Program Options

Receive professional actor training from UBC's renowned BFA program. Your studies will span storytelling, improvisation, scene study, movement, and voice, working up to training in screen acting, auditioning, solo creation, singing, voice-over, and stage combat.     

The African Studies Minor offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Africa, as well as the African diaspora. Learn more about the African continent’s history, and the fascinating cultural and linguistic diversity of more than one billion people who live in Africa’s 54 sovereign nations.

Engage with the study of the languages, literature, history, religion, institutions, and material culture of the lands and peoples centred around the Mediterranean and the Tigris-Euphrates river system, and the reception and representation of these cultures to the modern day. Ancient Mediterranean & Near Eastern Studies was formerly known as the Department of Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies.

The Anthropological Archaeology minor includes a focus on cultural ecology, the economic patterns of hunters, gatherers, and agriculturalists, and the nature of complex societies. Instruction covers field techniques, analysis, and the study of various culture areas and includes a local field school. The Laboratory of Archaeology located in the Museum of Anthropology building offers extensive archaeological facilities and houses collections from various parts of the world.

Examine processes of social and cultural life in human societies past and present, near and far — from First Nations in Canada to the indigenous and non-indigenous peoples of Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America. Anthropology advances the study and constructive understanding of human diversity and commonality, across the globe and throughout the long span of human existence.  

Study the fundamentals of animal behaviour, animal physiology, and examine related fields as they apply to farm, companion, and other animals. You’ll learn about the role of animals in human society and the ethical, environmental, and other issues that arise. The Applied Animal Biology minor is based in the Faulty of Land and Foods Systems.

The Applied Music Technology minor offers training in technology for music composition, performance and software programming, as well as knowledge about interactive video manipulation and art installations.

Learn about world archaeology – from the emergence of humankind to the beginning of state societies – and examine the beginnings of the economic, social, political, and artistic traditions and systems of the great civilizations.  You may emphasize archaeology by selecting courses offered in a number of departments including Anthropology; Art History, Visual Art, and Theory; and Classical, Near Eastern, and Religious Studies.  

Art history is an expansive and diverse academic discipline that encompasses critical and historical analyses of objects, spaces, visual traditions, artistic practices, and ideas, as well as their reception and interpretation across different geographic and cultural contexts, in the past and in the present. Undergraduate students in art history learn how to look critically, carry out research, integrate different types of knowledge, and produce original arguments and present them in an effective manner. 

Gain a deeper understanding of Asian cultures while you study history, philosophy, literary and religious traditions, languages, as well as gender relations. 

Explore the history, culture, and contemporary development of Asian communities in Canada, and global Asian migrations in the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies minor program. 

Asian Language and Culture is designed to give you the linguistic and cultural capital to work as a leader in the 21st century on the Canada-Asia interface. This program combines advanced language study with a concentration in one of five areas – China, Chinese Literature, Japan, Korea, or South Asia. 

The Canadian Studies program provides an opportunity for contact with the way disciplines in the humanities and social sciences have shaped understanding of Canada. In this interdisciplinary program, you'll critically engage Canada’s past and present and seek to understand Canada’s place in the world. Learn about how the environment, Indigenous cultures, urban planning, sovereignty, and even maple doughnuts add up to make a country.

If you have a keen interest and critical mind for the screen arts, and you want to join a thriving community of students and scholars, Cinema Studies could be the program for you. Study a full range of topics that cover most of the world’s cinema movements and periods. 

Learn about the principles and techniques used by intelligent systems, both natural and artificial. This multi-disciplinary undergraduate program involves four departments: Computer Science, Linguistics, Philosophy, and Psychology. You can choose to specialize in Cognition and the Brain; Language; or Mind, Language, and Computation. 

A minor in Commerce will expose you to various business disciplines, such as accounting, finance, marketing, organizational behaviour and business strategy. This program is based in the Sauder School of Business. The Commerce minor is not available to Bachelor of International Economics (BIE) students, nor students majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies (IDST). For information on applying COMR courses to an IDST program course plan, please connect with IDST advising.

