UBC recognizes that students may encounter opportunities or circumstances that could result in a request for deferred admission. Applicants who are offered admission to study in the first year of a graduate degree, diploma, or certificate program may request a deferral of start date to a future term for up to one year.
The request must be approved by the graduate program.
International students are advised to consider whether or not deferring their start date will affect any immigration rules or requirements in place at the time of the deferral.
To be eligible for consideration for a deferral, the applicant must:
- Have received a formal offer of admission;
- Accept the offer of admission by paying a non-refundable registration deposit, if required by the graduate program;
- Submit a “Request to Change Graduate Program Start Date” in the graduate application system at least 21 days before the first day of the month in which the term begins.
Admission cannot be deferred for more than twelve months.
Students who are granted permission to defer their admission will still have to satisfy any conditions of the admission offer, such as completion of courses in progress, maintenance of satisfactory academic performance, and graduation. They must register in the program and at the campus to which they were admitted or will be required to reapply.