The University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia, commonly referred to as UBC, was founded in 1908, guided by a commitment to educational excellence and innovation. With a breathtaking natural setting combined UBC offers exchange students from around the world an unforgettable study-abroad experience. 

UBC is a public university with a student body of over 71,000, 27% being international students. The university is split between two campuses; Vancouver and Okanagan. Vancouver is the main campus with over 60,000 students.   

Website: The University of British Columbia 

3 places are available. PPE students may select this destination. This destination is not available to students pursuing the CIVICA Engage Track. 

Applicants must be in their second year and must return to LSE after the year abroad to complete their degree. 

To be eligible for consideration, you must have an overall average of 60% or above from all of your first year courses. Applicants with individual module scores under 60% will be considered, as long as the overall average grade is 60% or above. 

As part of your application, you must provide your marks from your first year modules at LSE and the name and contact details of one academic referee. Your referee can be any academic member of staff from your department at LSE.

Host Institution Requirements: Additional academic standing requirements may apply depending on the faculty or program. 

Courses are all taught in English.  

For more information on courses available at Vancouver campus and the Okanagan campus please refer to the course catalogue.   

Some faculties are not available to exchange students: 

School of Audiology and Speech Sciences  

School of Journalism  

Faculty of Medicine  

School of Nursing  

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences  

Faculty of Dentistry  

School of Rehabilitation Sciences  

UBC Vantage College  

Peter A. Allard School of Law: only open to exchange students coming to UBC through law-specific exchange agreements.

Certain courses within faculties have specific restrictions: Course registration | Go Global. 

Term 1 begins in early September and finishes in late December. Term 2 begins in early January and finishes in late April.  

UBC uses a percentage scale to mark assessments. 50% denominates a passing grade. 

Students will receive an invitation to orientation including pre-arrival webinars and welcome sessions by email.   

• Academic Advisors are available for course planning. 
• The Wellness Centre is a peer-hosted space that offers many wellbeing programs for students. Counselling Services are also available. In addition, there are drop-in Nurse on Campus services provided.
• The Centre for Accessibility facilitates disability-related services designed to remove barriers for students with disabilities and ongoing medical conditions in all aspects of university life. 
• The UBC Career Centre provides tips and suggestions for job-searching or preparing a job application. 

UBC Vancouver: A limited number of spots are reserved for exchange students. Due to very high demand, on-campus housing is not guaranteed, and only 50-60% of exchange students will receive on-campus housing. More information on finding accommodation can be found here. 

UBC Okanagan: While housing is not guaranteed, the housing office in Okanagan prioritises exchange applicants who apply before the deadline. 

As soon as students receive their UBC ID number, they should submit a housing application online. There is a $50 non-refundable application fee, key dates can be found here. 

On-campus housing typically costs $3,700-$6,400 CAD per term. 

Off-campus housing typically costs $4,000-$8,000 per term. 

Breakdown of Vancouver Campus General Expenses: 

Meal/grocery costs: approximately $2,000/term. 

Local Transporation - Student Public Transit Pass: U-Pass fee: $184 for the winter academic term (subject to change) and mandatory for all exchange students attending UBC. 

Educational Expenses: For academic expenses such as books and supplies: $500-$700 CAD per term.   

Breakdown of Okanagan Campus General Expenses: 

Local Transporation - Student Public Transit Pass : U-Pass fee: $63 per term. The U-Pass is mandatory for all students attending UBC. 

Mandatory iMED insurance for international students 

The iMED program is a temporary basic health insurance plan required as a condition of registering as an international student new to UBC. Enrolment is automatic upon registration of your courses. 

Full-year exchange: The cost is $237 CAD plus a $10.76 direct billing fee for iMED. The cost covers the three-month waiting period for the British Columbia Medical Services Plan (MSP). Students on exchange for six months or longer are required to apply for MSP. The MSP plan costs approximately $75 CAD per month. 

UBC recognises that many students come to UBC with health coverage from their home countries. However, only students who already have MSP or another Canadian provincial health plan may opt out of iMED. 

Campus safety resources are available via: UBC Safety & Risk Services, Vancouver and Health, Safety and Environment: UBC's Okanagan Campus. 24 hour emergency campus security is available via +1 604 822 2222. The emergency number for first responders is 911. 

UBC has over 350 student clubs in conjunction with regular campus-wide events. 

The Vancouver campus is home to some outstanding facilities, including:  

• UBC Welcome Centre — the perfect place to start your journey on the Vancouver campus.
• TRIUMF — one of the world’s leading laboratories for subatomic physics.
• UBC Library — one of Canada’s leading academic libraries, with 21 branches and divisions on this campus.
• The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts — one of the world’s great concert halls.
• The Centre for Interactive Research in Sustainability (CIRS) 
• The Arthur Erickson designed Museum of Anthropology — Canada’s largest teaching museum. 
• The Beaty Biodiversity Museum — home to Canada’s largest blue whale skeleton.
• The world class UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research 
• The UBC Farm — the only working farm in the city of Vancouver.
• Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre — home to Thunderbird Ice Hockey and 2010 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey Venue.
• Nitobe Memorial Garden — considered one of the top five Japanese Gardens outside of Japan. 

The Okanagan campus offers: 

• Hangar Fitness Centre 
•  Nonis Sports Field 

A study permit is required for international students studying at UBC for more than 6 months. For more information, see How to apply for initial Study Permit. 

New as of January 22, 2024: study permit applications from outside Canada require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) in addition to a Letter of Admission. More information about documents required for study permits can be found here: UBC documents required for your study permit | Student Services. 

For the UBC Vancouver Campus: go.global@ubc.ca 

For the UBC Okanagan Campus: goglobal.okanagan@ubc.ca  

Coming to UBC on exchange | Go Global 

International Student Guide | Student Services 

Study in Canada as an international student - Canada.ca 

UBC is a new destination with the first cohort of students going on exchange in 2025/26.