Learn how to use and improve computers while you explore topics such as databases and operating systems, software engineering, security, web development, and numerical methodology. Computer Science gives you a thorough grounding in computer software design, and a broad choice of other studies in computing.  This program is based in the Faulty of Science. 

This two-year studio program offers workshops in the following genres: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children, translation, stage play, radio, television, song lyrics and libretto, screenwriting, new media, and writing for graphic forms.

Pursue the Creative Writing minor as a complement to your major and receive a formal qualification in Creative Writing on your transcript. Learn by producing your own original writing, while experienced faculty — all practicing writers themselves – guide you in learning technique and craft.

Critical Studies in Sexuality (CSIS) is an empowering, inquiring, multidisciplinary program that examines cultural constructions of sexuality across a broad domain of human relationships.

In this minor, students gain an understanding of key data science concepts such as how to program using data, use statistics on data, and how to use machine learning and statistical models. The Minor in Data Science is an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental undergraduate program administered through the Faculty of Science. This program is open to any UBC-Vancouver undergraduate student.

The Bachelor of Arts is offered as a four-year degree program in the Faculty of Arts. You can complete honours, major, double major, and minor programs in one or more departments, or you can  design an interdisciplinary studies program. Programs available to Bachelor of Fine Arts students are available to BA students as double majors. 

The Bachelor of Fine Arts is a four-year degree program in the Faculty of Arts, blending artistic and professional practice, theory, and research. Students can specialize in the following academic disciplines:

• Creative Writing
• Acting
• Theatre Design and Production
• Film Production
• Visual Art (major and Honours)

Bachelor of International Economics (BIE) is a distinct four-year, full-time degree program offered by the Vancouver School of Economics with supporting partner the Sauder School of Business. Graduate with a deep understanding of the workings of the global economy, as well as strong technical training that will allow you to enter careers in business, government, and academia. All Bachelor of Arts minor programs are available to BIE students, except for the Commerce or Economics minor. 

The Bachelor of Media Studies is a four-year, multidisciplinary, direct-entry degree that combines media theory, research, and hands-on application. Drawing on curriculum from Art History, Visual Art, English, and German critical media theory, Creative Writing, Journalism, Film Studies, Film Production, Information Studies, and Computer Science, the BMS degree builds a foundation for a rewarding and dynamic academic or professional career. All Bachelor of Arts minor programs are available to BMS students as well. 

The School of Music offers a four-year degree program leading to the Bachelor of Music. At the heart of the program is the core curriculum of music theory and aural skills, music history, music technology, solo and ensemble performance, and liberal arts electives, in which all majors participate. The School of Music admits undergraduate students to the following majors:

• General Studies
• Music Education
• Composition
• Music Scholarship
• Performance (audition required)

The Bachelor of Social Work is a two-year accredited degree that provides the knowledge, values, and skills necessary for professional practice, focusing on the interface between personal problems and public issues. The curriculum includes courses on theory, policy research and practice. It is complemented by integrative seminars, electives and two field practicums. 

Through the dual degree program, you can earn a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Applied Science within a minimum of five years. The BA/BASc Dual Degree program is not open to students with a prior degree. You must be registered in either Faculty to seek admission to the program.

• Arts students submit a completed application form to Arts Academic Advising Services.
• Engineering students apply through Engineering Student Services.

Through this dual degree program, you can earn a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in approximately 4.5 to 5.5 years. The dual degree program requires a student to fulfill both Science and Arts degree requirements and results in two degrees.

• If you are an Arts student, follow the Arts student application form.
• If you are a science student, follow the process outlined on the BSc student application form.

Through this dual degree, you can earn a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Management in just 4.5 years.

Through this dual degree, you can earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Management in just 4.5 years.

Through this dual degree, you can earn a Bachelor of Media Studies and a Master of Management in just 4.5 years.

