Engineering Program Placement is the process by which first-year engineering students are placed in discipline-specific engineering programs for the remainder of their BASc degree. Program rankings will take into consideration a student’s Winter session (Term 1 & Term 2) average and personal statement. Some programs may require additional materials or interviews from applicants: this is at the discretion of the program.
Timeline
March 15 – May 15
Engineering Program Placement Preference form is available on March 15th. The deadline to submit student rankings of programs is May 15th.
Late June
Students are notified of their placement by email prior to the start of course registration.
Requests for Reconsideration form will open when placement results are released.
Early July
Course registration for the next Winter session
Late July
Students are notified of Request for Reconsideration outcome by email
Students transferring into UBC Engineering admitted after mid-June will be placed on a rolling basis.
Engineering Program Placement Overview Video
General Information
What is the eligibility for program placement?
BASc students who have 27 credits of the 37 credits of first year Engineering curriculum by April 30th and a sessional average of 55% or higher from the Winter Session (all courses taken between September – April) will be placed in a discipline-specific engineering program. Note that while students can be placed with 27 credits, students must complete all 37 credits of the first-year program, because they are requirements of the BASc degree. Students may be deficient in program pre-requisites if they complete fewer than 37 credits, and it will take longer to complete their degree.
What if a student is not eligible for placement?
If a student does not meet the 27-credit minimum or does not have at least 55% overall (on all courses taken between September – April), they will remain in first-year. We recommend students in this situation speak with an academic advisor in EAS about course planning for the following Winter Session. If you are in this situation, you may also want to review the Academic Standings for Engineering to understand your academic standing based on your average.
What average does a student need to get into their top choice program?
Program placement is based on the average of all courses taken during the Winter Session (September – April) and a personal statement. Each year, student interests change and thus the demand for each program changes, so there is not a specific average that a student can achieve to guarantee placement in each discipline. You can learn more about the competitiveness of entry into each discipline through the Historical Entrance chart published on this site.
Can I change my program placement form once I have submitted it? How do I know if my changes have been updated?
Your program placement form submission can be updated and changed until May 15th, at 11:59pm PDT when the form closes. Once the form closes, no further adjustments can be made. A student will receive an email after they submit their program placement form. Note that- it may take a couple of hours before the confirmation email is sent to you.
Can a UBC-V BASc student choose a UBC-O BASc program on the placement form?
Yes. They will need to be eligible for program placement and have at least 68% sessional average in their most current Winter Session.
How are students assessed for program placement?
Program placement is based on the average of all courses taken during the Winter Session (September – April) and a personal statement for all programs except Engineering Physics.
Engineering Physics uses the student’s average of all courses taken during the Winter Session (September-April), 100-level Math and Physics grades and an interview to assess applicants. For more information, please reach out to Dr Andre Marziali, Engineering Physics director.
How are summer courses used for program placement?
The credit from courses taken in the Summer Session will not be considered for program placement eligibility. However, courses in the summer can satisfy overall BASc degree requirements. Some programs require certain first- year requirements to be completed by a specific time. Please consult the “Engineering Program” section for more information.
What if a student has a standing deferred (SD) exam that needs to be written after April 30. Will a student’s program placement be affected by the SD exam?
A student’s program placement notification will be delayed pending the outcome of the standing deferred exam(s). Presuming the student is eligible for placement, they can anticipate a notification in mid to late August once all final grades for the exams have been submitted. Students with SD exams will not be negatively impacted in the placement process and they will be assessed in the same way as all other students who qualify for program placement.
How does a student accept their program placement and when do they need to do this by?
A student needs to accept their program placement by registering in that specific Engineering program’s timetable. Even if a student wants to submit a reconsideration form, they still need to register in the discipline that they were originally placed in.
Under what circumstances will a student not be placed in a program?
Students who are eligible for placement, and submit a program placement form will be placed in an Engineering program. It is in the student’s best interest to rank all 14 programs. If a student does not have placement eligibility, they will not be placed in an Engineering program.
