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

Promotion Requirements and Degree Progression

Students in the Faculty of Science are required to make steady progress toward graduation. The total number of credits, the number of science credits, and Faculty-wide degree requirements factor into a student’s promotion from one year to the next. Year levels are also known as class standing. Registration in a specialization in second year is not a guarantee of continuing status in that specialization; maintenance of a competitive academic record and relevant course selection are also required. A student who accumulates too many credits without being promoted or who is promoted but is not following the required courses of their specialization will be removed from that specialization and required to gain admission to another.  A student removed from a specialization who does not gain admission to another may be required to withdraw. 

Degree progression decisions are based on courses completed up to the end of Winter Session.         
 

Promotion and Class Standing

Students admitted from high school will be given first year class standing. Students will be promoted to the next class standing when specific criteria (i.e., promotion requirements) are met. The section below outlines these criteria, which include a total number of credits along with specific course requirements.          

All students are encouraged to consult specialization websites for information when selecting first year courses, and again after completion of their first term.

Students who transfer from another faculty at UBC or another post secondary institution will be assigned a class standing level determined by the promotion requirements outlined below and will thereafter be subject to those requirements.          
 

Promotion to Second Year Class Standing

Promotion to second year requires successful completion of 24 or more credits, of which at least 15 must be science credits from first-year science courses. Students are reminded to consider the Lower-Level Requirements and the courses required for admission to their desired specialization (see www.science.ubc.ca/students/degree/apply/req) when selecting courses.

Students admitted to or newly promoted to second year must participate in the common specialization application process in May or June (see Second Year Application) to be assigned a specialization before they start to register for courses for the next Winter Session.        
 

Promotion to Third Year Class Standing

Promotion to third year requires successful completion of 48 total credits. Of these, 24 credits must be science credits, including:

  • The 15 credits of science courses required to be promoted to second year class standing;
  • 6 science credits from second-year science courses (200 level); and
  • 3 additional science credits from any year level (100 - 400 level).        
     

Promotion to Fourth Year Class Standing

Promotion to fourth year requires successful completion of 72 total credits. Of these, 50 or more credits must be science credits, including:

        
 

Expectations Defining Sufficient Progress Towards a Degree 


 

Expectations of a Student with First Year Class Standing


Students must meet the minimum requirements for promotion to second year class standing within a maximum of 48 credits of coursework attempted (including advance and transfer credit) and by the end of the Winter Session of their third academic year since enrolling in the B.Sc. program; those who do not will normally be required to withdraw.       

Students admitted with advance or transfer credit that puts them at risk of exceeding this limit must consult an advisor in Science Advising on admission to the Faculty of Science.

 

Expectations of a Student with Second Year Class Standing

When choosing classes students are encouraged to look at the Specialization-Specific Courses Required for Promotion to third year. Failure to select the required courses may result in being required to withdraw. 

Students who do not achieve promotion to Third Year Class Standing within a maximum of 78 attempted credits will be required to withdraw.       

Students in the Combined Major in Science and Integrated Sciences specializations require at least 12 Science credits at the 200-level or above; at least two areas of Science (e.g. Life Science and Computational Science) must be included in those 12 credits. Integrated Sciences students must submit a draft contract to their program office by the end of second year.       

Some specializations have limited enrolment and not all students who meet the minimum promotion requirements will be able to continue into third year (Course and Specialization Approval). Students should develop alternative academic plans to ensure a smooth transition should a change of academic direction be required.       
 

Expectations of a Student with Third Year Class Standing

In these paragraphs, the term “second-year named credits” will be used to refer to the specific courses listed in the second year of a student’s declared specialization, not including electives or courses taken to satisfy the Communication Requirement.     

A student who has attained third year class standing in a specialization is expected to have:  

  • completed 3/5ths of the second-year named credits
  • completed the Specialization-Specific Courses Required for Promotion to third year; and
  • attained an average of at least 60% on 3/5ths of the second-year named credits. Honours specializations have higher expectations for academic achievement.    
     

Students who fail to meet the above requirements within a maximum of 78 attempted credits will be required to withdraw. Students who do not achieve promotion to Fourth Year Class Standing within a maximum of 108 attempted credits will be required to withdraw.   

A student who has completed all of the second-year named credits and has not obtained the minimum academic achievement required for promotion in that specialization on their best 3/5ths of those credits will be removed from that specialization and required to gain admission to another specialization.   
   
A student who has completed at least 1/3 of the second-year named credits and has an average of less than 60% on those credits will be blocked from registration and will require the permission of the specialization advisor to continue in the specialization. 
 

Expectations of a Student with Fourth Year Class Standing

A student who has attained fourth year class standing in a specialization is expected to have completed:  

  • all of the Faculty of Science Lower-Level Requirements;
  • all, or all but one, of the courses required to satisfy the Science Breadth Requirement;
  • all required courses specified in the first and second years by the specialization (but not all general electives);
  • the Specialization-Specific Courses Required for Promotion to fourth years; and
  • at least 40% of the credits specified in the upper years by the specialization. Students who go on a Go Global exchange or who have completed at least one co-op work term will be expected to have completed one-third of the credits specified in the upper years.

Students who fail to meet the above requirements within a maximum of 108 attempted credits will be required to withdraw. 

Students who fail to make sufficient progress towards their degree or who do not meet all graduation requirements for their degree within a maximum of 180 attempted credits or seven years from enrolling in the B.Sc. program will be required to withdraw.


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