Why did other students choose UBC?

Steven Bristow

"I had a few ideal criteria when trying to decide where to do my PhD and UBC met all of them. I wanted to try working with new types of crops/styles of production, work in a new climate, and I had hoped to be able to do a PhD outside the United...

Fabiola Bazo

"I decided to study at UBC because it provides the exact combination of knowledge and expertise that I need for my dissertation research: from gender, to music, to Latin American studies. And I am lucky enough to live in this beautiful campus...

Romina Tantalean-Castaneda

"I came to UBC as a master's student and am now a doctoral student because I consider the Social Justice Institute's (Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice) interdisciplinary doctoral program the most suitable environment for re-imagining...

Lisa Ritland

"It was a clear choice for me to apply to UBC. The School of Population and Public Health and the Human Early Learning Partnership at UBC offer an ideal training environment for me to pursue population health research in collaboration with local...

Cheyanne Connell

"My research project lends to UBC's core values of and commitment to Indigenous reconciliation. Indigenous folks in Canada and elsewhere are looking for more expansive representation and greater inclusion in school and public, and UBC feels like...

Winy Vasquez

"When I was in elementary school, my family relocated to Vancouver so that my dad could pursue his own doctoral degree and so I grew up in and around the UBC campus. Throughout my elementary and secondary education in Vancouver, I was able to...

Leilani Forby

"Before I decided to pursue a graduate degree, I worked in the film industry and was required to do a lot of international travel. The business trips to Canada were always my favorite --- I fell in love with the cities and the people. When I...

Dana Johnson

"While applying to PhD programs, I sought to conduct research that incorporates multiple values into urban decision-making. I found a perfect fit with Dr. Kai Chan and his lab group (the CHANS lab) at the University of British Columbia’s...

Daniel Lipshutz Forrest

"I saw that, while both of my advisors, Drs. Kai Chan and Matthew Mitchell, are trained ecologists, they have training beyond ecology, experience working in interdisciplinary teams, and a demonstrated commitment to innovative and impactful...

Parboti Roy

"While researching for the graduate studies program in Canada, I found out UBC is one of the top universities that supports research innovation, and the Asian Studies program is one of the leading programs in the world. So, I changed my academic...

Annie Lalande

"I initially came to UBC for my general surgery training, drawn to a program that values surgical excellence, and supports diverse types of research and transformation projects. When I decided to undertake graduate studies, the Institute for...

Alysha Deslippe

"My initial decision to study at UBC started back in my undergraduate. I chose UBC largely for its access to numerous outdoor activities year-round. I am an avid runner, hiker, skier and beach volleyball player. Being in Vancouver means I can...

Ace Chan

"The West Coast has always been my home and I was not ready to part with it quite yet. The choice to pursue my doctoral studies at UBC was simple as UBC is a high-ranking university both in Canada and internationally. I wanted to earn a degree...

Aram Bajakian

"I had been discussing my research over the years with my current advisor, ethnomusicology professor Dr. Nathan Hesselink. His attentiveness and interest was of course, an important factor. In addition the Armenian community in greater Vancouver...

Sammy Iammarino

"I chose UBC because of its reputation for high quality education and proximity to harm reduction environments that allow me to stay connected to my nursing practice. Studying at UBC has made it possible for me to be a PhD student, nursing...

Tetiana Povshedna

"UBC is uniquely positioned to offer incoming students not only world-class education opportunities but also, quite possibly, the best views in the world. This rare chance to experience high-quality academic and lifestyle environments made it...

Pardis Kazemian

"During my undergraduate courses at UBC, I often stumbled upon concepts that were discovered, or technologies that were developed by scientists and geneticists at UBC. During my last undergraduate year, I met my current supervisor in a Medical...

Khair Mufti

"UBC is one of the top universities for research and teaching in Canada and around world. As I wanted to unite my background in pharmacology with my research passion and experience in Genetics to pursue my doctoral research in Pharmacogenomics,...

Megan Thomas

"UBC is one of Canada’s leading research universities, consistently ranking in the top 40 universities in the world. In addition to it's stellar reputation, it also has one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. The ocean and mountain...

Ritwik Bhattacharjee

"As I was interested in studying settler colonialism, I wanted to study in Canada. I decided to study at UBC due to three reasons: 1. the Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program; 2. to be able to work with my supervisor, Glen Coulthard; and 3...

Leah Rettenbacher

"I decided to study at UBC because I wanted to combine my interests in the outdoors and forests with my interest in biology which led me to UBC Forestry's Forest Sciences program for my undergraduate and now graduate degrees. "

Nick Middeldorp

"UBC has become the perfect place for me to develop professionally. My background is in Anthropology and Development Studies, but UBC’s Geography program, which has a very interdisciplinary focus, has offered me entirely novel perspectives on...

Debbie Pierce

"UBC is well known internationally for its Faculty of Forestry, and I was lucky enough to find a great fit in my adviser, Terry Sunderland. To me, it was also important to have a collaborative research environment, both professionally and...

Natasha Klasios

"UBC is one of the top-rated research universities in the world. This really interested me, because I knew it would open up many doors during my degree and upon my graduation. After connecting with my supervisor, I knew UBC and her lab would not...

Manpreet Thandi

"I have always lived in Vancouver but had never seen or explored the campus of UBC prior to beginning my graduate education. I was blown away with not only the physical beauty of the campus, but also the tremendous support of the faculty at the...

