Now that you know all things UBC, you might be wondering what opportunities UBC has outside regular academic programs.

Go Global programs allow students to have an international experience during their time at UBC. This includes exchange and summer abroad programs which allow you to study abroad for a term at one of UBC’s partner universities.

Often these are done in the later years of your degree when course-specific degree requirements are complete. Unfortunately, exchanges have remained canceled through the pandemic due to travel restrictions, but they are set to resume this year. Go Global also runs Go Global seminars, in which a UBC professor teaches a specific course with relevant place-based content in another country with a small cohort of students.

Co-op is a program which allows students to graduate with at least a year of full-time paid work experience. Co-op offices have their own job boards, often with postings not publicly advertised and support offered through the application process. Each faculty’s co-op program is a little different,
but they usually require three or four ‘work terms,’ which are four month periods of working full time. These can be during the winter or summer terms. Co-op usually extends your degree by about a year, but allows you to develop professional connections and can sometimes lead to a job offer after graduation. Check your faculty’s co-op website for more information on how to apply.

Work Learn positions are part-time, on-campus jobs that allow you to develop your professional skills while still taking classes. They are up to 10 hours per week during the winter term and up to 20 hours a week during the summer. These positions can vary widely as they come from every corner of UBC and often include research, communication, library and administrative opportunities. Check UBC Careers Online before the start of winter or summer term (August and April) to search and apply for roles.

Tandem language learning is a free way to work on your conversational proficiency in a foreign language while helping someone else practice your native language. It’s also a great way to make a new friend who you might never have spoken to otherwise! Students apply to be matched with a partner who wants to learn their language and the pair meets for nine facilitated 90-minute sessions. Each session is split in half, with each half conducted in a different language. Learn more and register at the start of each semester on the Tandem website.

There are also lots of volunteer opportunities at UBC. Volunteer positions are posted on UBC Careers Online. Student organizations and clubs often need volunteers too. If you’re interested in contributing to food security, check out Sprouts, Agora Cafe or Roots on the Roof. Look at a club’s Instagram page or website to see if they are looking for student volunteers.