UBC Science

UBC Science brings together a community of students and scholars internationally recognized for its commitment to discovery and innovation.

Students pass by UBC physics and chemistry buildings

About UBC Science

Home to science at one of the world's top-ranked public universities

Ranked among the world’s top 40 universities, UBC research prowess in environmental science, math, physics, plant and animal science, computer science, oceanography, geology and biology is consistently rated best in Canada by international and national rankings.

A North American leader in transforming science and technology education

UBC Science is a key incubator of educational innovations at UBC and beyond. Led by the Faculty's teaching and learning initiatives, we've transformed more than 200 science courses, improving the classroom experience of 16,000 UBC undergraduates every year.

Committed to research excellence within, and across, disciplines

Our faculty conduct top-tier research in the life, physical, earth and computational sciences, helping to build our understanding of natural laws—driving insights into sustainability, biodiversity, human health, new materials, probability, AI, exoplanets and beyond.

A record of engaged innovation

2020
AbCellera, co-founded by UBC researcher Carl Hansen, undertakes the largest initial public stock offering in Canadian biotechnology history.

2010
UBC’s Beaty Biodiversity Centre opens--a $50 million complex housing some of the best biodiversity researchers in the world, and a two-million specimen natural history collection.

2007
Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman joins UBC to lead the Faculty’s efforts to improve undergraduate science education. The initiative goes on to transform more than 200 courses.

2003
Canada's first space telescope, the Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars telescope, is built by a team led by UBC astronomer Jaymie Matthews.

2000
UBC spin out QLT begins sales of Visudyne—based on the work of chemist David Dolphin and immunologist Julia Levy. The drug saves the vision of at least 500,000 people.

1987

UBC IT manager John Demco conceives the dot-ca domain and oversees registrations until 2000.

1976

Vortek—UBC’s first spin off company—is founded by UBC physicists.

1962

UBC's Neil Bartlett demonstrates the first reaction of a noble gas—key to our understanding of chemical bonds.

 

 

More Historic Milestones

UBC Science at a glance

 

9,900 undergraduate students
2,261 international undergrads
149 Indigenous undergrads
1,692 undergrad degrees conferred
2,937 annual co-op placements
1,673 graduate students
455 faculty and 647 staff
$176 million annual budget
50,000+ alumni
$162 million annual research funding across 1,410 projects
$5 million annual industry funding
2 Nobel Laureates
3 Canada Excellence Research Chairs
75 spin-off companies
6 industrial research training programs

 

 

Musqueam First Nation land acknowledegement

We honour xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam) on whose ancestral, unceded territory UBC Vancouver is situated. UBC Science is committed to building meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples so we can advance Reconciliation and ensure traditional ways of knowing enrich our teaching and research.

Learn more: Musqueam First Nation

Faculty of Science

Office of the Dean, Earth Sciences Building
2178–2207 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6T 1Z4
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