What if a student is placed in a program, but then cannot attend UBC in the upcoming Winter Session. Are they able to keep hold their seat in that program?
Students who are unable to attend UBC after being placed in an Engineering program need to book an appointment to talk to an EAS advisor. Typically, students are unable to hold their seat in the program and must submit a program placement form again once they return for the next Winter session. There are some cases where we will hold your placement seat, such as mandatory military service. Please book an appointment with an EAS advisor to discuss your situation.
Eligibility
All BASc Students
What is the eligibility for Program placement?
BASc students who have 27 credits of the 37 credits of first year Engineering curriculum by April 30th and a sessional average of 55% or higher from the Winter Session (all courses taken between September – April) will be placed in a discipline-specific engineering program. Note that while students can be placed with 27 credits, students must complete all 37 credits of the first-year program, because they are requirements of the BASc degree.
What if a student is not eligible for placement?
If a student does not meet the 27-credit minimum or does not have at least 55% overall (on all courses taken between September – April), they will remain in first-year. We recommend students in this situation speak with an academic advisor in EAS about course planning for the following Winter Session. If you are in this situation, you may also want to review the Academic Standings for Engineering to understand the academic standing you are on based on your average.
PBME Timetable Students
How does placement work for students in PBME (Pre-Biomedical Engineering) timetable?
Students who are registered in the PBME timetable in year one are eligible for priority placement. The students in this timetable will be placed in BMEG if they meet the conditions of priority placement and have indicated BMEG as their first choice on the placement form.
What if a student registered in the PBME timetable does not meet all conditions for priority placement?
Students who do not meet every condition will no longer qualify for priority placement and will go through the competitive program placement process. Students are still able to select BMEG as their first choice, however, they will not be “guaranteed” placement into BMEG if they have not met the priority placement conditions.
What if a student is registered in the PBME timetable and does not want to continue in BMEG?
Students in the PBME timetable can select any program as their first choice through the program placement process. If a student selects another program (i.e. CIVL, MECH etc.) as their first choice, they will be evaluated as such. PBME students who took the full timetable will be able to satisfy the same requirements of the general first year engineering timetable. BMEG 101 covers APSC 101, BMEG 102 covers PHYS 159 and CHEM 121 (or CHEM 120+CHEM 115) +CHEM 123 (or CHEM 130+135) together cover CHEM 154.
Continuing Year One Students
Who are Continuing Year One Students?
Continuing Year One Students are BASc students who did not qualify for program placement in the previous Winter Session.
How does placement work for a returning Year 1 student?
Continuing Year One Students need 27 credits of the 37 credits of first year Engineering curriculum by April 30th and at least 55% or higher sessional average to be eligible for placement. If students have taken courses from the first-year curriculum in previous sessions, these credits will be counted towards placement. Students who are continuing in their first year must take at least 24 credits and those credits will be used for their sessional average used towards placement. Students need to apply each year for placement. Previous submissions will not be used.
Will a student be disadvantaged for placement if they reduce their course load?
No, but students who are considering splitting their first year into two years need to speak with an EAS advisor. Additionally, those who are a returning year one student are encouraged to meet with an EAS advisor to go over course planning.
Guaranteed Placement
What is Guaranteed Placement?
Winners of select Major Entrance Awards may be accorded conditional selection of an engineering specialization that is normally granted to students upon second year via a competitive process. Additionally, the Faculty reserves the right to offer guaranteed program placement to select top applicants. For Guaranteed Placement, students so admitted must achieve a sessional average of at least 80% while taking 30 or more credits over the first two Winter terms at UBC, upon which they will be eligible to choose placement in one of the participating programs. Not all specializations are available. The Faculty may be required to limit enrolment in participating programs should demand exceed available resources.
For more information, consult the UBC Calendar and the Guaranteed Placement FAQs.
UBC-O to UBC-V BASc Students
Is it possible for a UBC-O BASc student to transfer to the UBC-V BASc program?
