Social sciences

This division comprises research and experimental development in social sciences. Social sciences refer to disciplines concerned with the study of human actions and conditions and the social, economic and institutional mechanisms affecting humans, in the fields of social sciences, which include psychology and cognitive sciences; economics and business administration; education; sociology and related studies; law and legal practices; political sciences and policy administration; social and economic geography; media and communications; and other social sciences. Research consists of systematic investigation carried by means of experiment or analysis to achieve a scientific or technological advance such as acquiring new knowledge of the underlying foundation of phenomena and observable facts. Experimental development consists of new or substantially improved goods, services, systems, methods or processes.

Sub-Categories

Psychology and cognitive sciences

Economics and business administration

Education

Sociology and related studies

Law and legal practice

Political science and policy administration

Social and economic geography

Media and communications

Other social sciences

Graduate Degree Programs

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD)

The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy provides advanced preparation for education practitioners with leadership and policy responsibilities in both formal and nonformal settings. These settings include, among many others, the post-secondary sector, business and health organizations, unions…

Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD)

The Department of Anthropology advances the study and constructive understanding of human diversity and commonality, across the globe and throughout the long span of human existence. We pursue this aim through excellence in research, teaching, and community collaboration, grounded in multiple…

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration in Accounting (PhD)

Research and collaboration are at the heart of the UBC Business Administration in Accounting PhD program. Here, you will be equipped with the in-depth knowledge, communication skills, and immersive research capabilities you’ll need to be at the forefront of your discipline. Right from the outset of…

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration in Finance (PhD)

The PhD Program in Business Administration welcomes applications from individuals planning research-oriented academic careers. As well as gaining access to a world of knowledge and opportunity, Sauder PhD students benefit from the individual attention they receive from faculty members - right from…

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration in Management Information Systems (PhD)

An active and collegial group of senior and junior academics is the distinguishing feature of the MIS faculty at UBC. These researchers investigate a wide variety of topics, including electronic commerce, economics of information systems, systems analysis, intelligent systems, strategic and…

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration in Management Science (PhD)

The complexity of modern organizations necessitates the use of mathematical modeling techniques. Management Science and Operations Research are concerned with the application of mathematical models to decision problems in business, industry, government and other organizations. Our PhD program…

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration in Marketing and Behavioural Science (PhD)

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration in Organizational Behaviour (PhD)

The emphasis of the PhD Program in Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources (OBHR) is on developing research-oriented academics who study problems related to organizations, including the effects of management practices on people, between people within organizational settings, and between…

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration in Strategy and Business Economics (PhD)

This PhD specialization covers applications of the disciplines of economics and statistics to topics of relevance for business or business related government policy. Applications include business strategy and international business drawing on insights from industrial organization and international…

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration in Transportation and Logistics (PhD)

The doctoral program in transportation and logistics (TLOG) focuses on transportation economics and policy analysis. The program is designed to meet the needs of individual students, and there is considerable flexibility in choosing courses.

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration in Urban Land Economics (PhD)

Doctor of Philosophy in Cinema and Media Studies (PhD)

The Ph.D. program offers students the opportunity to pursue Cinema and Media Studies through coursework, comprehensive exams, a viva, and a dissertation project. Students are expected to give primary attention to an area of expertise of their choice while training in the broader theoretical,…

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)

The Counselling Psychology Program, in line with the mission of the research-intensive University of British Columbia, creates, advances and critically examines knowledge in counselling psychology, especially with respect to its validity, applicability, limits, and interface with other disciplines…

Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)

Graduate programs in the field of Curriculum Studies encompass, but are not limited to, investigations into: teacher education, the social construction of knowledge, the curriculum as culturally and politically situated, contemporary curriculum and instructional discourses, and the role of…

Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD)

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…

UBC Researchers

K

Kroc, Edward

Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

measurement; Measurement error; Statistics; urban ecology; Seabirds; Gulls; Quantitative ecology; Measurement, Measurement error, Statistics, Urban ecology, Seabirds, Gulls, Quantitative ecology

