Welcome to the November issue of GradProspect, the newsletter for prospective students on UBC’s graduate programs. This month we focus on an essential part of the application for many thesis-required master's and doctoral programs: finding and reaching out to a potential supervisor.
We also have a video Q&A with Professor Alice Te Punga Somerville who provides advice for Indigenous grad school applicants. Plus, we get some funding and budgeting advice from our current grad school students, invite you to join our faculty focused sessions and get the latest news from across campus!
Finding and reaching out to a potential supervisor
If you’re applying to a thesis-required master’s or a doctoral program, you may have to identify a prospective supervisor prior to applying for admission. Finding and reaching out to a potential supervisor can be a challenging part of the application process and we often receive questions about this. Here we've compiled our advice and some resources to help you find and secure a supervisor.
Read our top tips for finding and reaching out to supervisors and watch advice below from Professor Christoper Rea and Professor Michael Hunt.
Learn more about putting together your application to UBC in our Application & Admission section and download our Application Guide.
Upcoming info sessions
We have a range of great info sessions coming up featuring faculty, staff and students from across UBC. Below is just a selection, see the full list of upcoming info sessions on our info sessions page.
Faculty-focused sessions
Professional Programs Info Session from Faculty of Land and Food Systems
November 20 at 2 PM (Zoom)
Join this webinar to hear directly from faculty members about career pathways, professional development in industry, and admissions criteria for the LFS professional masters and graduate certificate programs. RSVP.
Faculty of Arts Info Session
November 21 at 10 AM (Zoom)
In this session, we’ll hear about some of the latest research and initiatives happening across UBC Arts as well as highlight some of the more than 80 graduate program options. We'll also be focusing on how to apply and sharing application advice. RSVP.
Faculty of Science Info Session
November 22 at 10 AM (Zoom)
Join host Dr. Curtis Suttle (Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies), faculty members, and graduate students to learn about the exciting research happening across the Faculty. Plus hear their advice on making your application as strong as possible. RSVP.
Faculty of Applied Science Info Session
November 29 at 12 PM (Zoom)
In this online session faculty members and graduate students will be talking about the exciting research that’s happening and what it’s like to be a graduate student within Applied Science. Hosted by Professor Davide Elmo, Associate Dean, Education and Professional Development this session will be useful whether you are thinking about graduate school, working on your application or have already applied. RSVP.
General sessions
Applying to grad school at UBC
November 10 at 10 AM (LinkedIn and Zoom)
In this session, we’ll break down the graduate school application at UBC. Explaining the process, key application elements and we provide some tips on strengthening your application. RSVP.
Applying to course-based and professional programs
November 22 at 5 PM (LinkedIn and Zoom)
At UBC we have approximately 100 different course-based and professional programs. These programs typically have a set program length, are cohort-based, and as the name suggests involve working through set course curricula. In this webinar we focus on applying to course-based programs and provide advice on making your application as strong as possible. RSVP.
Advice for Indigenous grad school applicants
Q&A with Professor Te Punga Somerville
In this Q&A Professor Alice Te Punga Somerville provides advice on several essential aspects of the graduate school application from an Indigenous applicant perspective. These include considering key factors for graduate studies, securing strong references, writing a compelling statement of interest, finding the right supervisor, understanding the supervisor's importance and achieving success in graduate school.
For additional information be sure to visit our Indigenous Students page.
Blog — Tips for budgeting and saving money in Vancouver
If you are applying to grad school or starting soon, you'll know there is a lot to consider to prepare yourself for the transition! Planning for graduate school can challenging as there is no single blueprint for success. However, one step you can prepare for, no matter your discipline, is having a good financial plan and budget. Here are some tips for budgeting and making your dollars and cents stretch further from current UBC grad student Phoebe Lee. Read the blog.
Ask an ambassador — Funding
Funding is often top of mind when planning graduate study. This month our ambassadors provide insight into some of the funding opportunities at UBC.
Latest graduate community news
This month we hear about the impact of the research being conducted by three current UBC grad students in the field of mental health. We learn about how UBC researchers have made a major development breakthrough in ‘robot skin,’ and get some tips and advice on navigating your professional development as a grad student. Read more.
Research projects, programs, and supervisors recruiting students
Visit our research projects page to review open research projects and faculty recruiting students. Below is a selection of projects and programs actively recruiting.
- Funded MASc Positions in Sensing, Control, and Data-assimilation for Smart Buildings
- Funded PhD Positions in Sensing, Control, and Data-assimilation for Smart Buildings
- Funded MASc Position in data-driven design for additive manufacturing
- French Graduate Programs Accepting Applications
- Hispanic Graduate Programs Accepting Applications
- MSc student opportunity in Nutritional Epidemiology for Population Health Program (Big Data)
- Graduate Student: Single-Particle Imaging of Lipid Nanoparticles
- Graduate Student: Oligotherapeutics Imaging
- Graduate Student: Single-Molecule Biophysics
Download our Graduate School Application Guide
Our 37-page guide works to demystify the graduate application process and provide some practical advice to help make your application as strong as possible, whichever program or university you're applying to. Download.