Course Load Requirements
In order to maintain your registration eligibility, you must register for at least one course in the Winter Session. All students are restricted to a maximum of 33 credits per winter session AND a maximum of 21 credits per term. If you wish to take more than the maximum number of credits allowed, please see Chiara Longhi, FSC 2613.
Required Courses
Regardless of the number of credits you register for, you are expected to register for the core courses that are required for the degree to which you were admitted. Each September, Student Services reviews your course registration to ensure you are correctly following your degree program. If you are found to be registered in courses that are not required by your degree, you will be notified in writing immediately and permitted to correct your registration. If following a second review in May, your course registration is still not consistent with the program to which you were admitted, your eligibility to continue in the Faculty of Forestry will be permanently revoked.
Course Exemptions
It may be possible for you to receive an exemption from a course, provided you can demonstrate that you have sufficiently mastered the course material. Your instructor will require either a description of the equivalent course you completed at another institution or a detailed description of equivalent work experience. Exemptions require the approval of both the course Instructor AND the Program Advisor/Program Director.
Exempted courses do not appear on your UBC transcript; however, the degree requirement is considered complete.
Please note that course exemptions WILL NOT be granted for FRST 452, under any circumstances.
Course Challenges
In special circumstances, you can challenge a required course by writing the final exam for course credit. If your request is approved by your Program Advisor and the course Instructor, you would be required to register for the course and pay the applicable tuition fees. The grade you earn on the challenge exam is recorded on your official academic transcript as your final grade in the course.
Courses at another Institution
In special circumstances, you may seek permission from your Program Advisor or Program Director to take a required course at another institution. Permission will only be granted under the following conditions:
1. You have previously failed the UBC course
2. A conflict exists between required courses that cannot be resolved
3. Completion of the off-campus course will speed up your graduation by at least one term.
Please note that First-Year students will not be granted permission to complete courses at another post-secondary institution while attending UBC.
Letter of Permission
In order to take a course at another institution, you must obtain a Letter of Permission from your Program Advisor, Program Director, or Student Services. Without this Letter of Permission, the Faculty of Forestry is under no obligation to grant transfer credit.
Student Services can advise you on the transferability of the course you are hoping to take or you can look online through the B.C. Council on Admission and Transfers.
Leave of Absence
You do not need permission to take a Leave of Absence from your studies; however, it is recommended that you discuss your decision with your Program Advisor before leaving. If you plan to take an entire winter session off, you will have to apply for re-admission to the University before June 30 of the year you intend to return. To be eligible to re-apply, you must be in good academic standing at the time of your departure; otherwise, you need to appeal your readmission based on medical grounds. You will not be eligible for readmission if, at the time of your departure, you were not following your degree program requirements.
Midterm Exams
Not all of your courses will have a midterm exam. Such exams, if required, are scheduled by the course instructor. You are expected to be in attendance for all scheduled exams. If you happen to miss a midterm exam due to a medical emergency, or compassionate reasons, please contact your instructor as soon as possible. In some cases, a makeup exam may be written, or in some cases, more weight will be placed on the final exam in the course. You may be required to provide official documentation confirming your absence to Chiara Longhi, Director of Student Services, FSC 2613.
Exams FAQs
For information on final exams, exam conflicts, and hardships, and missed exams or classes, please see the UBC Student Services Exams FAQ
Standing Deferred
If you miss one or more final exams as a result of illness, family emergency, or some unforeseeable event, which is beyond your control, you may qualify for special academic accommodation. Please contact Chiara Longhi, FSC 2613, as soon as possible.
A Deferred Standing (SD) may be granted once official documentation confirming your absence has been received and approved. To qualify for an SD, you must:
- be in good standing in the course
- have regularly attended classes
- have completed all course and lab assignments
- have written any required midterm exams
- have NOT already written the final exam
If you are approved for an SD, an alternative exam time will be scheduled.
- SD make up exams are normally written in late July or early August. If you plan on writing the exam, you must submit an application to Enrolment Services before June.