Kubota, Ryuko

Department of Language & Literacy Education, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

critical applied linguistics; culture and language; Language Rights and Policies; language education; language ideologies; multicultural education; race and language teaching; Critical applied linguistics, Culture and language, Language Rights and Policies, Language education, Language ideologies, Multicultural education, Race and language teaching

Kumar, Gaurav

Faculty of Forestry

Postdoctoral Fellow

Operations Research; Decision Analytics; Logistics & Supply chain management; Freight Transportation;

Kumpulainen, Kristiina

Department of Language & Literacy Education, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Languages and literature; Social sciences; Critical literacies/pedagogies; Digital Literacies; Arts-based research; Multiliteracy and multimodality; Place-based literacies; Storytelling/narrative inquiry; Imagination

Kunnas, Marika

Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

French language and literacy curriculum, pedagogy and didactics (except sign language); Bilingual/Multilingual education; Critical intercultural studies; Critical literacies/pedagogies; Decolonizing pedagogies and knowledges; Drama/Theater education; French language education; Race and antiracism; identity; language ideologies

Kunz, Nadja

School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Decision Analysis; Environmental engineering; Hydrology; Risk management; Systems engineering; water resources management; Decision analysis, Environmental engineering, Hydrology, Risk management, Systems engineering, Water resources management

L

Laird, Colleen

Department of Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Japanese cinema; Gendered image production, gendered reception, and women in film industries; Videographic criticism; Japanese cinema, Gendered image production, gendered reception, and women in film industries, Videographic criticism

Lauer, Sean

Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Marriage, immigration, and a resource industry

Laurin, Kristin

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Psychology of social class; Political psychology; Rationalization and system justification; Morality; Psychology of social class, Political psychology, Rationalization and system justification, Morality

Lee, Barbara

School of Social Work, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Social work; Social Work; Child Welfare; Child Maltreatment; Child Protection; Ethno-Cultural Communities; Newcomers; Service Delivery; Service Outcomes

Lee, Gene

Division of Accounting and Information Systems, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

AI in Business; Business Analytics; Information Systems; Social Media Analysis; Mobile Ecosystem; AI in Business, Business Analytics, Information Systems, Social Media Analysis, Mobile Ecosystem

Lee, Kevin

Division of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Industrial relations and work relations; Future of Work & Organizing; Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship; Social Inequality, Worth, & Evaluation; Lived Experience of Organizations & Institutions

LeMoult, Joelle

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

depression and psychobiological responses to stress; understanding how depression develops and unfolds across the lifespan; Depression and psychobiological responses to stress, Understanding how depression develops and unfolds across the lifespan

Lerner, Jackie

Faculty of Science

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

Environmental impact assessment; cumulative effects assessment; gender-based analysis plus; regional environmental assessment; strategic environmental assessment; Indigenous-led assessment; :label

Li, Xiaojun

Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

International Political Economy; International Security; Foreign Policy Analysis; International Political Economy, International Security, Foreign Policy Analysis

Lightfoot, Sheryl

Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

global and comparative Indigenous politics; international relations; Human Rights; non-state actors; global and comparative Indigenous politics, international relations, human rights, non-state actors

Liston, Mary

Peter A. Allard School of Law

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Public Law; Administrative Law; Jurisprudence; Rule of law; Comparative public law; Law and literature; Law and politics; Democracy; Values and norm systems; Political regimes; Indigenous law; Public law, Administrative law, Jurisprudence, Rule of law, Comparative public law, Law and literature, Law and politics, Democracy, Values and norm systems, Political regimes, Indigenous law

Liu, Tina

Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Atmospheric pollution and air quality; Earth system sciences; Natural hazards; Climate change impacts and adaptation; Environmental geography; modern human-fire relationships; role of fire in the Earth system; impacts of extreme events on planetary health; air quality and public health; satellite remote sensing and big geospatial data

Lo, Kin

Division of Accounting and Information Systems, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Financial reporting; Conference calls; Earnings management; Computational Linguistics; Financial reporting, Conference calls, Earnings management, Computational linguistics

