Gain an international academic experience. Study at North America's most international university. Meet students from other universities and Canadian students through socio-cultural activities. Learn about Canadian culture and society.
Watch the video from 2019 VSP!
Come and explore our beautiful Vancouver campus and city.
Get to know your campus: methods of transportation, housing, food, events, and attractions.
The Vancouver Summer Program (VSP) is a four-week academic program that offers the opportunity to take a program package, includes two academic courses, while learning about Canadian practices and culture. Participants will attend highly interactive classes and engage in a variety of social activities while living in residence on UBC's stunning campus, located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish people.
The UBC School of Nursing was ranked the top nursing school in Canada for 2023 by Maclean’s Magazine. Our excellence in health education and research methods is a significant part of our success. No prerequisites are required; however, participants must be proficient in English, have a strong academic background, and be at least 18 years of age at the beginning of the session. Course credit may be granted by the home university. We look forward to sharing with you our commitment to health education, research, and practice at the UBC School of Nursing! In 2023 we offered three packages for the UBC Vancouver Summer Program. Information and applications for the 2024 VSP Summer Program will be available in the spring of 2024.
The following two academic courses are offered in Package A:
Field excursions to innovative seniors’ care centres and effective mentorship techniques will provide students with an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take part in the most advanced learning in healthy aging and common health concerns among seniors. A broad range of guests will engage with students, including older adults, healthcare providers, and educators, and will provide content expertise. This course provides a window into normal aging processes and introduces students to some of the main health challenges experienced by seniors, including dementia. Best practices for supporting seniors’ health and wellbeing will be discussed, guided by ethical considerations and principles of personhood. The course includes lectures, workshops and mentored individual projects by students that will be presented at the end of the course.
Students will gain hands-on experience in developing skills to effectively engage with and support seniors in their homes and communities. A wide variety of guests will engage with students, including seniors, family caregivers, and health and social service providers. Students will engage with seniors to consider practical tips to create supportive home environments. This course provides an overview of the key components of supporting the health and well-being of seniors in their home environment. Students will be introduced to issues associated with aging in place, including environmental, policy, and systemic factors. The course will be led by expert faculty in the field of aging. Course content will be delivered through lectures, case studies, small and large discussion groups, and field excursions.
The content covered in NURS Package A: Seniors Health and Home Care is similar to foundational pillar courses in the Masters of Health Leadership and Policy (MHLP) Seniors Care program as a whole (NURS 542, NURS 585S), however, this course does not translate exactly into the content covered for either course due to condensed format.
This interdisciplinary Global Health Leadership package offers the following two academic courses:
As we become more globalized and connected, health care providers have opportunities to lead the way for social justice and equity. This course will draw upon the World Health Organization’s current program of work and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. Students will learn about leadership styles and strategies for global health advocacy work and policy development. Course discussions will highlight global health leadership in action for complex contemporary challenges such as climate change; human resources for health; good global governance; decent work; gender and age-transformative action; universal health coverage (UHC); and the “triple billion” goals. To lead globally, we have to think both locally and internationally, and students will have opportunities to meet local leaders who are champions for local Indigenous rights and cultural safety in Vancouver.
Our planet is experiencing the largest threat of the 21st century, climate change. To prepare for the future and to promote the physical as well as mental wellbeing of individuals, communities, and populations, this course is designed to take students on the journey of examining key concepts in climate change and its intricate impacts on human health. Using the social determinants of health framework, students are encouraged to analyze how anthropogenic activities contribute to environmental degradation in order to inspire them to adopt sustainable practices into their lives. This course includes lectures, climate expert sessions, and case studies that will enhance the content in an enriching way.
The course content NURS Package B JULY (Interdisciplinary Global Health Leadership) is covered in a number of courses, including NURS 290,NURS 351, NURS 512 & NURS 520. However, this course does not translate exactly into the content covered for the courses due to its condensed format.
This package is open to all prospective students of various disciplines:
Using a life-course perspective addressing mental health from the prenatal period through older adulthood, students will build their understanding of the various mental health challenges, risk and protective factors, health system challenges and opportunities and evidence-based approaches to mental health promotion, prevention and treatment of common mental health challenges for individuals and their families. This course provides students with a foundation for working with individuals, families, and populations who experience and are living with mental health and substance use challenges. This course includes lectures and discussion groups.
Students will have the opportunity to explore knowledge related to stress, stressors, resilience, social support, and strategies to foster physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Key concepts to be explored include the positive and negatives aspects of stress, factors that contribute to stress, physiological and psychological responses to stress, and the various strategies to navigate and manage stress, including the role of social support and self-care. There will be a strong focus on practical strategies to manage stress within the context of students’ current and future lives. The course will encompass a variety of methods including lectures, discussions, and an interactive assignment will allow students to express their creativity.
The content covered in NURS Package C JULY (Mental Health & Wellness) is similar to coursework covered in a few courses, NURS 303 and NURS 180. It is intended to support university students to advance their knowledge about mental health and wellbeing. However, these packaged courses do not translate exactly into the content covered in the courses due to its condensed format.
If you would like more details or have further questions about the VSP in Nursing, please contact:
Please contact vsp@nursing.ubc.ca for general inquiries and applications. More information available at https://linktr.ee/ubcvspnursing.
For Central Office, Office of the Vice-Provost International, please contact vsp.ubc@ubc.ca. Tel: +1-604-827-2957
For East Asia, please contact Rebecca Chiang in our Asia Pacific Regional Office, Hong Kong at Rebecca.chiang@apro.ubc.ca. Tel +852-2111-4401
For South Asia and the Middle East, please contact Faisal Beg in our India Liaison Office, New Delhi at faisal.beg@ubc.ca. Tel: +91-11-46061905
