What are the Eligibility Criteria?
CIE is a competitive program. This eligibility criteria exists to ensure you are prepared to thrive academically while studying abroad. You must meet the following eligibility criteria to be considered for the CIE program:
- Be in at least the 3rd year of your degree and align your exchange semester with the recommended timing for your program listed below.
- Be a full-time student in good academic standing as defined by the UBC Faculty of Applied Science.
- Have achieved at least a 70% average in the most recent academic term of full-time studies. Note: some institutions require a more competitive average (i.e. ETH Zurich: min CGPA 75%).
Have maintained a 70% average prior to participating in the CIE exchange program.
Note: Minimum average for BDES students is 80%. Students with lower GPA may be considered at the discretion of the Program Chair.
- If you are on a co-op work term, your most recent term of academic study where at least 12 credits of coursework were completed will be used to calculate your grade average for admission to the CIE program.
What Grades are Considered in My Application?
Term 1 grades (September – December) will be considered in Round 1 application (December deadline).
Term 2 grades (January – April) will be considered in Round 2 application (May deadline).
Decide Where to Go
Check out 17 CIE partner institutions to determine where you want to go! You are allowed to choose a maximum of 3 institutions when you apply.
Exchange Costs and Awards
Going on exchange is not as expensive as you might think, in fact, a term abroad could easily be in line with your usual expenses at UBC. Your choice of destination country and the cost of living in that region are particularly important to consider along with your budget, as these choices significantly influence the overall cost of an international experience.
Find more information on budgeting for exchange.
- The Go Global application fee ($415.00) is required for all students applying to go on exchange;
- Students are required to pay for 15 UBC credits to UBC directly for each semester on exchange;
- Other known costs include airfare, accommodation, insurance, visa applications, living expenses, etc.;
- Some partner institutions will reserve spots at their student housing for international and exchange students, other partner institutions have limited or no on-campus housing options. Carefully consult the partner institutions page when selecting your destination preferences for information regarding housing options;
- You may be eligible for a Go Global exchange award. Find eligibility requirements for each award from the Go Global website.
Estimates of local costs at our different partner institutions can be found in the Student Reports featuring individual partner institution profile.
How can CIE Work in My Program?
Mechanical
Mechanical Engineering students are recommended to participate in an exchange in term 2 after completion of 3rd year courses – this typically falls in year 3.5.
Mechanical Engineering students are allowed to take both core and group B technical elective courses in your exchange term with an approval from your Program Advisor prior to registration. You are NOT allowed to take Engineering Design Project courses, such as MECH 328, or MECH 45X.
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