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3.6 Exchange Process with CIE

Process for Going on Exchange and SBME Specific Information

BMEG students have the exciting opportunity to participate in the Coordinated International Experience (CIE) program, which allows them to continue their studies at one of UBC's partner institutions in Europe, Australia, or Asia. This exchange is available during the 4th year of the program, providing students with valuable international experience while continuing to make progress toward their degree. 

Steps for Going on Exchange:

  1. Preliminary Planning: Schedule a meeting with SBME Student Services to begin planning your course schedule for the exchange. You may reach out to our advising team at students@sbme.ubc.ca
  2. Plan your Exchange with CIE: After meeting with one of our SBME Advisors, follow the steps to apply for CIE Exchange here. Work with the CIE office to submit a Course Planning Proposal, detailing the courses you intend to take abroad.
  3.  Course Planning Proposal: When you have decided the University and courses you would like to take, submit all the required information (Syllabus, Course format, Grade breakdown, Deliverables, Course content, Learning outcomes, Term schedule) through the Qualtrics form: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0OmSo2Ik2MP32f4.
  4. CIE Study Plan: After you submit the required information for each course, it will be converted to a CIE Study Plan, which will be sent to SBME Student Services for preliminary approval. Once it is signed, email it back to the CIE Advisor. For any courses that are not pre-approved for BMEG 4th credit, you will have to put that in the form. If it does not say BMEG 4th, it cannot be applied to the BMEG program.
  5. Course Selection: If you can not provide sufficient information for the Course Planning Proposal prior to going on exchange, you will have to submit the information listed below after you return from exchange, in order for the course to be assessed. For each course, you'll need to provide the following information in order for our SBME team to evaluate and pre-approve the courses:
    • Syllabus
    • Course format
    • Grade breakdown
    • Deliverables
    • Course content
    • Learning outcomes
    Term schedule
  6. On Exchange: While you are on exchange, do your best to take all the courses on your approved course plan. Any courses you take abroad that were not pre-approved will be assessed by the Director after your return.
  7. Return to UBC: Upon your return, the CIE advisor will complete the transfer process with your approved courses. The SBME Advisor will then apply the approved credits to your Program Academic Progress Report to apply towards your degree requirements. If you receive a direct course equivalency, it will be applied to your program as such. If you are receiving general course equivalency for a Technical Elective, it will be applied to your program as BMEG 3rd or BMEG 4th.

Additional Information:

  1. Core Courses: In order for a core course to be approved, there will have to be over 80% overlap with the proposed course abroad.
  2. Elective Credit: A maximum of 9 credits can be taken abroad and applied toward your program’s requirements for Tech Electives and Core Courses. Humanities electives may count in addition to the 9 credits of Core/Tech Electives. 
  3. Exchange CIE Limit: Only courses from accredited university programs at CIE exchange institutions will be considered for credit. 
  4. AU Requirements:  To meet the AU requirements for Tech Electives (minimum 180 AU), students must ensure their electives taken at UBC satisfy the AU count. Exchange courses do not have any AU's assigned to them.
  5. Course Pre-Evaluation:
    • Course pre-evaluation is only available for APSC courses for CIE partner universities.
    • Students can include pre-mapped and non-pre-mapped courses into the CIE Study Plan and can submit Study Plans with course evaluation in progress with their application for exchange.
    • Students can submit courses for evaluation through the on-line form Links to an external site. for the courses they included into their CIE Study Plans.
    • Do students have to have all courses pre-approved by the application deadline? – No, students are encouraged to include pre-mapped courses into their Study Plans wherever possible, but can also include non-pre-mapped courses they are interested in taking on exchange.
    • Pre-approval of APSC courses will continue after students submit their application for exchange – students will be notified about the course evaluation results by e-mail.

Approved and Non-Approved Courses:

  1. Delft University of Technology
    • ET4127 - Evaluated 2024W
  2. University of Washington 
    • BH 311 - Evaluated 2024W
  3. Technical University of Denmark
    • 34723 - Evaluated 2025W