Chantelle Cocquyt

"I decided to study at UBC following a visit to the campus where I was stunned by the kindness of the administrators and staff as well as the beauty of the campus itself. The environment at UBC is one of welcome and ambition and I was confident...

Oliver Jacobs

"I chose to study at UBC because of an immensely supportive supervisor and lab where I could use virtual reality and eye-tracking to pursue my research goals. Furthermore, UBC, and the Department of Psychology, in particular, are internationally...

Gunwant Matharu

"Location, location, location, right? UBC is one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever had the honour of seeing. My love for the mountains and the ocean is overwhelming, and every time I step outside into the fresh air, I am feel happier...

Thea Brain

"The University of British Columbia was a clear choice for me when I decided to continue my education. I was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. completing my B.A. in Applied Behaviour Analysis at Capilano University and my M.A. in Special...

Mauricio Carvallo Aceves

"My decision to apply to UBC was a combination of several factors. I found the school’s reputation, both academically and in its engagement with sustainability issues to be very interesting. I also wanted to be exposed to a new context and...

Kennedy Borle

"I completed my MSc at UBC and found a sense of home in the lively genetic counselling research hub that exists here, and the wonderful city of Vancouver. Choosing to attend UBC for my doctoral training was an easy decision, the high caliber of...

Ashley Battaglini

"I decided to study at UBC for its emphasis on research and its rigorous approach to conducting research studies. Also, I decided to attend UBC to work with my supervisor, Dr. Joelle LeMoult, because of her exceptional research background and...

Natasha Damiano

"I am perhaps one of the few UBCer’s who is from Vancouver, and who also completed all of my degrees at this institution. As an undergraduate this was not a choice. My family couldn’t afford sending me away to school so I didn’t really consider...

Sydney Moore

"I chose to pursue my PhD at UBC, as it is an internationally accredited university with a high standard for research. Over the years, I have seen the quality and quantity of research that has come out of the UBC Dairy Facility. Upon visiting...

Neha Sharma-Mascarenhas

"There are several reasons for this: Firstly, UBC is among the leading universities in the field of environment and sustainability research. Secondly, my program at UBC offers exactly what I was looking for in a PhD program and provides...

Darryl Gray

"The decision to study at UBC was always my first choice in academic institutions. This is my own personal opinion, I wanted the opportunity to study and learn research from some of the best minds in the research field. At first, I was not...

Sofie McComb

"The UBC Faculty of Forestry is a leading forestry science and research institute that is incredibly interdisciplinary in nature, which I believe is essential for tackling environmental dilemmas. Additionally, Vancouver and the adjacent Salish...

Jessica Koski

"During the time I was connecting the dots of my purpose and slowing down to listen to inner wisdom and signs, one by one things aligned and pointed to the University of British Colombia. ‘Sparkly breadcrumbs’ as one mentor calls it. Now that I’...

Carrie Peters

"My supervisor, Dr. Nicola Hodges, was the main reason I wanted to study at UBC. I was interested in her research on how the motor system is engaged during action observation and prediction. Also, being a bigger university, I was excited about...

Ewan Wright

"UBC is a world renowned organisation in a fantastic city. Being able to meet students and teachers from Canada and around the world is a great benefit to my research, career and life. Furthermore, my supervisors at UBC are experts in their...

Brandon Hillier

"Primarily the type and level of scholarship. I admired the work historically and currently produced by the Department of Geography. I had also heard much about the training provided and was eager to refine my research interests here. "...

Saattvic Saattvic

"UBC ticked a lot of my boxes. The university itself, and my program, are both very highly ranked internationally. The faculty includes several established and young researchers with interests closely connected to mine. The financial support (...

Sahar Ghadirianniari

"I personally think when one wants to pursue a PhD degree, it is more important to decide which professor to work with than at which university to study. I was lucky that the faculty I was eager to work with (Prof. Scott McDougall and Prof. Erik...

Kate Peterson

"I chose to study at UBC because the forestry program is one of the top programs in this industry. The experts and scholars in the forestry field present at UBC were a huge draw for me. Additionally, I had visited Vancouver in the past and fell...

Lindsey Paskulin

"I was primarily led to UBC through the positive reputation of the Anthropology Department and my interest in working with Dr. Camilla Speller. Given Dr. Speller’s expertise as a biomolecular archaeologist working to incorporate more...

Sarah Panofsky

"My PhD will be my fourth UBC degree and I am confident that the university will provide me with the comprehensiveness, relevance, and rigour that I seek in my studies. Connection to place is also important. Studying at UBC allows me to maintain...

Kim McCullough

"I was fortunate to study at UBC for my Master's degree and instantly fell in love with the program, the people, the university environment, and Vancouver itself. When it came to applying to PhD programs, UBC was at the top of my list, no...

Justin Turner

"UBC is a world-renowned leader in research and education, however, I was most drawn to study here because of its position as a centre of excellence within BC. I also previously completed a Master of Occupational Therapy at UBC (2015-2017) and...

Gabriel Currier

"I quite like the kind of math that people do here, and enjoy working with my supervisors. The campus is also a beautiful place and the graduate student community is pretty laid back and friendly. "

Matthew Billet

"I was enamoured with the work on the cultural evolution of religion that was being conducted by a large group of UBC researchers. It was clear that UBC was interested in big questions and had the capability to bring together interdisciplinary...