Undeclared year may be applicable to a student’s eventual program of study.
Guaranteed Program Placement
Winners of the Presidential Scholars Awards may be accorded conditional selection of an engineering specialization that is normally granted to students upon second year via a competitive process. For Guaranteed placement, students so admitted must complete a minimum of 27 credits towards the first year of the Bachelor of Applied Science program with a minimum average of at least 75%, upon which they will be eligible to choose placement in one of the participating programs. Students who do not meet both requirements may be considered for guaranteed placement at the discretion of the Faculty. Not all specializations are available and the Faculty reserves the right to limit enrolment in participating programs.
Returning to Good Standing from Probation
Students who are on Probation in Year 1, i.e., with a sessional average between 50% and 59.9%, must achieve a sessional average of 60% or greater in an approved schedule of courses during their next registered Winter Session in order to return to Good Standing. Students must meet with an Engineering Student Services Advisor to establish an appropriate schedule of courses, which must be approved by the Director of Engineering Student Services or designate.
Students who are on Probation in Year 2 or higher, i.e., with a sessional average between 50% and 54.9%, must achieve a sessional average of 55% or greater in an approved schedule of courses during their next registered Winter Session in order to return to Good Standing. Students must meet with a Program/Department Advisor to establish an appropriate schedule of courses, which must be approved by the Program Director/Department Head or designate.
Returning after a Failed Year
Students who have been required to withdraw because of a failed year must apply in order to be readmitted to the program. The earliest a student may be readmitted is 12 months after being required to withdraw due to a Failed Year. Readmission is not guaranteed. For details, see Readmission After a Failed Year below.
Readmission After a Failed Year
Readmission after a Failed Year is not guaranteed. Readmission decisions take into account the amount of space available as well as the size and strength of the applicant pool in a given year. All students seeking to return after a Failed Year must submit an application for readmission by the stated deadline. The earliest a student may be readmitted is one full year (12 months) following the requirement to withdraw.
Requirements for readmission depend on the year level a student was in when they left. Minimum requirements by year level are stated below. Additional information regarding applying for readmission can be found under Readmission.
Readmission After a Failed Year in First Year
Students seeking to return after a Failed Year in year one of the Engineering program will be considered for readmission based on a combination of:
- Performance in a minimum of 24 transferrable credits from another recognized post-secondary institution; and
- A letter of appeal outlining how the student has prepared to succeed in further studies at UBC.
Students should meet with an Engineering Student Services Advisor at UBC to develop a plan for applying for readmission.
Readmission After a Failed Year in Second Year or Higher
Students seeking to return after a Failed Year in year two or higher of an Engineering program will be considered for readmission based on a combination of:
- Further academics in a related field at another post-secondary institution and/or work experience related to their field of study;
- A letter of appeal outlining how the student has prepared to succeed in further studies at UBC; and
- Two reference letters pertaining to the student’s academic and/or work experience.
Students should meet with an advisor in their program or department to develop a plan for applying for readmission.
Communication Requirement
The Faculty recognizes that good communication skills in English are essential to the understanding of course material and to the successful practice of engineering. Term essays and examination papers may be refused a passing mark if they are poorly written.
Students are encouraged to complete ENGL 112, WRDS 150, or an acceptable substitute prior to beginning their second year. Some programs additionally require that students have successfully completed ENGL 112 or equivalent to be eligible for registration in second year courses.
Students must pass ENGL 112, WRDS 150, or equivalent before being permitted to continue with the third year of their programs. Individual programs may have additional advancement regulations.
Students must pass an approved technical communication course before being permitted to continue with the fourth year of their programs.Consult the program requirements in the Academic Calendar for the appropriate course for your program.
Any student who does not meet one of these timing requirements will be permitted to take up to 12 credits in the first term after the requirement is not met, but will not be allowed to take any courses, other than WRDS 150 (or equivalent) or the prescribed technical communication course as appropriate, after that time.
Supplemental Examinations
Supplemental exams are generally restricted to 400-level courses within the Faculty. However, supplemental examinations may not be available in all 400-level courses or in all cases. At the discretion of the Faculty, a supplemental exam may be granted to a student for a 300-level course provided that the course is either a published requirement in the final year of a student's program or is the last remaining course required for degree completion. Supplemental examinations are only available to students who are in good standing for the Winter Session just completed. In order to be eligible to write a supplemental examination for a course, the final grade received for the course must be between 40% and 49.9%. Supplemental examinations are only offered during the deferred/supplemental examination period of July to August. All applications for supplemental exams must be made through Enrolment Services.
Supplemental examinations for courses which terminate in December will normally be made available to students only during the supplemental examination period in July to August.
Appeals
Current students may appeal year standing decisions to the Faculty of Applied Science Committee on Admissions, Standing, and Courses.
Applications for readmission from non-current students should be directed to Enrolment Services.
Field Trips
Students who are required to participate in field trips will be responsible for expenses incurred in such trips.
Credit/D/Fail Standing
Students in the Bachelor of Applied Science program will not be eligible to take courses on a Credit/D/Fail basis. Exceptions may be made if it is determined that the course(s) is not required for the student's degree program. Students may seek approval from the Dean's Office, Engineering Student Services.
For students pursuing a B.A./B.A.Sc. dual degree, this exclusion applies only to the engineering degree; courses which apply only toward the B.A. degree must follow the requirements of the Faculty of Arts.
Students transferring into engineering may not apply any of the courses previously taken using Credit/D/Fail grading toward their engineering degree. The student must change the course to a percentage grade upon entry into the engineering program or must retake the course once admitted into the engineering program.
