How to Apply to Biology at UBC (Vancouver): Apply to Science, Declare Biology in Second or Third Year, with Honours Streams in Ecology, Marine Biology, Plant Biology and More; Admission and Prerequisites for Canadian Applicants, International Applicants (Including China) and Transfer Students

At the University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver campus, biology is offered jointly by the departments of Botany and Zoology as a single undergraduate degree in the Faculty of Science, the Bachelor of Science (BSc). This guide, based on UBC’s website and Academic Calendar, covers September 2027 entry for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. The Okanagan campus has separate programs and is not covered; UBC also offers medicine, nursing, pharmaceutical sciences and other degrees, which are outside the scope of this guide, so see the website.

1. Biology degrees and options

• Biology Major (code 3095): BSc, 120 credits for the degree; you may enter in second or third year.
• Biology Honours (code 3194): BSc, 132 credits; first and second year are the same as the Major.
• Honours by area: Animal Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology, Conservation Biology, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Marine Biology and Plant Biology, 132 credits each.
• Combined Majors: Chemical Biology; Oceanography and Biology; Computer Science and Biology. Combined Honours: the honours versions of those three; for Combined Honours in Computer Science and Biology, contact a computer science advisor.
• Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Neuroscience and others are listed separately by the Faculty of Science with their own calendar pages and are not covered in detail here; the Faculty of Land and Food Systems has a separate BSc in Applied Biology — see the website.
• Accreditation: the calendar’s biology page does not mention accreditation by bodies such as the Royal Society of Biology; this is not published on the pages read, so check the Biology department website.

2. How admission works: apply to Science, declare biology in second or third year

• You apply to the Faculty of Science (BSc), not to a biology program. The calendar says students who want a biology specialization when entering second year apply through an online process run by the Faculty of Science; an email arrives in late May or early June.
• Direct admission only to the Major, Combined Major or Combined Honours: because Major and Honours are similar in second year, the Faculty does not admit students directly to Biology Honours; students who want Honours contact the Biology Office and must meet the Faculty’s honours requirements, with honours applications taken in May and August.
• Third-year entry: students not eligible through the second-year process can apply for third-year biology specializations in May and August; transfer students entering third year with the prerequisites may submit late applications. Students already admitted to a second-year biology specialization need not reapply in third year unless applying for Honours.
• Quotas and entry averages: whether places are limited and what minimum average is needed for biology is not published on the pages read; ask Science Advising and the Biology Office.
• First-year courses and prerequisites: the calendar says BIOL 112, 121 and 180 (or 140) are prerequisites to many biology courses and are required for the Major, Honours, Chemical Biology, Computer Science and Biology, and Oceanography and Biology; students without Biology 11 or 12 must take BIOL 111 first; students without Chemistry 12 must take CHEM 100 or CHEM 111 before BIOL 112; BIOL 180 is not required for those who took SCIE 001. Students without BC Chemistry 12 or equivalent must also write the UBC Chemistry Basic Skills Test. If you aim at the Faculties or Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Forestry, Land and Food Systems, Kinesiology or Rehabilitation Sciences, check their first-year biology requirements with the relevant office.
• First-year options: build your own timetable, request Course Bundle Early Registration, or apply to Science One (integrated biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, 75 places, competitive).
• Biology Major first year (31 credits): SCIE 113, BIOL 112, 121, 180 (or 140), CHEM 121 (or 111, 141), CHEM 123, CPSC 103 or DSCI 100, MATH 100/101 (or 102/103, 104/105 and so on), PHYS 131; the CPSC course and PHYS 131 may be deferred to second or third year to make room for electives. Second year includes BIOL 200, 230, 260, BIOL 233 or 234, two of BIOL 203/204/205/209/210 or MICB 201/211, and CHEM 233/235, 30 credits.

3. Co-op, marine courses and exchange

• Biology Co-op: the calendar describes an optional program combining academic study with supervised work experience; enrolment is limited and you must first be admissible to the third-year biology BSc; details come from the Biology Program Office or the Co-operative Education Program. Whether international students can join and how work permits work is not published on the pages read; check UBC’s Co-op program website.
• Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (Vancouver Island): students who have completed second year with suitable prerequisites can take 3-week or 6-week courses in Summer Session, up to 18 credits each summer; there is also a 4-month immersion program from September to December (15 credits).
• Exchange: the BSc degree page says students can spend one or two terms at a partner university (Go Global).

