
What is CIE?
The CIE exchange program enables students to study for up to two terms at one of our international partner institutions while earning credits that can apply towards your UBC degree. CIE partner institutions all have world-class engineering programs, and have been specially selected to complement your UBC studies. The CIE program offers a high level of support to students who are preparing to go abroad, and every effort is made to provisionally map how the courses you take at the partner institution will apply to your UBC degree before you depart.
Difference between CIE and University-wide exchanges?
CIE Exchange Program
University-wide Exchange Program
Uses agreements between Applied Science faculties at different institutions. | Uses university-wide agreements with different institutions. |
Spaces are reserved in these agreements for BASC and BDES students. | Spaces are open to competition with students from all faculties. |
Pre-mapped courses ease the coordination of transfer credits. Additional courses can be articulated at your request. | Limited course articulations may exist for some partner institutions. You may need to submit requests for additional courses to be articulated. |
Exchange can be used as a Co-op term. | Exchange cannot be used as a Co-op term. (Exception: BMEG. See program specific information below) |
17 partners across 3 regions. | 200+ partners worldwide. |
Two-thirds of your study plan should be comprised of courses that apply towards your BASC and BDES degree. | Flexibility in focus of study plan. |
CIE and Co-op?
It is possible to be in the Co-op program and complete a CIE exchange. If you choose to go on exchange to a CIE partner institution, you can substitute your exchange term for your final Co-op work term. Most students who count a CIE exchange as a co-op term are not able to complete a summer work term directly after their term abroad due to conflicting study dates at our partner institutions. You may need to submit a Co-op Sequence Change form. Please consult with your Co-op Coordinator.
How can it work in my program?
Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urbanism
Students in the Bachelor of Design in Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urbanism program are recommended to participate in Term 2 in third year. And students are recommended to take the following equivalent courses in the exchange term:
DES 302: Design Studio IV – Vancouver (9 credits)
DES 321: Topics in Architectural History I (3 credits) or DES 323: Histories in Landscape Architecture (3 credits)
Electives (6 or 9 credits)
Biomedical
We ask students to kindly indicate the program stream that they are hoping to apply for when they send their study plan to the program contact for approval. Please note that all study plan approvals are tentative until courses have been officially mapped to UBC equivalencies.
Biomedical Engineering students who are not in the Co-op program are recommended to participate in an exchange in Term 2 in third year. Biomedical Engineering students who are in the Co-op program are recommended to participate in an exchange during their fourth year.
As Biomedical Engineering is a relatively new program, there are fewer pre-mapped courses at our CIE partners to choose from. Therefore, with approval from Go Global and the CIE advisor, Biomedical Engineering students may be permitted to use an exchange through a Go Global university-wide agreement to replace a fourth Co-op term, in the same way that a CIE exchange can replace a Co-op term for students in other programs.
Chemical & Biological
Chemical & Biological Engineering students are recommended to participate in Term 2 in third year. And students are only allowed to take Technical Elective courses in their exchange term with an approval from the Program Advisor prior to registration. The requirement that students must take a minimum of 6 technical elective credits must be CHBE courses can be waived.
Civil
Civil Engineering students are recommended to participate in Term 2 in third year. Please note that CIVL students must have completed at least 6 terms (3 winter sessions) of course work prior to going on exchange to Delft University of Technology.
Below are samples of courses that Civil Engineering students have previously studied.
In Term 2 of 2018/19 at Monash University;
Courses at Monash | Transferred to UBC degree |
Structural Mechanics | CIVL 231 |
Design of Steel and Timber Structures | CIVL 331 |
Water Systems | CIVL 316 |
Environmental Impact Assessment and Management Systems | CIVL 305 |
In Term 2 of 2019/20 at University of Glasgow a student from Okanagan campus studied;
Courses at Glasgow | Transferred to UBC degree |
Introduction to Scottish Culture | Humanities elective |
Microeconomics | ENGR 305 |
Ground Engineering 4 | ENGR 4th Tech Elective |
Environmental Biotechnology 4 | ENGR 4th Tech Elective |
Hydrogeology and Environmental Geoscience | ENGR 4th Tech Elective |
Electrical & Computer
Electrical & Computer Engineering students are recommended to participate in Term 2 in third year. Below are samples of courses that Electrical & Computer Engineering students have previously studied.
