Master of Science in Experimental Medicine (MSc)
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
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RegisterAdmission Information & Requirements
In order to apply to this program, the following components may be required.
Online Application
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
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. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitve process.
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.
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:
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:
Letters of Reference
A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.
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 supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding supervisor contact for Master of Science in Experimental Medicine (MSc)
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..
Citizenship Verification
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
Application Notes
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.
Deadline Details
Deadline to submit online application. No changes can be made to the application after submission.
Transcript DeadlineDeadline to upload scans of official transcripts through the applicant portal in support of a submitted application. Information for accessing the applicant portal will be provided after submitting an online application for admission.
Referee DeadlineDeadline for the referees identified in the application for admission to submit references. See Letters of Reference for more information.
January 2021 Intake
Application Open Date
01 January 2020Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
May 2021 Intake
Application Open Date
01 May 2020Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $106.00 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,698.56 | $2,984.09 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,095.68 | $8,952.27 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $944.51 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living (yearly) | starting at $16,954.00 (check cost calculator) | |
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
Students who start in the M.Sc. program and who do not have a major scholarship, will receive a minimum stipend of $18,000 per year from their supervisor.
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.
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.
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 direction. The duties usually constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is a form of financial support for a period of graduate study and is, therefore, not covered by a collective agreement. Unlike other forms of fellowship support for graduate students, the amount of a GRA is neither fixed nor subject to a university-wide formula. The stipend amounts vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded. Some research projects also require targeted research assistance and thus hire graduate students on an hourly basis.
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 20 hours a week.
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 Calculator
Applicants have access to the cost calculator 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
| 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 69 | 67 | 58 | 70 | 44 |
| Offers | 26 | 35 | 36 | 39 | 30 |
| New registrations | 22 | 31 | 31 | 38 | 30 |
| Total enrolment | 95 | 100 | 101 | 91 | 82 |
Completion Rates & Times
Disclaimer
Research Supervisors
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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Sandford, Andrew (genetic basis of asthma and has extended his studies to include the genetics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and peanut allergy as well as the genetic basis of pulmonary disease severity in cystic fibrosis; potential effects on gene function of genetic variants associated with these disease outcomes)
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Sawatzky, Bonita (Spinal Cord Diseases, Mobility, Outcome measures, biomechanics, assistive devices, rare disease)
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Schuetz, Christian (Social and Cultural Psychiatry, Psychology - Biological Aspects, Addiction, Cognitive Control, Treatment)
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Scott, Alexander (Musculoskeletal Lesions and Repair, musculoskeletal, sports medicine, physiotherapy, physical therapy, orthopaedics)
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Seow, Chun Yong (Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms, Asthma, Muscle, Respiratory System, Physiology, Airway smooth muscle, Contraction mechanism)
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Shadgan, Babak (Muscle, Trauma / Injuries, Muscular Diseases, Musculoskeletal Lesions and Repair, Spinal Cord Diseases, Optics and Photonics, Diagnostic Techniques, Biomedical Technologies, Sensors and Devices, Clinical Biophotonics, Sports & Exercise Medicine, Musculoskeletal Medicine)
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Shaw, Christopher (Paralympics)
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Sims Gould, Joan (Aging Process, Participatory research, Quality of Life and Aging, Health Prevention, Aging, community based participatory research, health and mobility, home care, prevention, built and social environments, implementation sciencei)
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Sin, Donald (CODP (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease))
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Skarsgard, Erik (Fetal surgery, Chest wall disorders in children, birth defects, neonatal surgical outcomes, perinatal networks, prenatal diagnosis and intrauerine surgery)
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Sly, Laura (Childhood Diseases; Macrophages; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Inflammation; Innate immune responses )
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Snutch, Terrance Preston (Molecular and genetic analysis of the nervous system)
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So, Alan (study of development of novel therapeutics for bladder cancer and determination of the functional role of GLI1/2 in the progression of prostate cancer to its lethal stage of androgen independence; discovery and development of novel agents to treat bladder cancer as well as development of the mechanisms of treatment resistance in renal cell carcinoma.)
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Socias, Maria (Infectious disease epidemiology, Immunology of Infectious Diseases, HIV & Hepatitic C care, HIV Immunology, HIV, Tuberculosis, Pharmacology, HIV Prevention, T Lymphocytes, Infection, Tropical Diseases, Vulnerable populations, Gender/sexual minorities, Sex workers, Opioid use disorder)
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Sorensen, Poul (Childhood cancer cells, genomic science )
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Steiner, Theodore (Cell Signaling and Infectious and Immune Diseases, Cell Therapy of Infectious and Immune Diseases, Gastrointestinal Pathologies, Infectious Diseases, intestinal immunology, Innate immunity, gastrointestinal infections)
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Stockler-Ipsiroglu, Sylvia (Diabetes, Nutrition & Metabolism (Nutrition & Metabolism), pathophysiology and treatment of neurometabolic disorders, ceberal creatine deficiency syndromes, cerebral glucose dificiency syndromes, epilepsy, mental retardation)
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Stoessl, A Jonathan (Parkinson's disease)
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Stothers, Lynn (neurourology; urinary tract infection; urodynamics; urology )
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Tang, Tricia (Diabetes; Behavioral and Psychosocial Issues associated with Diabetes Self-management.)
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Tebbutt, Scott (Genomics and Proteomics, Asthma, Heart Transplantation, Complex Trait Genetics, Fungal Infections, Occupational Lung Diseases, Dual organism molecular interaction (fungal spores & human airway epithelium), Early and late reactions in allergic asthma and rhinitis, Diagnostics of acute heart rejection, Neonatal vaccine immunogenicity, Systems biology, biomarkers & bioinformatics)
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Ti, Lianping (Epidemiology, Community Health / Public Health, Artificial Intelligence, Drug Abuse, Health Policies, Substance Use, Harm reduction, Public health, Health Services, Administrative data, data science)
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Traboulsee, Anthony (Multiple Sclerosis, Imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, neuromyelitls optica (NMO))
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Tremlett, Helen (multiple sclerosis, prognosis, disease progression, natural history, disease modifying therapies, drugs, beta-interferon, therapeutics, adverse drug, reactions, side effects, effectiveness, epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, liver, pregnancy, Multiple sclerosis, euroepidemiology)
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Turvey, Stuart (Immune System, Asthma, Immunodeficiencies, Microbiome cohort studies, Primary Immune Deficiencies, Precision Medicine)
Pages
Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Program 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.
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