Through this dual degree program, you can earn a Bachelor of Music (General Studies) and a Bachelor of Education within five years. Graduates are qualified to teach music at the Secondary and Elementary levels. 

Through this dual degree program, you can earn a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Science in approximately six years. 

Through this dual degree program, you can earn a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Management in just 4.5 years

The UBC Sciences Po Dual Degree is a partnership between the University of British Columbia and Sciences Po (l’Institut d’études politiques de Paris) that gives students the opportunity to earn two Bachelor of Arts degrees in four years, while studying in Canada and France.

Gain a deep understanding of the economy and examine the social, cross-cultural, and ethical dimensions of economic decision-making. Learn how to choose and apply appropriate quantitative methods to a range of economic issues, and effectively communicate complex economic issues. Combined majors are available in Economics and Philosophy, Economics and Political Science, Economics and Mathematics, and Economics and Statistics.  

Investigations through the lens of education can lead to career options involving education theory and pedagogy, both for teaching careers and other professional goals. The Education minor does not qualify students to teach in the K-12 system, but it provides prerequisites to diploma or graduate-level programs in the Faculty of Education. This program is based in the Faculty of Education.

This program gives students a broad sense of the range and applicability of language study. Working in an engaged community, students can take a range of language courses or focus on History of English, Structure of English, Rhetorical Theory, or Approaches to Discourse. Language graduates are especially skilled in the critical analysis of media and communication.

This program has excellent options for students looking for a degree combining close linguistic analysis with cultural and historical interpretation. Students planning careers in education or media will find this program especially appealing, but it is open to anyone with interests that cross the two main streams of English studies.  

The Minor in English: Teacher Education Preparation combines courses in Literature and Language. Students who complete this Minor will have the English course requirements needed to apply to the UBC Teacher Education Program (Secondary) with a specialization in English.

This program offers students with interests in the literatures of the English-speaking world a chance to explore a range of topical issues in historical, theoretical, global, and mediatic perspectives. Working in a vibrant community of engaged scholars and learners, literature students gain advanced research, writing, and communication skills that will help prepare them for careers in any field.

In the Environment and Society minor, you will study the human experience, what our ethical obligations are to each other and future generations, and what political, economic, and social strategies might be employed to address environmental problems and promote a more sustainable society.

The minor in Family Studies offers a life-course perspective to understanding families as they develop over time; this incorporates both the study of family dynamics in diverse contexts and the predictable ways families change.

Develop your intellectual, creative, and technical skills as you prepare to embark on a professional career in the film industry. Your coursework will provide you with core disciplines and filmic knowledge as well as practical experience in filmmaking. BFA and diploma students produce and work on several films while in the program.  

Explore the processes and protocols for the documentation, conservation, revitalization, and reclamation of endangered languages, cultures, and Indigenous knowledge systems locally, regionally, and internationally. This interdisciplinary program offers courses in First Nations and Endangered languages at all levels, from introductory to advanced. 

Gain an understanding of the histories, contemporary realities, and political concerns of Indigenous peoples in Canada and beyond. This interdisciplinary program reflects the belief that deep understanding and ethical engagement are central to the well-being of resurgent Indigenous communities and foundational to more respectful Indigenous-settler relations. 

Learn how to use economics and business management to address the challenge of feeding 7.5 billion people with a limited set of natural resources with the Food and Resource Economics minor program. This program is based in the Faulty of Land and Foods Systems.

Take your passion for food to the next level in one of the world’s most influential scientific research institutions in food science and technology. In UBC’s Food Science minor program, you’ll discover the chemistry and microbiology of food, as well as its nutritional and sensory properties, and how it’s engineered and processed for consumption. This program is based in the Faculty of Land and Foods Systems.

Enhance your active communication skills and develop your appreciation of Francophone culture and literature, including those in Canada, France, Africa, and the Caribbean. Designed for students with beginner proficiency in French. 

