The Faculty of Land and Food Systems offers two options for enrolment in the first year:
- Students admitted to the Faculty select their courses in accordance with the designated Degree Requirements for the program to which they have been admitted. Students create a timetable by selecting both the courses and the sections they wish to attend. Students with questions about credit load options, should consult Credit Load, Credit/D/Fail, Repeating Courses, Taking Courses Outside of UBC.
- The Land One cohort option is jointly offered by the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and the Faculty of Forestry. In this limited-enrolment option, students admitted to their respective Faculty and degree programs enroll in a timetable of 16 core credits as a cohort. The timetable includes BIOL_V 121, MATH_V 180, LFS_V/FRST_V 101, LFS_V/FRST_V 110, and LFS_V/FRST_V 150. Additionally, students register for the remaining first-year credits outlined in their Degree Requirements.
Land One Cohort Option for the Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Land One is a unique way for first-year Land and Food Systems students in the Bachelor of Science in Applied Biology or Bachelor of Science in Food, Nutrition and Health programs to begin their degrees. Students with a passion for learning in an integrated format will benefit from the program’s cohort model, where complex issues related to food security, climate change, land use, and sustainability are explored through a coordinated curriculum offered in a small learning community.
Jointly offered by the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS) and the Faculty of Forestry, the option integrates required first-year subjects (BIOL_V 121, MATH_V 180, LFS_V 101, LFS_V 150 and LFS_V 110) within the context of real-world cases from both Indigenous and Western perspectives. It facilitates students’ transition to university and enhances the connections to their home Faculty by creating a learning community centred on collaborative engagement and learning with their peers and instructors.
Land One instructors teach the same course content as the standard program using examples, approaches, and case studies that relate to current issues in Land and Food Systems and Forestry through lectures, tutorials, and peer-to-peer engagement. All Land One students attend their lectures together and have access to a designated study space, creating a smaller social and learning community.
LFS_V 110 is integrative seminar that discusses the connections between courses in Land One and current issues. Each week, students meet for a one-hour lecture and a one-hour tutorial session throughout both terms 1 and 2. Students work in groups to explore disciplinary and integrative approaches to cases involving both Indigenous and Western perspectives. Students also participate in field trips (e.g. to UBC farm, Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, and Museum of Anthropology) and engage in various hands-on activities.
All majors/programs in LFS allow for the Land One courses to meet first-year degree requirements, however, students are responsible for meeting all remaining degree requirements in their respective program. The 16-credit standard timetable leaves space for students to take other courses in first-year and build their own program path within LFS, and across campus.
Application Process
The Land One program is limited to applicants directly from high school entering in their first-year of study in either the Bachelor of Science in Applied Biology or the Bachelor of Science in Food, Nutrition and Health. Students must be admitted to LFS in order to be eligible for the Land One cohort option. Students should consult the Admission section for details on applying to the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC. As Land One integrates five courses, in addition to the Faculty’s admission requirements, students must meet the pre-requisites of these courses as listed below (or the equivalent in the students’ home curriculum):
- BIOL_V 121: Biology 11 or 12, or BIOL_V 111
- MATH_V 184: One of BC Principles of Mathematics 12 or Pre-calculus 12 and one of a grade of 80% or higher in BC Principles of Mathematics 12 or Pre-calculus 12
- FRST_V/LFS_V 101: No pre-requisites
- FRST_V/LFS_V 150: Enrolment limited to LFS students with first year status. Because writing will be a significant part of the Land One option, proficiency in English is strongly recommended.
- FRST_V/LFS_V 110: No pre-requisites
Students must submit a separate application for the Land One program, via an online application. Students are required to submit a Letter of Intent (500 word maximum) addressing why they would like to join Land One.
Additional information about the Land One cohort option and the application process are available on the Land One website.