Why did other students choose UBC? | Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Aaron Klymasz-Swartz

"My previous supervisor encouraged me to study at UBC under Dr. Colin Brauner as we both thought it would be a great fit for myself and my career aspirations."

Juri Kim

"My decision to study at UBC was influenced by two compelling factors. Firstly, UBC's outstanding reputation for research excellence and world-class education, particularly in the field of Planning, drew me in as I sought a graduate program that could provide the…"

Nicole Bison

"UBC is an awesome place to do ecological research! In addition to nearby mountain ranges that provide elevational temperature gradients, we have access to incredibly diverse plant collections at the UBC Botanical Garden only a short walk away from our laboratory.…"

Xuyan Tang

"UBC boasts a prestigious reputation as a leading institution in academia and research, which aligns perfectly with my aspirations for a high-quality education. Additionally, the picturesque campus and well-equipped facilities provide an ideal environment for…"

Stéphanie La France

"As one of the top universities in Canada, UBC offered depth and breadth of research explorations, as well as opportunities to connect with researchers at the cutting edge of the field of mathematics education and research methodologies in education."

Talia Morstead

"My decision to study at UBC was driven in large part by my desire to work with Dr. Anita DeLongis, a foremost expert in the field of stress and coping. After coming across Dr. DeLongis’ work during my undergraduate studies and having the opportunity to volunteer…"

Lorna Tu

"I attended UBC for my BSc and found the physics department to be very efficient and supportive. I had also recently returned from a long internship abroad and wanted to stay closer to home (and its mountains!) for a little bit longer."

Bonnie Leung

"The UBC School of Nursing is Canada's top-ranked nursing program and is internationally renowned for their contributions to nursing and health research, nursing philosophy and health system leadership."

Leah Alfred-Olmedo

"My choice to pursue my PhD at UBC was based on relationships, both within the university and without. I have a generative and supportive relationship with my supervisor, with other members of the English faculty, and with other graduate students at UBC. I feel…"

Shalini Iyer

"I learned that UBC was one of the Canadian institutions at the forefront of neuroscience research with access to cutting-edge technology. UBC provides a collaborative, supportive environment, which is crucial for fostering scientific growth, networking…"

Harris Wong

"I completed my B.A. in psychology at UBC and loved my time here. It is a world-renowned university for a reason and I was constantly in awe of the beauty and size of the campus. Furthermore, there were great resources for students and I felt well-supported…"

Darren Blackburn

"I chose to study at UBC after an initial phone call with the program staff at the Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program (ISGP) office. I originally called with a long list of questions, expecting to be directed to the program website (an experience I had with…"

Michael Yin

"I love Vancouver! It's the greatest city in the world. I love the integration of nature into the city; it has all of the mountains, forests, and oceans. In addition, the city is a melting pot of cultures, and that's definitely reflected at UBC. It feels like there…"

Jennifer Cooper

"I originally decided to study at UBC for my undergraduate degree mostly due to proximity to my hometown. However, during my time in undergrad, I was able to gain a greater appreciation for UBC which encouraged me to want to stay at this institution for my graduate…"

Katrin Steinthorsdottir

"I originally applied for my MSc at UBC because I had heard that living in Vancouver was a dream. Then I really liked the people, the city, the research topic and it was a perfect fit."

Xiaocong Guo

"The University of British Columbia is a top tier university in Canada and across the world. I can leverage the exemplary training environment and its culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Choosing to study at UBC was easily the best decision I could have…"

Hacina Gill

"I chose UBC for three main reasons: its reputation, its location, and its fit with my hopes of grad school. UBC is not only one of the best universities in Canada, but it also happens to be less than an hour away from my hometown. Even though the location was…"

Shelby Marozoff

"UBC has a strong reputation for research excellence, and I believe that having my graduate degree from UBC will help me in my career afterwards. There are also a number of awards and fellowships which are available to graduate students throughout their degrees.…"

Lulu Pei

"I chose UBC for its breadth of research, resources for professional development, and opportunities for collaborations across Canada and internationally as well. Within the department of Human Nutrition, I started working with my current supervisor Dr. Karakochuk…"

Loulou Cai

"I grew up just outside of Vancouver, but went to McGill for my undergraduate studies. I decided to return to Vancouver for my graduate studies because of the scientific climate, the opportunities for knowledge translation and the beautiful nature that surrounds it."

Ian Alexander

"I chose UBC because of three main reasons. The first is the Social Studies Education Centre in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy. My supervisor Dr. Penney Clark and other faculty have a world-class research program which provides me with ample GRA work and…"

Quanhan Xi

"UBC is one of a few Canadian universities that has a dedicated statistics department, which means that we cover an impressive range of statistics-related research. The location and natural beauty was also a driving factor. Graduate school is a good time to try…"

Raymond Wu

"UBC offers a lot of opportunity for interdisciplinary research at least in the context of my work. The Department of Psychology has ties with, for example, the Centre for Brain Health and Sauder School of Business. I really look forward to collaborating with folks…"

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…"

Felix Giroux

"Thanks to student mobilization and activism, UBC has put forward a strong climate emergency plan with meaningful resources put towards climate justice."

