Registering for your courses can be a stressful and confusing process. EAS is here to help you navigate your registration, and ensure the registration process is as smooth as possible for all BASc students.
Registration Support
Each unit/department/program/faculty has different ways to manage course registration. Please see below for how to request registration support from different units across UBC.
Engineering Course Contacts
APSC Courses
Register for the waitlist if it is available. If you are on a waitlist there may be action you need to take, please see the Registration FAQ for more information about waitlists.
In Workday Student, a student is able to use the Swap function to change their section in a course if there are available seats in that course section and they are eligible for registration. The Swap function is only available to students during the add/drop period and can be found next to the registered course section under Current Classes tab in Workday.
If you are unable to swap your course section on Workday Student, you can request a section switch under extenuating circumstances. Please see the Registration FAQ for more information about section switches.
Engineering Departmental Courses and Program Registration
Contact the department/program responsible for the course or registration. Please visit their website to determine how to submit a request or inquiry.
Non-Engineering Course Contacts
| Faculty or Department | Location | Contact Information | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arts Advising | Buchanan D111 1866 Mail Mall | arts.advisor@ubc.ca 604-822-4028 | |
| Arts Studies in Research and Writing (WRDS 150) | 1961 East Mall, Room 379 | wrds.advisor@ubc.ca | FAQ for non-Arts Students |
| Chemistry Department | Room D223 2036 Main Mall | Registration Inquiry Form | Visit the Chemistry Advising website to learn more about submitting inquiries and requests. For CHEM 121 and 123 registration you will require APSC faculty approval. Please book an appointment with an ESS Academic Advisor if you are seeking approval. |
| English Department | Room 397 1873 East Mall, Buchanan Tower | first-year.english@ubc.ca 604-822-5122 | |
| Math Department | Room 121 1984 Mathematics Road | Math Contact Form 604-822-2666 | Visit the Math website to learn more about submitting inquiries and requests. Section switches are only available under exceptional circumstances; review the math website to determine if your reason is considered exceptional prior to submitting a request. Inquiries should include: - Your Name and Student Number - Indicate you are an engineering student and if the course is required for your degree - Indicate which course section(s) fit with your current timetable |
| Physics Department | Hennings - Room 325 6224 Agricultural Road | ug-coord@phas.ubc.ca 604-822-3853 | The Physics Department uses an online form for section switch requests |
| Science Advising | Room A150 6221 University Boulevard | advising@science.ubc.ca 604-822-3820 |
Special Registration Requests
EAS has a variety of forms for students requesting special registration help. Please refer to the forms for eligibility requirements and additional information.
Note: For record-keeping and queue management purposes, EAS no longer accepts the paper version of our forms (registration after add/drop, course conflict, etc.). Please use the online forms below for all registration requests.
Section Switch Request
Be aware that students are usually not permitted to switch sections unless they have extenuating circumstances. Please note that not all section switch requests will be accommodated. Do not drop a course section to attempt to register in a different section. If you drop a course, you will be unable to register for it again. Students will need to register on a waitlist in this situation and are not guaranteed a seat in the course. For detailed information about how to swap your course section yourself, please refer to the Swapping a course tutorial page.
EAS may be able to accommodate section switches for the following courses:
- All APSC courses (100-400)
- First Year Physics courses (PHYS 157, 158, 159, or 170)
- CHEM 154
- MATH 152
Note: All Varsity section switches can come through the EAS form.
Section Switches for other courses
For other section switches, please contact the following:
- First Year Math courses (MATH 100, 101): Math contact form
- First Year Chemistry (CHEM 121 or 123): Chemistry contact form
- All other Engineering or non-Engineering courses: Please contact the administrating office of the course (ex. Journalism for WRDS 150B, Mechanical for MECH courses, etc.)
Eligibility for Section Switches
Valid reasons for a section switch request:
- Varsity athletic commitments – You are on a UBC Varsity athletic team and your timetable conflicts with practice times (please include your Varsity sport when contacting EAS)
- Medical commitments – regularly scheduled medical commitments (appointments, etc.)
- Extenuating circumstances
- In rare circumstances, highly unbalanced timetables may be a valid reason for a section switch
- Unbalanced timetable is defined as an uneven credit load between term 1 and term 2 (ie. 15 credits taken in term 1 and 22 credits taken in term 2)
Invalid reasons for a section switch request:
- Instructor preferences
- Wanting to be in the same section as a friend
- Time of day preferences
- Long break between classes
- Early start and/or late end to the day
- Making space on your timetable for a humanities course
Registration/ Change of Registration Form or Auditing Courses
Use this form if online registration has closed or if you are auditing a course
Please allow up to 7-10 business days to process.
