Join UBC's Course-Based Programs Application Week, October 19-23, 2026. Explore our wide range of more than 90 course-based and professional graduate programs, live online. Meet program teams, ask your questions, and find the program that's right for you.

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Why UBC

Our course-based programs span across our faculties, from health and business to engineering, education, and the arts. Backed by UBC's research strength and connections across industry and government, you'll graduate with much more than a credential. You’ll gain a network, real-world experience, and graduate from a program built to take you to the next stage of your life and career.

UBC's Institutional Rankings

#41
THE Ranking (2025)
#53
ARWU Ranking (2025)
#5
QS Sustainability Rankings (2025)

The most established and influential global rankings all consistently place UBC in the top three per cent of universities in the world.

 

Career outcomes and industry connections

A UBC course-based master's degree pays off. Based on survey responses collected in August 2025 from graduates of our course-based master's programs between 2014 and 2023, we found:

  • 93% of alumni are employed or self-employed.
  • 89% of employed/self-employed alumni are working within Canada.
  • Careers span every sector: 32% for-profit, 34% education, 27% government/public service, 6% non-profit/NGO/international — showing just how many directions a course-based degree can take you.

Our course-based programs are built with industry input and include career-focused coursework, projects, and practicums — connecting students directly to employers through recruitment events, alumni networks, and capstone projects.

For example, our Master of Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture students complete an eight-month co-op placement inside a professional firm as part of their degree. In our Master of Physical Therapy students complete five clinical placements across BC's health authorities before they graduate. Our Master of Data Science students complete a capstone project with an industry partner. In the past, teams have worked with organizations like the Insurance Corporation of BC, Boeing Digital Solutions and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. In our Master of Food and Resource Economics students spend their final four months working directly with an industry partner on a real business problem.  

These experiences show up in our graduate outcomes. For example, within a year of graduating, 95%+ of Master of Community and Regional Planning students are working in planning-related roles.  Many of our Master of Food and Resource Economics students go on to roles within the organizations they worked with in the program such as Farm Credit Canada, AlphaSense, and the Government of Canada. Our Master of Science in Occupational and Environmental Hygiene graduates report full employment within six months, while our Master of Health Administration alumni now number more than 400 leaders working in healthcare around the world. In our Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering, graduates have gone on to organizations like Vancouver Coastal Health and Neovasc, with some launching their own medtech companies. 

These are just a handful of examples. Read more about our programs and attend upcoming info sessions to hear more. 

What's the difference? Course-based vs. research-based programs

Not sure whether a course-based or research-based program is the right fit? Watch this short video to learn the difference and figure out which path matches your goals.

Facilities

Facilities

Outside view of the CIRS building

Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability

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View of the Beaty expansion project

Beaty Biodiversity Research Centre

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Outside view of the QMI building

Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute

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Outside view of the Gordon B. Shrum Building

School of Biomedical Engineering

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Rendered view of the Gateway Building

Gateway Building

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Street view of the C.K. Choi building

C.K. Choi Building

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Fields on the UBC Farm

UBC Farm

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Inside view of auditorium in the Chan

Chan Centre

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Outside view of the MSL building

Michael Smith Laboratories

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View of great hall in the MoA

Museum of Anthropology

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Front facing view of the Pharamceutical Sciences building

Pharmaceutical Sciences

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EAB building

Earth Science Building

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Student and Alumni Quotes

Picture of Orhierhor, Marian

Marian Orhierhor

Master of Public Health (MPH)

"Studying at SPPH gave me the opportunity to network with scholars from different fields of study, thereby extending my professional network and global reach. It also meant I would have a chance to network with professors who are critical players in public health…"

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Christina Luong

Master of Health Science (MHSc)

"The University of British Columbia is a world renown institution and the Master of Health Science is tailored to clinicians and other health professionals."

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Cynthia Lam

Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering (MEng)

"UBC boasts amazing research labs, an inclusive community, and of course a beautiful campus. I was especially drawn to the Engineers in Scrubs program that UBC offered, which gave me hands on experience with medical device prototyping."

Picture of Yang, Yaning

Yaning Yang

Master of Public Health (MPH)

"My program offers courses on a variety of subject matters in the public health arena. The core requirements, such as statistics and epidemiology are foundational, and I have learned a lot about academic research from them. I also have a lot of freedom in terms of…"

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Emily Gray

Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP)

"UBC has a great reputation in Canada and worldwide as a high quality institution. My favourite thing is the incredible amount of resources and opportunities that I have access to. I am continually impressed by the options available to me by virtue of being a UBC…"

Picture of Daman Saini

Daman Saini

LLM - Master of Laws (Common Law) (LLMCL)

"UBC offers world-class education and a supportive network of professors and staff, which helps you grow on a holistic level and prepares you to take on the world!"

Picture of Gairdner, Kaitlin

Kaitlin Gairdner

Master of Physical Therapy (MPT)

"Living in a community with such diversity, it’s important to me that I am gaining insight into culturally sensitive health care practices that will prepare me for a future career in the field of physical therapy."

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Ali Zwicker

Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)

"The high regard for the program and the success of graduates on the national exam indicated to me that we would be well prepared and confident entering the field as new occupational therapists."

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Erin Anker

Master of Nursing - Nurse Practitioner (MN)

"The MN-NP program at UBC was attractive to me for many reasons, one being that it would be in-class learning with peers and colleagues. Being someone who thrives off of group discussions and collaboration this was very important to me as I started to look into…"

Picture of Vijh, Rohit

Rohit Vijh

Master of Public Health (MPH)

"Studying as a public health resident and MPH student at UBC has allowed me to engage with innovative and some of the foremost leaders in public health. The amount of opportunities to make a significant impact on public health policy and build innovative programs…"