Yes. Students who are currently attending first-year at the School of Engineering (Okanagan campus) and who have completed between 27 – 36 credits of the first year BASc-O Engineering curriculum), can apply to join the UBC-V BASc program using the program placement form. All other transfer students who are seeking a transfer to the Vancouver campus engineering program will need to complete the change of degree/change of campus application on their Workday Student account by the application deadline and must meet the competitive average for admission.
How does a student in the first year UBC-O BASc-O program apply for a program placement at UBC-V?
UBC- O BASc-O students who have completed between 27 – 36 credits of the first year UBC-O curriculum during their first Winter Session, and are interested in being placed in an Engineering program at the Vancouver campus need to apply through the program placement form. They do not need to submit a change of degree or campus form through UBC Admissions.
How does a BASc-O first year student know if they qualify for program placement at UBC-V?
UBC-O students take 36 credits in their first-year studies, with 27 credits being required for program placement. If a BASc-O student completes between 27 and 36 credits of UBC-O Engineering curriculum, they are eligible to apply using the program placement form. First year BASc-O students need to be aware that this is an extremely competitive process, and there are only 15 seats available for first-year BASc-O students transferring to UBC-Vancouver. Additionally, the process takes into consideration the percentage of the first year BASc-O Engineering curriculum that is completed, the number of credits attempted during the winter session, and the sessional average.
How does a UBC-O BASc-O student already in an Engineering program at UBC-O apply to transfer to UBC-V?
UBC-O BASc-O students need to complete the change of degree/change of campus application. This application is evaluated through UBC Admissions. If admitted to UBC-V BASc 2nd year, the student would need to fill out the program placement form and go through the competitive placement process. A student who was guaranteed their discipline at the School of Engineering at UBC-O is not guaranteed the same discipline at the Vancouver campus. Courses completed in the School of Engineering at UBC-O are not matched 1:1 with courses at the Vancouver campus. Students from UBC-O that are placed in Mechanical Engineering at UBC-V will need to do MECH 2 at UBC-V, even if they have already completed second year MECH at UBC-O.
Can a student at UBC-O in a program other than Engineering apply for program placement at UBC-V?
UBC-O students in all other degree programs need to complete the change of degree/change of campus application for consideration through the admissions process. If admitted to UBC-V BASc 2nd year, the student would need to fill out the program placement form and go through the competitive placement process.
UBC-V Faculty Transfer Students
How does a student transferring from another Faculty at UBC know whether they are eligible for 2nd year placement?
UBC-V students in a different faculty can apply for the BASc degree program by submitting a request through the change of degree application for consideration through the admissions process. If admitted to UBC-V BASc 2nd year, the student would need to fill out the program placement form and go through the competitive placement process.
Can UNBC-UBC Environmental Engineering (ENVE) joint program students be considered for program placement?
UNBC-UBC Environmental (ENVE) students only qualify for the joint Environmental Engineering program at UBC. If they would like to pursue a different engineering discipline, they would first need to apply to UBC and be accepted into the BASc program as a 2nd year standing student in order to be considered for program placement at UBC in any other discipline other than the UNBC-UBC Environmental (ENVE) program.
Post-Secondary Transfer Students
Do Post-Secondary Transfer Students, who qualify for 2nd year standing, need to fill out the program placement form?
Yes, they do. If a student is admitted to the UBC Engineering Program with 2nd year standing they will need to fill out the program placement form to be evaluated and successfully placed in an Engineering program.
Can a post-secondary transfer student fill out the program placement form even though they are admitted to year one?
If a student has been admitted to year one with a substantial amount of transfer credits that they believe would cover 27 credits of UBC-V BASc first year curriculum, they are welcome to submit a placement form. We will hold on to the completed form until all transfer credits have been assessed and year standing has been determined. If the student is granted second-year standing, they will be given a program placement.
What is used to assess a transfer student’s program placement application?
For a student transferring into second year of BASC, program placement will be based on your admission average and personal statement.
Engineering Program Specifics
Biomedical Engineering
Can a student who did not take part in the PBME timetable be placed in BMEG?