Parker Muzzerall

"UBC is a globally renowned institution for studying issues related to the environment and climate change, and the Sociology Department in particular has one of the strongest contingents of environmental sociologists in the world. These, paired with the…"

Geoffrey Woollard

"I applied to UBC in 2020, during the pandemic. It was a close call between working with Marcus Brubaker, who co-founded my former employer Structura Biotechnology, before becoming an Assistant Professor at York University, and working with Khanh Dao Duc at UBC.…"

Narsis Daftarian

"The experimental medicine program at UBC provides a uniquely wide spectrum range of study for graduate students like medical doctors who want to become professionally trained in clinical, population-based as well as basic science research. This program also offers…"

Carly Hamdon

"I decided to study at UBC for several reasons, but the largest was to work with my supervisor, Dr. Emily Huddart Kennedy. When I came upon her work, I knew immediately that she would be an ideal academic supervisor and mentor for me. Her keen ability to ask…"

Rama El-khawaldeh

"UBC has an outstanding reputation for research and academic excellence, especially in the field of chemical robotics, which aligns perfectly with my interests and career goals. The opportunity to work with Professor Jason Hein, who is a leading expert in the field…"

Colton Strong

"When considering where to pursue my graduate degree, UBC was the obvious choice for me for several reasons. UBC has an international reputation for excellence in nanomedicine and gene therapy research, and many notable discoveries made by UBC researchers have…"

Katherine Hastings

"Vancouver is home to one of the leading IYS networks internationally. When I sought out to learn more about IYS and their potential (something that did not exist in the States at the time), it felt like a perfect fit for my interests in youth mental health and…"

Mike Stefanuk

"The Faculty of Forestry and UBC host a fantastic group of multi-disciplinary researchers with world-class experts in wildfire and forest ecology. I was eager to learn in a place where my perspectives would be broadened and challenged by this diverse community.…"

Himani Prajapati

"Studying at UBC is a dream come true for me, and being part of the rehabilitation department's research is truly exceptional. The faculty here come from all over the world and possess an incredible depth of knowledge and expertise. I feel particularly blessed to…"

Miah Godek

"The Faculty of Forestry at UBC is full of students, faculty, and staff with diverse perspectives and backgrounds that have and will provide me with great opportunities for interdisciplinary research."

Jennie Pearson

"Following my Masters studies, I was very fortunate to have joined the AESHA Project, a long term community-based project housed at UBC’s Department of Medicine, as a research assistant. With encouragement from my supervisors at AESHA, now my PhD supervisors,…"

Allison Campbell

"Vancouver is my home, and I have been involved in health education at UBC for over a decade. I am grateful to now have the opportunity to bring together my experience in midwifery practice and education with my long-held interests in prison- and reproductive…"

Starr Sandoval

"UBC Linguistics has an intellectually nourishing, well-respected, and diverse curriculum and research program. As a student here, I have received exceptional support from faculty on my research, and there have been many opportunities for community collaboration."

Tara L. Brown

"I chose to study at UBC's Faculty of Forestry for its global reputation in multidisciplinary research on complex ecological systems, which aligns with my focus on human health and natural environments. My decision to study at UBC was further inspired after…"

Zana Mody

"UBC is an incredible, world class university, and I’m so grateful to have landed here. Especially through my lab (Climate and Coastal Ecosystems) with Dr. Simon Donner and my colleagues at IRES, I have an amazing support network and a multitude of resources to…"

Daniel Gallardo

"I found an integrated program at the University of British Columbia for advancing Indigenous perspectives and decolonial curriculum in education. I enrolled as a graduate student in the Educational Studies program to engage with transdisciplinary research on…"

Andrea Kampen

"I decided to study at UBC through a combination of geography and networking. Life circumstances brought me to Vancouver where I had occasion to meet my now supervisor Dr. Heather O’Brien (School of Information). I found her work in user engagement intriguing and…"

Wesley (Wes) Regan

"I feel so blessed to live in Vancouver where one of the best universities in the world is literally right in my backyard, but I was considering other universities too. It was ultimately a discussion with one of the faculty members at SCARP that made the difference…"

Heather (Hezy) Anholt

"I came to UBC specifically to work with Dr. Chelsea Himsworth. Dr. Himsworth is known for her work with the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative and leads several impactful research projects on the epidemiology of zoonotic diseases, including the Vancouver Rat…"

Charlotte Milne

"I chose to come to UBC thanks to its unique placement as a university that advocates for and prioritizes the inclusion of Indigenous sciences alongside Western practices. I came for my fantastic supervisors Prof. Stephanie Chang and Prof. Simon Donner, thanks to…"

Michelle Kamigaki-Baron

"I read a paper a few years prior that was co-authored by my current supervisor Dr. Molly Babel which helped me imagine the research question of my current PhD project. Upon doing more research on UBC, it became clear that UBC was an ideal choice for me. The…"

Almira Zhantuyakova

"I decided to study at UBC because it offers one of the few graduate programs in women's health globally. UBC shows commitment to advancing research and education in women's health research. Moreover, Canada is renowned for its excellence in research and medical…"

Nicole Davies

"In my previous student experiences, I learned how transformative mentorship from an attentive Indigenous scholar can be to my academic development and success. My decision to study at UBC was strongly determined by Dr. Tabitha Robin’s scholarship and mentorship.…"

Titilope Onolaja

"I chose UBC because it provided me with enormous research resources, primarily because of its outstanding library collections such as the First Nations, Anthropology, and Women’s Studies among others, which created wider research possibilities and options. The…"

Stephen Oppong

"UBC is globally recognized for its teaching and research excellence, high academic standards, a global reputation for producing leading-edge research, and extraordinary reception for diverse cultures and minority groups, making it an attractive choice for most…"