3. Prerequisites (Faculty of Science)

Canadian high-school curricula (BC as the base, per the Academic Calendar): for Science you need English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12, Pre-Calculus 12, one of Anatomy & Physiology 12 / Chemistry 12 / Physics 12, Chemistry 11 and Physics 11. UBC looks at all Grade 11 and 12 academic courses, with attention to the Language Arts, Sciences and Mathematics & Computation categories; its “what we look for” page says the lowest grade is excluded when that course is neither a degree requirement nor related to your intended area. Equivalents for other provinces are in the calendar’s provincial section:

• Ontario: ENG4U is the equivalent of English 12; MHF4U (Advanced Functions) of Pre-Calculus 12 and MCV4U of Calculus 12; MDM4U cannot replace Pre-Calculus 12; 3U sciences match BC Grade 11 sciences.
• Alberta, NWT and Nunavut: English Language Arts 30-1 is the equivalent of English 12; Mathematics 30-1 or Pure Math 30 of Pre-Calculus 12 (Math 30-2 and similar cannot substitute); 20-level sciences match BC Grade 11 sciences.
• Equivalents for Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador are listed on the same page; Quebec secondary-school graduates (11-year system) are not admitted directly and must first complete a year at a CEGEP.

These are Faculty-level prerequisites; the first-year courses of each specialization are given above. The minimum entry average for each specialization is not published on the pages read for this guide; ask Science Advising and the department.

4. Timeline, fee and personal profile (September 2027 entry)

• Opening and deadline: the online application opens in early October 2026; the deadline for Winter Session (September 2027 to April 2028) is January 15, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. UBC’s page says applications go through the EducationPlannerBC website.
• Decisions: for high-school applicants they are made on a continuing basis from November 2026 to June 2027; for Canadian post-secondary applicants between January and July 2027.
• Application fee (Canadian dollars, by credit card, non-refundable): Canadian citizens and permanent residents 78.50; international students who need a study permit 173.25.
• Two program choices: first and second choices may be in different faculties and campuses. Science is not on UBC’s list of degrees needing a supplemental application or extra materials (the list includes Commerce, Computer Science, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Nursing, among others).
• Personal profile: UBC says most high-school applicants must submit it; it covers your experiences, academic and extracurricular achievements and leadership, and is also used for entrance scholarships. Transfer applicants need it only for certain programs.
• References and standardized tests: whether reference letters or standardized test scores such as SAT/ACT are required is not published on the pages read for this guide, so check you.ubc.ca and the Faculty of Science (the International Scholars Program does need referees, see below).
• Documents: February 15, 2027 is the deadline for English-proficiency documents; March 15, 2027 for high-school applicants from outside Canada to submit required documents; Canadian high-school applicants must complete all courses needed for admission by June 30, 2027; BC and Yukon students give their PEN and Ontario students their OUAC reference number.

5. Canadian citizens and permanent residents

• Fee category: Canadian citizens, permanent residents, refugees and some others pay domestic tuition (UBC lists exceptions for Indigenous status). Faculty of Science domestic tuition is charged per credit: CAD 206.69 per credit in the undergraduate tuition table (the page prints no academic year, so check the current table).
• Entrance awards: Canadian citizens and permanent residents must apply to UBC by December 1, 2026 to be considered for the Presidential Scholars Awards, UBC Centennial Scholars Entrance Awards and the Beyond Tomorrow Scholars Award; results are announced March to April 2027.
• In-province and out-of-province: UBC’s pages list course equivalencies by province for Canadian curricula but do not give separate quotas or fees for in-province and out-of-province students; submission methods for each province are on the “Submit your documents” page.
• Science One: if you want Science One (a first-year package integrating biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, 75 places) you must apply to the Science One office in addition to applying to the BSc; the page says applications received by April 30 get priority, later ones may be considered with lower priority. Course Bundle Early Registration is another first-year option.

6. International applicants

• Academic requirements: applicants from an English-medium secondary school need at least 70% (or equivalent) in Grade 11 or Grade 12 English. Other systems are mapped to the program requirements above. GCSE/A-Level: six academic subjects including English, with at least three A-Levels or six AS Levels; IB: the full Diploma with six subjects (three Higher, three Standard); Singapore: six subjects including English with three H2 and two H1; French Baccalauréat Général or BFI; other systems: 12 years of schooling and an approved university-preparation program, with UBC choosing the courses assessed. UBC warns that finishing secondary school is not necessarily enough for first-year entry.
• AP and IB: all AP courses can be used in the admission assessment, generally by school percentage grades, and AP exam results can be included when available (5 = 96%, 4 = 86%, 3 = 80%, 2 = 70%); an AP grade of 4 or higher on approved exams earns first-year credit. IB certificate courses (Standard and Higher Level) can be combined with another high-school curriculum; initial decisions use the interim grades your school reports, and official IBO results confirm the decision and any first-year credit.
• English (ELAS): there are nine ways to meet it (for example four consecutive years of full-time education in English, AP English 4 or higher, IB English A 5 or higher, an accepted test). Minimums, in a single sitting, with scores from January 1, 2025 onwards for 2027/2028 Winter entry: IELTS Academic 6.5 with no part below 6.0 (IELTS General and IELTS Indicator are not accepted); TOEFL iBT 90 overall with Reading 22, Listening 22, Writing 21, Speaking 21 (UBC institution code 0965); PTE Academic 65 overall and 60 in each skill; Duolingo 125 overall with 115 / 115 / 120 / 120; CAEL 70; Cambridge 180. Documents are due February 15, 2027; an application without proof or a waiver is not evaluated. A waiver can be requested.
• Vantage One: international students who do not yet meet the English standard can apply to Vantage One (11 months, English instruction plus first-year courses) in Arts, Science or Engineering; the Science stream leads into second year of the BSc at Vancouver. UBC states minimums of TOEFL 70 and IELTS 5.5 (with sub-scores; see the Vantage College website); the deadline is January 15, and November 15 for the Vantage One Excellence Award.
• Tuition (Canadian dollars): Faculty of Science international tuition is 1,769.40 per credit (the column “commenced in 2026S or later” of the tuition table); UBC adds that for international students starting in 2026/27, tuition rises by no more than 3% a year for the following four years or until graduation, whichever is first. The table prints no academic year, so check the current version.
• International Scholars Program: for international students with significant financial need and top grades (all As or equivalent), entering UBC directly from secondary school for a first undergraduate degree. The deadline is November 15, 2026; you apply to UBC first, then a nominator and a teacher referee submit forms, plus essays and a possible video interview. Applying to this program means not being considered for merit-based awards. Results come in April 2027. Other international entrance awards (International Major Entrance Scholarships, Outstanding International Student Award) are announced March to April 2027.
• Proof of funds and credential evaluation: not published on the pages read for this guide; check the “After you’ve been admitted” and “Submit your documents” pages on you.ubc.ca.