Yes. Students who did not take part in the PBME timetable are welcome to select BMEG as their first choice on the program placement form.
Are there any additional courses required to start BMEG if a student was not in the PBME timetable in 1st year?
Yes. Students must take BMEG 200 in the summer before starting BMEG if they did not complete BMEG 101/102. BMEG 200 is a course designed to support student readiness for the BMEG curriculum. Students will also need to take CHEM 121 and CHEM 123 in the subsequent summer term. Additionally, it is the student’s responsibility to know what courses are listed as pre-requisites and do their best to complete all first year Engineering courses as they are degree requirements.
Chemical Engineering and Chemical and Biological Engineering
Are there any admission requirements for placement in CHML?
No. However, courses that are a part of this program’s curriculum have pre-requisites that are first year Engineering courses. It is the student’s responsibility to know what courses are listed as pre-requisites and do their best to complete all first year Engineering courses as they are degree requirements.
How does a current CHML or CHBE student switch to the other program in the department?
Around mid- March, the department sends current students in the CHBE or CHML program an application to apply for the other program. This is competitive as lab seats are limited. For more information, please contact CHBE Undergraduate Advising.
Civil Engineering
Are there any admission requirements for placement in CIVL?
Yes, you need to complete WRDS 150b or an English equivalent before the start of Winter Session in CIVL. CIVL Engineering has a communications skills module, CIVL 201, commencing two weeks prior to the start of the winter session and it may be mandatory for some students. Additionally, it is the student’s responsibility to know what courses are listed as pre-requisites and do their best to complete all first year Engineering courses as they are degree requirements
Computer Engineering
Are there any admission requirements for placement in CPEN?
No. However, courses that are a part of this program’s curriculum have pre-requisites that are first year Engineering courses. It is the student’s responsibility to know what courses are listed as pre-requisites and do their best to complete all first year Engineering courses as they are degree requirements.
Electrical Engineering
Are there any admission requirements for placement in ELEC?
No. However, courses that are a part of this program’s curriculum have pre-requisites that are first year Engineering courses. It is the student’s responsibility to know what courses are listed as pre-requisites and do their best to complete all first year Engineering courses as they are degree requirements.
How can I apply for the Biomedical option in Electrical Engineering?
This is a separate application that ELEC candidates can use to apply through the ECE department. Acceptance to the Biomedical option is conditional on acceptance to the ELEC program.
Engineering Physics
Are there any admission requirements required for placement in ENPH?
No. However, courses that are a part of this program’s curriculum have pre-requisites that are first year Engineering courses. It is the student’s responsibility to know what courses are listed as pre-requisites and do their best to complete all first year Engineering courses as they are degree requirements.
What is the criteria to qualify for an ENPH interview?
For more information on the ENPH interview process, please refer to the ENPH website. If a student has missed the interview timeframe, please reach out to Dr Andre Marziali, Engineering Physics director.
Environmental Engineering
Are there any admission requirements for placement in ENVL?
No. However, courses that are a part of this program’s curriculum have pre-requisites that are first year Engineering courses. It is the student’s responsibility to know what courses are listed as pre-requisites and do their best to complete all first year Engineering courses as they are degree requirements.
Geological Engineering
Are there any admission requirements for placement in GEOE?
No. However, courses that are a part of this program’s curriculum have pre-requisites that are first year Engineering courses. It is the student’s responsibility to know what courses are listed as pre-requisites and do their best to complete all first year Engineering courses as they are degree requirements.
Integrated Engineering
Are there any admission requirements for placement in IGEN?
No. However, courses that are a part of this program’s curriculum have pre-requisites that are first year Engineering courses. It is the student’s responsibility to know what courses are listed as pre-requisites and do their best to complete all first year Engineering courses as they are degree requirements.
Manufacturing Engineering
Are there any admission requirements required for placement in MANU?
No. However, courses that are a part of this program’s curriculum have pre-requisites that are first year Engineering courses. It is the student’s responsibility to know what courses are listed as pre-requisites and do their best to complete all first year Engineering courses as they are degree requirements.
