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Overview
Experimental Medicine is the study of the pathogenesis and treatment of disease. Modern experimental medicine represents a rapidly growing body of knowledge involving the determination of diseases processes and the development of appropriate therapies.
The Experimental Medicine Program is intended for individuals seeking a career in research. The Department of Medicine offers opportunities and facilities for advanced studies in experimental medicine, leading toward the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. Members of the Department direct research programs in a wide range of basic and clinically relevant areas. There are a variety of special interest areas of national and international stature. Specialties within the Experimental Medicine Program include: Cardiology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hematology, Infectious Diseases, Medical Immunology, Medical Oncology, Molecular Biology, Nephrology, Neurology and Respiratory Medicine.
Students may work with investigators located on the main campus of the University of B.C., or they may work in laboratories located off campus (Vancouver General Hospital, Jack Bell Research Centre, Terry Fox Laboratory, St. Paul's Hospital, Biomedical Research Centre, BC Children's Hospital).
Quick Facts
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
Admission Information & Requirements
1) Check Eligibility
Minimum Academic Requirements
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:
Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.
English Language Test
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based
Overall score requirement: 96
Reading
22
Writing
22
Speaking
22
Listening
22
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
Overall score requirement: 7.0
Reading
7.0
Writing
7.0
Speaking
7.0
Listening
7.0
Other Test Scores
Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:
The GRE is not required.
Prior degree, course and other requirements
Prior Degree Requirements
Students admitted to the M.Sc. program in Experimental Medicine normally possess a B.Sc. in life sciences, biology, zoology, biochemistry, or related disciplines, or have an M.D., D.M.D. or D.V.M..
2) Meet Deadlines
January 2026 Intake
Application Open Date
01 January 2025Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
May 2026 Intake
Application Open Date
15 June 2025Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
3) Prepare Application
Transcripts
All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.
Letters of Reference
A minimum of two references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. Each graduate program determines the type of reference (e.g. academic, professional) and number of references they require which can range from 2 to 4. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your qualifications for the program.
Statement of Interest
Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Master of Science in Experimental Medicine (MSc)
It is not required to secure a supervisor at the time of the application, but the application will only be reviewed once a supervisor is secured.
Citizenship Verification
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
4) Apply Online
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $116.25 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,875.34 | $3,294.66 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,626.02 | $9,883.98 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,144.10 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies. | |
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Financial Support
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.
Program Funding Packages
Effective September 2024, students entering the Experimental Medicine M.Sc. program without a major scholarship will receive a minimum annual stipend of $30,000, provided by their supervisor. This minimum stipend will be further increased to $36,000 per year starting in September 2025.
Funding Statistics
This results in a net balance (any funding provided to the student minus tuition and fees) mean of $18,702 and median of $20,586.
- 5 students received Teaching Assistantships. Median TA funding based on 5 students was $4,765.
- 26 students received Research Assistantships. Median RA funding based on 26 students was $21,523.
- 2 students received Academic Assistantships. Median AA funding based on 2 students was $3,414.
- 24 students received internal awards. Median internal award funding based on 24 students was $5,000.
- 10 students received external awards. Median external award funding based on 10 students was $12,396.
Review methodology
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)
Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)
Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.
Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)
Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.
Financial aid (need-based funding)
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Foreign government scholarships
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
Working while studying
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 24 hours a week during academic sessions.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Cost Estimator
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Master of Science in Experimental Medicine (MSc). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
ENROLMENT DATA
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 58 | 54 | 64 | 67 | 85 |
| Offers | 26 | 23 | 49 | 30 | 26 |
| New Enrolment | 20 | 20 | 43 | 25 | 23 |
| Total Enrolment | 82 | 92 | 88 | 71 | 91 |
Completion Rates & Times
Disclaimer
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Master of Science in Experimental Medicine (MSc)
It is not required to secure a supervisor at the time of the application, but the application will only be reviewed once a supervisor is secured.
