Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Graduate School

Why did other students choose UBC?

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Pardis Semnani

"When I was admitted to the department of mathematics by my advisor and learned about her area of research, algebraic statistics, I found it intriguing that her problems of interest build a bridge between pure and applied mathematics. That is why I decided to work…"

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Jorden Hendry

"My experience with the Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health solidified my decision to choose UBC for my graduate studies, as it offers a unique environment that values Indigenous perspectives and fosters meaningful research and leadership opportunities."

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Jamie Kwon

"The opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration at UBC were a key deciding factor. I was fortunate to work with a team of experts from a variety of seemingly disconnected fields such as engineering, pathology, and radiation oncology. Being part of a robust…"

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Raha AtashPa

"I chose to study at the University of British Columbia (UBC) for its exceptional commitment to fostering interdisciplinary research and its globally recognized support for innovative art-based scholarship. UBC stands out as a leading institution that not only…"

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Genevieve Bonnor

"I completed my undergraduate degree at UBC and love the open research culture here, so I decided to pursue my graduate degree here as well. The faculty here are some of the best in the country and are always open to help with questions or ready to participate in…"

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Michael Sekatchev

"I was born in Vancouver, but I spent eight years living in southern France. I attended an international school there until 2018, when I returned to Vancouver to complete my final year of high school. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to grow up in…"

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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…"

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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…"

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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…"

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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…"

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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…"

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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."

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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…"

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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…"

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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.…"

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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…"

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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."

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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…"

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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…"

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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…"

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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…"

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Felix Giroux

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

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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…"

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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.…"

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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…"

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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…"

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Haopu (Lily) Ren

"UBC has been ranked one of the best universities in the world. Further, as a graduate of the University of British Columbia (UBC) from Master of Health Leadership and Policy (MHLP) in Seniors Care, continuing my study at UBC at the doctoral level is the natural…"

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Veronika Larsen

"I completed my MA at UBC in 2021, and my time on campus has been quite wonderful. I decided to study at UBC largely because of the expert faculty members that I have learned from, and that I believe I can learn much more from. Members in my department continue to…"

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Jordan Bird

"I actually did not think I would pursue a graduate degree after my MSc. However, by serendipity I met my PhD supervisors while they were conducting a study at UBCO. We spoke about their research and challenges with current assessment tools that are used in…"

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Belinda Chi

"Being born and raised in Vancouver, I wanted to stay close to my family and friends as I pursued my studies and was grateful to be accepted into the PhD program in EDCP at UBC."

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Melanie Mackay

"I graduated from UBC Geological Sciences and so I was aware that UBC is one of the best universities in Canada for research in geoscience and mining engineering. The smaller department sizes allow for rich collaboration among professors and graduate students."

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Fang Fang Li

"UBC is a world-class institution known for its many multidisciplinary collaborations, particularly with its many industry, government, and non-profit partners. I was fortunate to find supervisors at UBC matching my research interests who also had clinical…"

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Monir Shahzeidi

"UBC is a well-known university with higher education options and world-class facilities. UBC provides educators with resources and undoubtedly with the most experienced mentors in each field. These opportunities help students expand their knowledge and collaborate…"

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Brook Hadwen

"UBC's Kinesiology department is ranked first in Canada and fourth globally, with esteemed faculty members to work with and learn from. After reading some of the top-notch research that the department conducted, I couldn’t wait to be a part of it."

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Ian Hill

"Vancouver has always been the city that I consider home, getting to both return to the place I love while studying at a world-class university was not an opportunity to pass up. I feel very fortunate that the supervisor I was interested in studying under works…"

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Ashley Gilliland

"I was fortunate as a child to grow up in the greater Vancouver area and was eager to return home to continue my academic endeavors. Luckily for me, UBC is one of the top microbiology research schools in Canada and is host to a wealth of world-class researchers.…"

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Becca Beutel

"I visited UBC campus for the first time when I was 12 and absolutely fell in love (you could even find UBC written with hearts around it in my middle school diary.. I was not popular). When the time came to choose a graduate school, UBC remained a top contender…"

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Mohit Pandey

"Prior to joining UBC for my Ph.D., I was working in deep learning applications in late-stage drug discovery - particularly with large clinical trials. I had a chance to talk with my supervisor before coming to UBC. He made me realize how even early-stage drug…"

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Jackson Moore

"UBC is a world-class university and a leader in genomics research. Having done my undergraduate here as well, I developed a love for the city and the lifestyle it offers."

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Betty Shea

"My experience as a non-degree student was really positive. I loved the way lectures, tutorials, labs, assignments and projects all complemented each other. I found the lectures stimulating and the professors and TAs encouraging. I also loved just being on the UBC…"

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Heather Baker

"A big part of what brought me to UBC was the research. Professor Thibault Mayor’s research interests in proteostasis, aging, and using proteomics tools to explore these topics were what drew me to the idea of a PhD at UBC. The Department of Biochemistry and…"

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Rane Simpson

"UBC is a fantastic institution in an amazing country. Add to this that it is home to the nations premier environment for nuclear physics experiments, and you will have a picture that describes why UBC was my number one destination for graduate studies."

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John Harvey O'Hara

"I decided to study here because the CENES department is a hub for queer German studies, and there are few places like it in the world. The mentorship and sense of community here have encouraged me greatly as I've developed my project further. I also selected UBC…"

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Ash Larnder

"Coming out of the pandemic, I wanted to stay closer to my family. And the mountains of course - it was too hard to leave them. UBC is a beautiful campus by the ocean. My program has a lot of great health scientists in the province, so it's a good opportunity to…"

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W. Austin Guild

"I had a very enjoyable time at the UBC Okanagan campus over the five years I was completing my undergraduate studies. I really wanted to continue my education at UBC, however, I also wanted to experience life in a new city; therefore, I chose to pursue continuing…"

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Kabir Bhalla

"I knew that pursuing a PhD would be an arduous and demanding journey, so when considering my options for graduate studies, finding a campus that felt like home was crucial to me. UBC stood out as the clear and natural choice. Having formed strong connections and…"

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Arash Mousemi

"The field of my interest is not studied in many labs around the world, and UBC is one of the few universities that offered conducting research on what I really like. Also, my supervisor is kind and supportive."

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Rocio Hollman

"Having done my undergrad at UBC I knew that not only were the labs stunning, but so is the campus! I wasn't ready to leave such a beautiful place just yet."

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Aysha Allard Brown

"UBC has consistently offered me an exceptional research environment with opportunities I could have never envisioned. Upon completing my Bachelor’s at UBC in Biology and Kinesiology, I knew that pursuing my graduate degree here would continue to promote my…"

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Bronwen Grocott

"I applied to UBC because I wanted to work with my present supervisor, Dr. Joelle LeMoult. I was especially interested in researching social stress and depression using a mixed-methods, experimental approach and working with Joelle has made this possible."

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