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

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."

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."

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…"

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…"

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."

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…"

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.…"

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…"

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…"

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."

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…"

Woman with black shirt and black hair smiling with glasses

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…"

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…"

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…"

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 with a diverse community that would broaden and challenge my perspective. Support…"

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…"

Jonathan Easey

"I mean what’s not to love about UBC? You get to live in Vancouver AND get a degree from one of the top universities in the world! I suppose I should also mention that UBC is one of the few institutions globally with a significant research focus on health education…"

Ilke Geladi

"I came to UBC for three reasons. First, I was looking for an interdisciplinary program that would encourage and support me to ask both biological and social questions in an applied manner with a problem-oriented mentality. The Institute for Resources, Environment…"

Zeina Waheed

"UBC’s School of Population and Public Health provides excellent training in health economics, healthcare systems analysis, data analysis, statistics, epidemiology, and qualitative methods. Studying at UBC also provides me with the opportunity to work with my…"

Dane Pedersen

"I was born and raised in British Columbia on Secwepemc territory (Kamloops, BC). I completed my B.Sc at the University of Victoria, and my M.Sc at McGill University, where I studied the transboundary governance network tasked with protecting the endangered…"

Orkhon Gantogtokh

"UBC’s strong expertise in academic leadership and visionary approach to doctoral education resonates with my career ambition of becoming a resourceful academic leader and a potent agent of change in doctoral education in Mongolia. Moreover, I was eager to be…"

Mahashewta Bhattacharya

"I chose to pursue a graduate degree at UBC for several compelling reasons. Firstly, the department of anthropology at UBC is renowned for its academic excellence and research prowess, while being dedicated to nurturing meaningful collaborations with cultural…"

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…"

Samuel Adeyanju

"I first heard about UBC during one of the classes I took with a professor during my second year of undergrad in Nigeria. The professor described how prestigious the university was, having had his sabbatical there in the early 2000s. After completing my…"

Cara James

"I asked my masters supervisor for recommendations for PhD supervisors in Europe, and he replied with a list of 5 schools in the US and 2 in Canada. I had never considered moving to North America, but as soon as I started reading about Vancouver, UBC, and my…"

Jonathan Beutler

"First and foremost, I was inspired by the scope of the dissertation project that I am proud to be working on at UBC. I believe that the advent portable sequencing platforms will play an important role in advancing global disease biology by helping us to deploy…"

Vriti Bhagat

"UBC is internationally recognized for producing high quality and rigorous research, which made pursuing my graduate degree in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC an attractive option. I was also looking forward to collaborating with world-renowned faculty members…"

Abisola Kehinde

"Researching clinical diseases has always been my passion but due to the lack of clinical research labs in my undergraduate department, I had to choose a different research area (which was largely self-funded). In pursuit of that goal, I came to Canada for graduate…"

Ahmed Kabil

"UBC is a wonderful university with so much to offer! Its reputation for academic excellence is truly outstanding, and Vancouver is a stunning location to study in. The community at UBC is incredibly diverse and inclusive, providing so many opportunities for…"

Meghna Mohandas

"Once I decided to pursue my PhD in urban planning, UBC was an obvious choice. The School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP) is a world-renowned department in the discipline. My supervisors Dr. Leonora Angeles and Dr. Julia Harten have immense research…"

Yas Oloumi Yazdi

"I had completed my undergraduate degree at UBC. I was familiar with the campus and the city. My family also lives in Vancouver and being able to stay close to them while studying at one of the top engineering schools in the world with such a beautiful campus…"

Brandi Bird

"I only applied to UBC. I couldn’t justify upending my life with my partner and my cats for two years of schooling. I decided if I didn’t get in, I’d try again next year. But I was lucky! I just finished my undergraduate degree at UBC and so the familiarity of…"

Jade LaFontaine

"I chose UBC because I did my undergrad here, and I really enjoyed the Indigenous community at UBC. Most universities in Canada don’t have the presence and physical spaces dedicated to Indigenous gathering and representation that I found at UBC. UBC is also close…"

V. Pauahi Souza

"My interest to study at UBC was and is due to the Social Justice Institute and the faculty within the program. I specifically wanted a degree geared towards Social Justice. In 2018, at the time I was thinking of PhD studies, UBC was the only school in North…"