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Programs & Applying

The College of Graduate Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements for all applicants. Minimum admission requirements vary for students coming from a Canadian or American institution and those coming from international institutions.

Each graduate program may have additional requirements. It is recommended that all potential applicants refer to specific Graduate Degree Programs for detailed information regarding the program and specific admission requirements.

Master’s Applicants

Applicants to a master’s degree program must hold the academic equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree from UBC with:

• a minimum overall average in the B+ grade range (76-79% at UBC) in third-year level and above courses; or
• academic standing with at least 12 credits of third- or fourth-year courses in the A grade range (80% or higher at UBC) in the field of study; or
• applicants who have a four-year bachelor’s degree, or its academic equivalent, which does not meet the requirements stated above, but who have had significant formal training and relevant professional experience to offset such deficiencies, may be granted admission on the recommendation of the graduate program and approval of the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.
• These are the minimum requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies. Individual graduate programs may have additional admission requirements. Consult the graduate program listings in the Academic Calendar to confirm the admission requirements for specific degree programs.

Doctoral Applicants

Applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) must have completed one of the following requirements:

• a master’s degree (or equivalent) from an approved institution, with clear evidence of research ability or potential and a minimum overall average in the B+ grade range (76-79% at UBC) in all graduate courses;
• a bachelor’s degree, with one year of study in a master’s program with 12 credits of first-class average, of which, normally, 9 credits must be at the 500 level or above and at least 9 credits must be of first-class standing, and clear evidence of research ability or potential. Transfer directly into a doctoral program is normally accomplished after the first year of study and will not be permitted after the completion of the second year in a master’s program; or
• in exceptional cases, applicants who hold an honours bachelor’s degree with an overall average in the A grade range and who demonstrate advanced research ability may be granted direct admission to a doctoral degree program on recommendation of the admitting graduate program and approval of the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

To maintain registration as a doctoral student, students entering directly from a bachelor’s degree must, during the first year of study, complete 12 credits with a first-class average, of which at least 9 credits must be at the 500 level or above and at least 9 credits must be of first-class standing.

Other Resources

Other sites with helpful application information:

• UBC Okanagan Calendar
• Policies Governing Admissions

Master’s applicants

• The College of Graduate Studies welcomes and encourages applications from international students who hold a credential deemed academically equivalent to a four-year bachelor’s degree from UBC and who demonstrate superior academic standing.
• Specific minimum admission requirements for graduates from different countries are listed in the International Student Evaluation Manual.
• Students who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents must apply for a study permit (student visa) to enter Canada. Applications can be made through any Canadian Consulate or High Commission.
• Applicants from a university at which English is not the primary language of instruction must meet English Language Proficiency Requirements prior to being extended an offer of admission.
• A formal application for admission (and the required fee) must be submitted for an official evaluation of academic credentials. The required overall grade is normally calculated from courses taken in the last two years of full-time study.
• The College of Graduate Studies welcomes and encourages applications from international students who hold a credential deemed academically equivalent to an approved Canadian two-year master’s degree and who demonstrate superior academic standing. Specific minimum admission requirements for graduates from different countries are listed in the International Student Evaluation Manual .
• A formal application for admission (and the required fee) must be submitted for an official evaluation of academic credentials. The required overall grade is normally calculated using all courses taken in the master’s program.
• These are the minimum requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies. Individual graduate programs may have additional admission requirements. Consult the graduate program listings in this Calendar to confirm the admission requirements for specific degree programs.

Graduate Program Requirements

Please refer to specific Graduate Degree Programs for detailed information regarding the program to which you intend to apply, and specific admission requirements.

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology  (MSc, PhD)
• Biology  (MSc, PhD)
• Chemistry  (MSc, PhD)
• Computer Science (MSc, PhD)
• Data Science (MDS)
• Earth and Environmental Sciences  (MSc, PhD)
• Education (MEd, MA, EdD)
• Engineering  (MEng, MASc, PhD)
• English  (MA)
• Fine Arts  (MFA)
• Health & Exercise Sciences & Kinesiology (MSc, PhD)
• Interdisciplinary Studies  (MA, MSc, PhD)
• Mathematics  (MSc, PhD)
• Medical Physics  (MSc, PhD)
• Nursing (MSN, PhD)
• Psychology  (MA, PhD)
• Social Work  (MSW: Advanced One-Year, Foundational Two-Year)

The Master of Management program is not administered by the College of Graduate Studies, and must be applied to directly through the program website .

When you are ready to apply, or need to check the status of your application, access our online application system.

Apply Today

We acknowledge that the UBC Vancouver campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam).

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Admission Requirements

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Applications for the PhD program open on November 15th, 2023 . The deadline for receipt of applications is January 7th, 2024 . The deadline for receipt of references is January 14th, 2024 . The Admissions Committee will not consider your application unless all documents have been received by the deadline. There is only one admission cycle per year, and all new students begin the program in September.

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SPPH is committed to addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action, including work that supports the implementation of the UBC Indigenous Strategic Plan and the UBC Faculty of Medicine Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action . SPPH values equity, diversity, and inclusion .

We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous persons.

The PhD program recognizes that SPPH and UBC are situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam). In partial recognition of the past, present, and future benefits that all members of the SPPH community receive from the use of this land, the PhD Program will pay the application fee for any Indigenous applicant. Applicants must contact the program in advance to receive a coupon code. The PhD program also reserves departmental funding to support indigenous student(s) in their first four years of PhD study.

Indigenous applicants are encouraged to contact the program before submitting an application for more information about supports for Indigenous students and applicants at UBC, such as the SAGE Program .

We accept applicants from many diverse backgrounds and countries, and we do not have a limit to out-of-province or international students. We rank all completed applications and applicants are offered admission based on merit. If you will complete your master’s degree before the entry date in September, we encourage you to apply.

Applicants must meet both the minimum academic requirements and relevant experience requirements set out by the PhD Program and the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Meeting the minimum criteria does not ensure acceptance into the program – most successful applicants present academic credentials and test scores that are above the minimum.

Supervisor support is required for all PhD applications. We are not able to review applications without supervisor support. The best way to connect with a potential supervisor is to investigate Faculty profiles (including research interests and recent publications) and then contact the faculty member you are interested in working with to inquire whether they are willing to serve as your supervisor. Use the G+PS Supervisor Tool to assist you in your investigation. The PhD Supervisor Support form should be submitted directly to the PhD Program by the potential supervisor.

Contact us with questions about the admission requirements or admissions process: [email protected] . You should also review the information on how to apply.

Minimum Academic Requirements

Relevant Work Experience

Master's degrees from Canada or USA

Degree and gpa:.

• A degree academically equivalent to a UBC master’s degree.
• A GPA of B+ or higher, calculated from all coursework taken for the master’s degree.
• Find more information about academically equivalent degrees and GPAs here .

Quantitative Skills:

• A short Quantitative Statement (150 words or less) is required for all applicants. Quantitative Statements should describe past quantitative experience, including, but not limited to: coursework in math, statistics, or research methods; experience with statistical software; and/or research experiences. Further information and example Quantitative Statements can be found here .

English Language Proficiency:

• Applicants do not need to submit an English Language test.

International Master's degrees

• Applicants with international credentials must have academic backgrounds that meet the minimum requirements outlined by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for the country of origin of the credential(s) .
• A GPA of B+ or higher, calculated from all coursework taken as part of the degree.
• Please note that we do not accept transcript evaluations from WES or similar agencies.
• An English Language test is required for all applicants with an undergraduate degree from a university where English is not the primary language of instruction. Please note that it is not sufficient for the program or department to use English as the language of instruction. The institution as a whole must use English as the language of instruction.
• The test must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
• TOEFL minimum – 100 or higher (internet-based exam)
• IELTS minimum –  7.0 or higher and component scores of 6.5 or higher (IELTS Academic Test, IELTS general is not accepted).
• Find more information on acceptable tests here .

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A detailed and up-to-date CV that highlights your academic, research, and professional experience. Please include (if relevant): academic history, publications, conference presentations, awards, fellowships, teaching experience, workshops, volunteer work, or employment. We recommend sharing your CV with your potential supervisor.

Find more resources to assist in preparing your CV from UBC Student Services or G+PS .

Letter of intent (LOI)

A letter of intent that describes your career objectives, your research interests, and how the PhD program will meet your career goals. The LOI should be about 700 words.

Additional instructions and suggestions can be found in our LOI Guide . You can find even more tips on writing your LOI from G+PS .

Three letters of reference

Three reference letters are required for each application. We prefer that two of these references be from former professors, but we will accept professional references if you do not have academic references. Please ask your references highlight your academic skills, research skills, and your ability to excel in an academic environment. This might include:

• Potential to succeed as a doctoral student
• Academic ability and initiative
• Critical thinking and complex problem solving skills
• Ability to interpret and communicate data clearly and effectively
• Demonstrated compassion, professionalism, and integrity

Please ask your referees to provide information on the context in which they’ve known you (e.g., work environment, your role and responsibilities, or the educational/course setting).

For additional information, including information for people writing reference letters, see our Reference Guide.

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Doctoral (PhD)

Our Doctoral (PhD) program is designed to develop the student’s ability for independent research. Students in the PhD program must have a thesis supervisor upon being admitted to the program. Students are expected to study full time, and will normally be required to spend a minimum of two consecutive years of full time study at the University.

The maximum time of completion is 6 years for the phd program, but substantial completion of the phd requirements is expected within three years for students with a master’s degree and within four years for those students who have transferred from the master of applied science (masc) program., in the final step of the phd program students are required to complete a final oral defence. phd students will be required to defend their dissertation and its underlying assumptions, methodology, results and conclusions in a manner consistent with that of the doctoral degree being sought., phd program details, requirements to complete the phd program.

• Minimum of 24 credits of approved courses
• Qualifying Exam recommended at 24 months
• Final oral defense and completion of thesis (EECE 699)

Directed studies courses only count for a maximum of 3 credits towards the PhD degree.

Students in the PhD program must have a thesis supervisor upon being admitted to the program. A supervisory committee, comprised of the student’s supervisor and two additional members, should be established by the end of the first year in the program.

For those who hold a Masters degree or have completed masters-level coursework, appropriate credit (maximum 18 credits) will be given for courses completed. At the start of your PhD program, our program staff will inform you of your course requirements and how many credits can be counted from your previous masters degree. No paperwork or transfer forms are required, as our staff will review your transcripts to determine how many courses will be counted towards your PhD program. In most cases, for students who have completed a Masters degree prior to their PhD program, 6 further credits of coursework are required in your PhD program.

A Qualifying Exam should be taken within 24 months of registration for a PhD program following submission of the thesis proposal. This examination is based on the student’s oral defence of a thesis proposal, which will state the objectives of the proposed research, summarize its significance and its relation to previous work, and outline the methods to be pursued during the course of the research.

A note for Direct to PhD students :

Students entering the PhD program without a previous research-based Masters degree must, during the first two years of study, complete a total of 12 credits with a first class average, of which at least 9 credits must be at the 500-level or above and at least 9 credits must be of first class standing. More information on Direct to PhD requirements can be found here: https://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12,204,340,181

First Month · Meet with supervisor to discuss expectations of both student and supervisor, degree requirements, course selection, policies, research plan and timelines

First Two Terms · Complete required coursework. Must be completed with a passing grade (68%). · Begin research.

Within 12 months of registering · Formation of a Supervisory Committee · Prepare for the Qualifying Examination · Complete the yearly Progress Reports

Within 24 months of registering · Take the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination/Thesis Proposal Defence to be admitted to Ph.D. Candidacy

Following years · Complete yearly Progress Reports · Complete research · Complete thesis within 6 years of initial registration

The Qualifying Exam

A comprehensive examination is a Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requirement for the Ph.D. program. Normally, the examination will be held after the completion of all required course work. The comprehensive examination is in addition to any course examinations and is intended to test the students understanding of the chosen field of study as a whole and the students preparation for the thesis research to follow. A Ph.D. student must satisfy all the course work requirements and pass the comprehensive examination before being admitted to Ph.D. candidacy. In the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the comprehensive examination is in the form of the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination.

Deadline to complete PhD Qualifying Exam:

A student's first-year progress report will be used to confirm that the student is on track towards the PhD Qualifying Examination, which is recommended to be held within 24 months of a student’s program start date. If the student is not able to meet the 24 month deadline, he/she will be asked to submit another progress report requesting and explaining the need for a 3-month extension. Another progress report will be due every 3 months until the qualifying exam. If the qualifying exam has not been held within 24 months after the program start date, the student will prepare a status report for the supervisory committee and the department (Graduate Advisor) with a detailed plan for how to prepare for the examination. Based on the report, the supervisory committee and the graduate advisor will determine further deadlines for the student.

Qualifying Exam Guidelines:

Click here for a quick reference guide to help prepare for the qualifying exam

1. Within 24 months of registering a Ph.D. candidate should take the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination. Prior to the examination being scheduled a Ph.D. proposal has to be approved by the Graduate Advisor.

2. The purpose of the examination is to ascertain whether the proposed topic is suitable for a Ph.D. thesis and whether the candidate is capable of carrying out the work required to successfully complete the Ph.D. degree. Suitability relates largely to the possibility of making original and significant contributions. Capability relates largely to knowledge and understanding of material in the subject area of the proposal as well as areas related to it that affect the proposed research.

3. The examination consists of the presentation of the proposal for the thesis work, followed by questions from the examining committee. The questions are to address both the specific research topic and topics related to the general subject area of the proposal.

4. A two-hour period is scheduled for the examination. The first 25 minutes of which are devoted to the presentation of the proposal. Under no circumstances will the presentation be allowed to exceed 30 minutes.

5. Within 12 months of registering, the candidate should submit a draft copy of the proposal to the Graduate Advisor who will then advise the candidate on the acceptability of the format of the proposal and on the scheduling of the examination.

6. At least one week before the examination, the candidate must give a copy of the proposal to each member of the examining committee.

7. The written proposal should have 3 chapters: Introduction and Overview: in which the background to and motivation for, the proposed topic is succinctly discussed. It is only this chapter that the necessary details of the work of others are to appear. This work must be clearly and properly referenced.

Work Accomplished: In which any original work that the candidate has done on advancing he state-of-knowledge on the proposed topic is described. The candidate is expected to show evidence, commensurate with the period since registering in the Ph.D. program, which demonstrates the viability of the thesis proposal and the plans for future work.

Work Planned: In which the procedures to be implemented in carrying out the remaining and probably major part of the work are outlined. A tentative time schedule for completion is also to be included in this chapter.

8. The written proposal must not exceed 30 pages of normal typescript (12-point font, double-spaced with approximately 26 lines per page and 6.5-inch line length), plus extra pages for the list of references.

9. The examining committee is comprised of the candidate’s supervisory committee (supervisor plus at least two other members), plus Head’s nominee who acts also as the chairperson and is nominated by the Graduate Advisor who is either a full or associate professor. In event that the Graduate Advisor is the supervisor or is on the supervisory committee, the chairperson is to be appointed by the the Department Head.

10. The chairperson ensures that the committee uses good judgement about questions on related topics. She/He does not normally participate in the questioning except to clear up misunderstandings or at the end of the questions by the other members of the committee, to expose possible important weaknesses. The chairperson votes in a riving at the committee decision.

11. The examining committee may make one of the following recommendations: The candidate continue on the Ph.D. program.

The candidate be given a conditional pass.

The candidate be re-examined within 3 months time.

The candidates case be reviewed by an arbitration committee.

The candidate be asked to withdraw from the Ph.D. program but permitted to complete requirements for the M.A.Sc. degree.

The candidate be withdrawn from the University.

12. All recommendations of the examining committee must be submitted in writing to the Graduate Advisor of the Department and be signed by all members of the committee.

13. If the vote of the examining committee is unanimous, the recommendation stands.

14. In the event of recommendation 11B, the pass is subject to satisfactory correction of specified deficiencies of a minor nature. Assessment of these corrections is to be the sole subject of a meeting of the committee and the candidate. The outcome of this assessment cannot be again category 11B.

15. In the event of recommendation 11C, the re-examination is a completely new examination. The outcome of this examination cannot be again category 11C.

16. If the vote of the examining committee is not unanimous, the case will be referred to an arbitration committee. The arbitration committee will consist of all the full professors in the Department and will be chaired by the Graduate Advisor of the Department. The candidate’s supervisor must be present and the proposal must be available during the discussion. The supervisor will not be present during the vote. Where a member of the arbitration committee (full professors) is the candidates supervisor, she/he must withdraw during the vote. The chairperson of the arbitration committee votes but if there is a tie the supervisor’s vote will also be counted.

ECE Department Exam

To obtain department approval of the thesis for submission to the external examiner of the Final Oral Defense

Exam Committee:

The exam committee for the Department exam is typically the same committee as for the PhD Qualifying exam

The committee consists of four members; the supervisory committee (Supervisor/Co-supervisor/Committee member) and the Head's Nominee/Chair, who is either a full or associate professor.

- The Department exam is not public - The Candidate makes a presentation of the dissertation (roughly 30 minutes) - The Examining Committee questions the Candidate - The Examining Committee holds an in-camera discussion - The Head's Nominee conveys the findings of the Examining Committee to the Candidate - The Department Exam usually lasts two hours

The examining committee may make one of the following recommendations: • Pass (includes minor revisions) • Conditional pass: major revisions required and to be approved by the Examining Committee • Not pass: In the case that the decision is “Not pass”, the student and the Supervisory committee meet and discuss how to proceed

How to set up the Department Exam:

Department exams should be scheduled when the student’s thesis/dissertation is ready for final approval by the supervisory committee members for the Final Doctoral Examination at the university level. Generally the department exam is held two months before the Final Doctoral Examination.

