Master of Science in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (MSc)
Applicant Information
We are excited to have received Ministry approval for the new Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences (WACH) program which will replace our current Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (RDS) graduate program starting with the September 2022 intake. If you have been considering applying to the RDS program, please review the new WACH graduate program which will be able to accommodate similar research endeavors.
Overview
The goal of the Graduate Program in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences is to provide students with a broad knowledge of mammalian reproductive and developmental biology, as well as with in depth expertise in at least one area of research, including:
- reproductive and molecular endocrinology
- immunology of reproduction
- maternal adaptations to pregnancy
- women’s mental health
- gynecologic cancers
- prostate cancer
- fertilization and early embryonic development
- placental development
- perinatal metabolism
- fetal/neonatal physiology and pathophysiology
- perinatal epidemiology
Other areas of research on human health and disease as it relates to male and female reproduction are also possible, including perinatal and postnatal health topics.
Basic science, clinical or epidemiological research projects are possible.
What makes the program unique?
The RDS program is the only graduate program in Canada that is based in a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. RDS students thus have the opportunity to interact with both basic science and clinical research faculty, which can lead to the formulation of research projects that address important clinical issues in women (e.g. ovarian cancer, preeclampsia). Moreover, the location of the department within the teaching hospitals in Vancouver facilitates the collection of human samples (e.g. placental or ovarian tissue, sperm and testes tissue) that can be used in thesis research projects.
Program Structure
The MSc program involves both coursework and completion and defense of a thesis research project.
Quick Facts
Research Information
Research Focus
Reproductive and molecular endocrinology, immunology of reproduction, maternal adaptations to pregnancy, women’s mental health, gynecologic cancers, prostate cancer, fertilization and early embryonic development, placental development, perinatal metabolism, fetal/neonatal physiology and pathophysiology, perinatal epidemiology.
Research Facilities
Research activities take place in the BC Women’s Hospital, the main obstetrics and gynaecology hospital in BC, and in one or both of the on-campus research institutes: the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and the Women’s Health Research Institute. In addition, research may be carried out on the UBC Point Grey campus, at Vancouver General Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital or the BC Cancer Agency. All sites possess modern, well-equipped laboratories for basic science research. There are also facilities for conducting research on human subjects, and for clinical and epidemiological research. Students whose research involves human reproductive biology may have the opportunity to work with clinical members of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. There are also opportunities to collaborate with the BC Support Unit for students whose projects involve patient engagement.
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $112.00 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,802.52 | $3,166.73 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,407.56 | $9,500.19 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,081.64 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living (yearly) | starting at $18,517.90 (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 in the RDS program have been successful in receiving CIHR Graduate Scholarships, Michael Smith Foundation awards, and BCCHR studentships.
The minimum funding requirement for MSc students is $20,000 per annum, paid by a Graduate Research Assistantship. Students with external awards totalling less than $20,000 must be topped up to at least the minimum funding from their supervisor's grant.
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.
Career Options
Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Master of Science in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (MSc). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
Enrolment Data
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 20 | 36 | 41 | 24 | 18 |
| Offers | 12 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 9 |
| New registrations | 11 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 7 |
| Total enrolment | 31 | 25 | 18 | 21 | 19 |
Completion Rates & Times
This program has a graduation rate of 94% based on 18 students admitted between 2011 - 2014. Based on 15 graduations between 2017 - 2020 the minimum time to completion is 1.66 years and the maximum time is 5.33 years with an average of 3.02 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.
Disclaimer
Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new registrants for each year, May to April [data updated: 7 April 2022]. Enrolment data are based on March 1 snapshots. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs [data updated: 19 October 2021].
Research Supervisors
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 Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (MSc)
RDS faculty members are listed on the "Prospective Supervisors" page of the program's website. You will be asked to upload a signed Memo of Acceptance (provided by the program) from your confirmed supervisor with the application.
