Joining a student group, whether student government, a club, or design team, will complement your academic skill set, and also allow you to build relationships with like-minded individuals, all while dedicating time to a project, concept, or initiative.
Students who gain transferrable experience while completing their degree will often be more competitive upon graduation and will have enhanced the following skills:
At UBC Okanagan, we have several Engineering Design Teams with student volunteers collaborating on design projects in order to achieve a common goal.
UBC Okanagan supports existing teams, fosters the development of new ones, and encourages a wide range of collaboration with campus and external partners, helping teams achieve their potential.
Joining a design team is a great way to have fun with like-minded peers as you work together towards a common goal.
Other benefits include:
Developing additional skills in your field of study
Meeting industry professionals
Making new friends in your discipline
Applying skills learned in the classroom to real-world issues
Students at the School of Engineering are proven visionaries. Whether taking initiative to join existing or even launch new clubs and societies to further build their skills and connections outside the classroom.
The School of Engineering has a variety of student clubs and groups, and their numbers continue to grow every year.
Women in Engineering (WiE) is dedicated to helping young women and femme-aligned individuals succeed in the applied sciences. The group strives to empower underrepresented students and support them throughout their university careers.
The Battlebots Club offers students and faculty the chance to design, build, and test battle robots. Members gain hands-on experience with robotics in a fun, collaborative environment. The club also participates in external competitions, connecting members with experienced makers.
Marine Robotics, launched in September 2023, brings together 30 members with diverse expertise, focusing on Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and Electric Propulsion Boats. The team aims to compete in top competitions like Robosub and the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, utilizing Okanagan Lake as their testing ground.
Ogopogo Solar is launching Okanagan’s first high-performance solar car for the 2030 Formula Sun Grand Prix and American Solar Challenge. Their goal is to achieve over 100 kilometers on a single charge, pushing the limits of solar technology and vehicle design. Join Ogopogo Solar and be part of the future of automotive innovation!
HEAT Robotics develops robotic applications for wildfire management. Their flagship product, EMBR (Ember Mitigation Bot Responder), is an autonomous system that uses advanced sensing and AI to navigate terrains, detect hotspots, and extinguish embers, enhancing firefighting efforts while reducing the risk of re-ignition.
Each year, a team of engineering students from UBC Okanagan design and construct a toboggan to compete in the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race.
Aerial Robotics & Rocketry is a club dedicated to providing students with the opportunity to take flight in their passion for aerospace engineering. There are several divisions including fixed-wing, rocketry and autonomous flying vehicle.
Okanagan Motorsports is a Formula SAE team composed of a group of dedicated students, each with a unique set of skills and a willingness to learn. Designing and building an open-wheeled Formula car which is taken to compete against other Universities across Canada and the US.
IDS seeks to uncover innovative engineering and scientific solutions to create a more sustainable environment on campus and throughout the Okanagan. Spearheaded by three undergraduate students, the new club was registered in 2020 under the UBC Okanagan Students’ Union.
The CSCE is a learned society created to develop and maintain high standards of civil engineering practice in Canada and to enhance the public image of the civil engineering profession.
CSME’s mission is: To advance the quality and scope of mechanical engineering in Canada; To stimulate the application of mechanical engineering for the benefit of mankind; To promote the creation, exchange, diffusion of an access to technical and other information relevant to mechanical engineering for both technical and public interest;
Engineers in Action Okanagan is a university student-led initiative dedicated to addressing critical infrastructure needs in developing countries. The chapter engages students in hands-on projects that promote sustainable development and improve living conditions through tailored engineering solutions for communities in need.
EWB Canada unlocks human potential in Canada by fostering a community of leaders—supporting a network of established thought leaders while developing the next generation of pioneers.
Global Engineering Community is a professional group that exists to connect, inspire, and support international students in UBCO’s School of Engineering.
Sigma Phi Delta is a Fraternity open to students of the Engineering faculty. It attends to the social, academic and professional sides of Engineering, in school and at the workplace. Sigma Phi Delta is an organization that fosters brotherhood, camaraderie, leadership and teamwork.
BCWWA Okanagan Student Chapter is an organization for students interested in the water and waste water environment, which includes water quality, waste treatment, water and waste water treatment, storm water management, water distribution and waste water collection, and all other water related subjects.
The IEEE promotes the welfare and knowledge of our members through the holding of meetings, field trips, conferences, lectures and social events, with the express goal of developing and expanding the knowledge of theory, applications and professional practice as it relates to all phases of electrical and computer engineering and related fields.
The Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers (CITE) UBCO Student Chapter is committed to promoting the advancement of transportation and traffic engineering by fostering connections between members, the profession and CITE worldwide. Multiple industry nights are held each year with presenters in the field of transportation engineering.
The University of British Columbia American Railway Engineering (AREMA) UBCO Student Chapter is authorized by the Constitution of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) and holds multiple industry nights each year with presenters in the field of railway engineering.