The student and supervisory committee are responsible for finding an appropriate Chair for the department exam. If possible, it is recommended that the Chair and supervisory committee be the same as the student’s qualifying exam.

The student and supervisory committee should determine a preferred time/date for the exam to be held. Either the student or supervisor must email [email protected] to request the exam be set up and to book a room. Exams can also be held virtually if the supervisory committee agrees.

Students should refer to the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website for submitting their dissertation in preparation for their Final Doctoral Examination.

Final Doctoral Examination

To ensure the Candidate is able to present and defend the dissertation and its underlying assumptions, methodology, results and conclusions in a manner consistent with the doctoral degree being sought. To communicate the results of the work to the campus community.

The Final Doctoral Examination is set up with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and supervisors can refer to the Final Doctoral Examination Guideline for all information about the examination procedure and set up.

Questions about the PhD program can be directed to our student services staff by emailing [email protected]

Phd admissions, applications for september 2024 admission are now closed applications for january 2025 intake will open may 1st, 2024.

A note for Four Year Fellowship hopefuls: All PhD applicants who complete their September applications for the doctoral program by December 31st will be eligible to be nominated by an ECE faculty member for a Four Year Fellowship that year.

A note for CGSD/Affiliated/GSI award hopefuls: All applications (including references) must be submitted by the deadline posted on https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/canada-graduate-scholarships-doctoral-cgs-d-program

Before applying, we recommend that prospective students explore the general research areas that the ece department is structured around:.

• Micro and Nano Technologies

Prospective applicants can also explore the personal web pages of the faculty members they might be interested in working with. Our faculty listing can be found here .

We recommend that prospective students also consider their financial situation and the costs of living in vancouver during a graduate program. for information on the financial requirements of living in vancouver and studying at ubc, please visit the costs page., questions about phd admissions can be directed to our student services staff by emailing [email protected] . looking for suggestions on how to apply to ubc and how to approach your referees or supervisors click here for some advice, dates and deadlines.

Applications for the September 2024 intake are now closed. Applicants who submitted an application by January 29th will be able to continue to submit references, other application documents, and test scores until February 14th, 2024.

Applications for January 2025 admission will open May 1st, 2024.

Students applying for September admission will be notified of a decision in the Spring. Students applying for January admission will be notified of a decision in late Summer. These rough timelines of results depend on the number and competitiveness of applications being reviewed.

Tuition Costs

For full information on cost of tuition at UBC, please visit UBC Tuition Costs

As Vancouver and UBC can be an expensive place to study, work, and live, we encourage all prospective applicants to consider the financial costs of attending our program at UBC. UBC's graduate student Cost of Living Calculator can be used to help determine if attending UBC is the right decision for prospective students.

Application Requirements

Applicants to the program must have a high scholastic standing and demonstrate an aptitude for research to be admitted.

Applicants to the PhD program must have a course and thesis-based Master's degree and references should include a detailed letter from the Masters thesis supervisor. Applicants who have completed a course-based only Master's program are only eligible for the PhD program through "Direct Entry", which requires a strict set of admission requirements, listed on our admissions page. Applicants who have completed a degree by research only may have to complete a year of additional coursework as part of their PhD program.

Applicants to the PhD program must have a faculty member who is willing to supervise them before they can be admitted. It is not mandatory to find a supervisor before applying, but you are welcome to contact faculty beforehand to inform them of your interest in applying. Please note that all complete applications are made available to all faculty members for review. When you apply, you will be able to indicate your preferred supervisors or research groups you are interested in working with.

In ECE, there are two levels of admission requirements. First, applicants must meet the minimum UBC-wide requirements for admission . Second, applicants must meet the following ECE Department minimum requirements which are mandatory before you will be considered for admission to our graduate programs.

Grade Requirements:

Applicants to our Doctoral program from the US or Canada must have a minimum B+ (3.3 on a 4.0 point scale) average overall in their Master's program. For specific requirements for applicants from other countries, please check the UBC minimum requirements here.

Language Requirements:

Applicants who have recently completed a degree in one of the following countries do not need to submit a language score. Degrees must have been completed within the past 5 years of the date of application to our department in order for this language score requirement to be waived :

Australia, Botswana, Canada, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the English-speaking countries of the West Indies.

Other applicants, including Canadians and Permanent Residents, who have completed their most recent degree in other countries must submit a current, official TOEFL or Academic IELTS score, regardless of the language of instruction.

TOEFL requirements: Total of 100 on the IBT with minimum component scores of 22 (reading, listening) and 21 (writing, speaking); Academic IELTS requirements: Total of 7/9 with a minimum score of 6.0 in each component. The General IELTS test is not acceptable.

Please note, the department may request proof of English proficiency from any candidate where there are concerns that their language skills may interfere with success in the program.

If your TOEFL score is within a few points of the minimum score (eg. 95+ on the iBT) you will not be asked to rewrite the test but your lower score will be pointed out on your evaluation and if a professor decides to accept your application they will have to provide a low-TOEFL rationale. We do not make exceptions for the IELTS score of 7/9. If you have a score of 6.5 we unfortunately will not be able to accept it.

Please note that in some cases there are a few other forms of acceptable language scores that are approved at UBC for submission. Please see the following website for more information: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/english-language-test

Admission through the Direct to PhD Pathway

Admission to the PhD Program with a Previous Course and Thesis-based Master's Degree

Applicants applying should have: - A recognized course and thesis-based Master’s degree which includes graduate level courses and a written thesis - References must include a detailed letter from the thesis supervisor - North American degree holders must have an overall average of B+ (76% at UBC) in your master’s degree program - Non-North American degree holders must review the academic entrance requirements for students from your country at the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. - Applicants who have completed a degree by research only may have to complete a year of additional coursework as part of their Ph.D. program.

Admission to the PhD Program with a Previous Undergraduate Degree

This is also known as a direct entry PhD. In addition to the usual M.A.Sc. requirements, you must have: - A first class standing in your bachelor’s degree and evidence of prior research ability. First class standing is indicated for each nation by UBC G+PS guidelines (80% minimum or equivalent for Canadian institutions). It is understood that such a grade-average is a minimum requirement and depending on the overall applicant profile, higher grades can be expected. - Hard evidence of research experience and ability, by way of previous research internships, for example. Ideally, you should be a co-author on a manuscript or paper accepted in a high visibility, rigorously peer reviewed academic venue, e.g., an internationally recognized journal, or, in certain disciplines (especially computer and software engineering), top tier conferences. - Prospective supervisors of direct entry students must submit a maximum one page explanation of why the student is deemed sufficiently-prepared to be directly admitted to the Ph.D. program.

Admission to the PhD Program with a Previous Course-based Master's Degree

In addition to the usual M.A.Sc. requirements, you must have: - Hard evidence of research experience and ability, by way of previous research internships, for example. Ideally, you should be a co-author on a manuscript or paper accepted in a high visibility, rigorously peer reviewed academic venue, e.g., an internationally recognized journal, or, in certain disciplines (especially computer and software engineering), top tier conferences. - Prospective supervisors of students with a previous course-based masters degree must submit a maximum one page explanation of why the student is deemed sufficiently-prepared to be directly admitted to the Ph.D. program.

Application Documents

Hardcopies of documents are no longer required to apply for our programs. If you are admitted to UBC, further instructions on submitting hardcopies will be sent to you directly. We will require the following when you submit your online PhD application:

Official Transcript from each post-secondary institution you have attended (college, university, etc.): You are required to upload a PDF version of your official transcript that clearly shows your university grading scale. Please note that we do accept current transcripts from degrees that are in progress at the time of application.

• UBC students do not need to provide transcripts to their applications for their UBC degrees, as we already have UBC transcripts on file.
• Please upload a PDF version of your overall GPA calculation if your GPA is not clearly indicated on your official transcript. For Canadian and US universities, GPA is calculated using only upper-level (300, 400, and graduate-level) courses. For international students, GPA is calculated using all grades listed on the transcript.

Curriculum Vitae (CV): Your CV should outline professional employment experience, education, publications, and awards which you feel should be taken into account in considering your application for admission and/or scholarships. Please ensure that you list the titles of research projects / graduation theses. If your thesis or other writing is available online, please consider including links to your work.

UBC-Specific Statement of Purpose: A clearly written (two pages maximum) Statement of Purpose outlining your goals for your program. Specifically, you should detail why you would like to attend UBC to engage in studies leading to a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Please describe your aptitude and motivation for graduate study in your interest area, including your preparation for this field of study, your academic plans or research goals, and your future career goals. Additionally, please indicate whether you have been awarded or have applied for any scholarships for your time in our program, and include amount of funding, duration of funding, etc.

TOEFL or IELTS scores (if required): See above for specific language proficiency requirements. Please note that TOEFL and IELTS scores must be sent in via ETS transfer from the test centres directly. We are unable to accept any other means of TOEFL or IELTS submission.

• For TOEFL submissions, please use the UBC institution code 0965 when sending in your scores to UBC. If asked for a department code, please indicate the Electrical Engineering department.
• Name of institution: The University of British Columbia
• Name of person/department: Graduate School Admissions
• Address: 170-6371 Crescent Road, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z2, Canada

A scan of your Permanent Resident Card (if applicable): If you are a Permanent Resident of Canada, you are required to submit a PDF scan of both sides of your Permanent Residency card or, if you have not yet obtained a card, of your Record of Landing in Canada.

Three Reference Letters: All three reference letters must be submitted by your referees to your application. At least one of your references should detail your academic achievement and how you would perform in a graduate level degree program. Please be sure to contact your referees in advance of your application so that you have their correct contact information. When you apply, you will be asked to provide the following referee information, and an email will be automatically sent to them asking for their reference submission via either our e-reference form or uploading a written letter:

• An official institution email address - please note that we are unable to accept e-mails from Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, MSN or other free e-mail accounts for referees.
• Contact information at his/her institution
• Title or position held

GRE scores are not required: All applicants are welcome to submit a GRE score in support of their application if they wish, but it is not required for a complete application. If you choose to submit a GRE score, please ask GRE to submit their examination report to UBC using the institution code 0965.

How To Apply

Submit Your Application Online through UBC's admission portal

The online application system will ask several ECE-specific questions. Please think about the following questions in advance of beginning your online application:

• Which research area are you interested in?
• For MASc and PhD applicants, which faculty members are you interested in working with?
• Do you require financial support?

• Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
• Graduate School
• Prospective Students
• Graduate Degree Programs

Canadian Immigration Updates

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

Go to programs search

Mathematicians use theoretical and computational methods to solve a wide range of problems from the most abstract to the very applied. UBC's mathematics graduate students work in many branches of pure and applied mathematics. The PhD program trains students to operate as research mathematicians. The focus of the program is on substantial mathematical research leading to the PhD dissertation. Students also develop their skills in presenting and teaching mathematics and its applications.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

UBC has one of the largest and most vigorous departments of mathematics in Canada. Our faculty routinely win national and international awards for their research and teaching achievements. We have an engaged and sociable cohort of graduate students who are essential members of a broad selection of active research groups. Each group holds a variety of seminars and events that allow graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, visitors and faculty to enjoy regular interaction.

UBC is the headquarters for the Pacific Institute of Mathematical Sciences (PIMS). PIMS hosts a plethora of mathematical events such as conferences and summer schools, greatly enriching the scientific environment in the quantitative sciences at UBC. Our mathematics students are also regular participants at the nearby Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery. Finally, our Institute for Applied Mathematics provides options for interdisciplinary studies for PhD students who wish to work in applied and computational mathematics.

I chose UBC because of the reputation of the university and mathematics department, the alignment of my research interests with my advisor’s expertise, and my love for Canada!

Ethan White

Quick Facts

Program enquiries, admission information & requirements, 1) check eligibility, minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 100

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 7.0

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

2) Meet Deadlines

3) prepare application, transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)

Citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial support.

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

All full-time students who begin a UBC-Vancouver PhD Mathematics program in September 2018 or later will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,256 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships.

Average Funding

• 52 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 52 students was $13,784.
• 48 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 48 students was $11,580.
• 3 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 3 students was $1,814.
• 54 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 54 students was $13,279.
• 4 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 4 students was $27,083.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

88 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 1 is in a non-salaried situation; for 19 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 68 graduates:

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample employers outside higher education, sample job titles outside higher education, phd career outcome survey, career options.

A great majority of our PhD graduates move on to postdoctoral fellowships and faculty positions at universities and research institutes in North America and around the world. However, a significant fraction of students move into careers in industry. Students considering non-academic careers are encouraged to complete an industrial internship (for instance through the Mitacs Accelerate program - headquartered at UBC) during their studies.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion rates & times.

• Research Supervisors

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Adem, Alejandro (Cohomology of finite groups, orbifolds, stringy topology, algebra, sporadic simple group, group actions, arithmetic groups, K-theory, homotopy theory, spaces of homomorphisms)
• Angel, Omer (Probability theory, percolation, random graphs, random walks, particle processes, scaling limits)
• Bachmann, Sven (Mathematics and statistics; Mathematical Analysis; quantum phenomena; Mathematical physics; Quantum statistical physics; Topological states of matter)
• Balmforth, Neil (Fluid mechanics, nonlinear dynamics and applied partial differential equations)
• Behrend, Kai (Moduli spaces, Gromov-Witten invariants, string theory, Donaldson-Thomas invariants, Euler characteristics, categorification)
• Bennett, Michael (Number Theory, Diophantine Approximation and Classical Analysis)
• Bryan, Jim (Algebraic and differential geometry; Algebraic geometry, moduli spaces, enumerative invariants related to theoretical physics.)
• Cautis, Sabin (Mathematics and statistics; Geometry)
• Chau, Albert (Differential Geometry and Partial Differential Equations)
• Chen, Jingyi (Algebraic and differential geometry; Differential Geometry, Partial Differential Equations)
• Colliander, James (hamiltonian dynamical systems; partial differential equations; harmonic analysis)
• Coombs, Daniel (Mathematical biology; Cellular immunology; Complex physical systems; Epidemiology (except nutritional and veterinary epidemiology); Cell Signaling and Infectious and Immune Diseases; Cell biophysics; Disease models; Epidemiology; Immune cell signalling; Mathematics)
• Cytrynbaum, Eric (Bacterial cell division, Microtubule and cellular organization, Wave propagation in excitable media)
• Dao Duc, Khanh (Genomics; Mathematical biology; Neurocognitive patterns and neural networks; Agricultural spatial analysis and modelling; combine mathematical,computational and statistical tools to study fundamental biological processes; regulation and determinants of gene expression and translation; Machine Learning for Biological Imaging and Microscopy; Database development and management; Biological and Artificial Neural Networks for geometric representation)
• Doebeli, Michael Walter (Mathematical ecology and evolution, evolution of diversity, adaptive speciation, evolution of cooperation, game theory, experimental evolution in microorganisms)
• Feng, James (Chemical engineering; Mathematics and statistics; Biophysics; Complex fluids; Fluid mechanics; Mathematical biology)
• Fraser, Ailana (Differential Geometry, Geometric Analysis)
• Friedlander, Michael (numerical optimization, numerical linear algebra, scientific computing, Scientific computing)
• Frigaard, Ian (Fluid mechanics (visco-plastic fluids))
• Ghioca, Dragos (Drinfeld modules, isotrivial semiabelian varieties, Lehmer inequality)
• Gordon, Julia Yulia (Representation theory of p-adic groups and motivic integration; Trace Formula and its applications)
• Gustafson, Stephen James (Mathematics and statistics; Mathematical Analysis; Differential Equation; Global and Non-Linear Analysis; Mathematical physics; Nonlinear partial differential equations; Nonlinear waves; Topological solitons)
• Hauert, Christoph (Mathematics and statistics; Modelization and Simulation; Evolution and Phylogenesis; Biological Behavior; dynamical systems; evolution; game theory; social dilemmas; stochastic processes)
• Hermon, Jonathan (probability theory; Markov chains and the cutoff phenomenon; particle systems; percolation)
• Holmes-Cerfon, Miranda (Mathematical modelling and simulation; Computational methods in statistics; Numerical analysis; Thermodynamics and statistical physics)

Doctoral Citations

Sample thesis submissions.

• Classifying space for commutativity and unordered flag manifolds
• Finite-size scaling of a few statistical physics models in high dimensions
• Residual supersingular Iwasawa theory and μ-invariants for Zₚ²-extensions
• Numerical methods for biological flows laden with deformable capsules and solid particles
• The construction of blow-up solutions for some evolution equations
• Topics in discrete analysis
• Inviscid damping phenomena in some fluid models
• Gibbs measures and factor codes in symbolic dynamics
• Deep reinforcement learning agents for industrial control system design
• Structure-preserving numerical schemes for phase field models
• Enumerative geometry problems for Calabi-Yau manifolds with an action
• Tamagawa numbers of symplectic algebraic tori, orbital integrals, and mass formulae for isogeny class of abelian varieties over finite fields

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Science in Mathematics (MSc)

At the UBC Okanagan Campus

Further information, specialization.

