Forestry - Doctor of Philosophy - PHD - Postgraduate / Graduate Program - UBC Grad School

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Overview

Forestry graduate students learn from a dynamic and diverse group of researchers who educate and communicate how forests and the products that are created from them contribute to the well-being of all living things. The health and sustainability of forests and the people who depend on them underlies everything we do. We are among the best institutions globally in forest-related education and research and are also unique in the breadth of expertise we possess, which allows us to integrate new knowledge across many disciplines.

PhD in Forestry students can be found all over the world; they are important ambassadors for UBC Forestry and demonstrate just how diverse and international in scope the research is that is undertaken in our Faculty. We have approximately 130 doctoral students in any given year, which is about 40% of our total Forestry graduate student population. In addition to being part of the Faculty of Forestry, PhD students are also considered members of one of our three Faculty departments, based on their supervisor's affiliation.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

The Faculty of Forestry offers excellent courses and cutting edge research across a spectrum of disciplines related to forestry, and opportunities for interdisciplinary learning. Graduate students work with leading scientists in state-of-the-art facilities within the Forest Sciences Centre and at any of two research forests.

We are one of the largest graduate units on campus, with over 300 students enrolled in our 7 degree programs. We attract students from around the world, with over 40 countries represented in our community. Given the global nature of modern forestry, the experience our students gain by working with colleagues from around the world is a subtle but effective means of creating the global citizens that UBC aspires to produce.

My potential advisor was very caring, kind and interested in what I wanted to do; she trusted and supported me from the very first moment. Additionally, the university campus is beautiful and offers all kinds of resources to learn and explore not only knowledge but your health, your tastes and your limitations.

Pablo Gonzalez Moctezuma

Program Structure

The major requirement for the PhD in Forestry is completion of a research dissertation which meets the requirements of the Faculty of Graduate & Post-doctoral Studies. Advancement to Candidacy must be achieved within 24 months of the start of studies, the requirements of which include a comprehensive examination. Course work is not required for the Forestry PhD, although many doctoral students do complete courses (either for credit or audit) as recommended by their supervisory committee.

Quick Facts

Faculty Faculty of Forestry

Mode of delivery In person at UBC Vancouver

Registration options Full-time

Program Components

Dissertation

Academic Unit Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences

Specialization Forestry

Tuition (First Year) Domestic: $5,515.71 | International: $9,690.18

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Program Enquiries

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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: 100

Reading

Writing

Speaking

Listening

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement: 7.0

Reading

6.5

Writing

6.5

Speaking

6.5

Listening

6.5

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

Transcript Deadline: 01 October 2025

Referee Deadline: 10 October 2025

Deadline Explanations

Application Deadline

Deadline to submit online application. No changes can be made to the application after submission.

Transcript Deadline

Deadline 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 Deadline

Deadline for the referees identified in the application for admission to submit references. See Letters of Reference for more information.

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 Forestry (PhD)

All applicants need firm commitment from a supervisor prior to applying.

Securing the interest of a prospective faculty supervisor is a vital step in the PhD, MSc and MASc application process, and interest must be confirmed before you submit the online application. Using the prospective supervisor list at , carefully review faculty members whom you consider to be the best match with your research interests. Make a short-list of prospective supervisors and contact them to see if they are accepting new students. Remember that faculty members receive many inquiries, so generic e-mails may not receive a response. Make your correspondence stand out: tell potential supervisors about your background and interests and how this relates to their research area. As part of your conversation with a prospective supervisor, it is important to discuss funding. UBC Forestry requires that supervisors have a minimum funding package planned for the student prior to an Offer of Admission being issued. Your online application should only be submitted after a prospective supervisor has confirmed to you that they are interested in reviewing your application.

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	$114.00	$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.

* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
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

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

Based on the criteria outlined below, 94 students within this program were included in this study because they received funding through UBC in the form of teaching, research, academic assistantships or internal or external awards averaging $39,806.

63 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 63 students was $9,903.
73 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 73 students was $20,299.
14 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 14 students was $4,352.
94 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 94 students was $10,715.
17 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 17 students was $31,333.

Study Period: Sep 2022 to Aug 2023 - average funding for full-time PhD students enrolled in three terms per academic year in this program across years 1-4, the period covered by UBC's Minimum Funding Guarantee. Averages might mask variability in sources and amounts of funding received by individual students. Beyond year 4, funding packages become even more individualized.
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

154 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 2 are in non-salaried situations; for 12 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 140 graduates:

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

University of British Columbia (12)
University of California - Davis (2)
University of New Mexico (2)
University of Toronto (2)
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (2)
University of Waterloo (2)
University of Alabama
Oklahoma State University
Okanagan College
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST)

Sample Employers Outside Higher Education

FPInnovations (6)
Government of British Columbia (3)
Government of Canada (3)
United States Forest Service (2)
CONICET (2)
Government of Yukon
Bonar
Security Company
BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education

Research Scientist (5)
Manager (4)
Researcher (4)
Senior Scientist (3)
Scientist (3)
Director (2)
Consultant (2)
Content Development Manager
Director, Murie Science and Learning Center
President and Owner

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.

