Overview
The Ph.D. program in economics at UBC owes its strength to the quality of its research faculty, extensive opportunity for student-faculty interaction, and a diverse offering of specializations for thesis work. Our faculty members specialize in a wide range of topics, including development economics, economic history, applied and theoretical econometrics, economics of inequality and gender, environmental economics, industrial organization, international finance, international trade, labour economics, macroeconomics, applied and theoretical micro, political economy, and public economics.
What makes the program unique?
The Vancouver School of Economics at UBC is one of the world's best: in a recent ranking based on research publications, the department ranked in the top 20 worldwide, and number one in Canada.
Each year, we typically admit about 15 new students to our program. As a result, our program is small enough to provide extensive research supervision, yet large enough to offer expertise in a wide range of fields.
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: 93
Reading
22
Writing
22
Speaking
22
Listening
22
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
Overall score requirement: 6.5
Reading
6.0
Writing
6.0
Speaking
6.0
Listening
6.0
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 required by some applicants. Please check the program website.
2) Meet Deadlines
September 2025 Intake
Application Open Date
15 October 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 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 thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD)
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.
Research Information
Research Facilities
The school houses the Centre for Labour Studies and manages the British Columbia Inter-University Research Data Centre. As a result, unique training opportunities, research funding, and access to data and computing resources are available to our Ph.D. students.
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 | $1,838.57 | $3,230.06 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,515.71 | $9,690.18 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,116.60 (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
Virtually all of the School's research faculty hold grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and other funding agencies, implying that opportunities for research assistantships and dissertation support are ample.
From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.
Average Funding
- 33 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 33 students was $13,467.
- 17 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 17 students was $13,717.
- 19 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 19 students was $3,513.
- 49 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 49 students was $22,471.
- 3 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 3 students was $30,000.
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 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 Estimator
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Career Outcomes
76 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 75 alumni (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016):
RI (Research-Intensive) Faculty: typically tenure-track faculty positions (equivalent of the North American Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor positions) in PhD-granting institutions
TI (Teaching-Intensive) Faculty: typically full-time faculty positions in colleges or in institutions not granting PhDs, and teaching faculty at PhD-granting institutions
Term Faculty: faculty in term appointments (e.g. sessional lecturers, visiting assistant professors, etc.)
Sample Employers in Higher Education
Wilfrid Laurier University (3)Universite de Sherbrooke (2)
University of Victoria (2)
University of Ottawa (2)
York University (2)
University of Calcutta (2)
University of Adelaide (2)
Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (2)
Simon Fraser University (2)
Hosei University
Sample Employers Outside Higher Education
Statistics Canada (2)Market Surveillance Administrator
Volkswagen
Competition Bureau
Bank of Canada
Brattle Group
Government of Canada
Digiflex Information Systems
Analysis Group
International Monetary Fund
Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education
Economist (3)Senior Research Analyst (2)
Chief Economist (2)
Senior Economist (2)
Senior Analyst
Business Analyst
Senior Associate
Policy Research Analyst
PhD Career Outcome Survey
You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.Disclaimer
These data represent historical employment information and do not guarantee future employment prospects for graduates of this program. They are for informational purposes only. Data were collected through either alumni surveys or internet research.Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD). 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 | 409 | 282 | 405 | 273 | 348 |
| Offers | 51 | 49 | 33 | 35 | 34 |
| New Registrations | 15 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
| Total Enrolment | 87 | 87 | 86 | 86 | 79 |
Completion Rates & Times
Disclaimer
Upcoming Doctoral Exams
Wednesday, 6 November 2024 - 12:30pm - Room 200
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 Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD)
Doctoral Citations
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Dr. Abbott's research focused on contemporary policy issues in education and housing economics. Findings improve our understanding of the complex roles of financial barriers in common household decisions, such as whether or not to attend college or buy a house. Future academic and public policy work in these areas will benefit from these findings. |
| 2013 | Dr. Torres studied the assimilation problems of immigrants to Canada. He focused on the origin of human capital and how it related to the immigrant-native wage gap. He discovered that much of the wage gap is due to the inability of immigrants to transfer their human capital. This information will be useful in future strategic planning for immigrants. |
| 2013 | Dr. Gao studied the causes of cash hoarding within U.S. firms. She linked the cash rise to inventory reduction, and analyzed whether Just-in-Time inventory systems explain the rise in cash balances. She found that replacing inventory with cash can account for over half of the cash increase observed, so concerns over mounting corporate cash are exaggerated. |
| 2013 | Dr. Freeman investigated how to mathematically model and experimentally study decisions involving risks. His work focuses on how choice data can and cannot be used to test and measure behavioural models of decision-making. His work has implications for how we can understand decisions that appear irrational relative to standard economic models. |
| 2013 | Dr. Chadha examined the role played by economic changes in recent political developments in India, including the emergence of peasant and ethnic parties. This research highlights the important role played by economic imperatives in either dampening or amplifying social divisions existing in societies. |
| 2013 | Dr. Zhang studied the determinants of corporate leasing. She found that uncertainty and financial constraints play important roles in understanding corporate leasing decisions. Her research also suggested that leasing is less used in countries with weak legal environments. |
| 2012 | Dr. Yu examined how inflation indexed bonds help to explain home bias in equity portfolios. She studied ways in which international financial development affects risk-sharing across countries. These studies assist us in understanding how international financial markets help to share income risk across borders. |
| 2012 | Dr. Wang studied the importance of formal and informal institutions in economic development in China. He found that social capital play important roles in voluntary mutual aid and community management of common pool resources in rural China, and the then-existing family class identities still affect households' current economic status in urban China. |
| 2012 | Dr. Cortes studied the labour market experience of individuals working in blue-collar and clerical occupations, where many workers have been replaced by machines and computers over the past 30 years. His findings reveal the extent to which these workers switch jobs, the types of jobs that they switch to, and the wage changes they experience in the short and long-run. |
| 2011 | Dr. Miyamoto studied voluntary and market-based approaches to environmental regulation. He found that voluntary pollution abatement programs can sometimes yield better environmental outcomes than traditional regulation. His study also revealed some shortcomings of voluntary programs and will be useful in the design of better environmental policy. |
Pages
Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Information
Specialization
Economics covers many fields including: macroeconomics, labour economics, international trade and finance, environmental economics, industrial organization, information and incentives, economic theory, health economics, development economics, and economic history.
Program Website
Faculty Overview
Academic Unit
Program Identifier
Classification
September 2025 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.
Curious about UBC for grad school?
Our community of scholars is one of the world’s finest, committed to discovering and sharing knowledge, and to tackling the challenges that face our world.