Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD)

Overview

The Human Development, Learning, and Culture (HDLC) program at UBC advances research and practice in education through the application of theoretical models and concepts to real world educational issues. Investigations of learning and developing, including the unique contributions of culture to these processes, are applied widely to classroom, afterschool, work, and digital contexts. This work is interpreted through a variety of theoretical lenses (e.g., sociocultural, social and emotional, cognitive). Coursework emphasizes three primary areas: a) learning and developing, b) culture and diversity, and c) research methods, including both qualitative and quantitative research.

Doctoral students are encouraged to participate in research and teaching opportunities throughout their program; it is likely that some of these opportunities may form part of a funding package.

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

$40,000

Minimum funding per year^*

Average years to completion

UBC has a wonderful campus and supportive community that I've been lucky to be a part of throughout my post-secondary degrees. I enjoy working and learning alongside some of the most passionate and brilliant people I've ever met.

Negar Khodarahmi

Quick Facts

Faculty Faculty of Education

Academic Unit Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education

Specialization Human Development, Learning, and Culture

Mode of delivery In person at UBC Vancouver

Program Components Dissertation

Tuition (First Year) Domestic: 5,738.52 | International: 10,081.65

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Fees	Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat	International
Application Fee	$118.50	$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year	3	3
Tuition per installment	$1,912.84	$3,360.55
Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)	$5,738.52	$10,081.65
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (for eligible individuals)		$3,200.00 (-)
Other Fees and Costs
Student Fees (yearly)	$1,169.35 (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

All full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $40,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD from September 2026. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.

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.

UBC has working agreements with MPower Financing - an organization providing international students with no-cosigner, no-collateral education loans to study in Canada - and Windmill Microlending - an organization providing loans to skilled immigrants.

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 Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
Applications	16	17	17	23	27
Offers	4	1	2	2	1
New Registrations	3	1	2	0	1
Total Enrolment	13	12	14	18	22

Completion Rates and Times

This program has a graduation rate of 87.5% based on 17 students admitted between 2012 - 2015. Based on 7 graduations between 2021 - 2024 the minimum time to completion is 6 years and the maximum time is 9.7 years with an average of 7.7 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.

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
2025	Dr. Molyneux’s mixed methods study developed a comprehensive understanding of factors that affect Grade 6-8 students’ school belonging based on their own perceptions. She found that students’ belonging is enhanced through experiences of comfort, care, and connection. The findings can inform school-based initiatives to promote belonging.
2024	Dr. Gómez studied supervised practicum in early childhood teacher education programs in Chile. She identified a range of ways of conceiving supervision during practicum held by university supervisors. Her findings provide insights into the supervision of pre-service teachers, a central yet understudied component of learning to teach.
2024	Dr. Sauve explored the experiences that early-career teachers had with social and emotional learning (SEL) as they completed their teacher preparation programs in Oregon. Her research contributes to the limited understanding of the degree to which teachers receive preparation in SEL as they complete their teacher preparation programs in the U.S.
2024	Dr. Miller studied the role of collaborative, inquiry-oriented teacher professional development related to social and emotional learning (SEL). Results showed the potential for collaborative professional development to support educators as they explore, develop, and apply practices that promote SEL beyond the typical conventions of SEL programs.
2024	Dr. Aslanimehr conceptualized exile as an internal force carried within, hindering recognition. Her work explored the tension between self-understanding and how others perceive us. Applied within academia, she challenges the theory of recognition by emphasizing attentive listening attuned to the unique experiences that may send the self to exile.
2024	Dr. Gist explored how high school teachers who teach online build positive relationships with their students. This research informs both policy and practice by providing schools and teachers a deeper understanding of the factors that help, hinder or are needed for supportive student-teacher relationships online.
2023	Dr. Baitz examined the relationship between early experiences of trauma and later relational problems in young adulthood, such as cyber dating violence, insecure attachment, limerence, and internalizing symptoms. Her work informs therapeutic practice by illustrating how early trauma influences young adult relationships in the context of technology.
2023	Dr. Parent examined adolescent development and wellbeing in the current socio-technological context. Her findings illustrate the complex ways in which digital devices contribute to adolescents' wellbeing - suggesting that these may have both positive and negative effects. Her work has important implications for research and practice in adolescence.
2022	Dr. Wolf developed an affective conception of thinking through the work of Gilles Deleuze as a new theory and practice of an education for thinking. Especially in relation to Matthew Lipman's philosophy for children approach, the pedagogical consequence is a thinking that is more inclusive and sensitive to context leading to a richer sensibility.
2022	Dr. Maloney studied factors that contributed to kindergarteners' social competence. She found that children's self-regulation proficiency and the quality of relationship with kindergarten teachers contributed to children's empathy and prosocial behaviour. This knowledge will help educators promote social skills in children.

Cassandra Hesse

Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD)

The influence of pornography on adolescents

Tonje Molyneux

Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD)

Supporting systemic, school-based social and emotional learning through teacher professional development

Negar Khodarahmi

Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD)

Early childhood educators and knowledge of trauma-informed practice in early childhood education

Program Website

September 2027 Intake

Application Open Date18 September 2026

Canadian Applicant Deadline1 December 2026

International Applicant Deadline1 December 2026

Program Enquiries

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Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD)

Overview

Quick Facts

Admission Information & Requirements

1) Check Eligibility

Minimum Academic Requirements

English Language Test

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Other Test Scores

2) Meet Deadlines

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts

Letters of reference

Statement of Interest

Supervision

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for this program

Citizenship Verification

4) Apply Online

Research Information

Research Focus

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Financial Support

Program Funding Packages

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Foreign government scholarships

Working while studying

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Cost Estimator

Career Outcomes

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample Employers Outside Higher Education

Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education

PhD Career Outcome Survey

Disclaimer

Career Options

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion Rates and Times

Disclaimer

Research Supervisors

Supervision

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for this program

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

Doctoral Citations

Related Programs

Same specialization

Same Academic Unit

Further Information

Specialization

UBC Calendar

Program Website

Faculty

Academic Unit

Program Identifier

Classification

Cassandra Hesse

Tonje Molyneux

Negar Khodarahmi

September 2027 Intake

Program Enquiries

Social Media Channels

Supervisor Search

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