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Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

Overview

Plant Science graduate program offers advanced study in applied plant biology, with a commitment to development of sustainable managed agroecosystems. Our graduate program offers opportunities for advanced studies in basic and applied research, leading to M.Sc. or Ph.D. degrees, in plant production, plant protection, plant biotechnology, plant physiology and biochemistry, and plant-environment interaction.

The program is enriched through collaborations with colleagues in graduate programs such as Food Science, Soil Science, Botany, Zoology. Collaborations include on-campus research centres such as the Biodiversity Research Centre, the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, the Wine Research Centre, and off-campus research agencies/institutions such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Canadian Light Source, and other Canadian universities.

What makes the program unique?

Our graduate program offers students the opportunity to develop their graduate studies uniquely tailored to their professional goals and research interests in consultation with their research supervisor. The diversity of plant agriculture in British Columbia provides excellent opportunities for students to select a cropping system most suitable for their thesis research.  Students have the opportunity and are encouraged to develop their research programs through an interdisciplinary approach involving other departments on the campus.

Excellent facilities for thesis research are available on the UBC campus in the MacMillan Building, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm, Totem Field Laboratory, UBC Wine Research Centre, the Michael Smith Laboratories, and the Horticulture Glasshouse. Some Plant Science graduate students also work with our Adjunct Professors, spread throughout the province of British Columbia.

 

Program Enquiries

Still have questions after reviewing this page thoroughly?
Contact the program

Admission Information & Requirements

Program Instructions

Before you apply, please make sure you meet/exceed the admission requirements and most importantly have a supervisor confirmed.

Please review the list of faculty members in the program and contact the ones with the same research interests as you direclty to check their availability/interest in accepting you.

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: 90

Reading

22

Writing

21

Speaking

21

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 not required.

Prior degree, course and other requirements

Prior Degree Requirements

Students admitted to the Ph.D. degree program normally possess a M.Sc. degree in plant science or a related area, with clear evidence of research ability, and a strive for research excellence. Transfer from the M.Sc. to the Ph.D. program is permitted under Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies regulations.

2) Meet Deadlines

January 2025 Intake

Application Open Date
15 April 2024
Canadian Applicants
Application Deadline: 01 June 2024
Transcript Deadline: 01 June 2024
Referee Deadline: 15 June 2024
International Applicants
Application Deadline: 01 June 2024
Transcript Deadline: 01 June 2024
Referee Deadline: 15 June 2024

May 2025 Intake

Application Open Date
15 July 2024
Canadian Applicants
Application Deadline: 01 September 2024
Transcript Deadline: 01 September 2024
Referee Deadline: 15 September 2024
International Applicants
Application Deadline: 01 September 2024
Transcript Deadline: 01 September 2024
Referee Deadline: 15 September 2024

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 Plant Science (PhD)
All applicants need firm commitment from a supervisor prior to applying.

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 Highlights

Research topics focus on plant-environment interactions, plant-pathogen interaction, pollination ecology, agro-ecology, crop production and breeding, irrigation management, disease protection, and plant physiology, biotechnology, biochemistry and imaging.

Research Focus

Specific areas of specialization include:

  • pollination biology; insect physiology; insect ecology and behaviour; natural insecticides
  • weed biology, ecology, and control; invasive species biology
  • fruit physiology and metabolism; plant nutrition; plant-plant interaction; biotic and abiotic stressor resistance
  • crop stress physiology; plant anatomy; structure-function relation; water relations; irrigation management
  • horticulture; vegetable culture; ornamental horticulture; post-harvest physiology
  • plant biochemistry; tissue culture; genetic engineering; plant, fungal, and viral molecular genetics
  • plant-microbe interaction; bacterial and fungal diseases; plant virology; biological control of pests and diseases
  • cereal and pathogen genomics; host-pathogen interactions; genetics of disease resistance
  • plant breeding; phenotyping; plant imaging; trait selection
  • rangeland ecology and wildlife habitat studies

Program Components

Appropriate coursework may be selected in consultation with the student's supervisory committee. All doctoral students are required to successfully complete a comprehensive examination. The major requirement for the Ph.D. is completion of a research dissertation meeting the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requirements.

Research Facilities

Plant Science teaching and research facilities are located in the H.R. MacMillan Building, in Food Nutrition and Health Building, and in the UBC Biotech Laboratory. Research facilities include: the UBC Farm, the UBC Botanical Garden, greenhouses and the Totem Field Plant Science Field Station (UBC Plant Care Services), a controlled environment-facility (walk-in and reach-in growth chambers), and modern analytical laboratories.

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

FeesCanadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / DiplomatInternational
Application Fee$114.00$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year33
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 livingEstimate 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 newly admitted graduate students in the research-based PhD program will be supported by a minimum funding package of $24,000/year for 4 years provided they maintain good academic standing.

The funding package may consist of internal or external award, scholarship, teaching or research assistantship, or any combination of the above. Students are expected to be proactive in applying for awards and scholarships.

 

Average Funding
Based on the criteria outlined below, 10 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 $31,647.
  • 3 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 3 students was $5,947.
  • 8 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 8 students was $17,537.
  • 9 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 9 students was $13,407.
  • 2 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 2 students was $18,833.

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

16 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 13 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
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
University of Massachusetts
Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University
Montana State University
Council of International Schools
University of British Columbia
Sample Employers Outside Higher Education
Bio-Act Technology Ltd.
Government of Canada
Health Canada
Stratford School
Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc.
Best Buy Canada
Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education
President
Biologist - Evaluation Officer
Teacher
Research Scientist/Business Owner
Chief Executive Officer
PIM Specialist
Research Scientist
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.
Career Options

Plant Science graduates (M.Sc., Ph.D.) generally opt for a teaching and/or research career. Some also work for government agencies (Agri-Food Canada, B.C. Ministry of Agriculture), agri-industry, or do consulting work in plant science.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

 20222021202020192018
Applications88534
Offers55321
New Registrations44321
Total Enrolment118541

Completion Rates & Times

This program has a graduation rate of 100% based on 6 students admitted between 2010 - 2013. Based on 6 graduating students from the 2010 - 2013 admissions cohort the minimum time to completion is 3.75 years and the maximum time is 6.37 years with an average of 5.21 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.