Mathematicians use theoretical and computational methods to solve a wide range of problems from the most abstract to the very applied. UBC's mathematics graduate students work in many branches of pure and applied mathematics.

UBC Calendar

Program website, faculty overview, academic unit, program identifier, classification, social media channels, supervisor search.

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

Nicholas Richardson

Having grown up outside of Toronto and completed my undergrad and master's degree at the University of Waterloo, I was ready to change the scenery and go study somewhere else. I joke that is it the farthest I could move without leaving Canada, but more truthfully it was the campus that felt "right...

Gabriel Currier

I quite like the kind of math that people do here, and enjoy working with my supervisors. The campus is also a beautiful place and the graduate student community is pretty laid back and friendly.

Nathan Lawrence

Many factors contributed to my choice of UBC for graduate school. I was attracted to Vancouver’s geographical similarities to Portland in the pacific northwest. Also, I have family in the area. However, most importantly, I was intrigued and inspired by my professors and advisors to take on the...

Experience the colours of Vancouver

Great academic programs, great location: the distinct seasons and mild climate are among the reasons why graduate students choose to study here -- from the autumn leaves to cherry blossoms, witness the many colours Vancouver has to offer.

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PhD Program

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Our Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in English allows you to structure a course of study that aligns with your specific research interests in English language or literature.

The PhD degree requirements in English at UBC Vancouver are based on residency and coursework, the candidacy process, and a dissertation. We expect students to complete the degree within five to six years.

Program Overview

All PhD students are considered full-time and are not eligible to undertake their degree on a part-time basis.

• Students who enter the PhD program having already earned an MA must remain in residence in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver area) for two winter sessions of PhD study (roughly two years).
• Students who have been permitted to transfer via fast-track from the UBC English MA program to the UBC English PhD program require at least one winter session of residence in the Lower Mainland following the transfer.
• Under normal circumstances, the PhD should be completed in five years, although UBC allows up to six years.

For more information about the program completion time, including rules about leaves of absence, registration, and employment status, please consult the graduate handbook.

Students entering the PhD program with first-class MA degrees in English will normally take 15 credits of coursework at the 500 level.

Students transferring from the MA to the PhD or entering the PhD directly from an honours BA will be asked to take a minimum number of credits determined by the Graduate Committee.

All PhD students are required to take the Research Methods course, ENGL 500B. This pass/fail course introduces students to the forms and protocols of PhD research. It counts towards the 15 credits required for admission to candidacy.

PhD programs are individually planned in consultation with the Chair of the Graduate Program.

For detailed information about coursework such as how to take courses at other western universities under the Western Dean's Agreement, how to sign up for a Directed Reading course (ENGL 547), and rules about taking courses outside the English department, please consult the graduate handbook.

Doctoral candidacy process

In addition to coursework in the first year of the program, the candidacy process includes the field list and oral examination, the candidacy paper, and the prospectus.

Graduate students and supervisors should consult the graduate handbook for a convenient year-by-year summary and detailed step-by-step explanation of the candidacy process for PhD students.

Field list and oral examination

In consultation with the Pro tem committee, the student will prepare a general field list of primary and secondary material designed to ensure that they have sufficient knowledge of their field of interest. The Pro tem committee will examine knowledge of this field list in a two-hour oral examination.

Candidacy paper

After the field examination, the student will begin working with the Pro tem committee to develop an individually focused research topic or question that allows the student to conceptualize the thesis.

The student will then write a 20-25 page paper based on this topic.

With the completion of the field examination and qualifying paper, the Pro tem committee is dissolved. Then the student, in consultation with the graduate chair, invites an appropriate faculty member to supervise their prospectus and thesis.

Together, the student and supervisor establish the full committee, which generally consists of the candidate's supervisor and two other Department of English Language and Literatures members.

The thesis prospectus, prepared in consultation with the supervisory committee, is then submitted to the Graduate Committee for approval.

Candidacy review

Students who achieve a minimum of 85% GPA in their courses at UBC and who pass all stages of their candidacy exams will automatically be recommended for advancement to candidacy. For other students, a conference on their progress may be deemed necessary by the graduate chair in consultation with their supervisor.

For detailed information about the field list and oral examination, candidacy paper, prospectus and candidacy review, please consult the graduate handbook.

Second language requirement

All new PhD students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of a second language relevant to their particular area of research. In consultation with the Pro tem supervisor, the graduate chair will determine whether a student has already met the second-language requirement.

Students who have not met the requirement may do so by completing an approved language or literature course (it may be possible to do this as an auditor), or by passing an examination, provided that an examiner acceptable to the department is available.

While only one language is required, students should, of course, consider the scholarly and professional requirements of their chosen area when developing their language skills.

Doctoral progress report

Each May beginning in the student's second year in the doctoral program, both the student and their supervisor will be asked to write a brief report indicating the nature and extent of work completed on the candidacy process or thesis and any circumstances impeding progress on either.

PhD supervision

The student is assigned a Pro tem supervisor from their point of entry into the program.

By the end of the first year, the full Pro tem committee will be in place.

The committee members will guide the student through the qualifying process, beginning in the first year with the field examination. They also serve as academic mentors on all aspects of the program and the department.

The Pro tem committee is dissolved after the candidacy paper is passed. A new thesis supervisory committee is then constituted, which can (but need not) include members of the Pro tem committee. The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies must approve thesis supervisory committee members from outside UBC.

PhD Co-op (Optional)

What is Co-op?

The Arts Co-op Program offers students enriched educational experiences for personal and professional growth. Co-op is a high-impact educational program that allows you to alternate dissertation-writing terms with work terms, during which you gain meaningful paid work experience. We work with a diverse range of community partners and sectors to provide transformative workplace learning for co-op students.

The Arts PhD Co-op Program allows you to explore different career options, while gaining paid, professional work experience, guided training and reflection on career options, and a network of contacts. Some students are able to secure work terms that are relevant to their dissertation research, while others choose to pursue work experience that diversify their expertise and give them range. Students complete three work terms of 4 months each over the two to three years after achieving candidacy.

To read more about previous and current PhD Co-op students’ experiences, please refer to our ‘success stories’ on Jon Newell (English) , Pavlina Pajot (English) , and Henry John (History) , or see the 2019 update on UBC English’s co-op program for PhD students .  Henry John (History) also published a piece in Inside Higher Education about his experience in the program.

Applying to Arts Co-op

The application window for PhD Co-op is open once per year, and usually closes in the first week of October.

You are eligible to apply to the UBC English PhD Co-op Program if you have achieved candidacy (or are expecting to achieve candidacy by the time you begin your co-op term, typically in January of your third year in the PhD program). You also must have two years of PhD study left, in which to schedule three 4-month work terms. You cannot begin work-terms in the Co-op Program without advancing to candidacy first: that is, Co-op students must be ABD (all but dissertation) before their first Co-op work term.

SSHRC-holders and international students are both eligible to apply and go through the same application process.

Quick Links

PhD in Educational Studies

• EdD in Educational Leadership and Policy
• MA in Educational Studies
• MEd : (ALE) Adult Learning and Education
• MEd : (ALGC) Adult Learning and Global Change
• MEd : (CULE) Curriculum and Leadership
• MEd : (EDAL) Educational Administration & Leadership
• MEd : (HIED) Higher Education
• MEd : (SCPE) Society, Culture & Politics in Education
• MEd : Ts’‘Kel Concentration
• Adult Learning and Education Diploma
• ALE Graduate Certificate Program
• HIED Graduate Certificate Program
• ALE Undergraduate Certificate Program
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Graduate admission

• Requirements

The PhD in Educational Studies is a research-oriented doctoral program for students interested in any of the study areas offered in the department.

Students are required to take three doctoral seminars. All other courses in a student’s program are determined in consultation with faculty. Students in the PhD program typically devote two years to coursework, and two to four years to developing and carrying out a research project designed to make an original contribution to knowledge in the study area.

The university allows doctoral students up to six years to complete program requirements. There is no set number of credits required for PhD programs at UBC.

For further facts and figures about the PhD in Educational Studies, please click here .

Admissions Requirements for Graduate Study

All graduate program applicants in the Department of Educational Studies (EDST) must meet the minimum entry requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, which oversees graduate work at UBC. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements will be considered for admission only in exceptional circumstances.

Admission to the PhD program is highly competitive, based on the pool of applicants considered by the Admissions Committee, and subject to university and departmental requirements and departmental capacities for supervision.

More Info: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/graduate-degree-programs/phd-educational-studies

Please note: Applicants with full-funding from scholarships, fellowships, or alike, are still required to complete the PhD application process in the Department of Educational Studies (EDST).  In addition, all applicants will undergo adjudication by the PhD committee to determine admission. To be clear, applicants who bring full-funding with them are not automatically admitted .

General Eligibility

To be eligible for admission to a PhD program at UBC, applicants must hold a master's degree (or equivalent) from an approved institution with clear evidence of research ability or potential; or a bachelor’s degree with one year of study in a master's program with 12 credits of first class average, of which 9 credits must be at the 500-level or above and at least 9 credits must be of first class standing and clear evidence of research ability or potential. (For more detailed admissions requirements, please see the links below).

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies - Minimum Academic Requirements: Canadian or U.S. Credentials http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-canadian-or-us-credentials

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies - Minimum Academic Requirements: International Credentials http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-international-credentials

English Requirements

English Proficiency Test Score: Applicants whose degrees are from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of competency to pursue studies in the English language prior to being extended an offer of admission. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to graduate studies are:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): Minimum score of 600 (paper version), 250 (computer version), 92 with a minimum of 22 in each component (iTB) is required for admission to all programs in Educational Studies. Visit TOEFL’s website
• IELTS (International English Language Testing Service): Minimum overall band score of 6.5 with no other component score less than 6.0.
• MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery): Minimum overall score of 81.

The applicants must have an official report of their score on one of these tests sent directly from the testing service to the Graduate Program Assistant, Department of Educational Studies at the address below by the application deadline. Score reports more than two years old will not be accepted.

More Information: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/english-proficiency-requirements

Most importantly with regard to a PhD application, please note that among other applicable requirements requested by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and by other UBC competent jurisdictions, as part of such an application you must submit:

• A Statement of Intent (800-1200 words) which clearly shows that your research topic/interest fits within the department in terms of prospective supervisors and areas of interest. Such a statement should also articulate the general research directions you would like to pursue during your program, if admitted. This statement should be 800-1200 words.
• A sample of your writing and engagement with research  (maximum 5,000 words without references). The intent is to demonstrate your ability to communicate your ideas and your interests in a clear way. Writing samples typically take the form of an excerpt from a chapter from a masters thesis, a published article, or a substantial scholarly paper
• Entries on your transcript showing evidence of having taken courses on research methods (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, ethnographic or philosophical) and research more generally at the Masters level.

Also, while this is not a requirement, it is very important for you to contact at least one faculty member who could be a potential supervisor of your work (has expertise and interest in the area and/or topic you want to focus on) and inquire whether they would be willing to supervise your work ( see list of faculty and areas of expertise at: https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/faculty-staff/faculty ). Even if they do not commit to supervising your work, you could list such a faculty member (one or even two is acceptable) as a potential supervisor when you apply (which would provide further proof of your suitability for the PhD and familiarity with the programmes and areas of expertise of faculty).

In May 2017 the UBC-V Senate approved the establishment of a university-wide minimum funding level for all PhD students. Specifically, all full-time students who begin a UBC-Vancouver PhD program in September 2018 or later will be provided with a minimum funding package equal to $18,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships.

For more information, see:

https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/minimum-funding-policy-phd-students

Doctoral students are also expected to apply for and obtain  funding. Our faculty are very supportive in this regard, and are able to help their supervised students build their applications, as well as supporting them by writing letters of appraisal.

If you do not live in Vancouver at present, you may want to consider the cost of living in Vancouver, and obtain further information from the website of the Faculty of Graduate Studies ( http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students ).

Program Requirements

Program Worksheets are available here: https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/resources/policies/

Doctoral Seminar and Colloquium

There are three required courses in the PhD program.

The first doctoral seminar (EDST 601A) is designed to help beginning students become familiar with the department, policies and procedures related to doctoral studies, and for an examination of critical theoretical traditions and conceptual problems in the social sciences as applied to education.

The second doctoral seminar (EDST 601B) exposes students to positivist, interpretive, historical, and philosophical methods, and a deep understanding of current methodological issues and debates.

The third doctoral seminar (EDST 602) explores what it means to engage in a doctoral experience with particular focus on scholarly writing, preparing for comprehensive exams, and thesis proposals.

Coursework in Specialization

Students in the PhD program are expected to take courses in their specialization so that they are familiar with current theory and research. Courses are selected in consultation with an adviser or program advisory committee.

Courses in the student’s specialization should be completed in the first year of the program.

Other Coursework

PhD students typically take additional courses to give them the breadth and depth of understanding of contemporary educational theories. Doctoral study is oriented toward the thesis research, but relevant coursework beyond the student’s specialization is recommended.

Research Methods

PhD students are expected to be familiar with the various methods used in contemporary educational research and to master the particular methods relative to their research. Developing proficiency in research methods normally requires enrolling in available courses and reading widely in the research methods literature. Before research proposals are approved, students are expected to demonstrate that they have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully carry out their research plan.

Comprehensive Examination

All students in the PhD program are required to successfully complete a comprehensive examination after their coursework and before they present their research proposal. The examination is prepared by the student’s program adviser or research supervisory committee. Details about the mechanics of the examination and the options in format of the examination can be obtained from advisers or the department’s Graduate Program Assistant.

The PhD thesis is an original piece of research in the student’s area of specialization. Students develop research proposals which must be approved by a research supervisory committee of a supervisor and at least two other committee members. Research supervisory committees provide direction to the student, read and critique drafts of the thesis, and participate in the final oral examination.

PhD Residency

There is no residency requirement per se, but PhD students are expected to make steady progress through their coursework, comprehensive exams and thesis research. Current policies require PhD students to achieve candidacy by the end of their third year of study. Achieving candidacy involves completing all coursework, passing the comprehensive exam and having an approved research proposal.

Apply Online: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online/

Admission to the PhD program is on a competitive basis, within the broader context of the pool of applicants considered by the Committee, subject to university and departmental requirements and to departmental capacities for supervision.

Applications should be submitted online at  www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online . All of the following components of an application must be received by the department’s Graduate Program Assistant before the file can be reviewed by the appropriate admissions committee. Without complete documentation, the application review process cannot begin.

a. Online UBC application form . When you submit an online application at  www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online , the completed form is automatically forwarded to the Department's Graduate Program Assistant. A non-refundable processing fee payable is to UBC: see the cover of the official UBC application form for the exact amount.

b. Upload digital copies (.pdfs) of official transcripts.  See Digital Copies of Official Transcripts tab for details

c. Three references –  The purpose of the references is to provide a comprehensive portrayal of your relevant background and capacity to complete the PhD. Letters of reference should speak to your ability to pursue research and produce scholarly writing at the doctoral level. Suitable referees include professors, supervisors, principals, or other persons to whom you are, or have been, accountable academically in employment or as a volunteer. Academic references are preferred. If the original letter is in another language, the letter must be accompanied by a certified English translation. There are three possible formats for references:

• Electronic references : In the online application system, applicants are asked to provide an email address for each referee. Once the online application has been submitted, a unique link will be emailed to each referee, allowing her or him to log in to a secure site and submit an online reference or upload a reference document as an attachment.
• Letters of reference (hard copy or email attachment) : Your referee may wish to send a paper letter. Paper letters of reference should be on referee’s official letterhead and must be mailed directly by the referee to the Graduate Program Assistant (see address below) in a sealed and endorsed envelope, or as a .pdf email attachment.
• Reference forms (hard copy or email attachment) : UBC provides a  general reference form . Your referee may fill out this form and mail it directly to the relevant program in a sealed and endorsed envelope, or send it as a .pdf email attachment.
• All references must be sent by referees directly. Reference letters or forms submitted by the applicant will not be accepted .
• The application system and department are unable to accept referee emails from Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, MSN or other free email accounts.
• By “sealed, endorsed envelope” we mean that the envelope needs to be sealed and that the signature of the referee be placed over the seal (i.e., partially on the flap and partially on the rest of the envelope).

Note: It is advisable to contact referees and inform them of the Admissions deadline early in your process.

d. Statement of intent.  You need to describe your specific interests in pursuing a PhD and precisely why you are applying to the Department of Educational Studies and to the program or concentration you have selected (800-1200 words). This statement should highlight the following:

• Your engagement with graduate research , which clearly shows that your research topic/interest fits within the department in terms of prospective supervisors and areas of interest.
• The general research directions you would like to pursue during your program, if admitted.
• Name(s) of faculty member(s) with whom you have been in contact and/or who you identify as being suitable as research supervisor

e. Writing Sample (maximum 5,000 words without references)

• The intent is to demonstrate your engagement with research and your ability to communicate your ideas and your interests in a clear way. Writing samples typically take the form of an excerpt from a chapter from a masters thesis, a published article, or a substantial scholarly paper.

f. Curriculum Vitae / Resume

Please provide a CV as evidence of your potential to succeed in EDST at the graduate level.

After submitting your application, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all supporting materials are submitted by the application deadline. The Admissions Committee will only review completed applications. You can check the status of your application and supporting materials through the online application system .

Applicants from outside Canada should be aware of additional requirements that may apply. Please read the following to determine which of these requirements may apply to you.