- Some Departments offer make up exams for Term 1 courses in early January. If you are granted an SD in a Term 1 course that is a prerequisite for a Term 2 course, you will be permitted to continue onto the next course level; however, you would be required to write the January exam.
- If you are granted an SD in a course that is also offered in term 2, then you will be required to write the SD exam during the final exam period in April.
Please note that if you write an exam while you are sick or under stress due to an emergency, the grade obtained for the exam will stand. There is no recourse for this situation.
Review of Marked Exams
Final exams are the property of the University; however, it is possible to see your exam if you wish. A written application must be submitted to your instructor’s department within one month of the exam date. Every effort will be made to make arrangements for you to review the exam. Please note that there is a separate process to have your final course grade reviewed. If you have any questions about your exams or final grades please see Chiara Longhi, FSC 2613.
Grade Availability
Final course grades are generally available by late December for Term 1 courses and late April for Term 2 or full-year courses. Check the UBC Student Service Centre for December grades, as transcripts are only be mailed to you at the end of each winter session.
Academic Averages
Your academic grade point average (GPA) for the Winter Session (September-April) is calculated on your weighted course average, including failures. This is the average that is used to determine if you qualify for academic promotion or distinction, your registration date for the next Winter Session, and whether you qualify for scholarships.
Summer Session Grades
The Summer Session is distinct from the Winter Session. For the purpose of evaluating your academic performance, Summer Session grades are NOT considered; however, they are included in the calculation of graduating averages if the course is at the 300 or 400 level.
Failing Grades
If you fail a required course, you will need to re-register for the course as soon as possible to advance through your academic program in a timely manner. A failed course can only be repeated once. If you happen to fail a course for the second time, you will need to make arrangements to take the course at another institution.
If you pass the lab portion of a failed course, you can repeat the course without having to repeat the laboratory portion of the course, provided you take the course in the subsequent session. The lab grade will only be held over for one academic session.
Reviewing Final Grades
If you think an error has been made in calculating your final course grade, it is possible to have your assigned standing reviewed. A written application, which clearly states why you believe the grade should be reviewed, must be submitted to Enrollment Services within four weeks of the announcement of your final grade. The grade will only be reviewed if your application is approved by the Enrollment Services. Student Services can help guide you through this process.
English Language Requirements
Graduates of the Faculty of Forestry are qualified spokespersons for ecosystem management, resource stewardship, and the sustainable development and consumption of natural products. As an undergraduate student, you must develop strong oral and written communication skills. The curriculum in the Faculty of Forestry reflects the importance of such skills. You will be given numerous opportunities throughout your program to develop effective technical communication skills. The progressive development of these skills requires that you complete your English requirements early in your program.
To register for an English course at UBC, you must complete the Language Proficiency Index (LPI) with a score of at least five or six. The LPI is a two and a half-hour examination that provides the University with a way to determine your competence in summary and essay writing and in the recognition of common errors in English usage and sentence structure. Your performance on the exam will determine whether you are eligible to register in a first-year English course.
To encourage you to complete the English requirements in a timely manner, the Faculty of Forestry has implemented the following deadlines:
- If you have not achieved an LPI score of 5 or 6 prior to completing 30 credits of Forestry-eligible courses taken at UBC, you will be required to withdraw from the Faculty of Forestry.
- If you have not completed your English requirements prior to the end of second year, you will not be given advanced standing as a third year student.
If you achieve a score of 4 or lower on the LPI we strongly advised you to enroll in Writing 098, a non-credit course in the University Writing Centre, Ponderosa Annex C, 2021 West Mall, phone 604-822-9564.
Academic Requirements
All students must pass at least 60% of credits undertaken, achieve an overall average grade of at least 60%, and follow their required program, or be required to withdraw from the Faculty for at least one year. Students who do not complete all required courses for their program year will not be promoted to the next program year, but may register in a subsequent session.
