Introduction to UBC classes

Most UBC undergraduate courses amount to three hours of class time per week. This does not include the number of hours you may spend on assignments, projects, tutorials, or lab work outside of lectures.

In most faculties, 100-level courses are primarily for first-year students, 200-level courses for second-year students, and so on., so forth. 500- and 600-level courses are considered graduate-level and only available to undergraduates with the permission of the department and Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Some courses require prerequisites, courses that you must have taken before enrolling in a specific course or program. 

Similarly, corequisites are courses you are required to enrol in at the same time as another course or program, or complete beforehand.

At UBC, courses are offered in various formats: 

• Lectures
• Distance Learning courses
• Tutorials
• Labs
• Seminars

On the first day of class, your instructor will present a course outline or syllabus that you will follow throughout the term. It will provide important details on class readings, exams, assignments and their due dates, and grading criteria. 

In university, you are expected to take charge of your own learning and success, so be sure to contact your professor for the syllabus if you missed the first lecture. You will also be responsible for any course material you may miss during the term. 

There are three main methods of student evaluation at UBC:

• Class participation
• Assignments
• Exams

Class participation

In many courses, you will be expected to discuss your opinions, ideas, and perspectives related to the coursework, readings, and assignments. You may even be graded on your participation. 

The goal of class participation aligns with the broad academic skills of critical thinking, connecting and creating ideas, and defending perspectives or arguments. Memorizing lecture notes and course materials is important but often not sufficient for the best results.

Assignments

Instructors may assign term papers, essays, problem sets, or other assignments like group projects, oral presentations, or lab projects.

Exams

Most courses have two major exams: midterms and final exams. Your courses may have one midterm halfway through the term or several midterms throughout one term.

Exams will test your knowledge using varying formats, such as short or long answers, essay questions, true or false, and multiple choice.

Most undergraduate classes are taught by professors. Some courses will have Teaching Assistants (TAs). Be sure to speak to your professor or TA if:

• You cannot submit your assignment on time

• You don’t understand a concept that was covered in class

• You are feeling overwhelmed by your course load due to circumstances outside of the course

• You need more information about an essay, project, or other assignment

Office hours

Most instructors hold office hours which are times you can drop by to discuss course materials, assignments, questions, and other concerns. You can also schedule one-on-one appointments with professors and TAs. Consult your course syllabus for specific instructions.

Conduct

Student-faculty relationships may be different at university than they might be in secondary school or in other countries:

• Relationships are informal and you may hear students call some instructors by their first name 
• Students may respectfully challenge and question their instructors in class or in office hours
• It’s considered inappropriate for instructors to date their students

UBC offers a variety of academic services and resources to help you succeed throughout this time and beyond.

See your options