In Term 2 of 2018/19 at Nanyang Technological University;
Courses at Nanyang | Transferred to UBC degree |
Engineering Electromagnetics | ELEC 311 |
Electrical Devices & Machines | ELEC 342 |
Computational Intelligence | CPEN 4th |
In Term 2 of 2018/19 at the University of Melbourne;
Courses at Melbourne | Transferred to UBC degree |
Probability and Random Models | ELEC 321 |
Control Systems | ELEC 341 |
Electronic Circuit Design | ELEC 301 |
Electronic and Magnetic Materials | ELEC 315 |
In Term 2 of 2018/19 at the University of Glasgow;
Courses at Glasgow | Transferred to UBC degree |
Software Engineering | CPEN 333 |
Microeconomics E1 | ELEC 481 |
Biosensors and Diagnostics | ELEC 473 |
Ultrasounds Technology and Applications | ELEC 3rd |
In Term 2 of 2018/19 at University of Melbourne a student from Okanagan campus studied;
Courses at Melbourne | Transferred to UBC degree |
Economic Analysis for Engineers | ENGR 305 |
Electrical Network Analysis and Design | ENGR 350 |
Energy for Sustainable Development | ENGR 4th Tech Elective |
Solar Energy | ENGR 4th Tech Elective |
Engineering Physics
Engineering Physics students are recommended to participate in Term 1 in fourth year. And students are only allowed to take Technical Elective courses in their exchange term with an approval from the Program Advisor prior to registration.
Environmental Engineering
Environmental Engineering students (ENVE joint program) are recommended to participate in Term 2 in fourth year. Environmental Engineering students (ENVL program) are recommended to study abroad in either Term 1 or 2 of third year. And students are allowed to take both Core and Technical Elective courses in their exchange term with an approval from the Program Advisor prior to registration.
Geological
Geological Engineering students are recommended to participate in Term 2 in third year. Below are samples of courses that Geological Engineering students have previously studied.
In Term 2 of 2018/19 at the University of Queensland;
Courses at UQ | Transferred to UBC degree |
Catchment Hydraulics | CIVL 316 |
Geographical Information Systems | GEOB 3rd |
Environmental Hazards | EOSC 4th |
Mining Geomechanics | MINE 303 |
Integrated
Integrated Engineering students are recommended to participate in Term 2 in third year. Below are samples of courses that Integrated Engineering students have previously studied.
In Term 2 of 2018/19 at the University of Hong Kong;
Courses at Hong Kong | Transferred to UBC degree |
Water and Air Quality: Concepts and Measurements | CIVL 2nd |
Electronic Materials and Quantum Physics | ELEC 3rd |
Fundamentals of Aeronautical Engineering | MECH 481 |
In Term 2 of 2018/19 at ETH Zurich;
Courses at ETH | Transferred to UBC degree |
Biomechatronics | MECH 4th |
Introduction to Robotics and Mechantronics | ELEC 442 |
Manufacturing of Polymer Composites | MTRL 340 |
Microsystems II: Devices and Applications | ELEC 462 |
In Term 2 of 2018/19 at Delft Technical University;
Courses at TU Delft | Transferred to UBC degree |
3D Printing | MTRL 4th |
Automotive Design | MTRL 4th |
Design of Lightweight Structures II | MTRL 4th |
Materials
Materials Engineering students are recommended to participate in Term 2 in third or fourth year. Below are samples of courses that Materials Engineering students have previously studied.
In Term 2 of 2018/19 at the National University of Singapore;
Courses at NUS | Transferred to UBC degree |
Electronic Properties of Materials | MTRL 478 |
Materials for Biointerfaces | MTRL 495 |
Selected Advanced Topics on Polymers | MTRL 4th |
Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion | MTRL 4th |
In Term 2 of 2018/19 at the University of New South Wales;
Courses at UNSW | Transferred to UBC degree |
Electronic Properties of Materials | MTRL 478 |
Materials for Biointerfaces | MTRL 495 |
Selected Advanced Topics on Polymers | MTRL 4th |
Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion | MTRL 4th |
Mechanical
Mechanical Engineering students are recommended to participate in January-April term 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 their exchange term with an approval from the Program Advisor prior to registration. But students are NOT allowed to take Engineering Design Project courses, such as MECH 328, or MECH 45X.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing Engineering students are recommended to participate in Term 2 in third year.
Mining
Mining Engineering students are recommended to participate in either Term 1 or Term 2 in third year. And students can take both Core and Technical Elective courses in their exchange term with an approval from the Program Advisor prior to registration.