Communication Requirement

The Communications Requirement must be completed before promotion to fourth-year class standing. For detailed information on the Communication Requirement, please consult the UBC Academic Calendar.

Courses to Fulfill the Communication Requirement

Six credits of communication coursework must be completed before promotion to fourth-year class standing. View eligible courses. Courses fulfilling this requirement must be taken on a grading basis and cannot be taken as Credit/D/Fail.

Students must take SCIE_V 113 (First-year Seminar in Science) to fulfill part of the Communication Requirement. Once admitted to UBC, students will not normally be permitted to satisfy the Communication Requirement at another institution.

It is recommended that all students take immediate steps to satisfy the Communication Requirement; the registration priority by class standing makes it more difficult for a student to register in first-year courses after promoted beyond first-year class standing. 

Students from Secondary School

Students admitted directly from secondary school are required to take SCIE_V 113 in their first year at UBC as this course cannot be taken after first year. Those who have not earned credit for at least one Communication course before promotion to third-year class standing will have their credit limit restricted so they do not exceed 78 attempted credits . 

Second Degree, Transfer, and Re-admitted Students

Students who: 

  • Have transferred from other post-secondary institutions
  • Are readmitted to the Faculty after being required to discontinue
  • Are admitted with a prior degree 

must meet the Communication Requirement while in second- or third-year standing. 

Promotion to fourth-year class standing requires that you have met the Communication Requirement. There are limits on the number of credits that can be attempted each year (see the UBC Academic Calendar entry for second-degree students and for other students). Students who reach those limits without making Sufficient Progress, including meeting the Communication Requirement, will be required to withdraw from Science.

Students admitted to the BSc program from either the Faculty of Applied Science or the Faculty of Arts at UBC Vancouver and who have credit for APSC 176; ASTU 100, 150; or WRDS 150 may apply the credits toward the Communication Requirement. Also note that second degree students are exempt from the SCIE_V 113 requirement.

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

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