As a First Year Engineering student at UBC, you will be registered into a Standard Timetable (STT), which contains the majority of your first-year courses. This page will give you a comprehensive look at First Year timetables, registration, worklists, tips and tricks, and more.
General Registration Information
A Standard Timetable (STT) is a planned course schedule that contains most of your first-year courses in a set timetable. All first years will be registered in an STT and will self-register in a few additional courses individually to complete their registration. Please read the First Year Programs section below to ensure you self-register for all additional courses required for your program type.
Registration Basics and Tips
We recommend to review, How to Register for Courses page, How to Register for Courses video, and How to Navigate the Worklist video for basic information about how to use the UBC Course Schedule and registration system.
Tips:
- Registration times are staggered over multiple days. You will be assigned a certain day and time when your registration period opens. It is important that you register as soon as your registration time slot opens – regardless of where you are in the world – for your best chance at securing your first choice of courses and sections.
- Be prepared for registration. Courses fill up quickly during registration, and having multiple registration options can help you register successfully.
- If your desired WRDS 150B or Humanities course is full, register for the waitlist (if available). Waitlists are sections marked with a W that correspond to specific sections. For example, the waitlist for WRDS 150B 001 would be labeled WRDS 150B W01. To learn more about waitlists, please consult our Registration FAQ.
How do I apply my AP, IB or A-Level credits to the first year requirements?
View your transfer credits
If you are a current UBC student and have been awarded transfer credits, you can view your transfer credits on your Student Service Centre (SSC), following the pathway below. The exception are students who held a degree prior to entering UBC Engineering (see Prior Degree Holder information below).
From the SSC > Grades & Records > Transfer Credits > Indicate UBC Vancouver on the drop-down menu
AP, IB or A-Level credits are added to your SSC in late summer. If your transfer credits have not yet been added by Enrolment Services, review the First-year Credit page to see which UBC credits you will receive when they are added to your academic record.
Transfer Credit Equivalencies to the First Year Program
| First Year Courses | Equivalent AP/IB/A-Level Credits |
|---|---|
| APSC 100 | APSC 100 |
| APSC 101 | APSC 101 |
| APSC 160 | APSC 160 |
| CHEM 154 | CHEM 121 + 123 CHEM 120 + 115 + 130 + 135 CHEM 111 + 113 |
| MATH 100 | MATH 100, 102, 104, 120, 180, or 184 |
| MATH 101 | MATH 101, 103, 105, or 121 |
| MATH 152 | MATH 152, 221, or 223 |
| PHYS 157/158/159 | PHYS 117 + 118 + 119 PHYS 106/107 + 108 + 109 PHYS 131 + 118 + 119 |
| PHYS 170 | PHYS 170 |
| WRDS 150B | ENGL 1st, 100, 110, 111, or 112 WRCM 1st |
| Humanities Elective | Refer to Humanities and Social Sciences for course eligibility |
ENGL 1st or WRCM 1st Credits Information
- ENGL 1st (3) or WRCM 1st (3) will satisfy the first-year English/Communication requirement (ie: WRDS 150B/ ENGL 112 / First Year English Course)
- ENGL 1st (6) or WRCM 1st (3) + ENGL 1st (3) will satisfy the first-year English/Communication (ie: WRDS 150B/ ENGL 112 / First Year English Course) and 3 credits of humanities and social science requirements
Important Notes
- Do not drop courses from your timetable until you see the credits on your SSC Transfer Credit page. You have until the course drop deadline to drop courses without a Withdrawal (‘W’) standing on your academic record
- ECON 1st does not satisfy the pre-requisite for courses that require ECON 101 or ECON 102
- AP CPSC 1st (3) does not cover APSC 160
- Only 3 credits of language courses may be applied toward the humanities and social science requirements
Should I drop the UBC course and use my transfer credits?
It is recommended that you complete the First Year Program Chemistry, Math, and Physics courses at UBC even if you have received transfer credits from AP, IB or A-Levels for these courses. The first year engineering program is designed to build a strong foundation for upper level courses, and lack of complete knowledge from these courses may impact upper year courses.