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 Plant Science (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.

  • Carrillo, Juli (Plant-insect interactions; Agroecology; Invasive species; evolution; Ecology; community ecology; Environmental Change; Plant evolution; Population Ecology)
  • Castellarin, Simone (Enology and viticulture; Horticultural crop growth and development; Crop physiology; Fruit ripening; Secondary metabolism; Environmental stresses; Viticulture)
  • Jovel Ayala, Eduardo (Ethnobotany, mycology, natural product chemistry and Aboriginal health)
  • Kronstad, James (Bioinformatics; Immunology; Microbiology; Plant biology; Mycology; Fungal diseases of plants; Genomics and Proteomics; Medical Mycology; Molecular Genetics; Pathogenesis of infectious diseases; Plant-Microbe Interactions)
  • Riseman, Andrew (plant breeding; plant genetics; horticulture; roots; stress physiology, Plant breeding, intercrop interactions, nutrient use efficiency, root physiology, biotic/abtioic stressor)
  • Sargent, Risa (Plant biology; Biological control; community ecology; evolutionary ecology; Floral trait evolution; Flowering plants; Herbivory; Pollinator-mediated interactions)

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. Yan investigated the production of waxy layer on fruit surfaces that protects fruits against environmental stresses such as UV Light and dehydration. Her work revealed the critical roles of wax compounds in improving fruit quality and shelf life. Her work will have significant implications on agriculture and horticulture crop development.
2017 Dr. Biswas studied the molecular mechanisms by which virus particles escape infected cells. Utilizing insect viruses, he discovered novel methods by which virus particles interact with host proteins to enable the rapid escape from infected cells. This information is critical for understanding virus pathology and disease spread.
2017 Dr. Alam studied the infection process of plant viruses. She examined and clarified the mechanism underlying two essential aspects of the viral infection cycle - virion assembly and disassembly. Her work furthers our understanding of how plant viruses establish infection, how new viruses form, and virus disease control.
2017 Dr. Ma investigated eco-physiology of effects of red/far-red light ratio on tomato and common weeds. Her research improves our understanding of how red/far-red ratio modifies plant growth, which affects plant-plant interactions. This understanding will help in management of agro-ecosystems to minimize crop losses due to weeds.
2015 Dr. Tak studied plant-based insecticides, especially plant essential oils. He found that a synergy between the essential oil components was produced by increased penetration of the compounds through the insect's skin, which is called a cuticle layer. These studies may guide us to develop more efficient botanical insecticides for pest control.
2014 Dr. Chapagain compared two food production systems: growing one crop alone versus growing multiple crops together. He demonstrated that together, multiple crops improve land and ecosystem productivity and water use efficiency. These studies will assist farmers in transitioning from chemical intensive production to eco-friendly production systems.
2011 Dr. Foroud studied a fungal disease of wheat known as Fusarium Head Blight. She contributed to the understanding of mechanisms of disease resistance by oserving that different molecular mechanisms of resistance are conferred in different genetic backgrounds. This knowledge will help breeders to select better resistance for wheat farmers.
2010 Dr. Machial investigated the comparative toxicity of selected plant essential oils to four agricultural insect pests, and assessed the effects of the most toxic oil, patchouli oil, on the detoxicative abilities of these insects. Development of reduced risk plant essential oil-based pesticides is warranted despite technical and practical challenges.
2010 Dr. Moreau explored manipulation of insect behaviour as an alternative to pesticides for management of greenhouse whiteflies on sweet pepper crops. She found that whiteflies can be diverted away from the crop using combinations of traps and reduced risk sprays. Her work provides greenhouse growers with whitefly management options that have lower environmental impacts and greater compatibility with biological control programs.
2010 Dr. Nie investigated protein-protein interactions of the major regulatory proteins, IE0 and IE1, of the baculovirus AcMNPV. She identified a domain required for binding viral proteins that were shown to play a critical role in the production of virus particles by enabling the rapid start of viral gene expression.

Pages

Further Information

Specialization

Plant Science covers topics related to plant production, plant protection, biotechnology, plant physiology and biochemistry, and plant-environment interactions. Specific areas of specialization include:

  • plant-microbe interaction, bacterial and fungal diseases, plant virology, biological control of pests and diseases, insect physiology, natural insecticides, insect ecology and behaviour, and weed biology, ecology, and control, invasive species biology pollination biology
  • plant nutrition, plant growth analysis, plant-plant interaction, biotic and abiotic stressor resistance, and environmental plant physiology
  • vegetable culture, ornamental horticulture, plant breeding, and post-harvest physiology
  • plant biochemistry, tissue culture, genetic engineering, and plant, fungal, and viral molecular genetics
  • rangeland ecology and wildlife habitat studies
  • cereal pathology, host-pathogen interactions, genetics of disease resistance, plant imaging, cereal and pathogen genomics, resistance breeding.

Program Identifier

VGDPHD-UA
 
 

January 2025 Intake

Application Open Date
15 April 2024
Canadian Applicant Deadline
01 June 2024
International Applicant Deadline
01 June 2024

May 2025 Intake

Application Open Date
15 July 2024
Canadian Applicant Deadline
01 September 2024
International Applicant Deadline
01 September 2024
 
Supervisor Search
 

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