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
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Mulpuri, Kishore (Surgery; bone diseases; Cerebral Palsy; Connective Tissue Diseases; Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip; Joints (Articulations); Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease; Locomotor Activity / Movement Disorders; Methodological Research; Muscle; Muscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Deformation; Musculoskeletal Lesions and Repair; Neuromuscular Diseases; Orthopaedic Engineering; Patient Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance; Pediatric Hip Conditions; Pediatric Orthopaedic Trauma; Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis; Trauma / Injuries)
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Nappi, Lucia (Drug discovery, Identification of new biomarkers - genitourinary malignancies, Genitourinary tumors)
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Nguan, Christopher (Urology; Computer engineering; Civil engineering, n.e.c.; Biomedical instrumentation (including diagnostics); Medical devices; Artificial tissues engineering; Biomedical robotics; Image guided surgery systems; Applied immunology (including antibody engineering, xenotransplantation and t-cell therapies); Transplantation immunology; kidney transplantation; patient reported outcomes; medical apps for mobile health; machine learning analytics of medical imaging; machine learning analytics of complex medical data outcomes; Robotics; quality in healthcare; environmental impact of healthcare; Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare; planetary health intersection with healthcare)
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Nicolaou, Savvakis (Radiology, nuclear medicine and medical imaging; Computed Tomography; Artificial Intelligence; Emergency Radiology; Trauma Radiology; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance)
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Nolan, Seonaid (Substance use disorder; Access to evidence-based medications for incarcerated individuals)
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Nunez, Desmond (Sensory systems, auditory; Otorhinolaryngology; Age Related Hearing Loss; Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss; Recurrent Acute Otitis Media)
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Ong, Christopher (Prostate cancer growth; Treatment resistance; Cell signalling pathways; SEMA3C)
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Palepu, Anita (Health services and systems; homeless; Addiction; housing; Epidemiology; health care utilization; safe medication prescribing)
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Panenka, William (Brain, Behaviour & Development )
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Pelech, Steven (Neurological disorders (except neuromuscular diseases); Mechanisms of carcinogenesis; Adaptive immunity; Medical virology; Protein Microarrays; Protein Kinases; Protein Phosphatases; Protein phosphorylation; Cell signalling; Signal transduction; Cell division; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Neurological Disease; Cancer; Immunology)
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Plotkin, Steven (Biophysics theory and computation )
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Price, Morgan (Health Information Systems; Design; family medicine; eHealth Adoption; eHealth Requirements Engineering; eHealth Ux/UI Design; software engineering; decision support systems; Treatment Adherence; Consumer eHealth; Health System Improvement; primary care; Team-based care)
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Purcell, Sarah (Medical, health and life sciences; Nutrition; energy balance; Obesity; Metabolism; energy expenditure; appetite; diet)
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Quon, Bradley (Cystic Fibrosis; Epidemiology; Respiratory System; Proteomics; Immune Mediators: Cytokines and Chemokines; biomarker discovery and development; clinical epidemiology; health care economics; medication adherence)
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Rabkin, Simon (Hypertension)
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Ramer, Matthew (Pain, Plasticity, Regeneration, Sensory neurons, Sympathetic neurons)
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Rankin, Catharine (Effects of experience early in development on adult behaviour and the nervous system, adult learning and memory)
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Reid, Gregor (Basic medicine and life sciences; paediatric cancer; cancer immunology; animal models of cancer)
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Robillard, Julie (Health sciences; Medical and biomedical engineering; Psychology and cognitive sciences; Patient experience/patient engagement; social media; Assistive technology; Neuroethics; Brain health technology; Artificial Intelligence; Dementia; mental health; Social robots; pediatrics)
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Robinson, Wendy (Other basic medicine and life sciences; Medical Genetics; Early (prenatal) human development; Placenta; Epigenetics; DNA methylation; Sex differences; Mosaicism)
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Rossi, Fabio (Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine blood, Stem cells, regeneration, gene therapy, control of cell fate)
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Russell, James (old world, Iron Age, Celtic, classical Greek, Roman and Byzantine art, archaeology, architecture, ancient Roman daily life and culture;Roman military organization early Christianity; magic in antiquity; Greek and Roman inscriptions and coins; Scottish and Irish archaeology; old world and classical architecture, archaeology and culture with emphasis on Western Europe and Middle East; Celtic (especially Ireland and Scotland); Greek and Roman, classical and Byzantine; Latin, Greek, Lallans and lowland Scots; Scottish literature; Robert Burns; Scottish poetry generally; ancient through early Islam, especially Turkey; Eastern Europe, New therapy for sepsis (severe infection), septic shock and acute lung injury, role of genetics of the inflammatory response in the critically ill)
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Ryerson, Christopher (Interstitial lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema, dyspnea, pulmonary rehabilitation, symptom management, health care databases.)
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Ryu, Min Hyung (Basic medicine and life sciences; Respiratory sciences; Transcriptomics; Bioinformatics, n.e.c.; Environmental Respiratory Diseases; Genomics and Transcriptomics; Bioinformatics and Data Science; Personalized Medicine in Respiratory Care; Application of Next-generation Sequencing)
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Sadarangani, Manish (Immunology; Microbiology; Clinical sciences; Antimicrobial resistant bacteria; Bacterial Vaccines; Childhood infections; Epidemiology; Immune System; Vaccine Development; Vaccine immunity; Clinical trials and observational studies)
Pages
Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Information
Specialization
Experimental Medicine offers research opportunities in the following specialties: cardiology, cancer biology, dermatology, gastroenterology, hematology/oncology, infectious diseases, molecular medicine, nephrology, neurology, and respiratory medicine. All these fields can involve patients and/or experimental animal models.
Program Website
Faculty Overview
Academic Unit
Program Identifier
January 2026 Intake
May 2026 Intake
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.
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