Mechanical Engineering
Are there any admission requirements for placement in MECH?
Yes! Students who want to be placed in Mechanical Engineering and start the program in September, need to complete: MATH 100, MATH 101, MATH 152, PHYS 170, one of (a) PHYS 153 or (b) all of PHYS 157, PHYS 158, PHYS 159, and WRDS 150 or another first-year English course and must have received credit for these courses no later than August 1st. More information can be found on the MECH2 website.
How can I apply for early admission for the Mechanical Engineering program options?
The application for early admission is available through Mechanical Engineering. Students who are accepted into these options are not guaranteed a placement in Mechanical Engineering.
Materials Engineering
Are there any admission requirements for placement in MTRL?
No. However, courses that are a part of this program’s curriculum have pre-requisites that are first year Engineering courses. It is the student’s responsibility to know what courses are listed as pre-requisites and do their best to complete all first year Engineering courses as they are degree requirements.
Mining Engineering
Are there any admission requirements for placement in MINE?
No. However, courses that are a part of this program’s curriculum have pre-requisites that are first year Engineering courses. It is the student’s responsibility to know what courses are listed as pre-requisites and do their best to complete all first year Engineering courses as they are degree requirements.
UNBC-UBC Joint Program (ENVE)
Can a UBC-V student rank the UNBC-UBC joint Environmental (ENVE) program on the program placement form?
No. Students who are interested in this program will need to apply to UNBC through a separate application process.
Preparation
Explore your options by visiting open houses, reading through the Engineering Program websites and doing some research on your own. Current first-year students can access the Engineering program placement video through the APSC 100 and 101 Canvas modules using their CWL login.
Historical Entrance Chart
Historical Entrance Chart Link
What is the Historical Entrance Chart and how often is it updated?
The Historical Entrance Chart is a resource to help students understand the averages for each discipline over past years. It is updated each year and includes historical data since 2020, and can be used to aid a student’s program placement decision making.
Is a student “guaranteed” a spot if they have a sessional average that matches the sessional average range on the chart?
No. Each year, demand for each engineering discipline changes, and thus the Historical Entrance Chart is a good guideline to follow, but it does not guarantee that a student will get a spot in a program if they have a certain sessional average that fits within the listed range.
Additional Resources
What can I do with my Engineering degree?
This UBC resource provides information about how to build your network, find your competitive edge, get experience, and more.
Behind the Career Video Series
This video series by Engineering Stories highlights recent alumni from all 14 of our engineering disciplines. These videos give you a sneak peek into what their jobs look like and insights they’ve gained throughout their degree and early employment.
Career Cornerstone
Information about the field of engineering, career options, employment, earnings, etc. (this is a US-based site, but should give you a good idea about your options).
Educating Engineers.com
Descriptions of programs of study, career options and aptitude needed for each field.
Discover
A website dedicated to discovering careers and other options within the field of Engineering.
Career Cruising (Username: ubc | Password: careers)
Career Cruising provides detailed career profiles. Students can search job descriptions, job titles, and see a “day in the life of” typical employees, at junior, intermediate, and senior job levels. Education, training, duties, salary ranges and benefits are also described.
O*net
O*net describes the tasks, skills, and knowledge required for a profession. Related occupations, related job titles, and categories for professions are described. No login or membership is needed. Content provided is American.
Assessment
How are students assessed for program placement?
Program placement is based on the average of all courses taken during the Winter Session (September – April) and a personal statement for all programs except Engineering Physics.
Engineering Physics uses a student’s average of all courses taken during the Winter Session (September-April), 100-level Math and Physics grades and an interview to assess applicants. For more information on this process, please reach out to Dr Andre Marziali, Engineering Physics director.
Do certain programs use criteria like interviews or other applications to assess placement?
Engineering Physics conducts in-person interviews with potential candidates. Please refer to ENPH website for more information or reach out to Dr Andre Marziali, Engineering Physics director.
Electrical Engineering allows students to apply for the Biomedical Engineering option that is a part of their program. Even if a student is accepted into the Biomedical Engineering option, this does not determine a student’s placement in Electrical Engineering.