International Credentials Equivalency

Please see the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-international-credentials

International Transcripts and Translation Requirements

See International Transcripts and Translation Requirements tab for details

Entering Canada

To enter Canada, a “Student Authorization” (Student Visa) is required. Apply as soon as possible to the nearest Canadian Consular or Immigration Office since it may take 8–10 weeks for processing. For applicants applying from the People’s Republic of China it may take 3–6 months. Applying for a Student Authorization requires a UBC letter of admission/acceptance; a valid passport; and evidence of adequate funds for tuition, maintenance of the student and, if married, the student’s spouse and children, plus travel funds to and from Canada. Please consult the Immigration Canada website:  http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp .

If the application for a visa is approved, the UBC letter of admission/acceptance will be returned to the student and must be retained for presentation to the Immigration Officer at the Canadian point of entry.

Canadian Transcripts

UBC has changed its application document requirements.

If you are applying to begin study in 2016 or beyond, you will normally scan and upload digital copies (.pdfs) of official required documents in the application system. These are considered "unofficial documents". These uploaded copies of your official documents will be used for initial evaluation of the applicant.

Conditional admission offers may be made based on documents uploaded to the application system. However, admission offers will not be finalized and applicants will not be allowed to register in a graduate program until one set of all required official academic records are received and validated by the University.

UPLOADING UNOFFICIAL COPIES OF TRANSCRIPTS IN THE APPLICATION SYSTEM

Applicants with Canadian transcripts (other than UBC) must obtain an official paper transcript for every post-secondary institution they have attended.  UBC transcripts are not required.

Each transcript should be scanned as an individual .pdf file and then uploaded to the application system as indicated. They should be named: "Applicant Full Name-Document Description.extension"

Kelly Smith-University of Waterloo Transcript.pdf Kelly Smith-CV.pdf Kelly Smith-Journal of Neurosciences Paper.pdf

Transcripts must be scanned front and back. All pages of one transcript, front and back, should be uploaded as a single file (rather than a separate file for each page).

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

To be considered official, academic records must either be received in official university envelopes, sealed and endorsed by the issuing institution, or be sent via secure electronic delivery by the issuing institution.

If you have been offered admission conditional upon receipt of official documentation, you must provide UBC with one set of official transcripts for every postsecondary institution you have attended for the equivalent of one year or more of full-time study. UBC reserves the right to also require any individual applicant to provide official transcripts for study of less than one year duration. Do not send official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission unless you have received special instructions from the graduate program to which you have applied.

Documents being provided to meet conditions of admission should be sent directly to:

Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies University of British Columbia 6371 Crescent Rd Vancouver, BC CANADA  V6T 1Z2

CURRENT AND FORMER UBC STUDENTS

You do not need to submit UBC transcripts as part of your graduate application, as this data is already available through the student database system. However, be aware that you are still responsible for submitting transcripts from all other post-secondary institutions that you have attended (e.g., exchange year, transfer year, etc.).

International Transcripts and Translations

UPLOADING UNOFFICIAL COPIES OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS IN THE APPLICATION SYSTEM

Applicants with transcripts from non-Canadian post-secondary institutions must obtain an official paper transcript for every post-secondary institution they have attended.

Each transcripts should be scanned as an individual .pdf file and then uploaded to the application system as indicated. Otherwise, they should be named: "Applicant Full Name-Document Description.extension"

Peng Zhang-Peking University Transcript.pdf Peng Zhang-Peking University Transcript English Translation.pdf Peng Zhang-CV.pdf Peng Zhang-Journal of Neurosciences Paper.pdf

If you have transcripts that are issued in a language other than English, then in addition to uploading digital copies of the documents in their original language, you must also upload a certified literal English translation of your transcripts from your home university's translation service or certified English translator.

Please consult the document scanning and uploading instructions provided within the online application for detailed instructions.

OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

After being offered admission: If you have been offered admission conditional upon receipt of official documentation, you must provide UBC with one set of official transcripts for every postsecondary institution you have attended for the equivalent of one year or more of full-time study. UBC reserves the right to also require any individual applicant to provide official transcripts for study of less than one year duration.

If an official transcript does not indicate the degree name and the degree conferral date, then an official copy of the degree certificate must also be submitted

If your university issues only one original copy of transcripts/degree certificates:

Make photocopies of your original academic records and send them to your home university. Ask your home university to:

• verify that the photocopies are consistent with their records.
• attest that the copies are true photocopies and stamp them with an official university stamp.
• put the attested, stamped photocopies in sealed envelopes endorsed by the Registrar.
• mail the sealed, endorsed envelopes directly to Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

If your transcripts are issued in a language other than English:

• arrange to have a set of all official transcripts issued in their original language.
• obtain a certified literal English translation of your transcripts from your home university's translation service.
• send both the original transcripts and the literal English translation to UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

If your home university does not provide English translations of transcripts:

• make a photocopy of your copy of your transcripts. Do not open a sealed, endorsed envelope containing transcripts intended for submission to your program.
• take the copy to a certified English translator and ask them to provide a complete, word-by-word, literal English translation.
• tell the translator to put both the original language photocopy and the English translation into a sealed envelope, and endorse the envelope by signing across the seal.
• send the sealed, endorsed envelopes from the translator to UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.
• send your original transcripts in the original language to UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

Note: Academic records must be translated in their entirety, including any information that appears on the reverse side of any document.

UBC does not accept the following:

• photocopies that have not been stamped, attested and endorsed by the Registrar at your home university
• documents in envelopes that have been opened
• documents that do not arrive in sealed envelopes endorsed by the issuing institution or certified translator
• documents that arrive without the official seal of the university
• photocopies notarized by a notary public
• photocopies endorsed by a lawyer, professor, judge etc.
• unofficial translations
• non-literal translations

Do not send academic records that are not in sealed and endorsed envelopes. It will only delay the processing of your application.

Documents being provided to meet conditions of admission  should be sent directly to:

Tuition for PhD and EdD Programs

Tuition fees for PhD and EdD Programs are found on the UBC Calendar  website .

Note that fees are subject to change by the University.

Deadlines for applications

Deadlines for the EDST PhD program can be found on the EDST website .

Quick links:

Graduate Program Assistant Email:  [email protected] Tel: 604.822.6647

Department of Educational Studies Faculty of Education The University of British Columbia 6445 University Boulevard, V6T1Z2

Dr. P   Taylor   Webb , PhD Management Chair Email: [email protected] Tel: 604–822–6381

Meet our Alumni

• BA Philosophy Program
• Philosophy Essay Clinic
• Opportunities
• Master’s Program
• PhD Program
• Philosophy Placement Program
• Job Opportunities

Admission into the Department of Philosophy’s graduate programs (both the MA and the PhD) is based on a variety of criteria, including a strong undergraduate record, letters of recommendation, a well-planned research statement, and the department’s ability to provide instruction in the applicant’s area of interest.

Please keep in mind that successful applicants typically have qualifications higher than the minimum listed. The process is very competitive and each year we receive many more applications than we can accept. All successful applicants will be notified by the end of March.

Important Deadline

Admission to the master’s program.

• Hold a Bachelor's degree from a recognized university with a minimum average of 76% (3.3 GPA) in third- and fourth-year level courses.
• A degree in philosophy is not required; however, applicants are expected to also have EITHER :
• A) Honours in philosophy with an 80 - 84% (3.7 GPA) in at least 12 credits of third- and fourth-year philosophy courses,  OR
• Three credits in formal logic,
• Six upper-level credits in the history of philosophy,
• Three upper-level credits in ethics or value theory, and
• Six upper-level credits in metaphysics, epistemology, or the philosophy of science.

Please note that these requirements must be met by the time you commence your program in September. You are welcome to apply if you expect to meet the requirements by September.

Admission to the Doctoral Program

Admission to the doctoral program in philosophy is based on one of the following:

• 3 credits in formal logic
• 6 credits at the upper level in the history of philosophy
• 3 credits at the upper level in ethics or value theory
• 6 credits at the upper level in metaphysics, epistemology, or philosophy of science
• at least 6 additional credits at the upper level in any of the above or related areas.
• B) A master’s degree (or equivalent) in philosophy with clear evidence of research ability,
• C) A successful first year in a philosophy master’s program, consisting of 18 credits, including 10 credits at the 500-level or above and 10 credits with an A- or 3.7 GPA, and with clear evidence of research ability.

Priority will be given to Canadian PhD applicants who have applied for a SSHRC dissertation fellowship.

Further minimum requirements for students from outside North America can be looked up on the Faculty of Graduate Studies web site .

Application Checklist

All those interested in either the Philosophy MA or the PhD program must submit an online application with the appropriate supporting documents to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Each application must include all of the following:

• Online application form
• All post-secondary transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation
• Writing sample

All supporting documents are now uploaded as electronic files to the online application. Please note that official hard-copy transcripts are only required for verification when applicants are offered admission.

The following supporting documents are required for all applications:

• Transcripts: Submit transcripts from all universities and colleges that you have attended, including universities from which no degree was received.
• Letters of recommendations: Three letters of recommendation from three professors who have taught you, where at least two should be professors of philosophy. Reference letters may indicate whether the referee considers the student deserving of financial assistance. The online application system will automatically send a reference request to those listed in the application. Referees will have the option to fill out an online reference form, upload a reference letter, or mail a hard-copy letter. We prefer to receive references electronically.
• Sample of writing: Upload a recent paper (15 - 20 pages) that gives an indication of your ability to criticize, analyze or develop philosophical arguments, preferably in the area in which you wish to specialize.
• Evidence of English language proficiency: Evidence of English language proficiency is required for applicants from a university outside of Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction. Tests must have been taken within the last two years at the time of your application submission.

Foreign Student Language Requirement

The Department of Philosophy welcomes applications from outstanding graduates from universities around the world. Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of competency in their application.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): Applicants must obtain a minimum score of 100 on the internet version, 600 on the paper version and 250 on the computer version. Please send results using the following details:

• Institution code: 0965
• Departmental code: 20

IELTS (International English Language Testing Service): Applicants must obtain a minimum overall band score of 7.0 and no less than 6.5 on any other component.

Admissions FAQs

The deadline for all applications and ancillary documents is January 5th. After the deadline has passed the online application system closes and we no longer accept any applications – no exceptions.

Aim for about 15-20 pages. A short, recent paper that gives an indication of your ability to criticize, analyze or develop philosophical arguments, preferably in the area in which you wish to specialize.

No. As with other disciplines, graduate work in philosophy builds on extensive undergraduate preparation, and independent reading does not provide sufficient training. Skills in other disciplines may be helpful, but alone are not adequate evidence of philosophical ability. Students with a degree in another subject may be considered for MA admission, with evidence of strong performance in undergraduate philosophy coursework.

No. There is no pre-selection process. Admissions are competitive, and decided by a committee following independent review of files by members of the graduate faculty. Admissions decisions cannot be pre-judged.

Yes. You will be asked to scan official transcripts and upload them to your application. If you are offered admission, you will be required to mail original transcripts in sealed envelopes from your university to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at UBC, as a condition of your admission. If we do not receive your transcripts before the start of your first term, you may not be allowed to register for classes. More instructions about where to mail transcripts will be sent with your offer letter.

Please do not send paper transcripts through the mail until an offer of admission has been made.

The Department of Philosophy and Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies requires transcripts from all post-secondary institutions, even if there are no grades on the transcript and even if you did not complete your coursework.

Your referee must submit an electronic reference letter through the online system. In the online application system, applicants are asked to provide an email address for each referee. A unique link will be emailed to each referee, allowing them to log in to a secure site and upload a reference document as an attachment. Email addresses must be official, institutional addresses, not addresses from free email providers such as gmail or hotmail. Do not send references by Interfolio. Your referees need to use our e-reference tool which is part of the online application.

Domestic applicants: $102 CAD; International students: $168.25 CAD.

Application fees are based on your citizenship at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of Canadian citizenship, and must provide proof of Permanent Residency.

As per the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the application fee is waived only in the following circumstances:

• For international applicants whose citizenship and correspondence address is located in one of the world’s 50 least developed countries, as declared by the United Nations. These countries include but are not limited to Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal, and Uganda. Complete list of eligible countries.
• Students applying to graduate programs in the Department of Chemistry. The fee is paid for by the department.
• Seniors: BC residents who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents aged 65 years or over at the time of application.

If you are eligible for an application fee waiver, you do not need to apply for it. You will not be asked for a fee when you complete the online application.

No. The application fee pays for the evaluation of your application, and is not refundable. The Faculty of Graduate Studies can only refund the application fee when a program applied for has been cancelled.

As per the Faculty of Graduate Studies, if you do not have access to a credit card but do have Interac with Scotiabank, Royal Bank, or TD Canada Trust you may still apply and pay on-line.

If you do not have access to a credit card nor Interac with any of the above institutions, then:

• Contact the program(s) to which you intend to apply and let them know you will not be submitting your application online.
• Using the online application form, complete all fields, print and sign the application form
• Mail the printed application with a bank draft for the correct application fee to the Faculty of Graduate Studies (170-6371 Crescent Road, Vancouver BC, V6T 1Z2).

The application fee may be paid in Canadian dollars by cheque, money order or bank draft, payable to “The Faculty of Graduate Studies”.

Please note that International application fees must be paid in Canadian dollars by money order or bank draft, as cheques may not be compatible with Canadian banks. The money order or bank draft must be made payable to “The Faculty of Graduate Studies”.

All applicants are automatically considered for funding, and international applicants are considered on an equal basis with Canadian applicants. Canadian applicants can apply for SSHRC funding through their undergraduate or graduate institution.

No. We do not require GRE test scores.

The general UBC policy is that previous courses that have already been applied to a degree may not be applied towards a new UBC degree. If you have taken courses in the past but withdrew from the program, then those courses may (up to a certain limit) be transferred and applied towards a UBC degree.

No, the statement of research interests/intent is a question on the online application. It's a short statement of approximately 400 (MA) or 600 (PhD) words. We realize that applicants typically have multiple research interests and may change their interests upon starting the program. A statement of research interests is still a very useful part of the application and is carefully read during the evaluation of applications.

If you have at least one degree from an institution where the language of instruction is English, we do not require an English proficiency score.

• BA History Program
• Opportunities
• Undergraduate Advising
• Writing Centre
• Master’s Program

PhD Program

• Academic Community

PhD Co-op (Optional)

• TA Opportunities
• TA Resource Page
• Research Clusters
• Published Books and Monographs
• Recently Published Articles
• Former Members
• Job Opportunities

The PhD program in the Department of History is designed to take five years to complete. It requires full-time academic residency until the attainment of candidacy.

PhD Program Overview

Students in the PhD program complete their coursework in their first year; take their comprehensive exams, defend their prospectus, and advance to candidacy in their second year; spend a year and a half doing dissertation research; and a year and a half writing the dissertation.  Students should create a personal program completion timeline in conjunction with their supervisor during Term 1 of Year 1 of their program.  Students who require more than six years to complete their program can apply for and receive an extension through the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Admission to the PhD program is on a full-time basis only.  Most PhD students enter the program with a completed MA degree.

Applicants and candidates for the PhD program should also review the general requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies ( www.grad.ubc.ca ) regarding residency, coursework, examinations, and dissertation preparation and submission.

Program Requirements – PhD Degree:

PhD students must complete  three courses.  Two of these courses are mandatory: “Professional Development for Historians” (HIST525) and “The Doctoral Research Seminar” (HIST699).  Students choose their third course in consultation with their supervisor. Note that students who have not previously taken a graduate-level historiography course must choose Historiography (HIST 548) for this third course.

Graduate courses for PhD students:

Course 1 (3 credits) : HIST 525 - Professional Development For Historians: This is a mandatory course taken in Year 1 of the PhD program . This course introduces students to professional skills and options for historians in both academic and non-academic careers.

Course 2 (3 credits): HIST699 -  The Doctoral Research Seminar: This is a mandatory course taken in Year 1 of the PhD Program .  The course guides students through the process of doing research for and drafting their dissertation prospectus.

Course 3 (3 credits): Choose from options below: Students should take this course in Term 1 of Year 1.  However, where appropriate and in consultation with their supervisor, they may choose to take it as late as Term 1 of Year 2. For their third course, students choose ONE of the following:

• HIST 548D - Historiography (3 credits) Students who have not previously taken a graduate-level historiography course must choose HIST 548D: Historiography.  This course is offered annually only in Term 1.
• Area and Thematic course (3 credits) The History Department's readings courses introduce students to the main historiographical problems and secondary literature in their fields of specialization. Readings and topics courses require written work (approximately 3,000-4,000 words per course) from students as evidence of their growing mastery of secondary literature.
• Graduate course offered outside of the History Department (3 credits) With permission of the Graduate Advisor, students may take 3 credits of graduate coursework from outside the History Department. Language courses may not be substituted for graduate readings courses.  Please consult your supervisor for possible graduate courses offered outside of the History Department.  (Examples of non-history graduate seminars represent 500+ level courses from the STS department, Asian Studies, FNIS, etc.)
• HIST 547D - Directed Studies Course (3 credits) This course (HIST 547D) represents a one-on-one or small group directed readings course with a professor.  When a professor (usually the supervisor) agrees to do a directed readings course with a student, the professor must contact the graduate programme assistant to set up the course and register the student into the course.
• Graduate course through the Western Dean's Agreement (3 credits) Students at participating Universities in Western Canada can attend partner institutions as visiting students without having to pay the host university's tuition fees through the  Western Dean's Agreement  (WDA). As per the UBC Academic Calendar , courses taken by PhD students under the Western Deans' Agreement will not be credited to their degree programs.  If a PhD student wishes to take a graduate course through the WDA, they must also get approval from the graduate advisor for an exemption to the PhD Course requirements.