Enhance your spoken and written French skills as you study literature, culture, and linguistics. You'll take courses that range from African and Caribbean literature to Quebecois literature, from fiction to cinema, and much more. Designed for students with intermediate or advanced proficiency in French. 

This program incorporates research and theories from the social sciences, humanities, science, education, and law, to provide you with an interdisciplinary understanding of global and local social justice issues. Areas of study include: critical race theory, ethnic studies, indigenous studies, media studies, feminist politics and methodologies, sexuality, and more. 

This program is administered through the Department of Geography and consists of 30 credits.

Gain an integrated understanding of physical, ecological, economic, socio-cultural, and political systems, as they shape the world in which we live and influence the future of life on planet earth. This program is suitable if you're interested in working in the environmental sphere and will give you a strong platform for the development of a sense of global stewardship. 

Human Geography covers a wide set of sub-disciplines that share in common the study of the human use and experience of the world. You'll study such broad territory as the relations between nature and society, place and human identity, and the spatial basis of economies and societies. 

The German Studies programs are made up of courses on Germanophone culture, film, history, language, linguistics, literature, media, philosophy, society and thought. Our courses represent the historically and socially diverse lives and communities that make up the German-speaking world in and beyond Europe—from Switzerland to Namibia to Hungary and elsewhere. Students who complete the Major will achieve at least B2 proficiency in German based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. 

This Minor allows students to take 18 credits at the 300+ level in GMST or GERN, without having completed any language training in German at the 100 and 200 level. This is for students who are eager and interested in German culture, media, and literature, but do not intend to learn the language in depth. Our courses represent the historically and socially diverse lives and communities that make up the German-speaking world in and beyond Europe—from Switzerland to Namibia to Hungary and elsewhere.

In the Health and Society minor program, you'll learn about social determinants of health, health beliefs and behaviours, cultural representations of health and illness, health inequalities, and other social aspects of health, from multidisciplinary perspectives.

The History program will take you through a series of stages in developing knowledge, skills, and practice of history. Choose from a wide range of courses on Asian, Canadian, European, Latin American, and American history, and examine themes such as culture, environment, politics, society, world history, and the history of science. 

In this Honours History program, explore modern world politics and diplomacy and address how states and non-state actors wield and negotiate power in the international system. Examine the history of international organizations, the relationship between ideology and foreign policy, the development of the global economy, the origins and history of international law and human rights protocols, and the linkages between science, the state, and international relations. 

Explore historical, conceptual, and methodological conditions of scientific knowledge through detailed consideration of important episodes in the history of science.

Informatics, or information science, is a field of study focused on the use of information, data and knowledge in society and across academic disciplines. It considers how information is produced, stored, organized, classified, disseminated and preserved. It also analyzes how technical and social information systems function and the role that information systems play in the lives of individuals, communities, and our global ecosystem.

Design a cross-disciplinary program of study out of courses that are drawn from two of the four broader categories – the creative and performing arts, the humanities, the physical and life sciences, and the social sciences – and that suit your individual learning and career goals. 

Gain a deeper understanding of pertinent world issues — such as international diplomacy, global economics, security — by combining the insights and perspectives of different disciplines such as Economics, History, Political Science, Geography, Anthropology, and Asian Studies with the study of languages. 

In the Italian minor, you'll study both language and literature within a multidisciplinary cultural continuum that reflects the diversity of the world around us.

The Jewish Studies minor is an interdisciplinary program exploring the culture, history, and literature of Jews throughout the ages. You will gain an understanding of Jewish civilization and its sources, from Ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible, to the Second Temple Period and Classical Rabbinic Literature, to the Middle Ages and Modern Judaism. 

The Minor in Journalism and Social Change is a skill-based program that provides students with foundational knowledge in journalism, literacy skills, community engagement, and the tools to understand and respond to social change. Students will be able to complement their major field of study with practical  skills, critical thinking and analytical news literacy, with a focus on the role of journalism and social change.

Build a broad foundation of knowledge in the peoples and places of Latin America. This interdisciplinary program includes courses in anthropology, art history, geography, history, and political science as well as language instruction in Spanish and Portuguese. 