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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Anglesio, Michael (Obstetrics and gynecology; Premalignant disease (precursors); Cancer molecular targets; Cancer of the Reproductive System; Host-Tumour Interaction; Endometriosis; Cancer Diagnosis and Detection; animal models of endometriosis and cancer; Cancer prevention; early detection biomarkers; endometriosis associated cancers; gene-expression and transcriptomics; genomics; Immunology; microenvironment; ovarian cancer etiology)
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Bayrampour Basmenj, Hamideh (Human reproduction and development sciences; Perinatal Period; Drugs and Pregnancy / Breast Feeding; Developmental Outcomes; Maternal Mental Health; Perinatal Anxiety; Pregnancy Outcomes; Prenatal Cannabis Use)
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Bedaiwy, Mohamed (Other clinical medicine; Endometriosis; Recurrent Pregnancy Loss; Infertility; Minimally Invasive Surgery)
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Beristain, Alexander Guillermo (Healthy Starts; cellular and molecular processes that direct trophoblast cell biology in early placental development; Examining the A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase (ADAM) family in trophoblast biology; Examining the effects of obesity-associated inflammation on the maternal-fetal interface; Identifying gene expression differences in subpopulations of trophoblasts in normal and pathological pregnancies )
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Bouchard, Katrina (Clinical sexology; Mental health and wellbeing; Sexual identy, sexual attraction and sexual behaviour; Sexual health; sexual response; sexual well-being; women's health; couples)
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Brotto, Lori (Human reproduction and development sciences; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Clinical psychology; mindfulness; Sexual Dysfunctions; sexual desire; treatment of sexual concerns; women's sexual health; asexuality; digital health interventions)
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Cerri, Ronaldo (Animal and dairy sciences; Animal behaviour; Animal developmental and reproductive biology; Animal physiology; Agricultural Machinery and Technology; Animal Production; Animal Reproduction; Biotechnology and Activity monitors; Dairy cattle reproduction; Endocrine Regulation; Endometrium-conceptus cross communication; Estrous cycle physiology in cattle; Inflammation and stress; Production medicine in dairy cattle)
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Devlin, Angela (Human nutrition and dietetics; Human reproduction and development sciences; Pathology (except oral pathology); cardiovascular disease; Children; developmental programming; Diabetes; Obesity)
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Elango, Rajavel (Protein Nutrition, Maternal-Fetal Nutrition, Childhood Malnutrition, Amino Acid Metabolism, Human Nutrition )
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Flannigan, Ryan (evaluating genetic and molecular mechanisms contributing to non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA))
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Geoffrion, Roxana (patient education, surgical outcomes after various pelvic reconstructive surgeries and surgical skill development through simulation and standardized training; pelvic floor reconstruction procedures such as vaginal prolapse or urinary incontinence surgery)
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Hach, Faraz (Cancer; Algorithms and computational genomics; Computational Genomics; biomolecular sequence analysis)
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Hanley, Gillian (Medical, health and life sciences; Gynecologic cancer; Ovarian cancer prevention; Gynecologic cancer survivorship; Perinatal mental health; Population-based administrative data)
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Huntsman, David (hereditary cancer, molecular pathology, cancer biomarkers, Pancreas centre)
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Joseph, K.S. (Pregnancy complications, preterm birth, fetal growth, infant mortality, neonatal)
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Lavoie, Pascal (Neonatal Immunity, Infection/Inflammation, Inheritance/Genetics of Neonatal Morbidities, Neonatal Chronic Lung Disease)
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Leung, Peter C (Reproductive and molecular endocrinology )
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Lisonkova, Sarka (preeclampsia)
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McAlpine, Jessica (subtypes of ovarian and endometrial cancers, and prevention)
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Mitchell-Foster, Sheona (Human reproduction and development sciences; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Cancer of the Reproductive System; Drugs and Pregnancy / Breast Feeding; Global Health and Emerging Diseases; AIDS / HIV; Urban and Rural Planning Policies; cervical cancer screening; culturally safe care; HPV; Indigenous women's health; perinatal substance-use; reproductive health of women living with HIV; reproductive screening in LMIC; rural and remote reproductive care)
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Money, Deborah (Reproductive Infectious Diseases, Infectious in pregnancy, vaginal microbiome, HPV vaccine, HIV in women, HIV in pregnancy, Perinatal transmission of viral pathogens and infectious etiology of preterm labour)
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Munro, Sarah (Human reproduction and development sciences; Participatory research; Health Care Technologies; Community Health / Public Health; Health Promotion; Health Policies; Health Care Organization; social determinants of health; Family planning; Perinatal Period; Birth Control; Breast Feeding and Infant Nutrition; Caesarean section; Implementation Science; Knowledge translation; Reproductive and maternal health; Shared decision making)
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Norman, Wendy (Health equity; Health care effectiveness and outcomes; Fertility and maternal health; Knowledge translation and implementation science in health; Population health interventions; Health services and systems, n.e.c.; Family planning; Health services and policy research; Contraception; Abortion; Population health equity research; Applied public health and population health intervention research; Health professional scope of practice research)
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Oberlander, Timothy (Population epidemiological studies that characterize neurodevelopmental pathways that reflect risk, resiliency and developmental plasticity)
Pages
Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Information
Specialization
Reproductive and Developmental Sciences provides students with a broad knowledge of mammalian reproductive and developmental biology, as well as with in-depth expertise in at least one area of research, including reproductive and molecular endocrinology, immunology of reproduction, fertilization and early embryonic development, perinatal metabolism, and fetal neonatal physiology.
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Academic Unit
Program Identifier
Classification
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