1b. Graduate Course Schedule & Course Planning Guide

Updated: May 26, 2023

Link to Document: Graduate Course Schedule Link to Document:  Graduate Course Planning Guide

2. Language requiremen t

Before receiving the PhD degree, candidates must demonstrate an adequate knowledge of a language other than English. The language exam typically takes the form of a written test of reading ability, although under certain circumstances, oral proficiency can satisfy this requirement.

Students who require a foreign language (or languages) for their dissertation research must take the language exam in that language. In cases where the dissertation research involves only English-language sources, students may take the exam in the language of their choice.

For students who will be examined on their reading ability, the department holds a language exam twice a year (usually in November and April) in which candidates must successfully translate a passage from the language they have chosen into English, with the aid of a dictionary, but without the assistance of online translation tools.

The exam is a one page translation of text testing for reading ability of the target language. The grading scale represents:

• First class: student demonstrates professional level translation in target language.
• Pass: student demonstrates reading ability in target language
• Fail: student does not demonstrate reading ability in target language.

Requesting an Exemption to the Language Requirement/Exam:

Exemption from the language exam may be granted under certain circumstances, on a case by case basis, by submitting a written request to the History graduate advisor:

• Several departments at the university offer courses to help students acquire a reading knowledge of a foreign language, such as French, German, or Russian. Students who have successfully completed such a course at the third-year level or above, with at least a B (72%) average, can apply for exemption from the History Department’s translation exam by submitting evidence of completion of the course to the History graduate advisor.
• Students whose projects rely on oral sources in a language other than English can make a request to be exempted from the language exam and to instead satisfy the language requirement with their demonstrated oral proficiency in the relevant research language.  In such cases, the graduate advisor will consult with the student’s supervisor to confirm their ability and determine whether this requirement has been met.
• For all other circumstances, please contact the History graduate advisor in writing.  Exemptions may be granted on a case by case basis.

3a. Comprehensive Examinations

PhD students are required to complete written and oral comprehensive examinations in two major fields.  One field is geographically defined; the other is thematic .  Examination fields and the composition of the examination committee are determined through consultation involving the student, research supervisor, and Graduate Advisor. The major fields that will be examined are determined by the student’s research and the department’s research clusters.

The PhD Field Examination Committee is comprised of four field examiners. One of the four examiners is the research supervisor.  Regular meetings should be held with all four of the examining professors. Discussion of the types of questions likely to comprise the exam is also highly recommended.  Professors and students should agree on the number of questions and amount of choice well in advance of the exam. The standard is two questions answered per field (a total of 10,000 words for both fields) from a list of questions any of which might be asked during the oral part of the examination.

Students must complete all of their coursework requirements before sitting their comprehensive examinations.  Students are expected to complete their comprehensive examinations within fifteen months of the date of initial registration.

In order to advance to candidacy, students must successfully pass the written and oral comprehensive exams, and then defend their dissertation prospectus within the subsequent four months.  A student who has not advanced to candidacy within 36 months from date of initial registration must withdraw from the program.  Extension of this period may be permitted by the Dean of Graduate Studies in exceptional circumstances.

Preparation for Comprehensive Exams

Students should have working reading lists in hand for their two fields by the end of Term 1 of Year 1.  They begin studying for comprehensive exams at the beginning of Term 2 of Year 1.

As an approximate guide to the preparation expected, students generally read the equivalent of 75 books (with 3 or 4 articles counting as the equivalent of a book) for each field.  Examiners in each field provide the candidate in advance with titles comprising 70-80% of the bibliography. Students themselves identify titles to comprise the remaining 20-30% of the list.

Form of the examination

• Written Examinations.  The examinations test the candidate's mastery of the factual knowledge, central historiographical issues, and theoretical concepts of the field.  Doctoral students are required to complete two written take-home examinations, one in each field, over a two-week period.  Students have a week to write for each field and may choose which field they do first. The comprehensive exams should total no more than 10,000 words.
• Oral Examination.  In the week following the written examinations, candidates take an oral examination, to be based mainly on the candidate's written field examinations.  All of the questions posed in the written examinations are open to oral questioning.  Other questions relevant to the field reading lists also may be expected.  The oral examination is normally three hours in duration.  The written and oral examinations in each field will receive one grade (pass/fail).  A student who fails either major field must repeat the written and oral examinations in all fields.  No substitution of fields at re-examination will be permitted.  A student will be allowed to re-sit comprehensives only once, and will be required to withdraw from the PhD program upon a second failure in one or more fields. Comprehensive doctoral examinations should be held between October and December of the second year.

3b. Comprehensive Exam Checklist

Comprehensive Exam Checklist

• Assemble your committee (Term 1, Year 1) 1a. Major Field in ___________   Professor___________; Professor_________________ 1b. Major field in ___________    Professor___________; Professor_________________
• Communicate this list to the Grad Advisor for final approval, and the Graduate Programme Assistant ( [email protected] ), who will notify the graduate committee member in charge of exams  to find a chair for your oral exam.
• Finalize reading list. Send an electronic copy of the reading list to Graduate Programme Assistant ( [email protected] ) along with a copy of email approval from the professors involved. Alternatively, a hard copy signed  by you and the professors involved. (The final list can be submitted just prior to the commencement of the examination.)
• Organize the comprehensive exam date.  The comprehensive exam involves three academic weeks.  The first two weeks represent written exams for each field. The Oral exam will be held in the third week.  Set a date  and time (3 hour block) with your committee members and communicate the date and time to the Graduate Programme Assistant ( [email protected] ).

Upon receiving the confirmed "date and time", the Graduate Programme Assistant will:

• Arrange a Room,
• Alert the Member of the graduate committee responsible for exams, who will find a chair for your oral exam,
• Send out a formal written schedule with a request to the committee members to submit their written comprehensive exam questions, and;
• Update the schedule once the graduate committee member has confirmed a chair.

For reference, the Graduate Programme Assistant will be invigilating the written exams.

Note on Remote Setup for Virtual Meetings: The supervisor is responsible is responsible for setting up a skype (or zoom) virtual meetings for comprehensive and prospectus examinations .

Important Note about Scheduling: The oral comprehensive examination date should be set with a minimum of 5-6 weeks in advance in order to allow enough time to find a chairperson.   For Oral examination dates set with less than 5 weeks’ notice, the graduate committee member in charge of comprehensive and prospectus exams may require the supervisor to find a chairperson.

4a. Dissertation Prospectus Examination

When a student has completed all coursework and the comprehensive examinations, the candidate and Graduate Advisor establish a Dissertation Committee.  This Committee is composed of  a minimum of three faculty members  including the Dissertation Supervisor and is presided over by the Dissertation Supervisor.

Candidates are required to present a dissertation prospectus for approval by the Dissertation Committee.  As a guideline, the dissertation prospectus is usually presented between one month to  no later than four months after completion of the PhD comprehensive examinations.   The examination of the dissertation prospectus can occur as early as Term 1, Year 2 and typically, no later than the end of Term 2, Year 2.

Candidates should first present to the Dissertation Supervisor a 10-12 page prospectus indicating the nature of the problem the candidate plans to investigate, the body of literature relevant to the problem and the candidate's expected contribution to that literature, the specific research methods and plans to be followed in the study, the availability and accessibility of the relevant materials including specific archival collections and other sources, and a tentative schedule for research and writing. After consultation with the Dissertation Supervisor, the prospectus must be presented to the Dissertation Committee and discussed at the prospectus examination.  If one of the Dissertation Committee members cannot attend the prospectus examination, another faculty member will join the committee for this purpose.

Additional Resources:

What is a Prospectus? ( February 2013 )

by Chris Laursen, PhD (Alumni)

• Just get to the heart of what you want to do with your dissertation in the prospectus.  You may not feel anywhere near ready to create a prospectus, and that's okay!  You have to start somewhere.  What you write will be critiqued.  You can't escape that, and it's fine because it's part of being a scholar.  Whatever advice you are given, remember that you will end up moving in better directions in your dissertation research and writing as a result of it.  Make the prospectus a fun exercise, one in which you use your imagination and creative thinking, as well as showing that you have something to contribute to historical studies and can defend your preliminary arguments (which will become stronger as you get into the real work of your dissertation).  Start by asking yourself, "What is my dream dissertation?"  With that, get the essential bits in there: a strong thesis, proposed chapter outline, and showing how it makes a contribution to the study of history (through a historiographical section).
• Once you've explained how you're making a contribution, put all of those scholars you've read aside, go back to what you've outlined, and think for yourself.  Unless your committee indicates they expect application of an existing theoretical model based on your study, I would advise being more concerned about focusing on how you are going to approach your topic.  Myself, I felt an invisible pressure after taking so many courses that focused on so many theoretical or philosophical models.  I assumed that I was expected to think about my dissertation through the lens of at least a few of these existing models.  Unless you're absolutely passionate about applying one of these models (which, honestly, I wasn't), you should start with yourself.  After writing - and fumbling in my defense - on how my project could fit existing theoretical models (what a disaster!), the advice my committee gave was liberating: worry about your own methodological development, not applying that of others.  It's not that it's easier to develop your own methodological approach.  But the prospectus is your opportunity to propose how you would do so.  You've been working on it in everything you've done up to this point.  If there's one thing I wish I had done it would have been to say to myself, "Okay, I've learned all sorts of approaches.  I've outlined how my works fits in the historiography.  Now I'm going to put others' work aside and think for myself.  How do I want to approach collecting research materials and analyse them?  How would I get what I want out of them?"  I think the ability to say this is what I want to do is crucial in a prospective defense.  My committee wanted to know how I was going to develop my own scholarly style through the dissertation process, and some of that was in my prospectus, but I spent way too much time writing about other scholars' approaches.  You've already recognized related scholars in a historiographical section.  Make the rest of the prospectus about how you want to do things.  What you produce will not be perfect, but it's a significant step toward thinking for yourself as a member of a community of scholars.
• How one of your PhD colleagues or faculty members does something does not mean you have to do it the same way.  First of all, remember to consult with your committee as you develop these approaches before you get to prospectus defense.  This will be a big help.  As your prepare, when you look at sample prospecti, read dissertations, or published works, concern yourself with how they're organized and consider how strong their thesis is.  Apply structures and content that strongly benefits what you want to say in your dissertation.  Ultimately, you are going to build an idea for a dissertation in the way you want to do it. From there, your committee is going to give advice, some of which you won't implement, much of which will completely lift you up in terms of strengthening your scholarship.  I thought of my defense more as a formal brainstorming session.  I loved hearing what my committee members and defense chair had to say.  Nothing went as I imagined, and really, life is like that anyway.  Defend your ideas as carefully as you can, but be open to all critiques and advice.  Be thankful for it.  This is really an opportunity to grow.  It's a forum where you walk in with a document and walk out with new ways of thinking about your research, writing, and scholarly style.
• Start early , gather your sources, and set yourself a tight schedule with milestones to complete your prospectus after passing comps.  For those preparing for comps, insert key scholarly works to read that you'll be using in your dissertation research.  This is so important.  For those starting grad school, collect as many key sources as you can well ahead of time.  If you haven't already started doing that by the time you begin your PhD, you'd better get going on that!  (I had been gradually collecting sources since 2006, two years before commencing my MA, and defended my prospectus in January 2012, two months after my comps exam; writing the prospectus was a quick process because I already had key sources read and ready to consider in my prospectus.)  Once you are ready to write the prospectus, make it an efficient process.  In my opinion, you can probably write it, get outlines and drafts reviewed by committee members over a month or two, then refine it and defend.  Set your defense date early to motivate getting it done.  With candidacy, you can get to the real work of research and writing your dissertation. Don't draw the prospectus process out too long.
• It's a defense ; that's nerve wracking, and that's okay.  It's part of being a scholar.  The prospectus defense is probably not going to feel smooth.  You're early on in your dissertation.  Your ideas are just forming.  Write as strong of a document as you can in a limited time.  Consult with your committee members ahead of the defense to see what they think of an outline of it, and then on a draft of it.  They'll catch the early weaknesses that you can work on. Expect to hear questions and ideas that hadn't been mentioned earlier in your defense - things you'd hadn't considered before.
• Myself , I'm writing a succinct reimagined prospectus one year after defending.  The first prospectus felt like a beginning, a way of getting feedback, and a way of showing that I can carry on with my dissertation work.  The second one - only a revised working thesis, succinct overview of methodology and argument, and a more developed chapter outline - is an opportunity to truly shape the dissertation.  The prospectus you write to achieve candidacy will be a useful tool to develop your methodology, analysis, and research travel strategies. As a candidate, I have put a lot of thought into those three elements over the past year.  I also consulted a lot with people knowledgeable about my research topic - invaluable!  Now the content seems all the more concrete, although I fully expect my committee to have a variety of new ideas and directions based on this revised prospectus.  It's an ongoing process - and one that should be both as delightful and challenging as you can make it.
• So what is a prospectus really? It is an essential step for you and your committee to feel that you are ready to do the real work of the dissertation - so make this a time to show them and yourself that you're ready to proceed with that.  It's an exercise in imagining what you would really enjoy doing, getting your key sources lined up, assessing the contribution your work with make to historical studies, and above all an opportunity to say, "This is how I want to be a historian.  This is the approach I'm thinking about.  What do you think, colleagues?"

4b. Prospectus Examination Checklist

The last step to advancement to candidacy is the prospectus defence (examination). Once you are ready to defend your prospectus:

• Please arrange a “2 hour time slot” with your prospectus committee.  This should be done with at least five week's notice in order to leave ample time to find a chairperson.
• Email the Date, time, and names of the prospectus committee to Graduate Programme Assistant at [email protected] .
• The Graduate Programme Assistant will book the room, notify the graduate committee member responsible for comprehensive and prospectus examinations to find a chairperson, and send out a schedule to everybody involved.

Important Note about Scheduling: The oral prospectus examination date should be set with a minimum of 5 weeks in advance in order to allow enough time to find a chairperson.   For Oral examination dates set with less than 5 weeks’ notice, the graduate committee member in charge of comprehensive and prospectus exams may require the supervisor to find a chairperson.

5. Admission (Advancement) to Candidacy

Once candidates have completed their residency period, completed all required coursework, passed their comprehensive examinations, and the dissertation proposal has been approved by the Dissertation Committee, the student is admitted to candidacy and may proceed with the dissertation.  Advancement to candidacy can occur as early as Term 1, Year 2 and typically no later than the end of Term 2, Year 2.

For reference, the date for advancement to candidacy usually represents the date of the prospectus defense because the prospectus examination is usually the final requirement to be completed.  

A student who is not admitted to candidacy within three years (36 months) from the date of initial registration will normally be required to withdraw from the program.  Where extenuating circumstances exist, students can apply to G&PS for an extension. 

6. PhD Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation must be an original contribution to historical knowledge, based upon primary sources. The PhD candidate is strongly advised to select a dissertation topic and research supervisor as early as possible, and to begin work on the dissertation within one of the research seminars.  The dissertation must not exceed 400 pages, including footnotes, bibliography, and appendices.

• Dissertation Supervisor and Dissertation Committee The Dissertation Committee is composed of  a minimum of three faculty members  including the Dissertation Supervisor and is presided over by the Dissertation Supervisor.  Although the supervisory work is largely done by the Dissertation Supervisor, the final responsibility for supervision, for approving the dissertation proposal, for judging the acceptability of the dissertation, and for recommending its submission to the University Thesis Examining Committee rests with the Dissertation Committee.
• Progress Reports and the Role of the Dissertation Committee There should be frequent contact between candidates and thesis supervisors to facilitate the giving of advice and the reporting of research progress. The Dissertation Supervisor should be available, even when on leave. The Faculty of Graduate Studies suggests that there be contact between students and supervisors at least every three months. The Dissertation Committee may also request progress reports from a candidate. If research prevents the candidate from being in Vancouver, such reports may be submitted by arrangement with the supervisor and/or Dissertation Committee by mail or e-mail. A full committee meeting with the candidate must occur once a year.  Students should plan to submit their work-in-progress at a department colloquium in Year 3 or 4.  Students who plan to complete by the end of Year 5 should have a full dissertation draft ready for the entire committee to review by the end of Year 4. While the Dissertation Committee should be an important source of advice and aid to the student, it is not responsible for the final quality of the dissertation. Its responsibility is to see that the candidate does the best possible job within a reasonable period of time, and then to decide, after discussions with the candidate, whether the dissertation should be laid before a University Committee for evaluation.
• Final Doctoral Examination The Dissertation Committee must be convinced of the quality and acceptability of the dissertation before approving its submission to the External Examiner, which begins the process of its submission for public examination to the University Thesis Examining Committee.  The final examination of the dissertation by the University Thesis Examining Committee is not a mere formality. Candidates may be asked to undertake revisions, or the dissertation may be rejected at this stage. For further information on the composition of the University Thesis Examining Committee and the results of examinations see the Faculty of Graduate Studies document  " The Final Oral Examination: Guide for Doctoral Candidates ."  Candidates should acquaint themselves with the submission procedures and technical requirements for formatting of theses. These requirements are listed in the Faculty of Graduate Studies document  " Dissertation and Thesis Preparation ."