Course Conflicts
Course conflicts are discouraged. First year students are not permitted to register in course conflicts. Most faculties and schools normally do not permit course conflicts (e.g. Faculties of Commerce and Science).
A course conflict request will be considered if all instructors/coordinators approve. Fill out the course conflict registration form with an explanation of how you will make up for the missed material and the approval signature from the instructors/coordinators.* You must discuss your plan with all instructors involved in the conflict and, if they approve, they sign the form.
Please allow up to 7-10 business days to process.
Exceptions:
- ENPH 459: Students are permitted to register in a conflict with MECH 280 with only the MECH 280 instructor approval signature. All other conflicts will require both approval signatures.
- ENPH 479: Students are permitted to register with a conflict. Only the approval signature of the other course instructor is required.
- IGEN 330/L0A (lab conflict only): Students are permitted to register with a conflict. Only the approval signature of the other course instructor is required. A conflict with the lecture will require the approval signature from both instructors.
- MTRL 466 T1A/L1A and MTRL 467 T2A/L2A (lab conflicts only): Students are permitted to register with a conflict without the approval signature of either course instructor.
- CHBE 491/493/495 (thesis proposal courses) and CHBE 492/494/496 (thesis courses): Students are permitted to register with a conflict without the approval signature of either course instructor.
- CIVL 445/332: Students are permitted to register with a conflict without the approval signature from either course instructor. CIVL 445 students must attend the courses’ review meetings regardless of any conflicts they have.
- CIVL 445 + 446: Students are permitted to register with a conflict. Only approval signature of the other course instructor is required. CIVL 445 & 446 students must attend the courses’ review meetings regardless of any conflicts they have
Registration Tokens
A registration token is a pre-requisite or co-requisite waiver that administrators can issue a student in Workday if they are eligible for a course but unable to register on their own. Registration tokens may only be issued for one academic term at a time and cannot be carried over to the next term (If you are issued a registration token for 2024 Winter term 2, you cannot use it in the 2025 Summer or Winter terms).
In order to register for a course, students must meet all pre-requisite or co-requisite course codes exactly as shown in the course description. A registration token may be issued to a student if:
- They meet the pre-requisite or co-requisite requirement for a UBC course, but Workday Student does not recognize the transfer credit they received to allow for student self-registration.
- For example, if a course requires one of: APSC 176, ENGL 110, ENGL 111, ENGL 112, ENGL 120, ENGL 121, WRDS 150 as a pre-requisite, Workday Student will not recognize ENGL_V 1ST transfer credit.
- Their transfer credit is yet to be posted on their Workday Student account.
- If they are currently waitlisted for the pre-requisite or co-requisite course.
*Please note that in Workday, registration and the Academic Progress Report (APR) function separately and are not linked to one another. There are cases where a student will see the requirement is met in their APR but they will still be unable to self-register for a course which requires it as a pre-requisite.
If your circumstances fall into one of the categories above and you are unable to register in one of the courses listed below, EAS can issue a registration token. To receive a token from EAS, please submit a registration form.
First-Year courses
PHYS 157
PHYS 158
PHYS 159
MATH 152
Upper-Year courses
APSC 201
APSC 402
STAT 251
CPSC 259
Please allow up to 5-7 business days to process.
For course codes outside of the ones listed above, please contact the departments directly for assistance.
Engineering Program
Math Department
Chemistry Department
Physics Department
Computer Science Department
Credit Limit Increase
BASc students have a 42-credit limit (Year 1) or a 50-credit limit (Upper Years) in the Winter session, and a 12-credit limit in the Summer session. If you would like to take additional credits beyond this limit, you will need to submit a request through the form below. More information about considerations and eligibility can be found on the form.
Undergraduate Students in Graduate Courses
Undergraduate students must complete the Enrolment of Undergraduate Students in Graduate Course Form if they wish to take a graduate course. Forms must be submitted to Engineering Academic Services for approval before contacting the Course Instructor and Department Graduate Advisor.
Once all three signatures are obtained, it will be the students responsibility to submit the form to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies office via email at graduate.sas@ubc.ca for processing.
Taking Courses at UBCO
Please refer here for eligibility criteria and application deadlines.