You’ve set a goal of being a UBC Engineering student and benefiting from all that comes with that – from being a student at one of the world’s best universities to having incredible opportunities to participate in design teams, co-op, undergraduate research, innovative capstone projects and so much more.
Did you know there’s more than one way to reach that goal?
While the majority of our students enter UBC Engineering in first year, there’s another path that’s definitely worth considering: completing an Engineering Transfer Program at one of more than a dozen partner institutions and then seamlessly transferring into second-year engineering at UBC Vancouver or UBC Okanagan.
This is a fantastic way for students to complete first year at a partner institution to gain the same solid academic foundation needed to excel in engineering.
How the UBC Engineering Transfer Program works
UBC has partnerships with colleges and universities across the province that offer the Engineering Transfer Program or Common First Year Engineering Curriculum.
These programs include courses in engineering design, math, physics, chemistry and coding – the same courses you are required to take in first-year engineering at UBC.
“Although the courses at each institution are not identical, the curriculum is equivalent to what students would take at UBC, so students who successfully complete the Engineering Transfer Program have met UBC’s first-year engineering requirements and are eligible to enter second year at either of our two campuses,” says Sara Buse, Director of Experiential Learning and Academic Services for the Faculty of Applied Science.
The Engineering Transfer Program is offered at colleges and universities throughout BC – from North Island College on Vancouver Island to the College of the Rockies in central BC to Northern Lights College in the north – as well as at several post-secondary institutions in Metro Vancouver and the Okanagan. Some, like Capilano University and Douglas College, offer both a one-year and a two-year transfer program.
The best thing? It’s a smooth and easy process to transfer into second year at UBC.
If you meet the minimum GPA, you are guaranteed admission in second-year engineering. You’ll need a GPA of around 2.8 for year two admission to UBC Okanagan and 3.1 for year two admission to UBC Vancouver. Even if your GPA is a little lower, you should still apply as enrolment changes from year to year.
Read a Q&A with a student recruitment officer to learn more about the Engineering Transfer Program as well as other options for transferring to UBC Engineering.
Reasons for choosing the Engineering Transfer Program
There are many reasons students choose the Engineering Transfer Program to reach their goal of being a UBC Engineering grad.
“Unfortunately, each year, UBC has to turn away qualified students because they do not meet the very competitive first-year grade point average for admission,” says Ms. Buse.
Many students wonder how there can be “room for more engineering students” at UBC in second year compared to first year. That’s a result of several factors. Starting in second year on, students specialize in one of 14 engineering programs where there is more flexibility to shift enrolment numbers.
UBC is also committed to offering multiple paths for students who wish to transfer to the university after completing first year elsewhere, with the Engineering Transfer Program and other transfer routes being examples of this.
Simply put: even if you don’t get into UBC Engineering in first year, there’s no need to choose your second or third university option instead. By choosing the Engineering Transfer Program for first year, you can still achieve your goal of graduating from one of the country’s top engineering programs!
There are many other reasons you might consider completing your first year of engineering through the Engineering Transfer Program:
- It could be more economical than moving to Vancouver or Kelowna to study at UBC for first year
- You might want to go to a school that’s closer to home
- You might feel more comfortable in the smaller-sized classes at our partner institutions
- You might want to make a more gradual transition from high school to university
“I loved the Engineering Transfer Program,” says Chemical and Biological Engineering student Mikah l’Ecuyer Morison, who did a year at Selkirk College.
“Our cohort at Selkirk was very small – there were about 12 of us – so you made close connections with your classmates and professors.”
One of UBC’s highly acclaimed structural engineering professors, Dr. Lisa Tobber, got her start in a transfer program at Kwantlen. She graduated at the top of her class, transferred to UBC and then “did an undergraduate research project with a professor in structural engineering that got me hooked on my current area of focus.”
Dr. Tobber is currently leading a research team to design buildings capable of withstanding earthquakes.
Dr. Lisa Tobber's research on Structural Systems
Postdoctoral research fellow Dr. Dylan Goode is another example of someone who used the engineering transfer program to make a successful transition to university. He worked in trade-related jobs after high school and then did the engineering transfer program at University of the Fraser Valley, which solidified for him that engineering was where he belonged.
His PhD in Mechanical Engineering led to the design of what could be the next generation of heart valves.
The experience of these and countless others demonstrates how the Engineering Transfer Program sets students up for ongoing success throughout their studies at UBC Engineering and in their professional paths after they graduate.
A strong start to your future
Students who come to UBC via the Engineering Transfer Program are as successful academically as those who started at UBC in first year. And they quickly make connections and friends.
“Second-year engineering at UBC is a time of real community-building,” says Ms. Buse.
“This is when you start to specialize in your engineering programs and it’s when lots of new friendships are made with the peers you will be working with over the next three years of your degree.”
Whatever your motivation for considering the Engineering Transfer Program – whether it’s the desire to stay closer to home, be part of a smaller institution for first year, live in a lower-cost city than Vancouver or Kelowna, or if you don’t quite have the GPA for first-year admission – this can be a great option that will enable you to reach your goal of graduating from UBC’s world-renowned engineering program with the credential, experience and network that will enable you to succeed no matter where your career takes you.
“If doing your first year at UBC is not an option for whatever reason, the Engineering Transfer Program is an excellent path for pursuing engineering at UBC,” says Ms. Buse. “If you complete the program and meet our minimum GPA, there is space for you here."