7. Submitting your PhD Dissertation To Formally Close Your Program

After you have successfully completed your Final Defense, the final step is to submit your thesis to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) to close your program.

Step 1: Read the overview of the submission process: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/final-dissertation-thesis-submission

Step 2: Carefully follow the steps in the link below to submit your thesis to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to close your program: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/final-dissertation-thesis-submission/final-submission-instructions

Note: Once the student has all of the forms in step 1, they can email them to the Graduate Programme Assistant ( [email protected] ) to verify the signatures and forward the forms to GPS on behalf of the student.

Dissertation/Thesis Submission Deadlines: Check deadlines for dissertation/thesis submission dates: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/deadlines (Under Deadline Type -->Select Option: Thesis Final Submission --> Click: Filter)

Thesis approval deadlines are for having your thesis fully approved in cIRcle , not just submitted. You are expected to submit at least five days ahead of any deadline in order to allow yourself time to make any needed corrections.

8. Applying For Graduation

For Reference: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/graduation/applying-graduate

Every candidate for a degree must make formal application for graduation. Students apply through the Student Service Centre (SSC). Please check the Deadlines section of this website or contact your program to find out when the Application to Graduate is open.

If your application to graduate is not approved, then you must re-apply for the next graduation season.

Doctoral Students Doctoral students must also complete a 350-character doctoral citation. For details and information on how to submit this, please see Doctoral Citations for Graduation .

Not attending the graduation ceremony? You must apply to graduate regardless of whether or not you plan to participate in the scheduled ceremonies.

Questions? For questions about applying to graduate, please contact [email protected]

Conference Travel Funding

Graduate students are now eligible to receive travel funding to attend a conference at which they are presenting a paper. Over the course of a graduate career, each PhD student will have access to $3,000 to attend conferences. Eligibility continues for up to four months after completion of the degree. As per University guidelines, payments will be made via reimbursement.

Co-operative education is an optional program that allows you to gain work experience as you work on your doctoral degree. You will have access to various resources to help support your job search and build career skills.

Research on co-op programs has shown that students typically return to their studies after co-op terms highly motivated and increasingly successful in their studies (marks, completion rates, etc.).

Eligibility:

You are eligible to apply to the UBC History PhD Co-op Program if you have achieved candidacy (or are expecting to achieve candidacy by the time you begin your co-op term, typically in January of your third year in the PhD program). You also must have two years of PhD study left, in which to schedule three, 4-month work terms. You cannot enrol in the Co-op Program without advancing to candidacy first: that is, Co-op students must be ABD (all but dissertation).

SSHRC-holders and international students are both eligible to apply and go through the same application process.

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In This Section

Application procedure, supporting documentation, funding opportunities.

• Application Deadlines
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Applications

Apply via UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Online Application Form

Applications to the Chemistry Department are made through the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Online Application Form .

On the online application form, prospective students may list any potential faculty member they may be interested in working with. Listing faculty names is only intended for identifying fields of research of interest and can potentially facilitate connections with the faculty member once a prospective student has received their letter of admission.

Effective October 1, 2022, international applicants will be charged an application fee of $60 CDN; for domestic applicants, the fee is paid for by the department.

The Department welcomes applications from students with undergraduate or Master's degrees with high standing. In most cases, students enter graduate study with chemistry degrees but applicants with other backgrounds, such as physics, biology, or mathematics, are also given consideration. Please review the Minimum Academic Requirements: CANADIAN or U.S. Credentials or Minimum Academic Requirements: INTERNATIONAL Credentials . Applications which do not meet these minimum requirements will not be accepted.

For direct entry to the PhD program:

UBC Chemistry strongly encourages all international applicants to apply for direct entry into our PhD program , as the number of admissions offered to international MSc applicants is very limited.

Applicants who meet the academic requirements (see below) and demonstrate advanced research ability, may apply for direct admission to the PhD program. Students entering directly from a bachelor's degree must, within the first 24 months of study, complete 12 credits with a first class average, of which at least 9 credits must be at the 500 level or above and at least 9 credits must be of first class standing, to maintain registration as a doctoral student.

For direct entry to the PhD program, an overall average of B+ (from all courses taken in their Bachelor’s degree) is required for all applicants.

For entry to the PhD program by students with an MSc:

For applicants who hold a credential/degree from a Canadian or USA post-secondary institution, a B+ average in senior undergraduate level courses is required, along with a successfully defended Master thesis.

For applicants who hold an international credential/degree, an overall average of B+ (from all courses taken in their Bachelor’s degree) is required, along with a successfully defended Master thesis.

For entry to the MSc program:

For applicants who hold a credential/degree from a Canadian or USA post-secondary institution, a B+ average in senior undergraduate level courses is required.

For applicants who hold an international credential/degree, an overall average of B+ (from all courses taken in their Bachelor’s degree) is required.

Please allow at least 45 to 60 minutes to complete the online application. Be prepared to provide information and answer questions about personal and contact details, academic history, test scores, funding information, experience and interests and reference contact information and answer questions related to your specific program of study. You will be able to save your application and continue it at a later date. For security reasons, you'll be automatically logged out of the application if you do not save your page data within 60 minutes.

You will be required to scan and upload documents such as transcripts ( including your ranking within your own department ), degree certificates, award and/or scholarship documentation, related test scores (if required), statement of intent, Curriculum Vitae, etc.

If you are unable to upload supporting documentation, paper documents may be sent directly to the Chemistry Department.

For Applicants from a university outside Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom:

English Language Proficiency : Applicants from a university outside Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.  The minimum overall TOEFL score for graduate admission to the Department of Chemistry is 92 on the internet-based test with minimum component scores of 23, 22, 23 and 22 for reading, writing, listening and speaking, respectively. For IELTS, a minimum overall band score of 6.5 is required with a minimum score of 6.0 in each component of the academic IELTS test. Self-reported test scores on applications are considered unofficial. Applicants must also contact the testing agency (TOEFL or IELTS) and request the official test scores be sent to UBC electronically as part of their application.

Note: English language proficiency scores are not required if the language of instruction in your country is English at the post-secondary level. Please include an institutional document indicating as such with your application.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General and Subject (Chemistry or another applicable subject) test scores are not mandatory. While it is advantageous to submit GRE test scores, it is not a requirement.

Letters of Reference

Three references are required for an application to Chemistry. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

There are three possible formats for references:

1) Electronic references.  In the online application system, applicants are asked to provide an email address for each referee. (Please note, that we are unable to accept e-mails from Hotmail, Yahoo, GMail, MSN or other free e-mail accounts for referees.)  A unique link will be emailed to each referee, allowing them to log in to a secure site and submit an online reference or upload a reference document as an attachment.

2) Paper letters of reference.  Your referee may wish to send a paper letter. Paper letters of reference should be on referee's official letterhead and must be mailed directly to Chemistry in a sealed and endorsed envelope.

3) Paper reference forms. UBC provides a general reference form . Your referee may fill out this form and mail it directly to Chemistry in a sealed and endorsed envelope.

Please visit:  https://www.grad.ubc.ca/scholarships-awards-funding/award-opportunities

All PhD applicants (Domestic or International), will be considered for the  University Four Year Fellowship (4YF)

For NSERC awards and deadlines, please visit: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/index_eng.asp

Funding for graduate stipends otherwise comes from individual professors and their grants. Available positions in research groups are therefore dependent on available grants held by each professor at the time of recruitment.

Application Deadlines- NEW

For September applications, the online session will open on October 1. 

For all applicants, applications must be submitted by February 15 and all supporting documentation* received by March 15. International students are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible to allow sufficient time for the study permit application process.  

*Includes receipt of official English language test results sent directly from the testing center (if applicable)

Note:  To be eligible for our top scholarships, domestic and international applications must be submitted by January 5th.  Top applicants based in Canada or the U.S. may also be eligible for an in-person visit of our department if they submit their application by January 5th.

Admission Offers

Admission offers: After receiving an admission offer, prospective students are encouraged to directly contact faculty members in order to discuss research possibilities and the availability of positions for new graduate students within their groups. Students who have been accepted are strongly encouraged to pre-arrange a position with a faculty member whose group they wish to join, or may submit a list of preferred choices upon their arrival on campus.

Conditional admission offers: The Department also issues conditional offers to students who meet the entry requirements but need to secure funding for their position. These students are encouraged to attend our annual GatherTown event for an info session and opportunities to meet with faculty who have available funds. The details of this info session will be communicated in the offer letter.

For further questions regarding graduate admissions, please contact  [email protected]

Graduate Admissions Department of Chemistry 2036 Main Mall University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z1

Frequently Asked Questions

Please visit the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Frequently Asked Questions for further information.

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Graduate Program

The doctoral (PhD) program provides a candidate, with demonstrated academic and research ability, an opportunity to develop and strengthen his/her research capabilities and knowledge to a more advanced level. The doctoral thesis involves intensive research resulting in an original and scholarly contribution to knowledge in a field of study. The candidate is expected to initiate and conduct the research program under the general direction of a supervisor and supported by a graduate supervisory committee. The program, because of its comprehensive nature, normally requires 4 to 5 years for completion.

Timeline for completion of an RES PhD program.

Required Doctoral (PhD) Coursework

• This is your thesis course. You must be registered in RES 699 for every term of your program, including summer terms.
• RES 602 (3 cr)
• An approved methods course (3cr) to be selected in consultation with your supervisor.

Your supervisor(s) and/or supervisory committee may assign other courses.

Beyond these courses, we expect our doctoral students to attend advanced courses deepening their expertise in their chosen field of research.  We also expect them to hone their advanced methods skills with guidance from their supervisor(s).

UBC Academic Calendar – RES Program

For RES Doctoral students who have completed an RMES/RES Masters degree prior to Sept 2018:

RES doctoral students who have completed an RMES/RES Masters degree must complete the credit equivalencies of the RES doctoral course requirements (i.e., six credits of coursework at the graduate level). Course selection will typically emphasize methods, and may also include enrolling in an RES 502-like if the RES doctoral student’s research areas are significantly different from their RMES/RES Masters research areas. Courses must be selected in consultation with the RES doctoral student’s supervisor and should also be reviewed by the RES Graduate Advisor.

For RES Doctoral students who have completed an RMES/RES Masters degree after Sept 2018:

All RES Doctoral students must register in RES 602 and a methods course.

Additional course options to consider:

• Popular Non-RES courses: https://ires.ubc.ca/graduate-courses/popular-non-rmes-courses/
• Methods Courses: https://ires.ubc.ca/graduate-courses/methods-courses/
• Under the Western Dean’s Agreement (WDA), graduate students of the member institutions may take courses at another member institution without having to pay the host university’s tuition fees. Students may be required to pay student, activity, application, or other ancillary fees to the host institution, according to general policies in effect at the host institution. Wherever possible, these fees will also be waived. Note: Courses taken by UBC PhD students under the Western Deans’ Agreement will not be credited to their degree programs.
• Under the Graduate Exchange Agreement , graduate students in good standing at UBC, McGill University, University of Toronto and University of Montréal may take courses at another member institution without having to pay the host university’s tuition fees. Note: Courses taken by UBC PhD students under the Graduate Exchange Agreement will not be credited to their degree programs.

By the end of an RES PhD program, a student should have:

• Mastery of the domain of their research comparable to a specialist.
• Mastery of advanced qualitative or quantitative methods (whichever is appropriate to their research methods).
• More than a passing familiarity with the complementary methods to those above.

For RES PhD students with IOF supervisors admitted in Sept 2016, Sept 2017 and Sept 2018

You are eligible to follow the alternative RES PhD program requirements for IOF students, if you so choose. This option is only open to RES PhD students with an IOF supervisor admitted Sept 2016-Sept 2018.

RES PhD students admitted in Sept 2019 or future years are required to take the regular RES program requirements (above).

The Alternative RES PhD Program Requirements for IOF students

For the Alternative Program Requirements for RES Masters students with IOF supervisors admitted between Sept 2016-Sept 2018 , please see here .

For student admitted to the RMES program in Sept 2015 or earlier

You have the ability to complete your degree and graduate under the previous RMES PhD program requirements or the new RES PhD program requirements. Students admitted to the RES program for Sept 2016 and later will be subject to the RES doctoral program requirements or the Alternative RES PhD program requirements (if you have an IOF supervisor, see above section for details).

Important:  It is the RMES student’s responsibility to review the RMES and RES program requirements, determine which program you would like to pursue, and confirm this with your supervisor(s). Once you have completed either your RMES or RES program and applied for Graduation, the IRES Graduate Program Manager will confirm which program you wish to graduate under.

RMES PhD Program Requirements (from old website):

The RMES PhD coursework requirements are:

• RMES 501 (3cr)
• RMES 502 (3cr)
• Methods course (to be selected in consultation with your supervisor).

It is also recommended that students take at least 1 of the 3 foundation courses (RMES 507, RMES 510 or RMES 550).

The supervisory committee may assign other courses.

Beyond these courses, we expect our PhD students to attend advanced courses deepening their expertise in their chosen field of research.  We also expect them to hone their advanced methods skills with guidance from their supervisors.

For RMES-Fisheries Stream students , please consult your program requirements found in the RMES – UBC Academic Calendar.

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Program Overview

The research-intensive Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Political Science at UBC Vancouver will help prepare you to secure tenure-track faculty positions and prestigious postdoctoral fellowships, as well as other academic and non-academic careers.

Prospective graduate students should browse our research areas to learn about the groups of faculty members working in 30 different research fields, methodologies, and geographic regions.

Our PhD program consists of two years of graduate coursework followed by comprehensive exams following the completion of course requirements.

Students write a dissertation proposal by the end of their third year of study, and with its approval and defense, move on to their dissertation research and writing, which normally takes two to three years to complete.

We are proud to see many of our PhDs in faculty positions and in successful careers throughout the world. We value collaboration and collegiality, and we strive to create an atmosphere of trust, respect, and professional courtesy to ensure a diverse intellectual community.

NEW: CANADIAN POLITICS FACULTY RENEWAL

UBC Political Science has significantly renewed our Canadian Politics faculty roster in recent years with the recruitment of Profs. Carey Doberstein, Sophie Borwein, and Vince Hopkins.

The Canadian Politics field at UBC is now especially equipped to supervise graduate students in the realm of public policy, public opinion and identity, inequalities in society, and how governments design and implement policies, programs, and services.

New faculty also complement the existing Canadian Politics faculty strengths in the areas of federalism (Kathy Harrison, Gerald Baier) and political behavior (Fred Cutler, Matthew Wright).

Faculty in the Canadian Politics field use survey methods, data science and experimental designs, and qualitative approaches in the course of their research.

The renewed Canadian Politics faculty at UBC will supplement department financial support packages in the doctoral program with research assistance fellowships and conference support.

Our PhD graduates have been highly successful in pursuing academic and non-academic careers.

On the academic front, UBC PhDs hold tenured or tenure track positions at major universities in North America and internationally. Our graduates have taken up  tenure-track and tenured positions at Canadian institutions including the University of Toronto, University of Victoria, University of Western Ontario, York University, University of Ottawa, MacEwan University, University of Fraser Valley, University of Manitoba, Memorial University of Newfoundland, McMaster University, and the University of Calgary; at U.S. institutions including the University of Michigan, University of Pittsburgh, Colorado State University, Georgia Tech, Soka University; and outside North America at institutions including the University of Essex, University of Sheffield, University of St. Andrews, Cardiff University, Trinity College Dublin, Tel Aviv University, Sophia University, National University of Singapore, Queensland University, Australia National University, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, and Ritsumeikan University.

Our PhDs have held postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, Vanderbilt University, University of Toronto, Queen’s University, Oxford University, Duke University, and other institutions.

Many UBC PhDs have taken their doctoral training to high-level positions with government agencies, NGOs, international organizations, think tanks, and private-sector employers, including Statistics Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada, the US Department of Defense Asia-Pacific Center, Global Affairs Canada, Health Canada, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Medecins Sans Frontiers, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, Deutschebank, Innovative Research Group, the Institute for Research on Public Policy, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, among others.

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Applicants for both the MA and PhD programs are required to meet admission and application requirements for both Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies at UBC and the Department of Psychology.

Our department is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and these are considered in all admission and funding decision.

Admission to the graduate program is similar to other research-intensive psychology departments in North America. We do not conduct pre-assessments of applicants’ credentials. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to review all information posted on this website. In addition, they are advised to review individual research area websites for area-specific requirements, and to identify potential supervisors, and to review their websites.

Application Deadline

Prospective applicants must refer to the faculty supervisors’ websites to confirm if the faculty supervisor is admitting graduate students in the coming admission cycle. Applications without an intended supervisor and/or research interest will not be considered ; applicants will not be admitted without identifying a faculty member as their intended supervisor.

When seeking a research supervisor, ensure the research supervisors you plan to list in your application are (a) intending to admit student(s) that year and (b) a good fit for you in terms of research interests.

Admission decisions are made by prospective research supervisors. Some faculty supervisors have detailed admission-related information and requirements posted on their personal and/or lab websites. We encourage all prospective applicants to review the information and reach out to prospective research supervisors for further information.

All applications are first evaluated by the prospective research supervisor(s). If a research supervisor is interested in supervising the applicant, then the program area (e.g., health, clinical) must approve the application, as must the Admissions Committee and the Associate Head for Graduate Affairs.