Alumni on Success

Kristina Cockle

Job Title
Research Scientist

Employer
CONICET

Jill Hamilton

Job Title
Assistant Professor

Employer
North Dakota State University

Michael Donaldson

Job Title
Content Development Manager

Employer
Canadian Science Publishing

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (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	55	59	44	63	37
Offers	31	33	26	33	19
New Registrations	24	27	24	29	16
Total Enrolment	157	150	142	132	121

Completion Rates & Times

This program has a graduation rate of 80% based on 103 students admitted between 2011 - 2014. Based on 57 graduations between 2020 - 2023 the minimum time to completion is 3.07 years and the maximum time is 9.27 years with an average of 5.81 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.

Disclaimer

Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new registrants for each registration year, May to April, e.g. data for 2022 refers to programs starting in 2022 Summer and 2022 Winter session, i.e. May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Data on total enrolment reflects enrolment in Winter Session Term 1 and are based on snapshots taken on November 1 of each registration year. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Graduation rates exclude students who transfer out of their programs. 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.

Upcoming Doctoral Exams

Wednesday, 22 May 2024 - 9:00am - Room 200

Rik Johannes Gerardus Nuijten

Characterizing Ecosystem Attributes Relevant for Restoration Assessment in Early Successional Forests Using Drone-Based Remote Sensing Approaches

Tuesday, 28 May 2024 - 10:00am - Room 200

Jessica Quinton

Assessing the Link(s) Between Urban Greening and Gentrification in Canadian Cities

Tuesday, 4 June 2024 - 9:00am

Corinne Grunder Bassett

Bridging Gaps in Urban Forest Management to Achieve Urban Sustainability Goals

Research Supervisors

Supervision

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)

All applicants need firm commitment from a supervisor prior to applying.

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.

Evans, Philip David (Wood anatomy, wood durability, wood products, wood technology)
Feng, Haibo (Forestry sciences; BIM; Construction; LCA; sustainability; Wood Products; Zero energy / caron building)
Gaston, Christopher (Forestry sciences; markets and economics for Canadian wood products)
Gergel, Sarah (Aboriginal forestry, biodiversity, climate change, communities and livelihoods, conservation, ecology, remote sensing, sustainability)
Grayston, Susan (Climate change, microbiology, soil science )
Grenz, Jennifer
Hagerman, Shannon Marie (biodiversity, climate change, communities and livelihoods, conservation, forest policy, social science)
Hamelin, Richard
Hinch, Scott (salmon migrations, salmon ecology, salmon fisheries, fish conservation, land use impacts (e.g. forestry) on fish and habitat, Salmon, conservation, ecology, fish ecology, fisheries management, stream, and riperian ecology)
Ignace, Danielle (Impacts of global change on transitioning ecosystems)
Innes, John (Other natural sciences; Forestry; Ecology)
Jiang, Feng (bio-based nanomaterials, carbohydrate chemistry, chemistry, sustainability, wood science)
Joshi, Jaya (Biofoundries; biomass; Carbon; Engineering; Enzyme Design; sustainability; Synthetic biology)
Kozak, Robert Antal (Forest-dependent communities in transition, international development & poverty alleviation, value-added strategies, forest certification & corporate social responsibility, forest sector sustainability & competitiveness, marketing, management & consumer behaviour)
Krzic, Maja (Soil sciences; Soil health; Soil management; Soil science education)
Lam, Tzeng Yih (Quantitiative methods in forestry; Forestry management and environment; Statistical theory and modeling; Survey methodology and analysis; Bayesian Filtering; Forest Inventory; Growth and Yield; Sampling Theory; silviculture; Timber; Tree Measurement)
Lam, Frank (timber engineering; structural use of wood products, Engineered wood systems)
Li, Minghao (Earthquake engineering; Structural engineering; Building construction engineering; Concrete, cementitious materials and other architectural and construction materials)
Loss, Cristiano (Forestry sciences; Wood; Engineered Wood Solutions; Engineering Wood Design; Hybrid Wood-Based Systems; Industrialised Wood Systems; Seismic Design and Analysis of Timber Structures; Timber Engineering; Wood Building Systems; Wood as Structural Material)
LU, JULIET (Forest ecology; Economic geography; Environmental sociology; conflicts and governance issues around resource extraction and intensive land use; transnational land investments; promotion of monoculture plantations at the expense of more biodiverse systems; private sector sustainable governance initiatives)
Mansfield, Shawn (plant metabolism, cellulose biosynthesis, lignin biosynthesis, wood formation, wood quality, cell wall biochemistry, tree biotechnology, transgenics, Tree biotechnology)
Martin, Tara (biodiversity, climate change, climate models, conservation, ecological monitoring, ecology, land-use change, landscape ecology, landscape planning, modelling)
Mchale, Melissa (Trans-disciplinary approaches to studying complex socio-ecological systems, social drivers of ecosystem processes, cities as sustainable ecosystems, carbon dynamics in urban systems, urbanization effects on nutrient cycling, ecosystem services and dis services, consumption culture, urban metabolism, urbanization in the developing world)
Meitner, Michael (forest aesthetics and scenic beauty, outdoor recreation, environmental visualization, geographic information systems, visual perception, agent-based modeling, Public involment in planning, sustainability leadership)
Montwe, David (Forestry sciences; climate change; Drought and climate change; Evaluating silvicultural treatments on timber quality and value; Forest management; Increasing forest resilience to climatic extremes using silvicultural interventions; Long-term resilience; Reducing impacts from forest disturbance agents under climate change; Regeneration; silviculture; Species selection)

