How to Apply to Chemistry at UBC Okanagan: Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry Majors in the Faculty of Science BSc, First Year Built on CHEM 121/123 and Calculus, Honours Entered in Fourth Year with the Department Head’s Permission; Admission and Prerequisites for Canadian Applicants, International Applicants (Including China) and Transfer Students

UBC’s Okanagan campus (in Kelowna, in the interior of British Columbia) teaches chemistry in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, and the undergraduate degree is the Bachelor of Science (BSc). This guide, based on UBC’s website and the Okanagan Academic Calendar, covers September 2027 entry for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. The Vancouver campus has different programs and requirements and is not covered; UBC also offers nursing, health and exercise sciences, medicine and other degrees, which are outside the scope of this guide, so see the website.

1. Chemistry degrees and options

• Major in Chemistry: BSc, at least 120 credits; covers analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry, plus the biochemistry course BIOC 304.
• Major in Environmental Chemistry: a separate major with the same four core areas of chemistry and a specialization in environmental chemistry; the calendar lists employment with environmental consulting firms, industrial environmental departments, analytical laboratories and regulatory agencies. Its entry prerequisites match the chemistry major (Chemistry 11 and Principles of Mathematics 12 or Pre-Calculus 12, with Chemistry 12 strongly advised).
• Chemistry Honours: the same course requirements as the Major, except that 6 credits of electives must be CHEM 449, or CHEM 450 and 451 (research courses). Entry (calendar): fourth-year standing (at least 78 credits in the Chemistry Major), a cumulative average of at least 76%, and enrolment in those research courses with the department head’s permission; graduation requires a graduating grade average of at least 76%, at least 76% in the research course, a written thesis, a public poster presentation and a public thesis defence.
• BSc General Studies: the general science program lets you take chemistry as one of two or three concentrations.
• Limit: the calendar says students may enroll in only one of Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as a major, honours or minor.
• Accreditation: the calendar’s chemistry page does not mention accreditation by bodies such as the American Chemical Society or the Chemical Institute of Canada; this is not published on the pages read, so check the Faculty of Science and Chemistry department websites.

2. How admission works and how the program is laid out

• You apply to the Faculty of Science (BSc): the calendar says applications to the Faculty of Science go through Enrolment Services. Whether you can choose “Chemistry” directly at application, when the major is formally declared and whether the chemistry major has a quota is not published on the pages read; ask Program Advisors in the Faculty of Science.
• Chemistry Major prerequisites: Chemistry 11 (or equivalent) and Principles of Mathematics 12 or Pre-Calculus 12; Chemistry 12 is strongly advised.
• First year (30 credits): CHEM 121 and 123; MATH 100; one of MATH 101 or 103; English (ENGL 109, or two specified courses); PHYS 111 or 112; PHYS 121 or 122; 6 credits of electives.
• Second year (30 credits): CHEM 201, 220, 203, 204, 211; MATH 200 (the calendar strongly recommends it as a corequisite of CHEM 312, to be taken in second year if CHEM 312 is planned for third; its prerequisite is MATH 101 or 65% in MATH 103); 6 credits of science electives; INDG 100 or ENGL 114; 3 credits of non-science electives.
• Third and fourth years (60 credits): analytical CHEM 311; biochemistry BIOC 304; inorganic (one of CHEM 336/337/338) plus one more inorganic or related course; organic, two of CHEM 317, 330, 333, 403; physical CHEM 304 and 312; two of CHEM 461 to 465; 6 credits of upper-level chemistry electives; upper-level, non-science and other electives.
• BSc-wide requirements (entering 2020/21 or later): at least 120 credits, of which at least 78 are Science and at least 42 are upper-level (at least 36 of those in Science); a graduating grade average of at least 60%; 6 credits of English or Communications before fourth-year standing; first-year Science credits including MATH 100, 3 credits of approved computer science, data science, statistics or further mathematics, and at least 3 credits of lab-based experimental science; at least 9 credits of non-science courses (12 for those who entered before 2024) and 3 credits of Indigenous content (INDG 100 or ENGL 114). Year standing is by credits: first year 0 to 23, second 24 to 47, third 48 to 77, fourth 78 or more.
• Labs and first-year options: the chemistry pages read do not describe lab arrangements or first-year study options such as integrated course bundles; this is not published there, so check the Faculty of Science website.

