Course load requirements

Looking for course load requirements for scholarships and awards?

Calculating your course load

The number of credits you need for a full course load depends on your program. Loans, grants, and interest-free status all require students to be registered in 60% of a full-time course load (or 80% for Newfoundland loans).

When you’re calculating your course load, the table headings refer to the following:

  • Credits: 100% of a full-time course load for September to April
  • 60% session: 60% of a full-time course load for September to April
  • 60% term: 60% of a 1-term full-time course load

Full-year course credits are divided into 50% in Term 1 and 50% in Term 2. Make sure you maintain minimum enrolment in each term. For example if the minimum course load for the Winter Session is 18 credits, a student must be registered in at least nine credits in Term 1 and nine credits in Term 2.

If you have a documented permanent disability, you may be eligible to study at a reduced course load.

Students with disabilities

Undergraduate students who have established permanent disability status with their provincial lender may be considered full-time for government student loans with at least 40% of a full-time course load. Graduate students should speak to Student Services to determine their full-time funding requirements.

Select from the list below to find your program’s course load information.

Undergraduate programs

Winter Session (September to April)

In order to qualify for student loans, UBC undergraduate students must register in 60% or more of a full-time course load (80% for Newfoundland student loans). Be aware full-time status must be in each term registered, not just over the full academic year. Audited, wait-listed, and withdrawn courses do not count towards this course load.

N/A credits: If your program and year level credit requirements are listed as N/A, contact Student Records & Financial Services for assistance.

For specific information on the course load requirements of your program, choose the appropriate faculty below:

Access Studies

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term
1 Sept. 3, 2024 Dec. 20, 2024 N/A N/A N/A
1 Jan. 6, 2025 April 26, 2025 N/A N/A N/A

Applied Science

Engineering Common Curriculum (B.A.Sc.)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
1 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 36 20 10 14 7

Civil Engineering (B.A.Sc.)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
2 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 36 20 10 14 7
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 36 20 10 14 7
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 36 20 10 14 7

Electrical Engineering (B.A.Sc.)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
2 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 36 20 10 14 7
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 36 20 10 14 7
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 28, 2025 36 20 10 14 7

Mechanical Engineering (B.A.Sc.)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
2 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 36 20 10 14 7
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 36 20 10 14 7
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 36 20 10 14 7

Manufacturing Engineering (B.A.Sc.)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
2 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 36 20 10 14 7
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 36 20 10 14 7
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 36 20 10 14 7

Arts & Social sciences

Arts (B.A)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
1 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
2 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6

Nsyilxcn Language Fluencey (B.N.L.F)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6

Creative & Critical Studies

Visual Arts (B.F.A.)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
1 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 33 18 9 12 6
2 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 33 18 9 12 6
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6

Education

Teaching Children (B.Ed.C)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
5 Sept. 4, 2024 April 25, 2025 29 18 n/a 12 n/a
5 Aug. 29, 2024 Dec. 6, 2024 29 n/a 9 n/a 5

Teaching Adolescents (B.Ed.A)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
5 Sept. 4, 2024 April 24, 2025 29 18 n/a 12 n/a
5 Aug. 29, 2024 Dec. 6, 2024 29 n/a 9 n/a 5

Health & Social Development

Human Kinetics (B.H.K.)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
2 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6

Health and Exercise Sciences (B.H.E.S)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
1 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
2 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6

Nursing (B.S.N.)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
1 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 32 19 10 12 6
2 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 34 20 10 12 6
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 32 18 9 12 6
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 32 18 9 12 6

Management (B.Mgt)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
1 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
2 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30 18 9 12 6

Media Studies (B.M.S)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
1 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30  18 9 12 6
2 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30  18 9 12 6
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30  18 9 12 6
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30  18 9 12 6

Science

All programs except Pre-Pharmacy (B.Sc.)

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term 40% Session 40% Term
1 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30  18 9 12 6
2 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30  18 9 12 6
3 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30  18 9 12 6
4 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 30  18 9 12 6

Unclassified or Qualifying Studies

Year Start date End date Credits 60% Session 60% Term
1 Sept. 3, 2024 April 26, 2025 N/A N/A N/A

Graduate programs

Almost all graduate programs at UBC have no minimum course load requirement. In order to be eligible for student loans, the graduate program must be an eligible program and UBC graduate students must be paying full-time fees in each term that they receive loan funding. Additionally, in each term graduate students must have either continuing status or be registered in course work or their thesis.

Graduate students who will begin their degree in July should contact Student Records & Financial Services on the special steps necessary to apply for a July-start loan.

Students with disabilities

Some students with permanent disabilities may be eligible for a reduced course load. Contact Student Records & Financial Services for more information.

Distance courses

Only distance courses that have study dates comparable to standard on-campus undergraduate courses can be counted towards the minimum student loan course load. This means:

  • An eligible course cannot span both a Winter and Summer Session. For example, January to August is ineligible.
  • In the Winter Session, an eligible course must have similar start and end dates to standard on-campus courses. For example, September to April is eligible; November to April is not.
  • In the Summer Session, the course must start May 1 or later and end August 31 or earlier.

Note: Distance courses that have been accelerated to meet student loan requirements and then are later de-accelerated (lengthened) will not count towards the student loan course load and may result in complete withdrawal of loan and grant funding.

Split enrolment (Students studying at another institution)

In order to qualify for student loans, students must be enrolled in 60% of a full-time course load (students with permanent disabilities may be eligible for a reduced course load – contact Student Records & Financial Services for details). You must be registered in the minimum 60% course load in each term of the Winter Session – there is no averaging across terms.

Students may be considered to have fulfilled the 60% course load requirement when they are registered in the majority of their courses at UBC, but are also enrolled in a course(s) at another school, provided that the course(s) is an essential element of the program of study and counts for credit toward the student’s credential at UBC. This is called a ‘split enrolment’.

You may be eligible for student loan funding if the following applies:

  • The start and end dates of the course(s) match those at UBC
  • The course(s) will count towards your UBC credential

To be considered for split enrolment eligibility, you must have met all of the above criteria and must bring the following to Student Services:

  • A letter of permission from your Faculty at UBC indicating the course(s) you are planning to take at another institution will be credited towards your UBC credential
  • Confirmation of Split Enrolment completed by the Financial Aid Office at the second institution

Note: Student loan documents will need to be processed by the institution at which the majority credits are being taken.