Engineering is one of the best choices of study if you’re interested in a well-paying career where you can start working right after you graduate and where your skills are in high demand across a wide range of industries.
A future-proof choice
There’s considerable uncertainty at the moment about the rising cost of living and about big social challenges like climate change or the impact of AI. Engineering is a profession for the future, and as an engineer, you will have skills and knowledge that are always in demand by top employers the world over.
An undergraduate professional degree
There are some professions – like engineering, architecture and medicine – that require you to have a specific degree to be eligible to practice in that field. For many professions, like medicine or law, you’ll need to get an undergraduate degree first and then invest in additional years of post-secondary study to qualify to work in that area.
Engineering is one of the few professions that requires an undergraduate degree only.
That means that after you graduate, you can start working in the field of engineering. (You’ll need to get several years of work experience under your belt and meet other criteria before you can qualify to register as a professional engineer.)
Engineering can be a great choice of study if you like the idea of being able to work right after you finish your undergraduate degree. You won’t need to attain other certifications or pursue additional post-secondary (although you certainly can!) to land a well-paying and interesting job.
High employability
UBC Engineering grads get hired. UBC is one of the top engineering schools in Canada, and employers here in BC and around the world confidently hire our grads.
Right after they graduate, our alumni are working in full-time jobs related to their program of study.
A BC government survey asked former post-secondary students about their life after graduation. Of the students who graduated in 2022 and chose to answer the survey, over 96 per cent were employed full time and the average median salary was over $100,000.
High-paying jobs
Studies show that people who graduate with a degree in engineering are among the top earners compared to graduates from all other programs.
A Statistics Canada survey showed that “most top-earning graduates come from various engineering specialities.” Six of the top 10 disciplines for men and seven of the top 10 disciplines for women were in engineering, with mining engineering coming out at the top of the list.
Engineering Mining engineering
Gain experience and earn while you learn as a co-op student
Engineering is a great choice if you want to have meaningful, well-paying work opportunities while you are still a student.
When you choose co-op, you will have paid work terms of four to 12 months throughout your degree.
Co-op pays well (check out the monthly ages for co-op by program type). It’s also a fantastic way to explore what kind of work and work environments appeal to you.
When it comes time to looking for a job after you graduate, you will have extensive, relevant work experience (helping you stand out from others) and a good sense of the kind of work you want to do, whether that’s in the field or office, as a consultant or researcher, or in a large firm or a small start-up.
Learn how co-op can help you launch your career while still a student.
A versatile degree that can take you anywhere
An undergraduate degree in engineering is one of the most versatile degrees. When you graduate, you can begin working in your field right away. But it’s also a powerful foundation for other opportunities.
The critical thinking and problem-solving skills you develop as an engineer can be applied to virtually any endeavour and will help you succeed in other academic and professional disciplines.
Some engineering grads go on to do other degrees. This could include a master’s or doctorate degree in engineering if they are interested in research. Others go into other professional fields, like law or medicine. Others choose different pathways. An engineering degree can take you anywhere, including top leadership positions.
It all starts at UBC
When you choose UBC Engineering, you are setting yourself up to gain the valuable skills and experience that will help you launch a successful and rewarding career.