Students are highly encouraged to attend the first two weeks of classes and thoroughly review course syllabi to ensure they have full knowledge of all course material before dropping the course.
If you take and complete a course with a final grade for which you have already received credit from AP, IB, or A-Levels, the UBC attempt will supersede the credits granted from AP, IB, or A-Levels. This means if you choose to take the course at UBC, you may forfeit the transfer credits.
Do not drop courses from your timetable until you see the credits on your Student Service Centre (SSC) Transfer Credit page. You have until the course drop deadline to drop courses without a Withdrawal (‘W’) standing on your academic record.
How do I get the credit applied to my requirements?
If you decide to proceed and drop a course from your timetable after having received UBC credits from AP, IB, or A-Levels, you do not need to take further action. The credits will apply automatically, where applicable, towards the degree requirements. A grade is not assigned to these credits.
Note: Your sessional average will only include courses taken at UBC, but your transfer credits will apply toward the credit requirements.
First Year Programs
Learn more about the courses taken in our standard timetables, how to apply to our non-standard First Year Programs, and what courses need to be registered in addition to your standard timetable.
Standard First Year Program
First Year Program Courses
| Course | Credit | Title | Included in STT? |
|---|---|---|---|
| APSC 100 | 3 | Introduction to Engineering I | Yes |
| APSC 101 | 3 | Introduction to Engineering II | Yes |
| APSC 160 | 3 | Introduction to Computation in Engineering Design | Yes |
| CHEM 154 | 3 | Chemistry for Engineering | Yes |
| MATH 100 | 3 | Differential Calculus | Yes |
| MATH 101 | 3 | Integral Calculus | Yes |
| MATH 152 | 3 | Linear Systems | Yes |
| PHYS 157 | 3 | Introductory Physics for Engineers I | Yes |
| PHYS 158 | 3 | Introductory Physics for Engineers II | Yes |
| PHYS 159 | 1 | Introductory Physics Laboratory for Engineers | Yes |
| PHYS 170 | 3 | Mechanics 1 | Yes |
| WRDS 150* | 3 | Strategies for University Writing or Engineering Communication *WRDS 150 or equivalent (ENGL 100, 110, 111 or 112) | No |
| Complementary Studies Electives | |||
| Humanities or Social Science Elective | 3 | One course totalling 3 credits of a humanities and social science elective. This is a non-scientific and non-technical course that is generally found in the Faculty of Arts. It is recommended that you select a 100-level course. If you are intending to pursue a minor in your third year, consider taking courses that might be applicable to the minor program. Please see Complementary Studies for further details and exceptions. | No |
The complete standard First Year Engineering curriculum consists of 37 credits |
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What additional courses do I need to self-register for?
In addition to the standard timetable you will be registered in, you will need to self-register in a 3-credit Humanities and Social Science elective, and a 3-credit English/Communication course (WRDS 150B or equivalent, ENGL 100, 110, 111, or 112).
Pre-Biomedical Engineering Pathway (PBME)
PBME Program Courses
| Course | Credit | Title | Included in STT? |
|---|---|---|---|
| APSC 100 | 3 | Introduction to Engineering I | Yes |
| APSC 160 | 3 | Introduction to Computation in Engineering Design | Yes |
| BMEG 101 | 3 | Introduction to Biomedical Engineering | Yes |
| BMEG 102 | 3 | Biomedical Engineering Lab | Yes |
| CHEM 121 | 4 | Structure and Bonding in Chemistry | Yes |
| CHEM 123 | 4 | Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Organic Chemistry | Yes |
| MATH 100 | 3 | Differential Calculus | Yes |
| MATH 101 | 3 | Integral Calculus | Yes |
| MATH 152 | 3 | Linear Systems | Yes |
| PHYS 157 | 3 | Introductory Physics for Engineers I | Yes |
| PHYS 158 | 3 | Introductory Physics for Engineers II | Yes |
| PHYS 170 | 3 | Mechanics 1 | Yes |
| WRDS 150B | 3 | Strategies for University Writing or Engineering Communication *WRDS 150 or equivalent (ENGL 100, 110, 111 or 112) | No |
Who is eligible for the PBME Timetable?
