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There is a difference between specialization admission requirements and required 100-level courses for a specialization.
A specialization means a Major, Honours, Combined Major or Combined Honours. Your specialization is the area of focus (e.g., computer science or atmospheric sciences) for the BSc degree you’re completing. You begin studying at UBC Science without a specialization for your first year. After you are promoted to second year class standing, you will apply for a specialization in May/June.
Specialization requirements are all the courses that must be completed to earn a degree in that specialization, including (1) First Year required courses and (2) specialization admission requirements.
- When checking the UBC Calendar by specialization, students are often surprised by the number of courses listed under the “First Year” category – these are First Year required courses for that specialization. They do not all need to be completed in your first year.
- Specialization admission or eligibility requirements are a smaller group of courses you must complete in your first year to be eligible to apply for your intended specialization. You must also eligible to be promoted to second year class standing before you can apply for a specialization.
See below for a comparison of specialization admission requirements and First Year required courses for the Major in Biology.
| Specialization Admission Requirements for Biology | First Year required courses for Biology |
|---|---|
 |  |
*Note: This example was accurate at the time of publishing. Check the UBC Calendar and Science Specialization Application information for the most up-to-date details about requirements for this specialization.
In the comparison above, you will notice that MATH_V 100 and PHYS_V 131 are examples of First Year required courses for Biology, but are not specialization admission requirements for Biology. This means you do not need to complete MATH_V 100 and PHYS_V 131 before applying to the Biology specialization; however, you must successfully complete these courses to graduate with a BSc, Major in Biology.
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