7. Applicants from China

• UBC’s “other international curricula” page says applicants with a Chinese secondary school diploma are recommended to present at least six academic courses (strong applicants with fewer are considered case by case) and must also present results in the National Higher Education Entrance Examination (Gaokao). How Gaokao scores are converted and whether there is a minimum score is not published on the pages read; check the international high schools page on you.ubc.ca.
• If you attend a school with an international curriculum (IB, A-Level, AP and so on), follow the requirements for that curriculum above; English is handled through the nine ELAS routes above, and the English page read does not list a separate score line for Chinese applicants.
• Interviews, credential-evaluation agencies and subject-level Gaokao requirements are not published on the pages read; check the website.

8. Transfer students (including from Canadian colleges)

• Eligibility: you have finished high school and attend a post-secondary institution; meet the English standard (ELAS); and have good academic standing, with a minimum admission average of C (60%, where 50% is a pass) or 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, typically on the most recent 30 credits attempted. This is a floor, not a guarantee. You should generally have at least 30 credits: second-year applicants ideally 30 credits, third-year applicants ideally 54 to 60; applicants with fewer than 24 credits are also assessed on high-school grades.
• How the average is calculated: 0 to 6 credits, high-school average only; 7 to 23 credits, high-school average and post-secondary GPA; 24 to 30 credits, post-secondary GPA; more than 30 credits, post-secondary GPA with emphasis on the most recent 30 transferable credits.
• Faculty of Science rules: transfer students must earn at least 60 credits (Major) or 66 (Honours) while registered in the UBC BSc, including at least 30 (Major) or 42 (Honours) upper-level Science credits; you still need the high-school prerequisites (Chemistry 11 or Physics 11 or equivalent, or transferable first-year courses in their place), completed within five years of the start of the session; applicants over the limit on attempted credits are not admitted; courses with credit but no grade are not assessed; applicants with unsatisfactory standing elsewhere are not admitted directly until they complete 30 transferable credits at the required average.
• Credit transfer: courses from BC and Yukon colleges follow the BC Transfer Guide; courses from Canadian universities are assessed course by course (UBC’s transfer credit search tool helps); colleges outside BC and institutes of technology are generally not transferable and are assessed individually; CEGEP DEC graduates can receive up to one year of credit; courses from institutions outside Canada are assessed course by course, and UBC suggests checking the transfer credit tool and comparing course descriptions with the Academic Calendar.
• Dates: same January 15 deadline; Canadian applicants currently in post-secondary study send interim transcripts by February 15, 2027; applicants from the United States send documents by March 15; other out-of-country applicants by May 31. Science does not accept applications under the Mature Applicant category (preparatory study is needed first); applicants with a bachelor’s degree may apply for a second degree. Transfers from another UBC program follow the “change of degree/campus” rules.
• Okanagan campus: UBC also describes guaranteed transfer admission to its Okanagan campus under stated conditions (a 2.8 GPA among them); that is a different campus and is not covered here.

Sources: UBC website, Calendar: Biology; Dates and deadlines; Application and fee; What we look for; English language competency; Advanced Placement; International Baccalaureate; Transfer requirements; First-year study options; Tuition fee categories; First-year costs; International Scholars Program; Program requirements for Canadian secondary school applicants; Provincial curriculum equivalencies; Other international curricula; Undergraduate tuition table; BSc degree options; Science admission and transfer. These are the pages read when this guide was written; policies and fees change every year, so check the current pages.