The Law and Society minor provides a unique opportunity to understand law as a social phenomenon that is central to the organization of social relations and social life. It is a multidisciplinary program, situating the study of legal structures, rules, and institutions within their full social, historical, economic, and political contexts.

Linguistics is a highly interdisciplinary field which combines research methods from the humanities and the social, natural, and mathematical sciences to study human language and offers a systematic study of how language works. Linguists work on sound systems (phonetics and phonology), on the relation between form and meaning (morphology, syntax, and semantics), and on how languages change over time.  

Through a study of the medieval period, you can come to an understanding of a civilization as a whole in both its unity and diversity while gaining a deeper understanding of art, music, literature, history, and society. Learn how to critically evaluate the use of the past in the present and provide a necessary corrective to our culturally ingrained misconceptions about the medieval and pre-modern world.

Middle East Studies (MES) an interdisciplinary minor program that seeks to foster engagement with the history, politics, religions, economies, and cultures of the Middle East. Broad in geographical and temporal scope and drawing on expertise from across UBC, the program trains the next generation of global citizens and leaders to understand one of the most misunderstood regions in the world.

Study European languages, history, art, music, literature, philosophy, geography, sociology, anthropology, politics, and economics in a broadly based concentration that will extend and deepen your knowledge of European issues. 

Learn about the history of museum collecting, debate the public role of museums, address questions of ownership and repatriation of collections, and explore the complex relationship between museums and the individuals and communities that originally created the objects. This focus offers you training in museum principles and methods while also providing exciting opportunities to explore human society in all of its dimensions.

The major, minor, or honours in music includes core music courses similar to the BMus degree, but does not include private instrumental or vocal instruction.

The Nutritional Sciences minor builds a strong foundation in basic and applied human nutrition as you delve into a broad range of topics, from community nutrition to how our bodies actually metabolize and use nutrients. This program is based in the Faulty of Land and Foods Systems.

Philosophy covers everything from fundamental questions about knowledge, the meaning of life, and how to live it, to questions about how to design intelligent robots, the ethics of scientific and technological innovation, and how to evaluate government policies. Combined majors include:

• History and Philosophy of Science
• Philosophy and Economics
• Philosophy and Political Science

Political Science is the study of the nature, causes, and consequences of collective decisions and actions taken by groups of people embedded in cultures and institutions that structure power and authority. In this program you'll learn how to understand, interpret, explain, and critically assess events, patterns, and structures of politics and government, and generate observations of relevance to policy makers, their fellow citizens, and global communities. Combined majors include:

• Political Science and Economics
• Political Science and Philosophy
• Honours in Political Science with International Relations

Study human and animal behaviour using scientific methods and from a variety of perspectives including behavioural neuroscience, cognition, clinical, health, developmental, social and personality psychology, and quantitative methods.

The Program in the Study of Religion offers students an opportunity to study a variety of religions from a number of disciplinary perspectives, incorporating different regions and historical periods, while allowing students to specialize in religious traditions of their choice. 

Romance languages are vehicles of communication and exchange across Europe, North and South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. You'll study the literatures, languages, and cultures of the Romance World. 

Learn about Russian language, film and literature with a focus on the most important authors of the last two hundred years through the Russian minor program. 

The minor in Scandinavian Studies allows you to supplement your major with the study of the language, history, and culture of the people of Scandinavia, the Nordic region, and the Baltic countries. UBC has the largest Scandinavian Studies program in Canada and is the only institution to offer instruction in Danish language. The UBC Library has substantial holdings in Scandinavian literature and film, and students can participate in exchanges with institutions in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. 

Arts students can add a major offered through the Faculty of Science along with their Arts major, resulting in a double major. Students majoring in the following BA programs may not complete a BSc Major in the same subject area: Geography, Mathematics, Combined Major in Mathematics and Economics, Psychology, Computer Science, Cognitive Systems. BA students may not complete a BSc Major or Honours program in Mathematics or Computer Science. Check the department website of the program you’re interested in pursuing for admission requirements.