Applications will be reviewed starting in early December with early decisions made by mid-January. In the first weekend of February, we typically hold a recruitment event. We invite a select number of applicants to this event, which includes meetings with faculty members, extensive conversations with members of research labs, and social events with current graduate students. Invitations to this event are extended directly by the prospective research supervisors.

Evaluations continue throughout December – March; all offers of admission will be made by April 1 . As we receive a high volume of applications each year, applicants will be notified via email only if there are updates in the status of their application. All applicants have until April 15 to decide whether to accept or decline the offer of admission.

Program Requirements

You should apply for the MA program if you will have completed a BA/BSc program by September of the year you wish to start the MA program (i.e., you must complete your undergraduate degree by September 2024 if you are applying for the September 2024 intake). Applicants who apply for the PhD program with only a BA/BSc degree will automatically be considered for the MA program instead.

You should apply to the PhD program directly only if you will have completed a thesis-based MA/MSc degree in Psychology or related disciplines (such as Neuroscience and Cognitive Science) before starting our program. If you are uncertain whether your MA/MSc degree meets our requirement, please consult directly with the intended research supervisor.

The MA program is a 24-month program, which is typically followed by an average of four-five years to complete the PhD program. There is one intake per year (September) and our department accepts 10-15 graduate students out of over 600 applicants each year.   Sometimes strong applicants are not successful; this is often due to (but not limited to) match in research interests with intended supervisors or funding availability. 

Only applicants having the intention and potential to complete the PhD program will be considered; we do not admit applicants who intend to complete only the MA degree.

Typically, a four-year BA/BSc degree in psychology and research experience in psychology is required for admission to our graduate program. In some cases, a three-year degree from certain countries can be accepted. Click on the links below to review minimum requirements for both domestic and country-specific credentials.

Although some faculty may prefer applicants with an honours degree, this is not a requirement for admission.

Applicants who did not major in psychology should either do a second undergraduate degree in psychology or take sufficient psychology courses as an unclassified student to have the equivalent knowledge background of a psychology major (normally between 42-60 credits). There are no specific prerequisite courses, but successful applicants will demonstrate broad knowledge in psychology and research experience.

As we do not conduct pre-assessments, please do not send us your transcripts and CVs.

Note: GPA calculations are conducted based on grades from the degree used as a basis of admission.  While non-degree course grades will be put into consideration during departmental admission review, they will not be used for calculating minimum GPA requirements set forth by UBC's Graduate & Post-doctoral Studies.

A thesis-based MA/MSc degree in psychology is a prerequisite for direct admission to the PhD program.

Applicants who have a master’s degree in psychology from a recognized university are normally admitted fully to the PhD program. Upon being admitted to the PhD program, review of the student’s previous MA/MSc degree will be conducted to determine if it is comparable to the MA program in terms of requiring a written thesis, statistics, and other coursework.

Students with a non-psychology MA/MSc degree may be eligible for provisional status at the department’s discretion. Please reach out to intended supervisors for further inquiries after reviewing the information online.

Application Procedures

December 1 - deadline for all required documents, excluding letters of reference December 15 - deadline for letters of reference only

Uploaded documents cannot be removed , changed, or updated; we do not follow up on missing documents or upload documents on behalf of the applicants. It is therefore important for applicants to ensure that all documents are properly uploaded only once and are submitted by the application deadline. Once the deadline has passed, updated or additional documents, including updated transcripts or CVs, will not be accepted. Please note we do not confirm receipts of documents (including test score reports). It is the applicants' responsibility to ensure all required documents are submitted properly prior to the application deadline.

Official Transcripts

Scans of unofficial transcripts, print-outs of student advising/grade records or transcripts without grading keys will not be accepted. Please do not upload unofficial documents as a placeholder as you will not be able to remove uploaded documents. 

Scans of official transcripts with their grading keys (usually located on the back side of the transcript) of all post-secondary institutions attended (including exchange and non-degree programs) must be uploaded as part of the online application.

Please review the Graduate & Postdoctoral (G+PS) transcripts requirements page for more details. Incomplete or incorrect transcript submissions will result in delay in review of your application. Note that evaluation of admission applications will be conducted using official transcripts submitted at the time of application. Updated transcripts after December 1 will not be accepted or reviewed.

Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume

Applicants must provide an up-to-date CV or resume detailing their academic and work history, noting any additional relevant experiences such as courses, presentations, publications or volunteer work.

Reference Letters

Letters of reference from three previous instructors or research supervisors are required. Applicants should choose referees who are most familiar with their abilities and research experience and who are able to comment on their ability to undertake graduate studies. Referees with non-institutional email addresses (such as Gmail or Hotmail) will not be able to complete the reference online and will instead received a paper reference form that must be submitted via mail in time to meet the December 15 deadline. For more tips on reference letter, visit the letter of reference page .

Please note we do not confirm receipts of documents.

Graduate Records Examination (GRE)

GRE requirements will vary depending on the area of research and/or intended research supervisor. Please visit the respective Research Stream and individual faculty supervisor page for area-specific GRE requirements.

For those applicants submitting GRE scores, please note that GRE tests must have been taken within the last five years. Official GRE score reports may be submitted after the application deadline, but the review of admissions applications begins in early December.  Applicants should take the GRE test at an early date to ensure score reports are received by the December 1 deadline. Our institution code is 0965 and department code is 2016.   Test scores are matched automatically via the online system and the department does not have direct access to retrieve score reports; we are therefore unable to confirm receipt of test scores . To avoid delays, applicants must provide the correct institution and department codes when requesting test scores.

Proof of English Language Proficiency

Applicants for whom a) the native language is not English and b) the language of instruction in their bachelor’s or master’s degree program was not English, must complete an English proficiency test such as TOEFL or IELTS. English proficiency test scores may be submitted after the application deadline, but as review of applications beings in early December, test scores should be submitted no later than late December. Test scores are matched automatically via the online system and the department does not have direct access to retrieve score reports; we are therefore unable to confirm receipt of test scores . Refer to the English Proficiency Requirements page for more details.

• Statement of Interest

All applicants must provide a detailed statement (1-2 pages) of their past research experiences as well as their current interests and objectives for graduate studies in Psychology at UBC. This statement will be read by prospective supervisors that you specify in your application and is an important factor in determining admissibility. Please be specific about your past experiences, including the research questions you pursued, the methods utilized and skills developed, and your takeaways from the project(s). Please also note the research questions you wish to pursue during your degree, and how these fit with the research being done in the prospective supervisor’s lab.

Applicants are strongly encouraged, if applicable, to include an additional brief section (max 0.5 pages), describing challenges or barriers they experienced in their professional and/or personal life that may have affected their academic record (e.g., family responsibilities, working full-time, adverse childhood experiences, disability). This information will be used to provide valuable context when evaluating applications for admission.

There is no specific format required for the statement; for more tips, visit the Statement of Interest page .

Writing Sample

Applicants may choose one example of their scholarly writing, such as a term paper or a substantial scholarship paper, to include with the application. Please note this is optional and not a required component of the application.

Application Package

Uploaded copies of documents cannot be removed or deleted; all versions of submitted documents will be included in the application package. Applicants are advised to carefully proofread their documents before uploading. To present the most attractive application package, we recommend uploading each document only once.

A complete application package contains the following:

• Application form (online)
• All post-secondary official transcripts (with English translation if necessary) including institution’s grading keys
• 3 letters of reference
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume
• GRE test scores for some research areas
• English proficiency test scores, if necessary
• Writing sample (optional)

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all documents relevant to the application are uploaded in the proper format and received by the application deadline. We are unable to notify individuals when documents are missing, incomplete, or inaccurate. Once the deadline has passed, updated or additional documents will not be accepted.

For graduate program information on admissions, registration, grades and scholarships,  contact us online .

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MD/PhD Program

Admissions – frequently asked questions.

Applications

I am interested in the MD/PhD Program. How do I know if I am eligible to apply? Admission to the MD/PhD Program is limited to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada. To be eligible for admission, you must have a BSc degree with first class standing (or equivalent), and have fulfilled all the requirements of acceptance into the four-year Medical Undergraduate Program of the Faculty of Medicine, and the doctoral program requirements of the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. You are required to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), but the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional. Students who have completed an MSc degree will fulfill the doctoral requirements of the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

Do I need to send in two distinct applications? Yes, you are applying concurrently to the MD Undergraduate Program and the MD/PhD Program, which have parallel but distinct admission processes. You are required to submit two sets of application – one for the MD Undergraduate Program, one for the MD/PhD Program. For purpose of the combined program, there is no need for applicants to put an application in to a specific department’s PhD program, unless they wish to do that as a back-up in case they are unsuccessful in the MD application.

What courses should I take in my undergraduate program in order to make myself eligible for admission to the MD/PhD Program? The MD/PhD Program considers students from a variety of backgrounds; no preference is given to any particular degree program.  Students planning to apply for the MD/PhD Program should select a course of study to conform to the requirements of a bachelor’s degree of their choice. No particular degree program is considered ideal as preparation for the study of medicine. A variety of undergraduate backgrounds are considered desirable. However, you must complete 6 credits of English coursework by April 30 of the year of entry into medical school.

By what criteria are students chosen? Besides the academic standard, other areas of strength including research experience and potential, MCAT scores, scholarships, personal qualities, research field of interest, reference letters, and the proposed research supervisor and laboratory are also assessed. Publications, as well as presentations at meetings, help your application but are not required; expectations for scientific output are considered in the context of the amount of time the applicant has been able to spend in research. Detailed knowledge of our program (as presented on the website, and also through contact with students currently in the program) can be helpful.

Are out-of-province MD/PhD applicants considered as in-province applicants by MD Admissions? Out-of-province MD/PhD applicants who receive interview offers from the MD and MD/PhD Programs are considered as in-province applicants by MD Admissions. Out-of-province applicants who are not invited for interview by the MD/PhD Program will be considered as out-of-province applicants by MD Admissions.

I have been accepted into the MD Undergraduate Program in August 2021 and I am interested in the MD/PhD Program. Can I still apply for the MD/PhD Program? Yes. All students (with a BSc or equivalent) currently accepted into the MD Undergraduate Program in August 2021 are encouraged to apply for the MD/PhD Program during their MD Year 1. At the time of application, you should plan to identify the research question you want to address, select the discipline and affiliated graduate program, as well as the research supervisor. We accept applications from current MD Year 1 students, but not MD students in Year 2 or above (who are encouraged to finish their MD and then pursue, for example, the Clinician Investigator Program route).

Graduate Student Applicants

Do you require applicants to have a Master’s degree when they submit their application? No, we do not really require students to have a Master’s degree when they submit their application. Students in Master’s degree programs however are strongly advised to be on track to complete their Master’s degree by July 30 of the year they hope to start at UBC.

I am enrolled in a graduate program. Can I still apply for the MD/PhD Program? In order for the students to really benefit from the integrated MD/PhD Program, they should enter before they have completed more than 2 years of graduate studies. In most instances, graduate students accepted into the MD/PhD Program will have completed their Master’s degree when they begin their first (Med 1) year of MD/PhD studies. If a student transfers from a Master’s program to a PhD program without completing their Master’s degree, they can apply if they are still in at most their second overall year of graduate studies at UBC, and intend to carry forward their PhD part of the MD/PhD program under the same UBC supervisor. In general, students whose PhD program is well underway are recommended to apply to enter medicine after they finish their PhD, as this will be their most efficient route to achieving both degrees.

Are there any restrictions for current graduate students when applying for the MD Undergraduate Program and MD/PhD Programs? The MD Undergraduate Program has specific rules that apply to graduate student applicants, who must complete all their degree requirements by July 30 prior to entering medicine. Applicants should be aware that if they achieve admission to the MD Undergraduate Program but are not among the few selected for admission to the combined MD/PhD Program, their offer to enter the MD program would be withdrawn and the student would have to reapply for entry in a year when all graduate requirements would be completed by July 30. Please refer to the MD admissions website about Graduate Student Applicants and their – “exception for MD/PhD applicants” .

I have already finished one year of my PhD program at UBC and hope to continue in the same lab within the MD/PhD program. If I get accepted, would I be able to finish the program in less than seven years? Possibly, but not necessarily. Good quality research work is important and that is what we are looking for. Approval to proceed to an oral thesis defense “early” will rest with the PhD supervisor and thesis committee.

Do I need to go through two sets of interviews? Yes, applicants are required to attend two sets of interviews. (1) The MD/PhD interview is approximately for 45 minutes. Each applicant will be interviewed by the panel committee which consists of the Program Director and/or Associate Program Director, two MD/PhD Admissions/Advisory Committee members and our student representative. (2)The MD Undergraduate Admissions follow the Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) format. We do highly recommend our applicants to familiarize themselves with the MMI format for their MD interview, and take opportunities to practice for such an interview style if possible.

Who would most probably receive an MD/PhD interview offer? Applicants who received MD/PhD interviews typically had overall straight As while carrying a difficult course load, a record of winning both major scholarships and competitive research studentships, research experience in at least three labs, a published paper, and MCAT scores near 520.

Research Supervisor(s)

Do I have to identify a proposed research supervisor in my MD/PhD application? While it is not required that you have finalized your choice of supervisor at the time of your application, it is expected that you will have identified potential supervisors in your area of interest, and if you are offered an interview that you will have (at least virtually) met with potential supervisors prior to interviews. The laboratory and research supervisor proposed by the MD/PhD applicant is one of the criteria we use to rank applicants for admission, and it is to the applicant’s advantage to demonstrate that they have explored potential supervisors, research environments, and projects. A final decision on the research supervisor and project is ideally made by the time of entry into Med 1, although changes can be made within the first two years of the program.

Does the proposed research supervisor have to work in a department within the Faculty of Medicine? The research supervisor must be a full member of the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, and is usually from a Department, Interdisciplinary Program or Institute within the Faculty of Medicine. The research supervisor must hold a current CIHR research operating grant or a grant from an equivalent peer-reviewed, federal or provincial granting agency. UBC’s MD Undergraduate Program offers our students the opportunity to train with supervisors based at any one of four geographically distinct sites in British Columbia: UBC’s Vancouver campus in Vancouver (Vancouver-Fraser Medical Program), UBC’s Okanagan campus in Kelowna ( Southern Medical Program ), the University of Victoria on Vancouver Island ( Island Medical Program ), or the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George ( Northern Medical Program ). The MD/PhD Program will make arrangements for research supervisor(s) outside of UBC to become a member of the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

What factors should be considered when choosing a research supervisor and laboratory? Some issues to consider in choosing a laboratory, beyond obviously the research area and potential projects (and whether these mesh with your interests) would be: 1) The supervisor’s availability to provide guidance/mentorship. Why is this the best person for you to train with given your area of interest? 2) The supervisor’s experience with trainees. What is the supervisor’s track record of training PhD students? What is their track record of training clinician scientists? If they have not trained a clinician scientist, how will they support your specific needs? 3) What is the laboratory environment? Are there other graduate students and postdoctoral fellows available in the laboratory and training environment to provide opportunities for interaction and sharing of technical and specialty knowledge? Who are the other trainees/staff that will support you? 4) The supervisor’s publication record. What journals, how many papers, and are trainees on the papers? 5) Status of laboratory resources and funding. Does the supervisor have the necessary resources (infrastructure, funding, personnel) for your proposed project? Ultimately choosing the right supervisor is one of the biggest decisions that will influence your PhD, and we want to see that you have given this appropriate consideration and have done your homework on UBC.

I have not yet spoken directly with any professor at UBC in my proposed field of research. Do you have a list of potential supervisors? Our program does not maintain a list of potential research supervisors. To assist in internet searches, we have identified a list of graduate programs and departments at UBC which can host MD/PhD students, although this is not intended to represent a definitive list of all possibilities. Please feel free to proactively contact the professors whose research interests coincide with yours.

Can I have co-supervisors? Upon approval from the MD/PhD Program Director, you can certainly have co-supervisors. Students who have chosen a research supervisor outside the Faculty of Medicine are required to have a co-supervisor within the Faculty. MD/PhD applicants are welcome to contact the Program to find out if the proposed research supervisor meets this program requirement.

Can I propose a member of the MD/PhD admissions committee as a potential research supervisor? To avoid conflict of interest during the admissions process, applicants are discouraged from contacting either members of the Admissions Committee or the Program Directors as potential research supervisors while their applications are still under active consideration. Applicants accepted to the program are free to choose any UBC faculty member to act as their supervisor, including members of the Admissions committee and the Program Directors. There are many excellent potential supervisors across Faculty of Medicine affiliated departments at the four program sites whom applicants could contact to act as potential supervisors. Applicants accepted to the program are not committed to work with any particular supervisor mentioned in their written application or their interview. Accepted applicants do not actually need to make a final decision on their PhD research supervisor(s) until end of Year 1.

Can I send in my application and then notify you when I have found a proposed research supervisor? Yes. You can email us the information and we will include it in your application file. It is also understood that an applicant’s plans in this regard may change between the time they submit their paper application and the time of their interview.

Research Area and Experience

Is there any particular research area that would make my application stronger than others? No particular research area would make your application stronger than others. We suggest finding a research area of particular interest to you. The laboratory and supervisor chosen by the MD/PhD applicant (not their subject area per se) is one of the criteria we use to rank applicants for admission. This factor plays an important role in the applicant’s successful completion of the program.

What should I write in the autobiographical essay of research interest for the MD/PhD Program? The essay for the MD/PhD Program is focused on the research area that you would like to pursue and the reasons why you have chosen the Clinician Scientist path as a career in medicine, your perception of the discipline, and the medical field that best matches the area of your research interest.

