Year-by-year Plan
Welcome to the one-stop shop for planning your UBC Arts degree. Find resources as you need them, or explore for upcoming years.
Choose Wisely, Not All
As a UBC student, you will never again have so many opportunities to choose from. Use the Learning Plan to help you find out about programs, services, resources, and experiences, and to decide which ones to include during your years at UBC.
However you use this plan, don't forget to stay in touch with by reading your CASS email updates and visiting the UBC FYI blog.
First Year
Prepare for your transition into university by reading through the New Student Checklist, a step-by-step guide on how to prepare for your first year.
Second Year
One year down, three (or four) to go! You’ve got lots to pack in these next few years: plan for it.
- Co-operative Education (Co-op) Avoid the dreaded can’t-get-a-job-without-experience, can’t-get-experience-without-a-job cycle. Co-op allows you to alternate your academic terms with work terms. The pay is good, but the real pay-offs are the contacts you’ll meet and the learning you’ll get.
- Go Global Attend an information session about UBC’s exchange program. Hey, UBC isn’t the world’s only great university: plan on attending another one in another province or country.
Second-Year Course Planning
- All students need to fulfill the Writing Component of the Writing and Research Requirement before reaching 60 credits.
- Prepare for your specialization/major. You will officially enter your program in second or third year, depending on the Major you choose. Some programs require a certain average, certain courses and an application (that must be submitted by the end of first or second year).
- Choose your program: which major? do you want a minor? double major? Explore: visit websites and departments. Speak with professors and students. Get advice on choosing a major.
- You can take a maximum of 18 credits outside of the faculties of Arts and Science. Take a class in agroecology, human kinetics, nutrition, pathology, or wine science.
- Include necessary courses toward meeting your degree requirements.
- Step-by-step registration guide.
Third Year
Okay, third year. You feel like you’ve got the hang of things. It's time to stretch yourself and learn to be a leader.
- Get a mentor. UBC offers a tri-mentorship program.
- Tuum Est. You know it’s up to you. Shape your campus community by leading a club or group, helping plan a student activity, or even run for student government.
- Go beyond your boundaries. Learn about inner-city issues while making a difference by participating in a Learning Exchange program.
- Where are you going this year? Australia? Montreal? Slovania? Uganda? It’s time to Go Global.
- Declare your major/minor on the Student Service Centre. You must declare your major before reaching 75 completed credits.
- Follow an online demo on how Degree Navigator works. Okay, now look at your Degree Navigator report. Does something look amiss? If so, contact Arts Academic Advising or your department advisor.
- Determine what courses you need to take to meet your faculty and program requirements.
Fourth Year
Have you met the goals you've aspired to?
- Take over the reins of learning by suggesting a course not currently at UBC. Students, either as a group or as an individual, can propose a new course. With a help of a professor, you’ll lead the course. Check out student-directed seminars.
- Remember that brilliant research paper you did? Take your place among other UBC researchers during UBC’s Celebrate Research Week by presenting that paper at the Undergraduate Research Conference.
- Rule the world. Participate in western Canada’s largest Model United Nations conference.
- What can you do with your Arts degree? Sheesh…what can’t you do? Visit Career Services for advice on building your resume, searching for jobs, and moving into the work world.
Course Planning
- What is your Degree Navigator report telling you?
- Thinking about graduate school? Explore the programs and find out their admission requirements -- are there certain courses required or recommended for the program? Get some advice from the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
- Let us know that you plan on graduating by completing the grad application on the Student Service Centre.
- Follow the grad checklist
Welcome to a distinguished community: UBC Alumni. Keep in touch.
