Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details
The Ph.D. program offers students the opportunity to pursue theatre studies through coursework, comprehensive examination preparations and a doctoral dissertation project. Students are expected to give primary attention to an area of expertise of their choice while training in the broader theoretical, critical, and historical contexts of the field. As a small program, the faculty are particularly interested to work with students whose academic interests relate to their own fields of expertise and/or the broader research strengths and resources of the Department of Theatre and Film at UBC. All Ph.D. students will be given the opportunity to develop their academic teaching skills as teaching assistants in UBC's undergraduate theatre studies classes.
Faculty research specialties include classical theatre and its modern adaptations, modern drama, the receptions of alternative theatre and cinema, theatre and health, disability theatre, dramaturgy, intercultural theatre and performance, Asian theatre, twentieth-century Chinese and Japanese theatre, as well as Canadian, American and modern British theatre. Our students also engage with professors and students in our renowed directing, design and film graduate programs.
Students in this program enjoy strong mentoring relationships with core faculty members and develop research expertise in an area of their choice while also training in the broader theoretical, critical, and historical contexts of the field. They also engage with professors and students in our renowed directing, design and film graduate programs. UBC offers a world-class research library, a dynamic, multicultural theatre environment and a strong research-oriented university community.
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:
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.
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:
Overall score requirement: 100
Reading
22
Writing
21
Speaking
21
Listening
22
Overall score requirement: 7.0
Reading
6.5
Writing
6.5
Speaking
6.5
Listening
6.5
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.
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.
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.
Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
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.
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $114.00 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,838.57 | $3,230.06 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,515.71 | $9,690.18 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,116.60 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies. | |
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.
From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 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. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Theatre (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 11 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 10 |
| Offers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| New Registrations | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total Enrolment | 7 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
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.
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.
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Dr. Tomkinson's research explores the theatrical relationship between sound and mental health differences. He examines a range of case studies in which audience members are immersed in auditory simulations of madness. His dissertation investigates the shortcomings of simulation as a representational practice. |
| 2020 | Dr. Dunn examined the relationship between real estate and theatricality in downtown Vancouver. Through case studies that detailed the urban histories of theatre spaces, she showed that downtown Vancouver is unique in its inability to sustain large-scale locally-produced theatre, and that this gap has perhaps been filled by real estate development. |
| 2018 | Dr. Henderson's dissertation is a critical exploration of aging and old age in contemporary, professional Canadian theatre. It investigates recent English-language, Western-based plays, asking how they offer alternatives to stereotypical, negative ways of depicting aging and old age either through aspects of their dramaturgy and/or production. |
| 2018 | Dr. Lachance's research makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Indigenous Theatre on Turtle Island. Her work provides excellent historical context and advances an original and deeply persuasive argument about the importance of dramaturgy in the conceptualization and embodied experience of Relational Indigenous theatrical methods. |
| 2017 | Dr. Ferguson studied principles of cognitive neuroscience to better understand how we use our bodies and minds to make sense of our surroundings during a theatre performance. He examined how artists create spatial compositions in which audience members use their physical memories and neural patterns to create meaning and new experiences. |
| 2016 | Dr. Everett-Kabut's research explores the use of theatrical performance as a tool for propaganda, education and community building in the early years of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation in 1930's Vancouver. This work suggests that workers' theatre in Canada was far more widespread than previously believed and suggests that theatre was and remains a vital tool for political and social change. |
| 2015 | Grounded at the Coast Salish village of Xway' Xw@y' in Stanley Park, Dr. Couture's research demonstrates how theatrical, cultural and tourist performances are used for cultural continuation and historiography. Ways of thinking embedded in the h@n'q'@m'in@m language and place names gave access to Indigenous histories obscured by the colonial archive. |
| 2015 | Dr. Leung studied how East Asian artists in Canada and Britain started theatre companies to create opportunities for Asian Canadian and British East Asian cultural expression. Comparing Toronto's fu-GEN theatre and London's Yellow Earth, she juxtaposes two ethno-national sites not often paired together, revealing remarkable, shared vocabularies. |
| 2012 | Dr. Harrison explored the origins and development of stage fighting in Canada. He examined how the British and American influences in the art of stage combat affected Canadian theatrical violence, and how fight directors have developed as professional artists since the inception of Canada's Stratford Shakespeare Festival. |
The Theatre Program offers opportunities for advanced studies leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and the Master of Arts (M.A.) in dramatic literature, theatre history, and criticism. The program also offers advanced studies leading to the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in the direction of plays and in the design of scenery, costume, and lighting.The program has diverse offerings in both practical theatre and the academic study of dramatic literature, history, and criticism.
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.
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