Admission Requirements

GPA Requirements

There is no minimum GPA cutoff specified for most COGS specializations (with the exception of Computational Intelligence and Design, which abides by the rules of the Computer Science department). However, because the number of seats available in Cognitive Systems are strictly limited, GPA is used to determine admission priority. See Application Evaluation for details.

Admission Requirements by COGS Specialization

B.Sc. Cognition and the Brain (when applying via the second-year centralized application): https://science.ubc.ca/students/degree/apply/req#1225
B.Sc. Computational Intelligence and Design (when applying via the second-year centralized application): https://science.ubc.ca/students/degree/apply/req#1226
B.Sc. Computational Intelligence and Design (when switching from a different major): Please contact Computer Science Advising for details.
B.Sc. Cognition and the Brain (when switching from a different major), B.A. Cognition and the Brain, B.A. Language, and B.A. Mind, Language, and Computation: Please see admission requirements summarized below.

Summary of Admission Requirements: B.A. (All) and B.Sc. Cognition and Brain (Switching Majors)

Students must have successfully completed (i.e. received a passing mark for) at least 27 credits and have reached a minimum of year 2 standing.
Students should not apply until they have second year standing and have completed:
(a) COGS 200 and six credits of courses in any of PSYC, LING, PHIL, or CPSC, or
(b) Nine credits of courses in any of COGS, PSYC, LING, PHIL, or CPSC.
In either case (a or b), taking COGS 200 before applying to COGS is strongly recommended, but not mandatory.You cannot satisfy this requirement with courses all taken in the same department. For example, CPSC110, CPSC121, LING100 is permissible; CPSC103, CPSC107, CPSC121 is not.
You also cannot satisfy this requirement with courses that were taken on a Credit/D/Fail basis, unless those courses were taken in 2019 Term 2 (which was disrupted by measures mitigating the spread of COVID-19).

Unsure whether you meet the admission requirements? Use the self-assessment tool below to find out:

Self-Assessment: COGS Admission Requirements Check [September Intake]

Have you earned at least 27 credits?
- Yes
- No
Are those credits from courses taken at UBC Vancouver?
- Yes (or a partial yes - I have some transfer credit)
- No, I just got admitted into UBC as a transfer student and I haven't taken any courses at UBC yet
Have you already earned at least 9 credits of COGS-related courses (in COGS, CPSC, LING, PHIL, or PSYC)?
E.g.: COGS 200, PHIL 220, LING 100, CPSC 110, PSYC 101.
NOTE: these courses must have grades (instead of Pass/Fail), unless you received a "Credit" or "D" for a course you took in 2019 Winter term 2 (ending April 2020).
- Yes
- No
- Not yet - I'm taking a course now to fulfill this admission requirement by the end of this term. Can I still apply?
Are those courses in at least TWO of the five areas: COGS, CPSC, LING, PHIL, PSYC?
- Yes
- No, I only took courses in one subject
You do not have enough credits
Admission to Cognitive Systems specializations requires students to have successfully completed (i.e. received a passing mark for) at least 27 credits.
You need to take another course in COGS or the 4 COGS pillars
Students should not apply until they have second year standing and have completed:
(a) COGS 200 and six credits of courses in any of PSYC, LING, PHIL, or CPSC, or
(b) Nine credits of courses in any of COGS, PSYC, LING, PHIL, or CPSC.
You cannot satisfy this requirement with courses all of which were taken in the same department. Nor can this requirement be satisfied with courses that were taken on a Credit/D/Fail basis, unless those courses were taken in 2019 Term 2, at which time the semester was disrupted by measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
It looks like you have fulfilled the admission requirements!
It looks like you are ready to apply! When applications are open (February 1 - May 15 for September entry), the application form can be found at the bottom of the Application Instructions page. If you have additional questions please reach out to the COGS Program Coordinator.
You can still apply
If you are planning to fulfill your COGS-related 3-course requirement in the term during which you are applying (i.e. Winter Term 2 for the May 15 deadline), you can still apply as long as all 3 courses are not offered by the same department. When applications are open (February 1 - May 15 for September entry), the application form can be found at the bottom of the Application Instructions page. If you have additional questions please reach out to the COGS Program Coordinator.
Please reach out to the Program Coordinator
If you are a transfer student, please reach out to the COGS Program Coordinator to verify whether you meet the admission requirements or not.

If the credits you completed at previous institution(s) have not yet been processed into UBC systems, you may need to follow up with UBC Enrolment Services.

If you are eligible to apply, do not forget to fill out the application form! When applications are open (February 1 - May 15 for September entry), the application form can be found at the bottom of the Application Instructions page.
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If you have taken the self-assessment and are still unsure which admission requirements apply to you, please contact the Program Coordinator.

GPA Requirements