Academic Probation & Requirement to Withdraw
Students registered in any year who attain a Winter Session average of at least 55%, but less than 60% may, at the discretion of the Adjudication, Advancement and Scholarship Committee, be placed on Academic Probation. Students assigned Academic Probation in one session will be removed from Academic Probation if, in a following Winter Session, they pass all courses and attain an average of at least 60% on a minimum of 24 credits. Students who do not achieve an average high enough to be removed from academic probation will be required to withdraw from the Faculty for at least a year.
Requirement to Withdraw – ‘Dean’s Holiday’
Students who are required to withdraw from the Faculty for academic reasons may apply for readmission to the University following at least one year away. During this year, these students are normally required to satisfactorily complete at least 12 credits of UBC-transferable post-secondary courses at some other institution, provided there are sufficient credits of available courses remaining in their programs. Exceptional circumstances that might preclude this should be brought to the Faculty’s attention as soon as possible. Related work or volunteer experience that demonstrates maturity and an ability to succeed academically will also be considered in the readmission decision.
Appeal of Academic Standing
Providing there were extenuating circumstances leading to your poor academic performance, you may appeal the requirement to withdraw. In order to appeal, you must submit a letter to Dr. Peter Marshall, Associate Dean, by June 30th. Please include with this letter any supporting documentation you may have, e.g. medical or counselling documentation. Should you be successful in your appeal, a notation of ‘Failed Year – Permitted to Continue’ will appear on your transcript.
Course Requirements
The requirements for your undergraduate degree program are outlined in the UBC Calendar. It is expected that you have been assessing your own progress through your degree on an annual basis. However, if you have any questions regarding your progress toward graduation, please contact your Program Advisor or Program Director.
Graduating Essay or Thesis
All undergraduate programs require one of a graduating essay, thesis, or special project. Students registered in FRST 497, FRST 498, WOOD 493 or CONS 498 can pick up an information package from reception in the Dean’s Office at the beginning of September. The information package is also available in Adobe PDF format for downloading, but requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Late Graduating Essay or Thesis
If you fail to submit your graduating essay, thesis, or special project by the posted deadline for May graduation, you must complete the course requirements in order to meet the graduation deadline for fall of the following year. If you should fail to meet this second deadline, you must submit a written request to the Dean for an additional extension. Your request should identify why you were unable to meet the original deadlines and the work experience you have gained since leaving UBC. It will be necessary for you to apply for readmission to UBC and to re-register in the graduating course. Please note that you MAY be required to take additional courses related to your degree.
Application for Graduation
If you intend to graduate in May, you must submit a completed application to the Enrollment Services Office before mid February. Applications for graduation are available online at www.graduation.ubc.ca. You will not be approved to graduate unless you submit an application, regardless of whether you have met all your degree requirements. If you intend to graduate in November, you must apply online before September 15.
Degree Standing
Your graduating average is calculated on all your 300 and 400 level credits, regardless of the academic year or session in which they were completed. Your degree standing is based on your graduating average and is determined according to a sliding scale.
| Honours Standing | > 81.5% |
| First Class Standing | 79.5% to 81.4% |
| Second Class Standing | 64.5% to 79.4% |
| Pass Standing | 50.0% to 64.4% |
| Fail Standing | < 50% |
Honours Standing upon Graduation
Graduating with an Honours Standing is a noteworthy achievement deserving of formal recognition. If you earn a minimum average of 82% in all your 300 and 400 level courses, regardless of the academic year or session in which you took the course, with no failures or supplemental exams, you will receive the notation “With Honours” on your official academic transcript and degree parchment.
Degree Confirmation
A final transcript which confirms the awarding of your degree and your graduating average will be produced in late May or late November, depending on your graduation date.
Proof of Graduation
If you need proof that you have completed all your degree requirements prior to receipt of your official academic transcript, you can request a letter of confirmation from Student Services. Upon receiving such a request, your Program Advisor will check your academic record and Student Services will prepare the letter for you. The letter may take a couple of days to complete.
