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 Alwani, Kiran

Kiran Alwani

Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA)

"UBC is known globally for its academic excellence, and the MPPGA program seemed promising in helping me develop a solid understanding of complex policy issues, enhancing my analytical skills, and gaining a global perspective. UBC's strong reputation for…"

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Janet Kivett Knight

Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP)

"The Indigenous community planning (ICP) specialization at UBC's School of Community and Regional Planning is unique in Canada, and ICP faculty and students are doing incredible work supporting Indigenous communities in determining and fulfilling their own planning…"

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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 Yamasaki, Kelsey

Kelsey Yamasaki

Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP)

"I decided to study at UBC because of its status as an innovative university, and because of its location in beautiful Vancouver. UBC is a global hub for research and teaching, and its graduate degree program options meant that I was able to enroll in a program…"

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Charles Mungwakuzwe

Master of Land and Water Systems (MLWS)

"UBC is among the leading universities in the world. Both the standards of education and students' lifestyle make it an ideal place for studying; it provides unique programs such as land and water systems which can help me to achieve my goals."

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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Candace Ho

Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)

"The UBC MOT program offers a total of 5 different full-time placements (30 weeks total) which means there are a plethora of opportunities to apply knowledge and skills into the practice setting. They also have many more connections for fieldwork around the world (…"

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Nancy Sunday

Master of Public Health (MPH)

"The MPH program offers a fantastic practicum opportunity, which provides a platform for students to integrate classroom learning and practice in a population or public health work environment. The well-structured curriculum that encompasses Epidemiology,…"

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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…"

Picture of Sekora, Ally Aboubakar

Ally Aboubakar Sekora

Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE)

"The one-year MFRE program is unique in the sense that it combines agribusiness management, policy analysis, and applied economics. This attracted me because I wanted to sharpen my skill sets with more advanced economics and real world applications. I’m taking this…"