The Pre-Biomedical timetable offers students the opportunity to follow a path that is a slight modification of the standard first year BASc program, and includes courses which are pre-requisites for the 2nd year BME program. Please refer to Pre-Biomedical Engineering First Year Timetable for more information about the program and how to apply.
What additional courses do I need to self-register for?
You should register in an English/Communication course (WRDS 150B or one of ENGL 110, 111).
If you are registered in a PBME Timetable, you can choose to complete the first year English/Communication requirement in the Winter Session or the following Summer Session. Also, you will not take a humanities elective in your first year. The Humanities and Social Science elective is completed in the upper years of the Biomedical Engineering program. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for your program requirements.
If you have questions about the PBME curriculum, please contact SBME.
Pre-Med Alternative Pathway
The Pre-Med alternative pathway offers an altered first year program to include the Chemistry courses commonly needed for Medical School applications. As a Pre-Med student, you will take CHEM 121 and 123 in place of CHEM 154.
If you are in the Pre-Med program, you should register for WRDS 150B and a 3-credit Humanities elective.
Please refer to Pre-Med Alternative Pathway for more information about the program and how to apply.
First Year Program with Enriched Math
If you are in this program, you will be registered into a first-year timetable, which includes MATH 120 and 121 (instead of MATH 100 and 101). This option is intended for students who have completed high-school calculus and attained a score of 95% or higher in BC Principles of Mathematics 12 or Pre-Calculus 12.
Interested students who do not meet these conditions may request permission from the Undergraduate Chair of the Mathematics Department.
If you are in this program, you will need to self-register for WRDS 150B and a 3-credit Humanities elective.
Chemistry and Physics Deficiencies
What if I am deficient in Chemistry 12?
Standard First Year Program: Although CHEM 154 has a prerequisite of CHEM 12 or equivalent, first year BASc students will be permitted to continue with CHEM 154 without the prerequisite.
Pre-Biomedical Engineering: If you have been pre-approved for a PBME Standard Timetable and are deficient in CHEM 12 (or equivalent).
- You will be registered in CHEM 111 and 123 at the end of June/early July. CHEM 111 will be completed in lieu of CHEM 121.
- Register in a section of WRDS 150B or an equivalent first-year ENGL course that will not conflict with the chemistry lectures and labs noted in the PBME 11 notes. WRDS 150B or equivalent can be delayed to the following Summer Session.
What if I am deficient in Physics 12?
If you have a Physics 12 deficiency, this will modify the First Year Program. Physics 12 is a prerequisite to PHYS 157 in Term 1. PHYS 157 is a prerequisite to PHYS 158 in Term 2, and Physics does not waive these prerequisites. As a result of entering with a physics deficiency, you will complete:
- PHYS 100 (intended for students deficient in PHYS 12) in Term 1
- PHYS 157 in Term 2
- PHYS 118 (exempts PHYS 158) in the Summer Session following first-year*
Pre-Biomedical Engineering: If you have been pre-approved for pre-biomedical engineering and are deficient in PHYS 12 (or equivalent), your timetable will include PHYS 100 (Term 1) and PHYS 157 (Term 2). You will need to register in PHYS 118, which you will complete the following Summer Session. Register in WRDS 150B or an equivalent first-year ENGL course can be delayed to the following Summer Session.
*Physics 12 Deficiency Affect on Placement in Mechanical Engineering
- If you are considering Mechanical Engineering in the second year, the delay in completing the physics requirements will not satisfy the August 1 pre-requisite deadline for the Mechanical Engineering program (MECH2). You can still be considered for placement in MECH2, but placement in Mechanical Engineering will defer the start of most of the MECH2 courses until the following Winter Session. As a result, your program will be extended by an additional year.
- Please refer to the admissions requirements in Mechanical Engineering under Second Year Placement.
Questions?
- Consult the Registration FAQ.
- For first year and complementary studies registration questions, please Contact EAS.