What's one thing that every single student has in common at UBC? We all have to decide what we're going to specialize in.
It’s an inevitable decision—but it’s one that can come with a sense of uncertainty. If you’re experiencing that right now, sometimes hearing what others before you have done can help.
Check out the profiles below to learn how five UBC students navigated the process of choosing their major.
Anna-Joy Ong
Food, Nutrition and Health (BSc) | Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS)
Did you know coming into UBC what you wanted to specialize in?
Nope, not at all.
How did you pick your major? Was it an easy decision?
I chose my major after coming to UBC and finding out more about what LFS had to offer as a faculty. I would say it was an easy decision because nutrition had always interested me a lot more than any of the pure sciences.
Did you ever want to switch out? If you did switch, what was that process like?
I actually applied into Science and spent my first year there, but I knew within the first month that I wanted to transfer into LFS. Switching out was pretty easy, but I just wish I had known more about LFS instead of just applying to Science and only finding out more about it after!
What advice would you give your first/second-year self about choosing your specialization?
Advice from friends may be helpful, but I would talk to a lot more people, from academic advisors to professionals who are already established in careers you might be interested in. Very few people actually have their entire lives figured out already. It’s totally okay to change your mind and work on figuring things out step by step.
Ben Loewen
Civil Engineering (BEng) | Faculty of Engineering
Did you know coming into UBC what you wanted to specialize in?
Yes, I did the Engineering Transfer Program from UFV.
How did you pick your major? Was it an easy decision?
First-year Engineering is general engineering with no discipline chosen until second year. I found I enjoyed the structure and static side of Engineering, so naturally was attracted to Civil. As well, because I was in a transfer program, there were academic parameters for entry into the various disciplines of engineering. My GPA fell between the Civil and Mechanical set points, so I could have gone either way.
Did you ever want to switch out?
I have never regretted choosing Civil Engineering. It requires hard work, but switching out was never an option for me.
What advice would you give your first/second-year self about choosing your specialization?
Don't worry about what other people are choosing to specialize in. Find what excites you and pursue that. Own it and don't shy away from what you enjoy. Do what it takes to work hard and be engaged in the program you choose.
Marina Tischenko
International Relations (BA) | Faculty of Arts
Did you know coming into UBC what you wanted to specialize in?
Not really. My high school didn’t really have International Relations classes but I thought political science and economics sounded interesting.
How did you pick your major? Was it an easy decision?
In perfect honesty, I liked that it was one of the competitive Arts majors and wanted to see if I would get in. I was in the CAP program in first year taking basically IR courses, so it was a pretty easy decision.
Did you ever want to switch out?
I did start wondering in 3rd year if I would have liked a commerce degree more, but I thought it would be better to pursue a Master’s if I still wanted to go down that path.
What advice would you give your first/second-year self about choosing your specialization?
With an Arts degree, just go with anything that interests you and don’t think about future career prospects. My extracurricular involvement was a huge part of my degree. Your job prospects aren’t limited by your degree.
Cameron Geddes
Biology (BSc) | Faculty of Science
Did you know coming into UBC what you wanted to specialize in?
I did come in knowing what I wanted to do.
How did you pick your major? Was it an easy decision?
I picked my major because all the prereq courses for future education are included in it and because it was very flexible in the types of courses I could take.
Did you ever want to switch out?
I thought about switching to Engineering after my first year, but ditched that idea because I knew my GPA would tank. Then after second year I thought about Forestry because it's more hands-on, but decided against it. It would have added quite a bit of time onto my degree and I wasn't quite sure if I would enjoy it much more than Bio. And then this year I was thinking that I might have enjoyed Kin or Econ but at this point, there is no way—I didn't take any of the lower-level requirements in my first or second year.
What advice would you give your first/second-year self about choosing your specialization?
I regret not putting more time and effort into choosing my program. Choose a program not because it sounds interesting, or because it's the easy choice—choose it because you will get joy out of the work (school-wise, not career-wise). And think outside the box, at programs you may know nothing about, because they may be right up your alley. And don't get tunnel vision!
Ariel Lee
Cognitive Systems (BSc) | Faculty of Science
Did you know coming into UBC what you wanted to specialize in?
No, not at all! It honestly felt like I was going to UBC just because all my friends were going to university. I only knew there were Arts and Science…that was about it.
How did you pick your major? Was it an easy decision?
I struggled so hard! I switched my major 3 times: General Sciences, Physics, and then Computer Science. After my third year, I took a gamble on the day of the add/drop deadline. I switched on that day to Cognitive Systems, the only (and last) option that appealed somewhat to me.
Did you have any regret? What was the process of switching like?
My biggest regret: not doing my research properly to learn more about the program. Switching majors meant talking to Science Advising first, then being directed to the Cognitive Systems advisor. Faculty advisors may not be able to address your issue immediately, so expect some time for a response and ask questions early!
What advice would you give your first/second-year self about choosing your specialization?
First off, do your research! I should’ve looked into the entire list of programs available and what each program offers (I was put off by many of the specialization names). For example, I only heard about “Cognitive Systems” since one of my friends was in it. Other tips would be to look into upper-year requirements, read course descriptions/syllabi properly, and plan the prerequisites needed for third/fourth-year courses. Totally wish I'd done that!
It’s important to recognize that everyone’s path is different and there’s no one-size-fits-all way for deciding what you want to specialize in.
If you’re unsure, you still have time to decide, and if you need some advice, reach out to your advisors, profs, and those who know you well. Choosing your major can feel daunting, but it’s not a decision you have to tackle on your own.