Loutzenheiser, Lisa

Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

anti-oppressive education; queer studies; curriculum theory; Youth Studies; curriculum policy; qualitative methodologies; ethnography; Gender Studies; social inequality; sexuality education; alternative education; marginalized youth; 2SLGBTQ; Race Studies in Education; Mentorship in higher education; Faculty Development; anti-oppressive education, queer studies, curriculum theory, youth studies, curriculum policy, qualitative methodologies, ethnography, gender studies, Social inequality, sexuality education, alternative education, marginalized youth, 2SLGBTQ, Race Studies in Education , Mentorship in higher education, Faculty Development

Low, Margaret

School of Community and Regional Planning, Faculty of Applied Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Indigenous community planning; Indigenous sovereignty; Reconciliation; Indigenous community planning, Indigenous sovereignty, Reconciliation

LU, JULIET

Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

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

Lukes, Laura

Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Geoscience Education Research (Discipline-Based Education Research); Self-regulated Learning; field-based experiential learning; learning in informal settings (e.g., museums, parks, science centers); crowdsourced and citizen science; teacher beliefs; motivation, emotion, and beliefs in learning; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in STEM; learning engineering; Geoscience Education Research (Discipline-Based Education Research), self-regulated learning, field-based experiential learning, learning in informal settings (e.g., museums, parks, science centers), crowdsourced and citizen science, teacher beliefs, motivation, emotion, and beliefs in learning, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in STEM, learning engineering

M

MacAskill, Don

Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

Health services and systems; Medicine, nursing and health curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; paediatric audiology, paediatric hearing loss and balance function; Innovative practice; Leadership

Macfadyen, Leah

Faculty of Education

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

Educational technology and computing; Learning sciences; Distance learning; Higher education; Curriculum, pedagogy and didactics, n.e.c.; Learning analytics; Social network analysis; Text analysis; Learning design; Transformative learning; Citizenship education; Online Learning; Culture and technology

Macfarlane, Allison

School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Research, science and technology policy; science and technology policy; energy policy, nuclear energy, nuclear waste management; regulation

Manning, Keenan

Faculty of Education

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

cultural citizenship; ethnic minority; Hong Kong; Multiculturalism; :label

Marshall, Toph

Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Literary or Artistic Works Analysis; Performance and Theatrical Productions; Literary or Artistic Works Analysis, Performance and Theatrical Productions

Martindale, Andrew

Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Indigenous Archaeology; Northwest Coast; Oral Traditions; Spatial Analyses; Archaeology and the Law; Political economy; Radiocarbon Dating; Indian Residential Schools; Northwest Coast British Columbia, settlement patterns, economics, social organizations Archaeology and indigenous oral records Colonialism and culture contact, European-Indigenous interactions, historical archeology, political economy

Mawani, Renisa

Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Colonial Legal History; critical theory; Oceans and Maritime Worlds; Philosophy, History and Comparative Studies; Race and Racism; Time and Temporality; Colonial Legal History, Critical Theory, Oceans and Maritime Worlds, Philosophy, History and Comparative Studies, Race and Racism, Time and Temporality

McConnell, Kathryn

Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Social sciences; environmental sociology; climate change; wildfire; migration; built environment

McCready, Samuel

Faculty of Education

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

Curriculum, pedagogy and didactics, n.e.c.; Critical studies of technology; Historical studies, n.e.c.; Media, visual and digital culture; Game Studies; Game-based Learning; Productive pedagogies; Historical Games Scholarship; History Education

McEwan, Desmond

School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Teamwork; Sport Psychology; Group Dynamics; High-Performance Teams; Human Thriving; Teamwork, Sport Psychology, Group Dynamics, High-Performance Teams, Human Thriving

Menzies, Charles

Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Indigenous studies; Natural Resource Management; Maritime Anthropology; Western Europe; Ethnographic Film; Classical Marxism; Indigenous Studies, Natural Resource Management, Maritime Anthropology, Western Europe, Ethnographic Film, Classical Marxism

Mercer, Sterett

Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

curriculum-based measurement; academic intervention; written expression; curriculum-based measurement, academic intervention, written expression