3. Co-op and exchange

• Faculty of Science Co-op (optional): the calendar describes an optional year-round program of paid, career-related work. To graduate with the Co-op designation you complete three work terms (9 Co-op credits, in Term 1 and/or Term 2 of a Winter Session), which typically adds four months to a year. Students usually apply in Term 1 of second or third year; you need a declared major, second-year standing (at least 24 credits) and a cumulative average of at least 70%, and selection also considers suitability for the workplace as assessed by the Co-op office. Enrolment depends on available jobs and acceptance does not guarantee a placement; you need third-year standing (at least 48 credits) before the first work term, and you pay program fees and a one-time workshop fee. Whether international students can join and how work permits work is not published on the pages read; check UBC’s Co-op website.
• Exchange: the Okanagan Faculty of Science pages read do not describe exchange arrangements; check the university’s Go Global pages.

4. Prerequisites (Faculty of Science)

Canadian high-school curricula (the Okanagan Academic Calendar’s program requirements table, Science row): English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12; Pre-Calculus 12; at least one Grade 12 science; Chemistry 11. The assessment looks at Grade 11 and 12 academic courses, with the core assessment based on the Language Arts, Sciences and Mathematics & Computation categories. The calendar says secondary-school graduation and an overall average of at least 67% (on a 50% pass scale) are the minimum for consideration, but because there are more qualified applicants than places, most programs need more; UBC does not publish a cut-off for each program. UBC excludes the lowest-graded academic course where it is neither required nor relevant to your intended area; there is no strict minimum number of courses, but at least six Grade 12-level courses are recommended; all courses must be completed by June, and summer-school and supplemental-exam grades are not considered.

Province-by-province course equivalents are only pointed to on the Okanagan pages of you.ubc.ca (shown after you pick a campus and province); they are not published on the pages read for this guide, so check the “Canadian high schools” page on you.ubc.ca, choose Okanagan and your province.

5. 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. The Okanagan calendar says a weekend deadline moves to the next working day, some programs accept no applications after the deadline, and late applications are not evaluated on the same basis or with the same priority.
• 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): the Okanagan calendar lists, for applications for the 2027 Summer and 2027 Winter sessions, 78.50 for Canadian citizens and permanent residents and 173.25 for applicants on a study permit.
• Two program choices: first and second choices may be in different faculties and campuses. In UBC’s list of degrees needing a supplemental application or extra materials, the Okanagan entries are Education, Fine Arts, Media Studies, Nursing (personal profile) and Sustainability; the Bachelor of Science is not on it.
• Personal profile: UBC’s “what we look for” page says most high-school applicants must submit it; it covers experiences, academic and extracurricular achievements and leadership, and is also used for entrance scholarships; the Okanagan calendar describes it as short-answer questions. Whether it is compulsory for Science, follow the prompts in the application system.
• References and standardized tests: whether they 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: UBC tells applicants by email and in the Applicant Service Centre which documents are needed and when; February 15, 2027 is the deadline for English-proficiency documents; March 15, 2027 for high-school applicants from outside Canada; 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. UBC’s page says applications go through the EducationPlannerBC website.
• MATH 100 calculus exam: the Okanagan campus offers a three-hour calculus examination to all new BSc students who have completed or are taking secondary-school calculus; passing earns credit for MATH 100, one attempt only. Applications go to the head of the Department of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics by March 15 (April exam) or November 15 (December exam), with a non-refundable fee equal to a 1-credit course.