Mechanical Engineering allows students to apply for early admission to some of their program options. Even if a student is accepted into one of Mechanical Engineering program options, this does not determine a student’s placement in Mechanical Engineering.
Program Placement Form
Are the program placement forms processed immediately after a student submits it?
No. These forms are not processed on a first-come-first-serve basis. Once the form closes, the forms are processed altogether. There is no advantage to submitting your form before the May 15 deadline.
Can UBC-V BASc students rank UBC-O Engineering Programs?
Yes! The School of Engineering at UBC-O has five Engineering programs and BASc students who qualify for placement may rank these programs. If a student is subsequently placed in a UBC-O program, the placement is final. UBC-V students should only rank UBC- O programs with the understanding that if they are placed in a UBC-O program they will be required to relocate to Kelowna for the remainder of their degree and will not be permitted to change their placement to another program.
What if a student is admitted to the UBC-V BASc program after the program placement form closes?
If you are admitted to the BASc degree as a second-year student after the form closes on May 15, please email Engineering Academic Services at students@apsc.ubc.ca.
Personal Statement
What is the personal statement?
The personal statement is a 500 words statement written to a student’s top choice program, which is a part of a student’s program placement application.
What are the criteria for the personal statement?
There are no specific criteria for the personal statement. Most students choose to write about their interest in the program, their skills, and experiences (both academic and outside the classroom) as well as any other information they would like the program to consider that is relevant to their first-choice discipline.
What makes a good personal statement?
A good personal statement is one that shows why a student would be a good fit for a program. A student should explain why their top choice program should consider their application based on both skills and experiences from academics and experiences or interests outside the classroom. Students should also consider explaining why they are a suitable candidate through illustrating their experiences and achievements. It is important for students to reflect on and highlight what they have learned and the thought process behind their actions.
For example:
I have always been interested in computer engineering and coding since I was younger and I’m even more interested now.
VS
My growing interest in computer engineering stems from a high school coding project that evolved into a continued pastime hobby and passion.
Who reads the personal statements on the placement form?
Only the student’s top choice program reviews their personal statement.
Placement Results
When does a student hear back about program placement?
Students will hear back about their placement results before their registration period opens.
Engineering Physics will provide updates to candidates regarding the application process before the placement form closes, and they will also inform successful applicants of their acceptance in the program ahead of the registration period.
What happens if a student does not receive a placement?
If you did not receive a program placement, please email Engineering Academic Services at students@apsc.ubc.ca so we can determine why this has happened.
How is program placement communicated to students?
Students who submitted a program placement form will be notified by email when the placement results are released before their registration period opens.
What if a student did not receive their top choice for program placement?
Program placement is a competitive process. In order to be competitive for high-demand programs, students must have competitive grades and an excellent personal statement. Unfortunately, because of limited availability in some programs, not all students will qualify for their top choice program. If a student feels like a mistake was made or there are extenuating circumstances that would allow them to be considered for a different Engineering program, they can review the Reconsideration section to see if they qualify. Additionally, students can review the Interdepartmental Transfer Process. We encourage students to talk to an EAS advisor about their situation and the options they have.
Reconsideration
Can any student submit a reconsideration form after receiving their program placement?
Students who believe there has been a mistake relating to their placement or have extenuating circumstances to explain a specific circumstance outside of their control that may have affected their placement, can submit a Reconsideration form to give insight to a specific situation. This must be new information. Students can use the reconsideration form to request to be placed in a different program.
Can UBC-V BASc students who are placed in a UBC-V program be reconsidered for UBC-O programs?
Yes. If a UBC-V students has at least 68% sessional average, they can be reconsidered for UBC-O Engineering programs. Please note: that if a student’s reconsideration form is successful, the student will need to relocate to Kelowna, BC.
When will students get the results for reconsideration?
Students can expect to hear back about the results of reconsideration in early August. Students should register in their currently placed program, and change their registration if the reconsideration is successful.