Metcalfe, Amy

Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Higher Education Studies; Higher Education Policy; Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Higher Education; Science and Knowledge; Internationalization; Migration Studies; Academic Labour and Mobility; Visual Research Methods; Campus Environments; Higher Education Studies, Higher Education Policy, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Higher Education, Science and Knowledge, Internationalization, Migration Studies, Academic Labour and Mobility, Visual Research Methods, Campus Environments

Milligan, Kevin

Vancouver School of Economics, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Economic Policies; Children; Inequality; Pensions; Public Finance; Taxation; Economic Policies, Children, Inequality, Pensions, Public Finance, Taxation

Milner-Bolotin, Marina

Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Educational Technologies; educational innovation; Educational technology; physics education; STEM education; STEM teacher education; Science and Knowledge; teacher education; Teacher and Student Performance Evaluation; Teaching; Teaching and Learning Systems; Technological Innovations; Educational Technologies, Educational innovation, Educational technology, Physics education, STEM education, STEM teacher education, Science and Knowledge, Teacher Education, Teacher and Student Performance Evaluation, Teaching, Teaching and Learning Systems, Technological Innovations

Minard, Antone

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

Monteyne, Joseph

Department of Art History, Visual Art & Theory, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Renaissance/early modern art and print culture; early modern landscape and eco-criticism; Renaissance/early modern art and print culture, early modern landscape and eco-criticism

Montgomery, H. Monty

School of Social Work, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Social work, n.e.c.; First Nations Child Welfare, Aboriginal Social Policy, Indigenous Distance Education

Moore, Marcus

Peter A. Allard School of Law

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Law (except legal practice and international law); Law of Obligations (especially Contracts); Socio-Economic Regulation (especially Standard Form Contracts, Consumer Protection); Regulatory Theory and Design / Governance / New Governance; Law & Society / Socio-Legal Studies / Law in Social Context; Sports Law, Governance & Regulation (especially Injury Prevention); Law Reform; Public Law, Administration and Governance; Tech Regulation (especially Neuroscience); Jurisprudence & Critical Perspectives (especially Critical Disability Theory)

Morgan, Steven

School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Access to medicines; Health care policy; Pharmacare; Pharmaceutical pricing; Prescribing appropriateness; Comparative policy analysis; Health care financing; Access to medicines, Health care policy, Pharmacare, Pharmaceutical pricing, Prescribing appropriateness, Comparative policy analysis, Health care financing

N

Nakamura, Fuyubi

Department of Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Social and cultural anthropology; Museum studies (Museology); Visual theory, visual culture and visual literacy; Globalization and culture; Environment, space and place; Anthropology of art; museum studies (working as curator at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC); material and visual culture; Contemporary Japanese calligraphy; Indigenous cultures, especially Ainu; disaster and memory, especially in the context of the Great East Japan Earthquake (3.11).; contemporary Asian art and culture

Nan, Ning

Division of Accounting and Information Systems, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

blockchain governance; complex adaptive systems; digital business; evolvable information systems; Information Systems; Management; online community; Blockchain governance, Complex adaptive systems, Digital business, Evolvable information systems, Information Systems, Management, Online community

Narayan, Priti

Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Social and economic geography; urban development; South Asia; state-society relations

Nathan, Lisa

School of Information, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

climate change adaptation; Indigenous Information Studies; Information Ethics & Policy; Climate Change Adaptation, Indigenous Information Studies, Information Ethics & Policy

Nesbitt, Lorien

Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Environmental justice; urban forestry; Liveable and equitable urban environments; Socio-ecological interactions in cities; climate change; Ecosystem services; Cities; Environmental justice, Urban forestry, Liveable and equitable urban environments, Socio-ecological interactions in cities, Climate change, Ecosystem services, Cities

Noack, Frederik

Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Economics of Biodiversity; Economics of Conservation; Fisheries Economics; economic development; Forests; Economics of Biodiversity, Economics of Conservation, Fisheries Economics, Economic Development, Forests

Norris, Samuel

Vancouver School of Economics, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Economics and business administration; Education; Crime; labor economics

Student & Alumni Stories