What constitutes “Professional Employment Experience” in the application? Simply list your work experience. You can include jobs in research labs, health institutes, self-employed jobs etc.

I am currently preparing a manuscript for submission, may I attach the abstract of the paper to the application? You may attach the abstract of your paper to your application. As soon as the paper gains its final acceptance and goes in press, please send us a copy of the paper and/or acceptance letter. Interviews will be held in February. If you have a paper that is accepted between submission of the written application and the interview, we will consider it in your application if you can inform us of its change in status.

Transcripts

What is considered a first-class standing? At UBC, first-class standing is defined as 80% (A-) or better .

The transcript which I submit with my application does not include my fourth year winter grades. Do you need my winter grades? Your transcript should show courses registered in the final year of your undergraduate degree. You can update your winter grades in early/mid January by emailing the MD/PhD Program office.

I have credentials from universities outside of Canada. How do I find out the minimum academic requirement? You can refer to the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral webpage for information.

Do you have a reference form for my MD/PhD referees to fill out? After you have submitted your on-line application, your referees will receive an email notification to submit a reference on you via the Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies online application website. We do not have a specific reference form. Your referees can upload their letter of reference via the online application website. The letter of reference must be on letterhead and signed.

What should be included in the reference letter? The referees should be able to give appraisals on your academic standing and qualifications, research experience, abilities, and clinical potential relevant to your application for the MD/PhD Program. They can also comment on your originality, industriousness and persistence, intellectual capacity, and interpersonal communication skills.

Financial Support

Do students accepted to the program receive support funding? In addition to reduced medical tuition, all MD/PhD students receive a graduate studentship award, with the MD/PhD Program able to support up to six years and four months for each student. Funding will start in January of their first year in the program.

Am I eligible for other awards while I am enrolled in the MD/PhD Program? Yes, MD/PhD students are strongly encouraged to apply for external studentships and scholarships. Our students have an excellent track record of successfully obtaining prestigious awards such as the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.

I see the MD/PhD student names and email addresses are posted on your website. Can I email them for more information on the program? You are welcome to contact our students by email. You are also welcome to email the Program office at [email protected] if you have questions.

Where can I find information on graduate accommodation at UBC? Please visit the graduate student accommodation webpage for information.

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Degree requirements.

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In order to obtain a graduate degree in Mathematics, a student is normally expected to have completed courses in the following topics at the senior undergraduate level or above (note that these requirements do not apply to Institute of Applied Mathematics students):

• Real Analysis (Math 420 and 421, or Math 507 and 510)
• Complex Analysis (Math 440 or 508)
• Abstract Algebra (Math 422 and 423, or Math 501 and 502)
• Applied Analysis (Math 400 and 401)
• Probability and Stochastic Processes (Math 418 and 419)
• Theory of Differential Equations (Math 416 and 417)
• Differential Geometry (Math 424 and 425)
• Algebraic Topology (Math 426 and 427)
• Calculations of Variations and Optimal Control (Math 402 and 403)

Most students will have completed these four requirements before starting their graduate programs. Students admitted in spite of a gap in their background will be required to address it during the first year of the program.

To complete the Master's (M.Sc.) program, a student must . . .

• Satisfy the prerequisites described above.
• Earn at least 30 credits from MATH courses numbered 400 or higher, at most 6 credits of which can come from MATH courses numbered 400-499. These 30 credits must include either 3 credits for MATH 589 (M.Sc. Major Essay) or 6 credits for MATH 549 (Thesis for Master's Degree).

Mathematics students pursuing a Master's degree through the Institute of Applied Mathematics face slightly different requirements: details are provided on the IAM web page .

Credit may be given for equivalent courses taken before the student started a graduate degree program at UBC, provided those courses were not counted toward another degree.

Students may also request that credit be given for appropriate courses in departments at UBC other than Mathematics.

To complete the PhD program, a student must . . .

• Complete 30 credits of approved graduate coursework. (Credits from an M.Sc. program, either UBC or equivalent, can be counted towards this requirement. Mathematics courses numbered 399 and below are not eligible.)
• Pass the qualifying exam within two years of starting the program. (See below.)
• Pass a candidacy examination in the student's field of specialization. The examination syllabus is to be determined by the student's Ph.D. committee with the approval of the Graduate Affairs Committee. Passing this examination gains a student admission to candidacy.
• Write a thesis and defend it in a public oral examination administered by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Registration requirements:

A full-time Ph.D. student must register in at least 12 credits of course work in the first year of their graduate program at UBC if they have not completed a M.Sc. degree or if they were admitted directly to Ph.D. after completion of B.Sc. degree.   After being admitted to candidacy, a student working on a thesis may register for Math 649 with the approval of the thesis supervisor.

All PhD students are expected to take at least four graduate-level courses, totaling at least twelve credits, at UBC as part of their program. Courses counted towards the 30 credits of approved coursework (#2 above) can also be counted towards this requirement, if taken at UBC as a Master's student. These courses cannot be reading courses; however, seminar courses with credit will be considered separately as they become available, to determine whether they can be counted in the requirement. 

To clarify, if you completed your MSc (30 credits) at UBC, you will not be required to take additional courses for your PhD program. However, your supervisor may recommend specific courses, and students affiliated with the IAM (see below) may need additional courses to satisfy the breadth requirements. IAM students are to follow the requirements listed in the IAM graduate student handbook.

Every doctoral student at UBC must have, by mandate of the Faculty of Graduate Studies , a supervisory committee of at least three members: the research supervisor and two others, typically UBC faculty with a rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor. PhD students in Mathematics are expected to have a committee in place by the end of the first year of their doctoral program at UBC. The committee is responsible for guiding the student's course selection and research program, for administering the candidacy examination and the final doctoral examination, and for providing other support and advice as needed. You can read about the role of PhD supervisory committees in more detail.

IAM Students:  for mathematics students in a program sponsored by the Institute of Applied Mathematics (IAM), please instead follow the requirements in the IAM Graduate Student Handbook at the link  https://www.iam.ubc.ca/graduate-studies/graduate-student-handbook/ .

Students are expected to attend the weekly mathematics colloquium. Mathematics students registered with the IAM are expected to attend the Applied Mathematics colloquia.

The Qualifying Examinations ("Quals") are written tests on undergraduate material. They are offered twice a year:

• on the Tuesday immediately after Labour Day, in early September; (*note: Sept. 2022 exams will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10)
• on the Saturday after classes begin in January.

Precise dates and times for examination sessions will be posted well in advance on the Events page .

The Quals are designed to:

• help students integrate their knowledge of advanced undergraduate mathematics,
• give students and supervisors an early baseline indication of preparedness,
• guide students' course selections in cases where a weakness is identified,
• allow well-prepared students to move into research more rapidly,
• allay potential concerns regarding TA assignments,
• define initial standards clearly and uniformly for prospective and new students.

All PhD students in the Mathematics Department, including those in the IAM, must pass the Quals before their second year ends. (For example, for a PhD Student who started in September 2014, the last chance to write the exam will be January 2016.) Doctoral students are strongly encouraged to attempt the Quals immediately upon their arrival at UBC; those who do not are required to participate in the next scheduled sitting.

MSc students are welcome to take the Quals as well, although it is not an official part of the Master's degree requirements. The supervisor of each MSc student can communicate their personal policies concerning the Quals. Note that a student who passes the Quals during their Master's degree and who is admitted into the PhD program in this department will have already satisfied the PhD Quals requirement.

Both MSc and PhD Students may attempt the Quals any number of times, subject to the deadline for PhD students of passing it before their second year ends.

The Quals consist of three different exams:

• Analysis, which covers real and complex analysis
• Algebra, which covers abstract algebra and linear algebra
• Differential Equations, which covers differential equations and linear algebra

To pass the Quals, a student must achieve a passing grade in two of these three exams, including a passing grade in Analysis. Typically, students in the IAM will take the Analysis and Differential Equations exams, while non-IAM students will take the Analysis and Algebra exams; however, the choice of exams is up to each student.

Each exam lasts three hours. The Analysis exam runs from 9 AM to noon of the Saturday on which the Quals are scheduled; both the Algebra and Differential Equations exams run from 1 PM to 4 PM on the same day. A student may attempt either one or two exams on a given day as they wish; each exam can be passed independently of the others. Students must inform the Graduate Program Coordinator well ahead of time (at least two weeks before the August/September Quals, and before the Christmas break for the January Quals) which exams they plan to attempt in a given sitting, so that the proper exam papers will be present.

Each exam will consist of six problems, split roughly evenly between the subjects covered by the exam. There will usually be significant overlap between the linear algebra problems on the Algebra and Differential Equations exams in any given sitting.

The only two possible marks are "pass" and "fail". The passing mark is usually set at a score of 60%. The Quals committee will make every effort to notify the students and their supervisors of the results within one week of writing the exams. The exam papers themselves can be reviewed with a member of the Quals committee. Exam papers are destroyed after two years.

The Qualifying Examinations resources page contains the official Qualifying Examinations syllabi, as well as past exams and sample problems.

The Candidacy Examination is a mandatory formal event to assess the student's readiness to undertake research at the doctoral level. It probes the student's knowledge, problem-solving, and communication skills through mathematical writing, oral presentation, and interactive discussion.

Students are required to complete their Candidacy Examination in the first 25.5 months of their PhD program. Any requests for extensions must be submitted in writing to the Graduate Chair  prior to this deadline; extensions are contingent upon an acceptable reason for delay. By FoGS rule, students who do not advance to Candidacy within 36 months will be required to withdraw from the program. For further information on Candidacy, please refer to the Graduate  site.

For mathematics students in a program sponsored by the Institute of Applied Mathematics (IAM) , the IAM's Thesis Proposal Examination replaces this requirement.

Here you can read about the Candidacy Examination format and expectations for Math students in more detail.

General information about Candidacy Exams from the Faculty of Graduate Studies is provided at Candidacy Examination format and expectations .

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Structure a course of study towards your specific intellectual and practical interests in the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program at UBC Anthropology.

The PhD in Anthropology at UBC Vancouver is based upon a combination of residency, coursework, a comprehensive examination and dissertation, and is expected to be completed within six years. A new comprehensive examination guideline has been approved in Spring 2023.

PhD Degree Requirements

A student first gains full standing as a doctoral candidate within the Department by completing the following requirements:

• 24 months residency
• Minimum 18 credits of coursework
• A research proposal approved by the supervisory committee
• Satisfactory performance in the comprehensive examination

Coursework requirements for the PhD

The minimum 18 credits of coursework normally includes:

• ANTH 506 (the pro-seminar) (3 credits)
• ANTH 500 (History of Anthropological Thought), (6 credits)
• An advanced methodology course in the appropriate area (ANTH 516, 517, or 518) (3 credits)
• Two additional courses (6 credits)

If students have previously completed these courses, they should consult with their supervisor to determine an alternative course. Students who have taken an equivalent course to ANTH 500 at the MA level at a different university may apply to the Anthropology Graduate Students Committee (AGSC) to be released from the requirement.

Students may also be required as a condition of admission to take other courses to gain mastery of core subjects in the discipline. Up to 12 credits may be taken in the form of supervised reading courses where appropriate graduate seminars are not available and upon the agreement of instructors. The 18 credits of core courses will normally be in anthropology at the graduate level. The Supervisory Committee may require additional coursework, beyond 18 credits, including courses at the undergraduate level, in order to prepare students for research in their chosen field.

All doctoral students are required to complete a comprehensive examination successfully. After passing the comprehensive examination and defending the research proposal, the students reach candidacy.

Once they have attained candidacy, students are “ABD” (so have completed all degree requirements but the dissertation). They then undertake a substantive independent research project normally based in large part on field research which forms the basis of their dissertation. The candidate completes the degree upon successfully defending their dissertation in the University doctoral defence.

The major requirement for the PhD is completion of a research dissertation meeting UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requirements.

As soon as possible after admission to the program, and no later than the end of the first term of study, the student must meet with their Supervisory Committee to complete the Graduate Program Record (available from the Graduate and Undergraduate Program Coordinator).

In addition to biographical information and details of work done prior to admission to the PhD program, it will include details of the proposed course of study i.e., course numbers, titles, credit values, and names of instructors).

Once completed, the Graduate Program Record form must be submitted to the Anthropology Graduate Studies Committee (AGSC) for review and approval.

The Graduate Program Record is a permanent guide and record of progress in which courses, grades, information on the dissertation, leaves, and other pertinent information is entered. The student and the Supervisory Committee must review the record at least once a year (in April) and preferably more often. Significant alterations in an approved program — including changes in coursework, dissertation topic, and committee membership as well as leaves — must be reported to the AGSC for approval before being recorded in the Graduate Program Record.

Leave policy

UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies allows leaves for personal, or medical reasons. Graduate students may also receive parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child. Leave requests must be submitted by the Graduate Advisor and reviewed by the Dean of UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

PhD Dissertation

The PhD dissertation is intended to be an original and significant contribution to knowledge. In most cases, it entails original research involving fieldwork in the form of ethnographic studies, archaeological excavation and analysis, or archival research.

Supervisory Committees supervise and bear ultimate responsibility for approving research carried out by PhD candidates. It is critically important that PhD candidates keep their Supervisory Committees well informed of their research activities.

Evaluation of Progress

Students must meet with their Supervisory Committee at least once each term. The Supervisory Committee and course instructors prepare a detailed evaluation in April to submit to the Anthropology Graduate Studies Committee (AGSC). If in the considered opinion of the Supervisory Committee and the AGSC, a student does not make satisfactory progress, they may be required by the Department to withdraw. The AGSC notifies students and their Supervisory Committee of their status in the program each May.

Unless the circumstances are exceptional, a student who has not received a degree at the end of six winter sessions will be required to withdraw.

Extensions can only be granted by UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies which must be petitioned by the AGSC on behalf of a student.

The Anthropology Standing Committee will review the file of any graduate student in the PhD program who receives a grade below 75% (“B”) in either the graduate seminar the History of Anthropological Thought (ANTH 500) or in one of the graduate methods courses (ANTH 516, 517, or 518).

Doctoral Comprehensive Examination

To demonstrate their comprehensive knowledge, students will prepare three sets of annotated bibliographies that engage with broad theoretical topics, an ethnographic area, or other topics appropriate for their subdiscipline. The reading lists will be developed by the student in consultation with their PhD committee, and each set will contain 30 sources with no more than 15 pages of annotations.

Under the supervision of their committee and based on their readings and annotations, students will proceed to write, within one month, two bibliographic essays of up to 25 pages each that identify the major contributions to two of the theoretical topics or ethnographic areas that they have studied. These written essays will be similar to those in the Annual Review of Anthropology in delineating current developments and main themes of research (including not only a critical analysis of existing literature, but also a discussion of emerging directions, gaps and opportunities). The student’s supervisory committee approves the bibliographic essays as completed to a competent standard. Once approved by the supervisory committee, the written essays are not subject to further examination. The student’s PhD committee should meet with the student to provide feedback on the essays in the period between their completion and their defence of their research proposal.

In consultation with their supervisory committee, students will prepare a research proposal of no more than 25 pages. The research proposal will summarize work on this topic, the significance of the proposed research, and will clearly describe how the work will be carried out. Once all the recommended revisions to the proposal have been completed, the student’s supervisory committee will recommend that the student proceed to a defence of their research proposal.

The student’s supervisory committee approves the readings, annotations, bibliographic essays and research proposal as completed (along with the research proposal), before recommending that the student proceed to the defence of their research proposal. (The supervisor must submit a memo to the AGSC chair and cc: the Graduate Program Coordinator to affirm this recommendation.) The supervisor may suggest two possible examiners from the Department of Anthropology, but the Examining Committee as a whole must be approved by the AGSC Chair. The supervisor is in charge of contacting the potential examiners. Examinations must be completed no later than three months prior to the G+PS deadline and must take place during one of the two examination periods:

• Spring- March/April/May during their second year
• Fall- October/November- final opportunity during students’ third year in the program

Advisors of students who are unable to complete their examinations during these periods may petition the AGSC for an extension or to hold the exam in another month. In any case, students must complete their exams before the end of the third year.

The format of the PhD proposal defence is similar to a dissertation defence. The Anthropology Graduate Studies Committee appoints two examiners with relevant expertise in the student’s area of research, as well as an examination chair. At the defence, the student gives a 20 to 30-minute presentation on their proposed research without reading from their proposal. The examiners then ask two rounds of questions about the proposed research. The examination chair may also ask for questions from the audience at the end of the first round of questions. After the second round of questions the student and audience leave the room while the examining committee deliberates. The examination is evaluated both on the strength of the written proposal and the strength of the student’s presentation. The committee may: (1) decide to pass the research proposal without revisions; (2) ask for minor or major revisions either under the supervision of the student’s committee or under the supervision of the entire examining committee; or (3) fail the student on the examination. The examination chair may cast a deciding vote if the committee is divided in their assessment. If a student fails their examination, they may revise their research proposal and schedule a second examination, which would be their final opportunity. Students who successfully complete the defence of their research proposal will be advanced to candidacy and are approved to begin their dissertation research, subject to ethical review approval if relevant.

These new provisions for the comprehensive exam process in Anthropology will go into effect as of March 1, 2023 . Students who began their PhD studies in 2022 or earlier have the option of taking a written comprehensive examination under the previous provisions if they so choose.

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