The Minor in Science comprises 18 credits numbered 300 or higher in one specialization offered by the Faculty of Science. Successful completion of the Minor in Science results in having “Minor in Science” added to a student record. The Science Minor comprises 18 credits or more numbered 300 or higher in one specialization, along with specific pre-requisites. Admission to some science minors is competitive. Successful completion of the Science Minor results in having “Minor in (specific program)” added to a student record. The following restrictions apply for both minors:

• B.A. Geography majors may not minor in B.Sc. geography, geology, geophysics, or oceanography
• B.A. Mathematics majors may not minor in B.Sc. mathematics
• B.A. Psychology majors may not minor in B.Sc. psychology
• Students may not pursue a Minor in Science in either mathematics or computer science. B.A. Minors in these disciplines are permitted and are identical to B.Sc. Minors in the same disciplines.

Examine the history, philosophy, sociology, and discourse practices of the scientific disciplines through the interdisciplinary minor in science studies. Explore issues surrounding the production and representation of scientific knowledge, the creation and maintenance of intellectual authority in the practices of the sciences, and the relations between nature and culture. A background in science is not required, although curiosity about scientific matters is an asset.

Sociology examines the processes of social and cultural life in human societies past and present, near and far. You'll study the lives of individuals with participation in social groups and networks, explore the linkages between societies, and cover topics such as inequality, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, law and criminal activity, immigration, families, and more.

The Hispanic Studies program offers a variety of courses in Spanish language at all levels and Hispanic literature, culture, and civilization. Language courses focus on the development of oral, grammar, writing, and communicative skills, while literature and culture courses are centered on the development of critical and analytical skills. Learn about the cultural production of both Latin America and Spain by examining them within diverse social contexts, genres, and periods as well as Latino literature and other art forms produced by Hispanics living in Canada and the United States.

Speech Sciences is an interdisciplinary program with courses from Linguistics, Psychology, and the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences. You'll study research methods, language structure, child development and language acquisition, anatomy and physiology, experimental psychology, and instrumental phonetics. An Honours, Major, or Minor in Speech Sciences can not be combined with an Honours, Major, or Minor in Linguistics. 

Learn about plant-soil-atmosphere systems with a focus on the science underpinning crop production and ecosystem management with the Sustainable Agriculture and Environment (formerly Applied Plant and Soil Sciences) minor program. This program is based in the Faulty of Land and Foods Systems.

The Theatre program promotes a strong focus on the theory and practice of dramatic compositions. Courses emphasize the relationship between performance, literary-text and historical contexts.

Receive practical experience while completing scholarly studies in theatre history and theory. You'll examine set, costume, lighting, and sound design, including set and costume construction, stage and production management, and other production technologies. 

Increase your understanding of the United States and its institutions and policies through the interdisciplinary U.S. Studies program. Your coursework will span topics in economics, political science, history, and more. 

The Urban Studies program allows students to explore how social, economic, and cultural processes shape cities – and how urbanization itself reshapes these sociocultural processes.

The Bachelor of Arts Visual Art program offers visual art practice, critical theory and art history within a stimulating and challenging academic environment.  Held in studio environments, Visual Art classes foster individual creative production and visual literacy in a lively atmosphere of instructor-led debate, discussion and critique. 

The BFA Visual program focuses on visual art practice, critical theory, and art history while providing an excellent foundation in a variety of fields involving the making and understanding of visual art and contemporary aesthetics. 

Complement your major field of study by strengthening your writing and communication skills and by expanding your knowledge of writing and communication practices used in your own academic discipline and beyond. A Minor in Writing and Communication will give you an accreditation valued by employers; opportunities to practice and enhance the impact of your writing and communication in a variety of contexts, genres, and modes; and the chance to engage in transformative conversations about the role of writing and communication in negotiating identity, community, culture, knowledge, and power.