Quick links Student fees Student enrolment Programs and degrees Student facilities and services University research International education Web site: www.unbc.ca

University of Northern British Columbia

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3333 University Way
Prince George, British Columbia V2N 4Z9
Telephone: 250-960-5555

Northwest Campus
4837 Keith Ave
Terrace, British Columbia V8G 1K7
Telephone: 250-615-5578
Website: www.unbc.ca/regops/nw

Peace River-Liard Campus
Box 1000, 9820-120th Ave
Fort St. John, British Columbia V1J 6K1
Telephone: 250-787-6220
Website: www.unbc.ca/regops/prl

South-Central Campus
S100 100 Campus Way
Quesnel, British Columbia V2J 7K1
Telephone: 250-991-7540
Website: www.unbc.ca/regops/sc

Profile

The University of Northern British Columbia opened with full operations in 1994 and currently has more than 4,200 students per year. Located in the spectacular landscape of northern BC, the university is passionate about being one of Canada’s best small universities. UNBC provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate learning opportunities that explore cultures, health, economies and the environment at the local and regional scale. As one of BC’s research-intensive universities, we bring the excitement of new knowledge to all of our students and the outcomes of our teaching and research to the North and to the world. In addition to fostering and celebrating academic excellence, UNBC is a welcoming place that is friendly and inclusive. A university both in and for the North, UNBC's mission has instilled a strong sense of ownership, purpose and adventure among our students, faculty, staff, alumni and the communities we serve. We are also Canada’s green university, leading the way to a more sustainable future.

Most UNBC students attend the main campus in Prince George, a city of 81,000 people located in central British Columbia. Since the university is committed to serving all of northern British Columbia, it offers classes and research stations throughout the region. Its main regional campuses are located in Terrace, Fort St. John and Quesnel.

History
Year of foundation: 1990

Student fees

Canadian student fees  2009 - 2010 *
Undergraduate tuition fees: $4,450
Graduate tuition fees: $2,758

International student fees  2009 - 2010 *
Undergraduate tuition fees: $10,010 - $15,572
Graduate tuition fees: $2,758

* Source: Statistics Canada. Fees for general programs in arts and humanities.

Note: In addition to tuition fees, universities generally charge fees for goods and services supplied to students. This includes areas such as student associations, sports and health. These additional fees vary widely per university and per student and can run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. Check with the university for details.

Student enrolment

2009 rounded preliminary fall enrolment *
Full-time (undergraduates): 2,030
Full-time (graduates): 410
Part-time (undergraduates): 990
Part-time (graduates): 120

* Source: University of Northern British Columbia

Programs and degrees

Note: The program information is compiled by AUCC staff in cooperation with staff at member institutions. The programs are classified according to the Classification of Instructional Programs 2000. To search for the programs offered by this institution, please consult the Directory of Canadian Universities’ programs database online at http://www.aucc.ca/can_uni/search/index_e.html.

Student facilities and services

Personal support services
UNBC offers a thriving campus community where countless activities and social events are planned to support various causes and create a vibrant student life. Students designed the dynamic Northern University Student Centre building that provides services and acts as a social hub on campus. The NUSC includes a pub, coffee shop, lounge space, rooms for meetings and events, and student society and club offices. 

UNBC students also have access to state-of-the-art facilities and top-notch coaches and trainers in the Northern Sport Centre. Students can participate in varsity sports (soccer and basketball) or in a variety of intramural activities. 

UNBC also offers many services/facilities aimed at improving student success and wellness. These include child care services, First Nations centre (programs and support services), health services and wellness programs (counselling), interfaith chaplaincy, mature students’ society, peer support network, services for students with disabilities, student newspaper, student radio station, undergraduate and graduate students’ societies, women’s centre and many student clubs.

Academic support services
Bookstore, student career centre, international exchange and student programs office (exchange programs, support services for international students), learning skills centre (tutoring and workshops on study, supplemental instruction, writing, math, stats and technology skills), student advising centre. 

First-year student programs
Orientation, Northern Advancement Program (transition program for First Nations and rural students), student advising centre, University 101 (introduction to higher education foundation course), interfaith chaplaincy, housing and residence life programs, disabilities services.