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Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.

Year	Citation
2023	Dr. Sutherland researched historical changes in the ecosystem services provided by forests of BC. His work advanced theory and methods for studying coupled social-ecological systems and moves forward an understanding of ecosystem services as part of dynamic systems. His work also leaves a legacy of data showing ecosystem services change in BC.
2023	Dr. Dickson-Hoyle examined how Secwépemc Nation communities and territories are recovering from recent megafires in British Columbia. She identifies key lessons from joint recovery efforts and describes Secwépemc Elder Ron Ignace's concept of walking on two legs to guide collaborative research and restoration in Indigenous territories.
2023	Dr. Chen examined where and how human activities affect mammals by using an extensive camera trap dataset comprising data from 8600 remote cameras. He found that mammal diversity is associated more with protected area coverage than with negative human influences globally, which provide insights into future biodiversity conservation.
2023	The ancestral territories of the Mapuche Nation were violently reduced to individual properties that today are in the hands of non-Mapuche people, including settlers and commercial companies. Dr. Arias-Bustamante's study showed how Mapuche communities navigate the system in their quest to land restitution in a constantly changing context.
2023	Dr. Reich used novel molecular methods to identify airborne fungi that cause diseases in agricultural crops. He found that the air contains many pathogenic and mutualistic fungi for plant health and showed that this information could help predict plant epidemics. His research will help farmers manage field diseases while reducing fungicide use.
2023	Dr. Todd studied Canadian municipal parks and their contribution to the urban forest canopy. She provides recommendations on how parks can continue to meet recreational and cultural demands while balancing those with urban forestry objectives for a more resilient city.
2023	Dr. Ye designed a series of nanocellulose-based gel conductors for a variety of sophisticated applications. His study would advance the creation of biodegradable electronics, relieving the environmental pollution caused by discarded electronics.
2023	Dr. Cheng examined the interactions between urban forest policies and climate change (and related urban planning) policies in Canadian cities. Her research revealed key conflicts and synergies among municipal policies and explored solutions to better integrate urban forests into building a compact, livable, and climate-resilient city
2023	Dr. Queinnec examined the ability of novel airborne and spaceborne remote sensing technologies to characterize three-dimensional vegetation structure in boreal forests of Canada. His work provides enhanced knowledge about forest resources in both managed and unmanaged forested ecosystems.
2023	Dr. Du Toit used Airborne Laser Scanning to model genetically improved Douglas-fir trees. Descriptors were used to assess tree performance, and predict genetic parameters. He found that ALS is capable of describing trees at multiple scales, and should be used in breeding programs due the cost savings and insights the technology provides.

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Sample Thesis Submissions

Further Information

Specialization

Forestry

Forestry offers advanced study in natural and social science, management, and economic aspects of forestry and wood science, in an interdisciplinary setting.

UBC Calendar

https://vancouver.calendar.ubc.ca/faculties-colleges-and-schools/faculty-graduate-and-postdoctoral-studies/degree-programs/forestry

Program Website

https://forestry.ubc.ca/future-students/graduate/thesis-based-degrees/doctor-of-philosophy/

Faculty Overview

Faculty of Forestry

Program Identifier

VGDPHD-KE

Classification

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.

Shiva Zargar

I chose UBC to conduct both my second master’s degree and Ph.D. research as it is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. I wanted to conduct my research at a university that is known worldwide for its high level of education and UBC was that one. Furthermore, I was keen to work with...

Winy Vasquez

When I was in elementary school, my family relocated to Vancouver so that my dad could pursue his own doctoral degree and so I grew up in and around the UBC campus. Throughout my elementary and secondary education in Vancouver, I was able to see UBC grew and changed and have many fond memories of...

Kaitlyn Zinn

I grew up in British Columbia, and the fish populations in this province are close to my heart. I wanted to work directly with the species I grew up with, and the Hinch lab at UBC is the perfect place to do so. Dr. Hinch works on many salmonid species with a range of fisheries issues from climate...

Jen Baron

I was attracted to the well-earned reputation and high standard of forestry research at UBC. I believed that, by learning from and collaborating with leaders in my field, my expertise and the quality and impact of my work would benefit greatly. Having connections (& friendships!) with students...