Minor Programs

Faculty of Science

Biology

A Minor in Biology requires 30 credits of Biology coursework of which at least 18 credits must be 300- or 400-level. See Incompatible Majors, Honours and Minors. 

Chemistry

A student must successfully complete the core second-year Chemistry courses: CHEM_O 201 or 210 and all of CHEM_O 203, 204, 211, 220. The student must also complete at least 18 credits in 300- or 400-level Chemistry courses. See Incompatible Majors, Honours and Minors. 

Computer Science

A Minor in Computer Science allows a student to combine extensive knowledge of one field (the major) with the necessary supporting computer science knowledge. A Minor in Computer Science requires 30 credits of Computer Science coursework, of which 18 credits must be 300- or 400- level. 

Data Science

The Minor in Data Science provides advanced numeracy skills to majors in disciplines where new discoveries rely increasingly on the creation, management, and understanding of large data sets such as biology, chemistry, economics, and psychology. Due to the similarity of the content areas, students majoring in Statistics are not permitted to pursue a Minor in Data Science.  See Incompatible Majors, Honours and Minors. 

Students may earn a minor in data science by completing 30 credits^1,2 as follows:

• 3 credits of DATA_O 101
• 3 credits of STAT_O 230 or STAT_O 205
• Up to 6 credits from: MATH_O 100, 101, 200, 221; COSC_O 111, 121, 221, 222; ECON_O 102; APSC_O 177; BIOL_O 202; PSYO_O 373; APSC_O 254
• 3 credits of DATA_O 301 or COSC_O 301
• 3 credits of DATA_O 311
• 12 upper-level credits from the following¹:
  • upper-level DATA_O courses;
  • a maximum of 3 credits from²: COSC_O 304, 322, 329, 344, 421;
  • a maximum of 6 credits from: STAT_O 303, 401.

¹ Students in a Major/Minor are permitted to double count a limited number of credits between the two fields of study (see Double Counting of Credits in Honours, Majors, and Minors).

² The 18 upper-level credits must be in a discipline different from the student’s Major (with the exception of double counted credits).

Any query related to the data science minor should be addressed to the data science minor program coordinator at datascience.advisor@ubc.ca

Earth and Environmental Sciences

A student must successfully complete 30 credits in Earth and Environmental Sciences with at least 18 of these credits at the 300- and 400-level. All 300- or 400-level Earth and Environmental Sciences courses are acceptable, with the exception of EESC_O 449. Up to 6 credits of GISC_O courses may be substituted¹.

¹Students with a strong interest in Geospatial Information Science may wish to speak to an Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences department program advisor about the Minor in Geospatial Information Science.

Geospatial Information Science

The Minor in Geospatial Information Science provides a formal introduction to foundational concepts, principles, and tools for gathering, storing, processing, analyzing, viewing, and portraying geospatial data. Practical applications and problem solving are stressed.

The minor is open to all majors in a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science program. The choice of electives enables students to specialize in an area of academic interest that complements their disciplinary major.

Students may earn a Minor in Geospatial Information Science by completing 30 credits, with at least 18 at the 300- or 400-level, as follows:

• 9 credits of core courses: GISC_O 380, GISC_O 381, and GISC_O 480;
• 21 credits of elective courses, with no more than 6 credits at the 100-level¹ and with no more than 12 elective credits from a single discipline² that is the same as the major, from the following list:
  • APSC_O 169³;
  • COSC_O 101, 111, 121, 222, 304, 341, 360, 404, 435, 448⁴;
  • DATA_O 101, 301;
  • EESC_O 111, 413, 437, 444, 448⁴;
  • ENGR_O 332³;
  • GEOG_O 109, 129³, 271⁵, 272, 427³, 437, 498⁴

¹First-year electives can only be counted toward the GIS Minor by students not majoring in the discipline of the subject code (e.g., an EESC Major may not count EESC_O 111 for the GIS Minor, but a COSC or GEOG Major may do so).

²For the purposes of the GIS Minor, a discipline is identified by the subject code (e.g., GEOG_O, EESC_O) with COSC and DATA combined as one discipline and ASPC and ENGR combined as another discipline.

³For the purposes of the GIS Minor only, these courses will be counted as science credits.

⁴Directed studies courses (3 credits only) can be counted toward the GIS Minor only if pre-approved by the program coordinator based on sufficient GIS content and learning potential.

⁵Any equivalent course dealing with introductory statistical methods can be substituted (e.g. APSC_O 254, BIOL_O 202, PSYO_O 270, SOCI_O 271, STAT_O 230).

Double Counting of Credits restrictions apply. See Program Requirements.

Queries related to the GIS Minor should be addressed to the program coordinator.

Mathematics

A Minor in Mathematics requires 30 credits of Mathematics coursework including MATH_O 220 and 18 credits of MATH_O courses numbered 300 or above (excluding MATH_O 448).

Mathematics and Statistics

A Minor in Mathematics and Statistics requires 30 credits of Mathematics and Statistics coursework including MATH_O 220 and 18 credits of MATH_O and STAT_O courses numbered 300 or above (excluding MATH_O 448 and STAT_O 448) of which at least 6 credits must be MATH_O courses and at least 6 credits must be STAT_O courses.

Physics

A Minor in Physics requires 30 credits of Physics coursework including at least 18 credits in Physics courses selected from PHYS_O 301, 304, 305, 310, 314, 320, 321, 324, 328, 331, 360, 400, 401, 402, 403, 407, 408, 418, 420, 425, 431, 441, 474.

Statistics

A Minor in Statistics requires 30 credits of Statistics and Data coursework including STAT_O 203, 205, and 18 credits in courses selected from STAT_O or DATA_O courses numbered 300 and above of which at least 9 credits must be from STAT_O courses. Due to the similarity of the content areas, students majoring in Data Science are not permitted to pursue a Minor in Statistics. See Incompatible Majors, Honours and Minors. 

Faculty of Arts

Minor in Arts

B.Sc. students may earn a minor in the following Arts disciplines: Anthropology, Art History and Visual Culture, Creative Writing, Cultural Studies, Economics, English, French, Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies, Geography, History, Indigenous Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Spanish, Sociology, and Theatre. To complete an Arts minor, students must complete at least 30 credits in an Arts discipline. At least 12 of these 30 credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above.

Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies

Minor in Communications and Rhetoric

Minor in Fine Arts

Faculty of Management

Minor in Management

The Minor in Management is open to all students completing a Bachelor of Science.

Students may earn a Minor in Management by completing 30 credits as follows:

• 6 credits of core courses: MGMT_O 100, MGMT_O 110
• 6 credits from: MGMT_O 201, MGMT_O 202, MGMT_O 220, MGMT_O 230, MGMT_O 250, MGMT_O 290
• 18 credits of MGMT_O courses at the 300- and 400-level¹

Students may encounter difficulty fitting the courses for the Minor into their timetable; careful planning is essential, and completion of the Minor program may necessitate an additional term beyond that required to complete the B.Sc. degree alone.

¹Some upper-level MGMT_O courses may have prerequisites beyond the required lower-level courses for the minor. Non-MGMT_O prerequisite courses do not count towards the required upper-level credits