Housing
On-campus: UNBC residences can accommodate 542 students in four-bedroom suites and a limited number of available two-bedroom suites. The residences are located on the campus, a short walk from the administrative and classroom buildings. Each self-contained suite is fully furnished and includes Internet access, telephone and satellite TV. Floors are co-ed and while most suites are same gender, suites can be co-ed. Rooms are allocated based on the application date with priority given to first-year students, if they have applied by the March 1 deadline. Annual cost for a room in a four-bedroom suite is $4,097 and in a two-bedroom suite $4,659 (cost is subject to change for 2010-2011).

Off-campus: Apartments in Prince George vary from $550/month and up, usually not including utilities or services. Single rooms in the city can start at $400/month.

Student assistance
Undergraduate: Numerous awards are available to new and continuing postsecondary students, ranging in value from $500 to $25,800. Renewable entrance scholarships are available to students with high academic standing; other awards are given on the basis of financial need, academic proficiency, and other criteria such as community service and leadership. More information is available at www.unbc.ca/finaid.

Graduate: Up-to-date information regarding employment opportunities, awards information and loan applications information can be found at www.unbc.ca/finaid/. Renewable entrance scholarships are available to students with high academic standing; other awards are given on the basis of financial need, academic proficiency and other criteria such as community service and leadership. Teaching assistantships are made available in response to instructional needs within program areas, however minimum grade standards of 3.33 or B+ must be met. More information is available at www.unbc.ca/finaid/graduate/index.html.

University research

UNBC’s three research priorities are: natural resources and the environment, sustainability of communities, and rural, remote, northern and Aboriginal health. 

In the past few years, UNBC has been recognized as one of Canada’s leading research universities. In its 15-year history, its research income has increased over 50-fold. UNBC has nine Canada Research Chairs, in areas from comparative indigenous-state relations to rural and small town studies, from climate prediction and predictability to forest entomology and chemical ecology. In addition, it enjoys several endowed chairs, including in landscape ecology and Aboriginal environmental health. 

UNBC hosts several research institutes, including the Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute, the Northern BC Community Development Institute, the Institute for Social Research and Evaluation and the BC Rural and Remote Health Institute. It is also the home of the National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health, the mandate of which is to increase Aboriginal capacity for action on their determinants of health. The university boasts two research forests, one of them co-managed with Tl’azt’en First Nation (which is also the largest contiguous research forest in North America), and the Dr. Max Blouw Quesnel River Research Station. The forests and station provide opportunities for a wide variety of research projects across the natural, social and health sciences.

Undergraduate as well as graduate students are exposed to research as a core component of UNBC’s curriculum. Faculty members regularly involve undergraduate students in research projects and encourage them to pursue research careers. For more information on research at UNBC, please see http://www.unbc.ca/research.

International education

UNBC maintains formal exchange linkages with over 35 universities and two national organizations in 19 countries around the world, resulting in approximately 100 international exchange opportunities. These linkages allow for exchange of students, faculty and staff. In addition, they encourage collaborative research, joint academic and scientific exchanges, exchange of publications, and training and teaching experiences. Cooperative education work terms are also available to students internationally. To date, students at UNBC have been placed in co-op work terms in China, Germany, Scotland and the U.S.

UNBC sends approximately 25 students a year on international exchange programs and receives about 40 students. Student exchange provides an opportunity to broaden understanding of other countries and societies. Through study at a foreign university, UNBC students are exposed to different perspectives and approaches to common issues that affect our increasingly interdependent world. Students value the experience and feel it is essential to their success after graduation.

UNBC and the community of Prince George recognize that international students studying in UNBC graduate and undergraduate programs are interested in working both on and off campus. Currently, the UNBC International Exchange and Student Programs Office employs an international student adviser who plays a key role in implementing the Citizenship and Immigration Canada off-campus work program, collaborating with the student career centre on job opportunities for international students and assisting in completing the appropriate paperwork for the off-campus work permit.  

Contact
Ms. Annick Pereira, International Student Adviser
UNBC International Exchange and Student Programs Office
Telephone: 250-960-5725
E-mail: pereira@unbc.ca
Website: www.unbc.ca/international