6. 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 Okanagan 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: the tuition and admission pages read distinguish only domestic and international students, not BC and non-BC residents; any difference is not published on those pages.
• AP and IB: AP courses can be combined with an approved high-school credential, with the higher of the AP exam score and school grade used once results are available (5 = 96%, 4 = 86%, 3 = 80%, 2 = 70%); an AP grade of 4 or better earns equivalent first-year Okanagan credit. IB certificate courses likewise use the higher of the IBO score and school grade, converted to percentages (for example Higher Level 6 = 96% and 7 = 98%; Standard Level 5 = 86% and 6 = 90%); a Higher Level science grade of 6 or better earns first-year credit.

7. International applicants

• Academic requirements (Okanagan calendar, other international curricula): applicants from an English-medium secondary school need at least 70% (or equivalent) in Grade 11 or Grade 12 English. GCSE/GCE: at least six academic courses across GCSE, AS and A-Level with at least three at A-Level; IB: the Diploma with six subjects (three Higher, three Standard) and at least 24 points including bonus points, with most programs requiring more; French Baccalauréat Général or its international option; Singapore: at least five examinations including English, three at H2 and two at H1; other systems: 12 years of schooling and an approved university-preparation program. UBC warns that finishing secondary school is not necessarily enough for first-year entry. The calendar adds that strong results in A-Level, H2, IB Higher Level, AP and similar may earn advanced credit or placement.
• English (ELAS): the Okanagan campus lists eleven ways to meet it. Besides four consecutive years of full-time education in English, AP English 4 or higher, IB English A 5 or higher and accepted tests, they include UBC Okanagan’s English Foundation Program and at least 70% in Okanagan College’s EAPD 030 and EAPS 030 (or EAPW 030 and EAPR 030). 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.
• Tuition (Canadian dollars): Okanagan Faculty of Science international tuition is 1,769.40 per credit (the column “commenced 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. UBC says a high school or non-profit may nominate up to two students for the Vancouver campus and one for the Okanagan campus. 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.

8. Applicants from China

• The Okanagan calendar’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 eleven 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.

9. Transfer students (including from Canadian colleges)

• Eligibility (Okanagan calendar): you attend a post-secondary institution, have finished high school and meet the English standard (ELAS); the minimum academic standing is a C average (60%, where 50% is a pass) or 2.0 on a 4.0 scale on the most recent 24 to 30 transferable credits, including failed and repeated courses. This is a floor, not a guarantee. Applicants with fewer than 24 transferable credits must also present final secondary-school records. You must have the program’s prerequisites at secondary or post-secondary level; UBC looks for consistently strong grades, relevant and progressively more challenging courses, and may ask you to explain your course choices.
• Credit transfer: transfer credit is generally limited to the first two years of a degree (more senior credit possible with faculty approval), and no more than 60 credits or 50% of program credits may be transferred, sometimes less. Courses from BC and Yukon institutions follow the BC Transfer Guide; courses from elsewhere with established equivalencies are credited accordingly, and others are assessed course by course, possibly with a course outline.
• Guaranteed admission: UBC’s transfer page says applicants currently attending a post-secondary institution are eligible for guaranteed admission to the Okanagan campus’s Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce or Bachelor of Science with a 2.8 GPA on the most recent 8 to 10 transferable courses, plus the English standard and the degree’s transfer requirements.
• 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; results for Canadian post-secondary applicants come between January and July 2027. The specific prerequisites the Faculty of Science sets for transfer students are not published on the pages read; ask Program Advisors in the Faculty of Science.

Sources: UBC website, Calendar: Chemistry; Calendar: Environmental Chemistry; Dates and deadlines; Application; What we look for; Okanagan English language competency; Transfer requirements; Tuition fee categories; International Scholars Program; Secondary school applicants; Program requirements for Canadian secondary school applicants; Other international curricula; IB and AP; Application deadlines; Document deadlines; College or university applicants; Maximum transfer credit; Undergraduate tuition table; Application fees; Science program overview; Science admission requirements; BSc degree requirements; Science Co-op. These are the pages read when this guide was written; policies and fees change every year, so check the current pages.