Get a post-graduate work permit for up to three years if you are a full-time Ģą˝´«Ă˝international student graduating from a bachelor’s degree program and meet all .
Want to learn more?
Visit the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science website to learn more about Mathematics (BSc).
Program information
Learn to reveal and explain patterns in everyday life, from electrical impulses in an animal’s nervous system to fluctuations in stock market prices, or the fine detail in an abstract geometrical object.
Program overview
- Campus
- Okanagan
- Program length
- 4 years
- Honours This option has additional requirements compared to those required in a Major specialization. Students must maintain high academic standing and may have to write a graduating thesis.
- Yes
- Co-op Co-op is an optional program where students alternate between academic terms and paid work terms. It’s an opportunity to gain relevant job experience while completing your degree.
- Yes
- Faculty
- Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
- Degree
- Bachelor of Science
What you'll learn
By pursuing a Mathematics degree from UBC, you’ll acquire powerful tools for solving practical problems in a highly creative environment that demands logic, precision, intuition, and imagination. The curriculum emphasizes powerful and versatile modes of thought including abstraction, critical thinking, and logical analysis.
You can select a concentration in Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, or Statistics. Graduates of the Mathematics program are prepared for direct entry into careers in actuarial science, government, or finance. Many graduates go on to graduate studies, professional secondary teaching programs, or other professional programs.
Experiential learning and research
You’ll participate in original research – either your own or a professor’s in your field. The Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science supports student research through the Undergraduate Research Awards, which allow students to carry out their own projects over the summer months, while other awards provide opportunities to work with professors on their work.
You also have the opportunity to take your studies abroad with the Go Global program and the Exchange and Research Abroad program
Campus features
The Centre for Optimization, Convex Analysis and Non-Smooth Analysis (COCANA) houses one of the most unique concentrations of optimization researchers in Canada. For example, recently discovered algorithms by the OCANA research group make it possible to solve problems that were previously considered computationally impossible.
The Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science holds an annual undergraduate research conference on UBC’s Okanagan campus to showcase student research projects.
You can also connect with peers through the Quantitative Sciences Course Union and the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) mentoring program.
Program advantages
Gain a firm foundation in pure mathematics that you can apply in areas where it is of vital importance such as finance, computer science, and cryptography. Select a concentration in Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, or Statistics. Learn from renowned faculty researchers studying graphics and visualization, artificial intelligence, system architecture, databases, and more.
Courses
There are hundreds of courses you can take within Mathematics. Here are a few you might like.
Introduction to the design, implementation, and understanding of computer programs. Topics include problem solving, algorithm design, and data and procedural abstraction, with emphasis on the development of working programs.
Analytic geometry in two and three dimensions, partial and directional derivatives, chain rule, maxima and minima, second derivative test, Lagrange multipliers, multiple integrals with applications.
Methods of separation of variable, Fourier series, heat, wave and Laplace’s equations, boundary value problems, eigenfunction expansions, and Sturm-Liouville problems.
Planning and practice of data collection. Pros and cons of both observational and experimental data. Survey samples: random sampling; bias and variance; unequal probability sampling; systematic, multistage, and stratified sampling; ratio and regression estimators. Experimental design: simple one-way comparisons; designs with randomization restrictions including blocking, split-plots, nested and repeated measures designs.
Outcomes
As a graduate of Mathematics, you’ll be prepared for further study in the field, or to enter into a career in business, education, government, industry, or financial institutions.
Take action & plan
Program requirements
Choose application type:
English-language requirements
English is the language of instruction at UBC. All prospective students must demonstrate English-language competency prior to admission. There are numerous ways to meet the English Language Admission Standard.
General admission requirements
IB Diploma Programme
- Completed IB Diploma, including at least three Higher Level courses.
IB Certificate Courses
- IB Certificate courses (Standard and Higher Level) may be used in an admissions average if you are graduating from a recognized high school curriculum that can be used as your basis of admission.
- IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, do not satisfy the math requirement for admission to UBC’s science-based programs, the Faculty of Management, the Ģą˝´«Ă˝Sauder School of Business, or the Vancouver School of Economics.
Degree-specific requirements: Science
- IB Math Analysis and Approaches SL or HL, or IB Math Applications and Interpretations HL (IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, are not acceptable)
- One of IB Biology, IB Chemistry, or IB Physics
- Grade 11 or equivalent Chemistry
- Grade 11 or equivalent Physics is strongly recommended
Note: Grade 11 Chemistry and Physics requirements listed are only relevant to students who are not completing the equivalent IB Diploma Chemistry and/or Physics courses.
For students studying outside of Canada, some examples of courses that may be accepted as Grade 11 equivalents are junior-level courses for American students, and IGCSE and O Level for those following British-patterned curricula.
Related courses
The following subject categories are particularly relevant for this degree. Consider taking courses in these areas in your junior year and senior year.
- Language Arts
- Mathematics and Computation
- Sciences
Want to get a feel for campus?
If you’re unable to visit Ģą˝´«Ă˝in person, or you just want to get a sneak peek at your new home campus before you arrive, take one of our virtual tours. Current Ģą˝´«Ă˝students walk you through UBC’s residences, study spots, recreational facilities, lecture halls, academic buildings, and more.
Related programs
Want to learn more?
Visit the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science website to learn more about Mathematics (BSc).
Get a post-graduate work permit for up to three years if you are a full-time Ģą˝´«Ă˝international student graduating from a bachelor’s degree program and meet all .
Want to learn more?
Visit the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science website to learn more about Mathematics (BSc).