Canadian Immigration Updates

Review details about the recently announced changes to study and work permits that apply to master’s and doctoral degree students. Read more

 

Why grad school?

There are a number of reasons why someone might decide to go to grad school.

For some, it’s about their passion for learning or their desire to facilitate improvements and changes in an area they care deeply about. In a world of extraordinary and continuous change graduate school can be a place and a time for you to innovate, explore and investigate. It’s a chance to collaborate with faculty and colleagues across boundaries, to learn at a deeper level and contribute to the generation of new knowledge that can change the way we think about the world.

For others, grad school is about taking the next step in their career path. Whether getting a degree might help you make a career move to a new field or to climb the ladder, a graduate degree will lead to additional skills, subject matter knowledge and competencies and make you more competitive professionally.

Whatever your reason may be for considering grad school, UBC has a program for you. Our Vancouver campus provides the perfect community to study at the graduate level. With more than 300 graduate programs spanning our 11 faculties, you’ll be part of a community of more than 10,000 graduate students, supported to do your best work, and given opportunities to explore your curiosity and to advance your career.

Academic Excellence

UBC is a global centre for teaching, learning and research, consistently ranked among the top public universities in the world.

Entrepreneurial

Since 2013, more than 476 ventures have been incubated and accelerated, and 220 industry and startup mentors have been part of the UBC network.

Research

$747.3M research funding in 2022/23, generating 9,675 projects across our faculties. All of our PhD students receive our minimum funding package.

Facilities

UBC invested more than $1.5 billion dollars into infrastructure and facilities in the last 10 years. 

Program Options

Course-based programs

Course-based pograms, sometimes referred to as professional programs, require a student to complete a set number of courses to obtain a degree. Submission of an individual research thesis is usually not required, but programs may include major projects, capstone courses, internships or other work placements. Course-based programs tend to be shorter in duration and more flexible in program delivery, usually with higher tuition costs. These are often targeted at professionals with some work experience to attain the next career promotion or a change into another field.

View Course-based Programs

Research-based programs

Research-based programs usually include some coursework at the beginning of the degree and then focus on individual independent research under the supervision of a faculty member that culminates in the formulation of a thesis or dissertation. Most master programs require 2 years of study and PhD programs usually require between 5-7 years of study. Research degrees provide the possibility to become an expert in a chosen field of study with the possibility to pursue an academic career as professor as well as exciting careers in non-academic environments. Many UBC programs expect applicants to have obtained a master's level qualification before entering a PhD, although direct entry into PhD progams is possible at UBC.

View thesis optional Master's programs

View thesis required Master's programs

View Doctoral programs

 

Prospective Students

 

Choose UBC

Every year, UBC attracts outstanding students from around the globe to our world-class academic environment. At UBC, we are enhancing graduate supervision, advancing Indigenous inclusion and improving student funding.

We are at the forefront of responding to and building on changes that impact the way we learn and how our most highly educated people contribute to the world. Through the pioneering Public Scholars Initiative, we are reimagining approaches to research graduate education and exploring flexible methodologies for learners to develop needed expertise.

Become part of our community. Apply today

 

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